In February 1959 asked the Chief General Staff of Cuba the Dutch shipyard Wilton Fijnoord if she was interested in building on short term warships for the Cuban navy. The specifications were as follows.
Destroyers with a displacement of 1.300-2.000 ton and as dimensions 310-400 x 30-40 x 8/11 (maximum standard)-10/14 maximum in times of war) feet. The main armament was to consist of 3x2-3” full automatic guns divided over 2 turrets fore and one after and a secondary armament of 4x2-4cm full automatic guns, on each side 2x2. Further more were the destroyers to be fitted out with 2 super heated boilers and 2 turbines delivering 20.000-30.000 hp allowing a speed of 20 (cruising)-35 (maximum) knots and a range of 5.000 nautical miles with a speed of 15 knots. Accommodation for 180 men (included 15 officers). To be built in the period 1955-1959.
Coastal patrol vessels with a displacement of 100-150 ton and as dimensions 95-120 x 19-22 x 4,5-5,5 (maximum) feet. The armament was to consist of 2-2cm guns, one fore and one aft. To be fitted out with 4 diesel engines allowing a maximum speed of 23-25 knots and a range of 3.000 nautical miles with a speed of 15 knots. Accommodation for 18 men (included 3 officers). To be built in the period 1958-1959.
Buoy layers with a displacement of 600 ton and as dimensions 47 x 9 x 2,3 metres. Two diesel G.M. engines allowing a range of 5.000 nautical miles with a speed of 12 knots. To be fitted out with 1-10 ton electric crane. Accommodation for 30 men. To be built in the period 1955-1959.
The Dutch firm Nederlandsche Vereenigde Scheepsbouw Bureaux (NEVESBU) at The Hague, Netherlands answered Cuba that there were none such vessels on stock available, but that’s he was able to sent projects and drawings with calculations within short time.(1) In her letter NEVESBU mentioned submarine chasers (frigates) of around 1.500 ton, coastal patrol vessels of circa 150 ton and buoy layers of 600 ton. On 26 February 1959 allowed the Dutch minister of navy Dutch shipyards to accept any order of Cuba for the above mentioned vessels.
NEVESBU wrote on 10 March to the Cuban Chief General Staff that they were quite interested in building patrol vessels and buoy layers. In this letter was design nr. 2131 for a 160 ton coastal patrol vessel included. Proposed was that if Cuba was interested the former Dutch vice admiral Burghard would visit Cuba for further discussions. The Dutch Chief of the Naval Staff gave on the 18th his permission for building submarine chasers and patrol vessels. The shipyards Kon.Mij. De Schelde, Wilton-Fijenoord and the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij were interested in building the patrol vessels and the buoy layers.
In June was decided to ask the Dutch ambassador at Havan, Cuba if he had an idea what was going in Cuba while the Cuban Chief General Staff did not respond in anyway to the letters and telegrams sent to him. The ambassador wrote back that he spoke on 16 June with the Cuban capitan de fragata J.M. Castineiras Garciá who remembered the correspondence and promised to respond. A rather stranger remark which he wrote himself the letter on 7 February to the shipyard Wilton-Fijenoord.
A month later were three Cuban missions travelling in Europe of which one mission especially was appointed for purchasing warships. They visited already England and Germany and were at the end of the month underway towards Paris, France. The Dutch ambassador at Paris would try to contact this commission and invite her to visit the Netherlands. If this was not possible would Burghard try to meet hem in Paris.
In August was a bid made by the three interested shipyards for building at least six patrol vessels (project 2131A). The building costs (especially specified by Wilton-Fijenoord) were for each ship ƒ 2.686.400,00 or 710.000 US dollars. On the 7th was the bid discussed with the Cuban commission at that moment at Paris with as result that a new bid was sent for 2-500 patrol vessels using the project 2128 design (for Portugal), building costs for each ship ƒ 7.341,00 or 1.975.000 US dollars including armament. Apparently were later again bids sent, but without success.
Notes
1. Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) at Rotterdam, Kon.Mij. De Schelde (K.M.S.) at Vlissingen, Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (N.D.S.M.) at Amsterdam, Wilton-Fijnenoord at Schiedam and Werkspoor N.V. at Amsterdam.
2. François Theodor Burghard (Surabaya, Indonesia 15 April 1900-San Pedro, Marbella, Spain 28 June 1978), out of service in the rank as vice admiral on 1 November 1956. Between 1952-1956 commandant der zeemacht in Nederland (commanding officer of the navy in the Netherlands)
Source
1. Archive Kon.Mij. De Schelde (Municipality Archive of Vlissingen, Netherlands) inventory numbers 214.1703 and 214.1719.
