In an item described a journalist that he had the opportunity to visit the first protected warship the Sumatra especially built for the Indische Militaire Marine (naval force in the Dutch East Indies). Despite her limited dimensions was it clearly that she was a warship of her time. She was steel built, a displacement of 1.703 ton, a length of 70 metres and a draught of 4,25 metres. The armament consisted of 1-12cm gun firing straight ahead and left and right with an angle of 116 degrees, 1-15cm gun firing straight astern and left and right with an angle of 123 degrees and 2-12cm guns at both side in half barbettes. Further more were two torpedo guns, 2 quick firing and 2 revolver guns as protection against torpedo boats and guns for the launches and land operations. Below the protected deck were 9 watertight compartments and above this deck another six. Below the boilers was a watertight double bottom. According the journalist she had a huge buoyancy. The conning turret was placed on the prow made of 15cm thick compound plates. A pair of vertical direct working steam engines of 3.750 ihp separated by a longitudinal bulkhead in the engine room drove each one screw. (1)
Note
1. Laid down at the Koninklijke Fabriek van Stoom- en andere Werktuigen, Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1888, launched on 26 April 1890 and sold to be broken up in 1907.
