During the First World War was the Netherlands neutral. However on several occasions entered ships of Belligerents Dutch territorial waters. Some times the ships were interned, some times permitted to depart.
The Dutch magazine De Prins dated 17 March 1917 page 124 published a photo with the letterpress of a German submarine during a long time interned at Alkmaar and then bought by the Dutch government and brought to Den Helder.
In the Dutch newspaper Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant daily edition dated 8 April 1917 was an item dealing with these problems. The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs decided to take measures after some incidents occurred when foreign warships and armed warships entered the Dutch neutral territory. These incidents were dealing with a German submarine hold in the Wielingen (1), the German torpedo boat V 69 at IJmuiden, the German submarine UB 30 stranded on the coast of Walcheren, the British armed merchant ship Princess Melita which arrived at Hoek van Holland and the German submarine UB 6 which stranded at Goeree. Two other older incidents were dealing with the British submarine H 6 and the German submarine UC 8 which both entered Dutch waters without permission as recorded in the so-called Oranjebook dated July 1916 handed over to the Dutch States General. The Dutch newspaper Tilburgsche Courant daily edition dated 26 July 1916 mentioned also the Oranjebook and the fact that the U.C. 8 was seized 4 November 1915. According to the German government was her electric compass defect while she was outside the Dutch territorial waters by able to get a correct position she entered these waters. Despite several German protests was not she released.
Ordered in November 1914 was the UC-8 6 July 1915 laid down at the AG Vulcan yard at Hamburg, Germany, launched 6 July 1915 but the same year on 4 November grounded in Dutch territorial waters and interned. According to some sources she was commissioned 5 July (one day before her actual launching, other sources claimed 15 July. This UC 1 minelayer submarine type had a displacement of 168 tons metric tons/185 short tons surfaced and 183 metric tons/202 short tons submerged and as dimensions 111’6” x 10’4” x 10’ or 33,99 x 3,15 x 3 metres. She was fitted out with one 6-cylinder four stroke Daimler diesel supplying 90 bhp and one electric motor supplying 175 shp, allowing her a surfaced speed of 6,20 knots and a submerged speed of 5,22 knots. With a surfaced speed of 5 knots was her range 780 nautical miles and with a submerged speed of 4 knots just 50 nautical miles. During trials was her diving depth 50 metres or 160’. Her crew numbered in German service 14 men. Her armament consisted of 6-100cm mine tubes, 12-UC 120 mines and 1-7,92mm machine gun.
The Dutch newspaper Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad daily edition 6 November 1915 supplied more details. From Terschelling arrived a tiding that the German submarine brought in at Terschelling was the C 8 and which entered Dutch territorial waters caused by problems. She signed for help and was brought in by the safe boat and a torpedo boat. She was slightly damaged caused when she stranded around one mile on the Noordergronden of the coast of Terschelling due to a wrong course. In the papers of the States General Second Chamber 1916-1917 no. 2 VI sub nr. 35 wrote the Dutch minister of navy J.J. Rambonnet that due the circumstances it a severe problem was to built new ships and so the Dutch government decided to negotiate with England and Germany to buy the interned submarines. The German submarine was described as a nearly brand new mine layer with a surfaced displacement of 160 and a submerged displacement of 180 tons.
The Dutch website dealing with submarines reported a diving time of 23-35 seconds and as dimension 34 x 3,19 x 3,01 (or 3,50) metres and a displacement or 171 tons surfaced and 180/187,6 or 191 tons while submerged. According to this site was she 30 January 1917 sold to the Netherlands, 13 March commissioned as the M 1 in the Royal Netherlands Navy and discarded 1931. Her crew numbered in Dutch naval service 15 men.
Sources
A.J. Vermeulen. Schepen der Koninklijke marine en die der Gouvernementsmarine 1814-1962. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM_UC-8
http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/classes/class_m1.htm
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hr._Ms._M_1_(1917) this site reported that she was decommissioned 1931.
http://www.statengeneraaldigitaal.nl
Note
1. This German submarine was hold in the Wielingen 14 January 16.15 while she was one nautical mile within the Dutch territorial waters caused by a heavy fog. Her commanding officer had anything done to prevent this and was released and permitted to leave the waters.
