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Thursday, 9 October 2014

The condition of the Dutch screw steamship 2nd class Zr.Ms. Marnix as described in a letter to the editor published in the Dutch newspaper Java-bode dated 17 April 1873

Here shown as accommodation ship

In a letter published in this newspaper an anonymous Dutch navy officer described the miserable condition of the Dutch warships serving at that moment in the Dutch East Indies. He was quite cynical in his comment dealing with the condition of the ships ending with the phrase Happy Indies! Happy Navy! Poor Netherlands! The Marnix he wrote was still in a condition well enough for service.

Laid down at the navy yard of Amsterdam on 1 May 1865, launched on 6 June 1867,commissioned 1 July 1868?, decommissioned on 16 February 1886, engines and boilers removed and fitted out as accommodation ship for torpedomen at Willemsoord, Netherlands and commissioned on 26 March 1888, decommissioned on 16 November 1908, sold at Willemsoord for ƒ 19.003 to Oudkerk and Van Praag, Den Helder, Netherlands to be broken up on 24 June 1910. With a displacement of 1.488 tons were her dimensions 60,60 x 9,70 x 4,90 metres. With a horsepower of 280 nhp/770 ehp was her speed 10 miles. Her crew numbered 130 men. The armament consisted of 2-15cm guns and 4-12cm guns. Building costs ƒ 677.007,55.  Served also in the Dutch East Indies.