In his standard book dealing with the Dutch navy vessels between 1814 and 1962 wrote Vermeulen (1) that the gunboat No. 3 although by the other author Backer Dirks also called Nimrod and Handig en Vlug, these latter two names couldn’t be found in official ship lists. This steel built gunboat was in 1864 at the yard of Dudgeon at London, United Kingdom laid down and in the same year launched with as building costs 78.534,00 Dutch guilders. With a displacement of 141 tons were her dimensions 31,14 x 5,22 x 1,28 metres. The engine supplied 30 nhp or 100 ehp allowing a speed of 8 miles. With a crew numbering 34 men was she armed with 2-12cm guns. In 1905 was she fitted out as accommodation ship for sailors of the seminary at Leiden. She was stricken after 1923.
Still in Dutch newspapers of 1865 she was named Handig en Vlug and even to be renamed Nimrod.
The Algemeen Handelsblad dated 17 January published an item that engineer Van Vreumingen was ordered to go on the 16th from the guard ship towards the armoured steam defence vessel Handig Vlug at Flushing. In the edition 1 February 1865 was a news item dated Flushing 29 January published reporting that the same afternoon arrived there coming from England the armoured defence vessel called Handig Vlug. According to rumours was a commission appointed to test the vessel which was build for defending the Dutch rivers which was possible due to her little draught.
The Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘Gravenhage dated 2 February published the item dated Flushing 30 January reporting that the steel build Handig en Vlug arrived in the afternoon the day before at Flushing. Is was a curious design, she was small with a extremely small draught and a complete covered battery showing nothing of the crew, armed with 2-12pdrs and fitted out with 6 portholes for the guns and large number of small port holes for firearms. She was driven by two screws which could be separate operated allowing fast manoeuvring. It was the intention that if she was suitable her design was to be used for similar vessels for service in the Dutch East Indies.
The Provinciale Overijsselsche en Zwolsche Courant dated 13 February reported that the with steel plates armoured steam gunboat Handig en Vlug at that moment lying at Flushing was renamed in Nimrod and so lost her curious name. Her design was to be used of comparable vessels to serve in the Dutch East Indies and to be build at a Dutch yard.
The Dagblad van Zuidholland en ‘Gravenhage dated 18 June reported that during her first trial this armoured steel build gunboat called Handig Vlug all ready grounded. None of her crew was wounded but the damage was estimated on a 2,000 Dutch guilders.
Note
1. De schepen der koninklijke marine en die der gouvernementsmarine 1814-1962.
