The Dutch Royal Navy intended to obtain battleships twice in her history. One time around the First World War and the second time around the Second World War. Both times the battleships or battle cruisers were mainly to protect the Dutch East Indies. Despite all efforts and plans the ships were never realized. Newspapers published continuously comments dealing with these plans, were they realistic or not, was it necessary or not. Except for the issue could the ships be build how to man these? I plan to write a number of notes dealing with this topic using newspapers, papers of the Dutch Parliament and archives.
According to the item published in this newspaper were the rumours that minister Colijn wanted to purchase 5 dreadnoughts and which were in advance considered as nonsense to become reality. On 3 November received the journalist a message from The Hague (location of the Dutch cabinet) that the temporarily minister of War considered this project, costs 120,000,000 Dutch guilders to built the 5 ships and another 30,000,000 Dutch guilders to improve the shore and port facilities. The money was to be spent in a period of 5 years. According to the Dutch newspaper The Java-Bode concluded the technical sub commission of the Government commission for the defence of the Dutch East Indies that an armoured fleet backed by the Dutch East Indies army was responsible for the protection of this colony. The heart of this so-called armoured fleet were the five dreadnoughts. The naval base was to be transferred from Surabaya towards the coast of West-Java. Surabaya became in this option a support base.
One design made by the German Germaniawerft for the Dutch battleship fitted the ships out with two 4-gun turrets.
The journalist of Het Nieuws was however quite critical. The building of these dreadnoughts was to be paid by the colony with as result an annual amount of 8,250,000 Dutch guilders for interest and redemption. But 5 dreadnoughts did not make a fleet or even a squadron considered the composition of foreign battle squadrons with some armoured cruisers, ordinary cruisers, fast scouts and a division of destroyers. One example was given by him. The first division of the British Home Fleet consisted of 9 battleships, 5 so-called armoured cruisers, 4 ordinary cruisers, 1 advice yacht, 1 scout, 25 destroyers, a depot ship for the destroyers, a floating factory and a hospital ship. With other words the Dutch Indies squadron needed more ships to be able to do her tasks well.
Armoured cruisers which were to assist the designed battleships were not cheap, at least 20,000,000 Dutch guilders each. And we needed more as more and the 4 available destroyers were to be joined by at least another 8 to form a adequate squadron. There were some cruisers in the Dutch Royal Navy like the Hr.Ms. Holland and Gelderland but all ready aged and with a maximum speed of 16-17 miles not suitable to assist the new battleships. So another ordinary fast reconnaissance cruisers were urged, costing another 20,000.000 Dutch guilders. Except for the 120,000,000 Dutch guilders needed for the battleships were at least 70,000,000 needed for other ships resulting in an annual 12,000,000 Dutch guilders for interest and redemption. Annual exploitation expenses and funding a reserve for future replacement were not included in these numbers.
Another issue was lacking personnel. There were at least 5,000 sailors needed, mostly well experienced as stokers and artillerists and the journalist if the plan to train inland sailors was not realistic. He doubt if they were suitable for modern warfare. But where to obtain such a large number of men? Costing of 5,000 men was at least an increase of the annual budget with another 3,5000,000 Dutch guilders. All together were this costs for the Dutch East Indies caused by this strengthening the Dutch navy yearly more as 30,000,000 Dutch guilders.
Note
1. Hendrikus Colijn (Burgerveen 22 June 1869-Ilmenau 18 September 1944) was in 1911-1913 minister of war and in 1911-1912 minister of navy. He was succeeded as minister of navy by Jean Jacques Ram bonnet (Wijhe 8 March 1864-Rotterdam 3 August 1943) a liberal navy officer who resigned on 26 June 1918.
