HNLMS Nautilus (1929)
| History | |
|---|---|
 Netherlands | |
| Name | Nautilus |
| Operator |  Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Builder | Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, Rotterdam |
| Laid down | 25 January 1929 |
| Launched | 30 October 1929 |
| Commissioned | 2 May 1930 |
| Identification | M 12 |
| Fate | Sunk near Saltfleet, 22 May 1941 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Minelayer and Patrol vessel |
| Displacement | 800 t (790 long tons) (standard) |
| Length | 58.7 m (192 ft 7 in) (o/a) |
| Beam | 9.50 m (31 ft 2 in) |
| Draught | 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion | 2 propellers; 2 triple-expansion steam engines |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Crew | 50 |
| Armament |
|
HNLMS Nautilus (M12) was a minelayer and fisheries protection[a] vessel built for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) during the 1920s. Completed in 1930, she played a minor role during the Second World War. After Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940 the ship fled to the United Kingdom. Nautilus served as a convoy escort before she was sunk after a collision with a British merchant ship in 1941.
Description
[edit]Nautilus had a standard displacement of 800 long tons (813 t). She measured 58.7 metres (192 ft 7 in) long overall with a beam of 9.5 m (31 ft 2 in) and a draught of 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in). The minelayer was powered by a pair of triple-expansion steam engines, each of which turned a single propeller shaft using steam provided by three boilers. The engines were rated at a total of 1,007 kilowatts (1,350 ihp) and gave the ship a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The nautilus had a complement of 50 officers and ratings. The ship was armed with two 75-millimetre (3 in) anti-aircraft (AA) guns, two 40-millimetre (1.6 in) Bofors AA guns, and a single 12.7-millimetre (0.50 in) machine gun. She carried 50 naval mines.[1]
Construction and career
[edit]Nautilus was laid down on 25 January 1929 at the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij in Rotterdam and assigned yard number 158. She was launched on 30 October 1929 and commissioned on 2 May 1930. The vessel was built.[2][3] The ship was designed to fulfill the function of both a minelayer and fisheries protection vessel in the North Sea.[4][5]
On 12 May 1940 the Nautilus laid mines at Haaksgronden.[6][5] Two days later, the ship fled to the United Kingdom.[7] From February 1941 onwards the Nautilus performed escorting duties for convoys.[8] On 22 May 1941, while escorting the merchant vessels Heklo and Murrayfield, the Nautilus collided with Murrayfield and shortly after sunk near the opening of the Humber near Saltfleet.[5][8] All personnel were saved.[9]
Notes
[edit]Citations
[edit]References
[edit]- Bosscher, Ph.M. (1984). De Koninklijke Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Vol. 1: Voorgeschiedenis en de verrichtingen in Nederland, de Europese wateren en het noordelijke deel van de Atlantische Oceaan tot het uitbreken van de oorlog in Azië (December 1941). Wever. ISBN 90-6135-371-8.
- Mark, Chris (1997). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II (in Dutch). De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-522-9.
- von Münching, L.L. (1978). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog (in Dutch). Alk. ISBN 90-6013-903-8.
- Raven, G.J.A., ed. (1988). De kroon op het anker: 175 jaar Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). De Bataafsche Leeuw. ISBN 90-6707-200-1.
- Roetering, B., ed. (1997). Mijnendienst 1907-1997 90 jaar: feiten, verhalen en anekdotes uit het negentigjarig bestaan van de Mijnendienst van de Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Roetering. ISBN 90-90-10528-X.
- Roberts, John (1980). "The Netherlands". In Chesneau, Roger (ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Conway Maritime Press. pp. 385–396. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.