HNLMS Koning der Nederlanden
Encyclopedia
HNLMS Koning der Nederlanden was an iron-hulled ironclad
turret ship
built for the Royal Netherlands Navy
in the early 1870s. She was the largest ship to serve in the Dutch Navy during the 19th century. The ship was converted to a barracks ship
in the late 1890s and stationed in Surabaya
in the Dutch East Indies
. Koning der Nederlanden was scuttled
in Surabaya on 2 March 1942, during the Battle of Java
, to prevent her capture by the Japanese.
that protruded 1.22 metre from the bow. The ship's gun turret
s were only 3.3 metre above the waterline
, but the freeboard
could be increased by use of hinged bulwarks. The turrets were rotated by hydraulic machinery
.
The ship had an length between perpendiculars of 268 in 4 in (81.79 m), a beam
of 49 in 10 in (15.19 m), and a draught of 19 in 3 in (5.87 m). She displaced 5400 tonnes (5,314.7 LT). Her crew consisted of 256 officers and men.
, each driving a single 4.876 metres (16 ft) propeller. The engines were powered by seven boiler
s. The engines produced a total of 4630 ihp which gave the ship a maximum speed of 11.95 knots (6.5 m/s) during her sea trial
s that began on 26 July 1877. She carried 620 long tons (630 t) of coal and had three funnels. The ship was barque
-rigged with three masts and had a total sail area of 847 sqm.
11 inches (28 cm) rifled muzzle-loading guns in each gun turret. Each gun weighed 25.4 long tons (25.8 t). Four 120 millimetres (4.7 in) Krupp
breech-loading guns were mounted on the upper deck and six 37 millimetres (1.5 in) Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns
were also fitted in the ship's superstructure. They fired a shell weighing about 1.1 lb (0.498951607 kg) at a muzzle velocity of about 2000 ft/s (609.6 m/s) to a range about 3500 yards (3,200.4 m). They had a rate of fire of about 30 rounds per minute The ship was initially armed with spar torpedo
es, but they were removed shortly after completion.
of wrought iron
that was 200 millimetres (7.9 in) thick amidships, but reduced to 150 millimetres (5.9 in) at the bow and stern. Each gun turret
, and its base, was protected by 230 millimetres (9.1 in) armor plates, although the total thickness around the gun ports was 305 millimetres (12 in). The deck was unarmored.
Dockyard on 31 December 1871. She was launched on 20 October 1874 and commissioned on 16 February 1877. The 37-millimeter guns were replaced by two quick-firing
, 75 millimetres (3 in) guns and four 37-millimeter quick-firers by 1890. The ship decommissioned on 1 April 1895 and began her conversion to an accommodation and guard ship
at Surabaya Dockyard in August 1896. She retained all four of her 120-millimeter and two of her 37-millimeter guns when she recommissioned on 1 December 1899. Koning der Nederlanden was set on fire in Surabaya and then scuttled to prevent her capture by the Japanese during World War II
on 2 March 1942.
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
turret ship
Turret ship
Turret ships were a 19th century type of warship, the earliest to have their guns mounted in a revolving gun turret, instead of a broadside arrangement....
built for the Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
in the early 1870s. She was the largest ship to serve in the Dutch Navy during the 19th century. The ship was converted to a barracks ship
Barracks ship
Barracks ship or barracks barge are terms used to indicate a ship or a non-self-propelled barge containing a superstructure of a type suitable for use as a temporary barracks for sailors. A barracks ship may also be used as a "Receiving Unit" for sailors who need temporary residence prior to being...
in the late 1890s and stationed in Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. Koning der Nederlanden was scuttled
Scuttling
Scuttling is the act of deliberately sinking a ship by allowing water to flow into the hull.This can be achieved in several ways—valves or hatches can be opened to the sea, or holes may be ripped into the hull with brute force or with explosives...
in Surabaya on 2 March 1942, during the Battle of Java
Battle of Java (1942)
The Battle of Java was a battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II. It occurred on the island of Java from 28 February-12 March 1942. It involved forces from the Empire of Japan, which invaded on 28 February 1942, and Allied personnel...
, to prevent her capture by the Japanese.
Design and description
HNLMS Koning der Nederlanden was the largest ship built for the Dutch Navy during the 19th century. She was fitted with a ramNaval ram
A naval ram was a weapon carried by varied types of ships, dating back to antiquity. The weapon consisted of an underwater prolongation of the bow of the ship to form an armoured beak, usually between six and twelve feet in length...
that protruded 1.22 metre from the bow. The ship's gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s were only 3.3 metre above the waterline
Waterline
The term "waterline" generally refers to the line where the hull of a ship meets the water surface. It is also the name of a special marking, also known as the national Load Line or Plimsoll Line, to be positioned amidships, that indicates the draft of the ship and the legal limit to which a ship...
, but the freeboard
Freeboard
Freeboard may refer to:* Freeboard , the height of a ship's deck above the water level.* Freeboard , a six-wheeled skateboard designed to act like a snowboard....
could be increased by use of hinged bulwarks. The turrets were rotated by hydraulic machinery
Hydraulic machinery
Hydraulic machines are machinery and tools that use liquid fluid power to do simple work. Heavy equipment is a common example.In this type of machine, hydraulic fluid is transmitted throughout the machine to various hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders and which becomes pressurised according to...
.
The ship had an length between perpendiculars of 268 in 4 in (81.79 m), a beam
Beam (nautical)
The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
of 49 in 10 in (15.19 m), and a draught of 19 in 3 in (5.87 m). She displaced 5400 tonnes (5,314.7 LT). Her crew consisted of 256 officers and men.
Propulsion
Koning der Nederlanden had two compound steam engines, built by Penn and SonsJohn Penn (engineer)
John Penn FRS, was a marine engineer, whose firm was pre-eminent in the middle of the nineteenth century due to his innovations in engine and propeller systems, which led his firm to be the major supplier to the Royal Navy as it made the transition from sail to steam power...
, each driving a single 4.876 metres (16 ft) propeller. The engines were powered by seven boiler
Boiler (steam generator)
A boiler or steam generator is a device used to create steam by applying heat energy to water. Although the definitions are somewhat flexible, it can be said that older steam generators were commonly termed boilers and worked at low to medium pressure but, at pressures above this, it is more...
s. The engines produced a total of 4630 ihp which gave the ship a maximum speed of 11.95 knots (6.5 m/s) during her sea trial
Sea trial
A sea trial is the testing phase of a watercraft . It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on open water, and can last from a few hours to many days.Sea trials are conducted to measure a vessel’s...
s that began on 26 July 1877. She carried 620 long tons (630 t) of coal and had three funnels. The ship was barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
-rigged with three masts and had a total sail area of 847 sqm.
Armament
The ship mounted a pair of ArmstrongArmstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
11 inches (28 cm) rifled muzzle-loading guns in each gun turret. Each gun weighed 25.4 long tons (25.8 t). Four 120 millimetres (4.7 in) Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
breech-loading guns were mounted on the upper deck and six 37 millimetres (1.5 in) Hotchkiss 5-barrel revolving guns
Hotchkiss gun
The Hotchkiss gun can refer to different products of the Hotchkiss arms company starting in the late 19th century. It usually refers to the 1.65-inch light mountain gun; there was also a 3-inch Hotchkiss gun...
were also fitted in the ship's superstructure. They fired a shell weighing about 1.1 lb (0.498951607 kg) at a muzzle velocity of about 2000 ft/s (609.6 m/s) to a range about 3500 yards (3,200.4 m). They had a rate of fire of about 30 rounds per minute The ship was initially armed with spar torpedo
Spar torpedo
A spar torpedo is a weapon consisting of a bomb placed at the end of a long pole, or spar, and attached to a boat. The weapon is used by running the end of the spar into the enemy ship. Spar torpedoes were often equipped with a barbed spear at the end, so it would stick to wooden hulls...
es, but they were removed shortly after completion.
Armor
Koning der Nederlanden had a complete waterline beltBelt armor
Belt armor is a layer of heavy metal armor plated on to or within outer hulls of warships, typically on battleships, battlecruisers and cruisers, and on aircraft carriers converted from those types of ships....
of wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
that was 200 millimetres (7.9 in) thick amidships, but reduced to 150 millimetres (5.9 in) at the bow and stern. Each gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
, and its base, was protected by 230 millimetres (9.1 in) armor plates, although the total thickness around the gun ports was 305 millimetres (12 in). The deck was unarmored.
Service
Koning der Nederlanden was laid down at AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
Dockyard on 31 December 1871. She was launched on 20 October 1874 and commissioned on 16 February 1877. The 37-millimeter guns were replaced by two quick-firing
Quick-firing gun
A quick-firing gun is an artillery piece, typically a gun or howitzer, which has several characteristics which taken together mean the weapon can fire at a fast rate...
, 75 millimetres (3 in) guns and four 37-millimeter quick-firers by 1890. The ship decommissioned on 1 April 1895 and began her conversion to an accommodation and guard ship
Guard ship
A guard ship is a warship stationed at some port or harbour to act as a guard, and in former times in the Royal Navy to receive the men impressed for service...
at Surabaya Dockyard in August 1896. She retained all four of her 120-millimeter and two of her 37-millimeter guns when she recommissioned on 1 December 1899. Koning der Nederlanden was set on fire in Surabaya and then scuttled to prevent her capture by the Japanese during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on 2 March 1942.