Text by Ron van Maanen
The Dutch East India Company was responsible for founding Kaapstad or Cape town in South Africa as a station for the East Indiaman bound the Dutch East Indies or homeward bound. Here it was possible to obtain victuals and fresh water and if necessary repairs. In 1795 came the Cape colony in British hands when the Dutch republic was invaded by France. Between 1803 and 1806 the colony was temporarily returned by the British but became in 1806 again British territory. In the 30’s of the 19th century left a large number of Boers or Voortrekkers the colony and founded two independent Boer Republics. Boer is Dutch for farmer. When gold and diamonds that century were discovered resulted that finally in two wars between the British and the Boers. Was the first war a victory for the Boers, the second war 1899-1902 won the British. During the second war was Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger president of the South African Republic also known as Transvaal. He in fact resembled the fight of the Boer against the British. In 1898 became Wilhelmina queen of the Netherlands and this young queen did something remarkable. She sent the armoured cruiser (in Dutch called a pantserdekschip) Hr.Ms. Gelderland in 1900 to South Africa despite the fact that the British navy blockaded South Africa and the British navy superior was in size and strength to the Royal Netherlands Navy. Kruger was brought to Europe but returned never back to his own country alive.
The Gelderland was brand new, launched on 28 September 1898 at the yard Wilton Fijenoord, Schiedam and commissioned 15 July 1900. Underway to the Dutch East Indies she was ordered to go towards Lourenzo Marques from where she departed 20 October towards Marseille, France arriving there 22 November and where Kruger went on land. The Gelderland became later the German floating flak battery Niobe and was lost in the Finnish Gulf on 16 July 1944. Follow the link http://warshipsresearch.blogspot.nl/2011/09/german-anti-aircraft-battery-niobe.html
