Hr. Ms. Wolf of the Roofdier-class
Hr.Ms. Kortenaer of the Admiralen-class
An item referred to a essay written by the Dutch lieutenant 2nd class J.A. de Gelder (1) on board of Hr. Ms. Vos (2) at Surabaya, Dutch East Indies on 10 December 1924 dealing with the issue what kind of destroyer the Royal Netherlands Navy needed for service in the Dutch East Indies. Their tasks were numerous from neutrality maintenance, scouting, anti aircraft defence, cruising-guarding-communication tasks, escorting own transports and so against the attacks of submarines of the enemy, battles with or without cooperating with cruisers and submarines, torpedo attacks at daytime against transport fleets and attacks in the nights against transports and warships. He compared figures supplied by Jane’s Fighting Ships of American, British and Japanese destroyers. His conclusion was an oil fuelled destroyer with a displacement of 1.500 ton with a range as large as maximum with the economic speed and a bunker capacity making a stay of some weeks at sea with a varying speed between economic-maximum possible. The maximum speed while full loaded was at last to be 32-34 miles. Except for the need of strong search lights was an armament of at least 3 but preferable of 4 12cm quick firing guns with complete central firing control, some light anti aircraft guns like 5cm twins or heavy machine guns and twin, triple of quad torpedo launchers for long distance torpedoes.(3)
Notes
1. Johannes Arnoldus de Gelder (30 July 1897 Nieuw-Lekkerland, Netherlands-27 February 1942 in the Battle of the Java Sea on board of Hr. Ms. De Ruyter). Died in the rank of captain lieutenant.
2. British Yarrow-design, laid down by Fijenoord, Schiedam, Netherlands in 1923, launched on 28 June 1913, commissioned in February 1928 and stricken in 1928. Speed 30 knots and with a speed of 20 knots a range of 670 nautical miles. Armament of 4-7,5cm guns, 4 machineguns and 2-45,cm machineguns. Normal displacement 510 tons. Of the Wolf or Roofdier-class.
3. Replaced by the Admiralen-class also of British Yarrow design and based on HMS Ambuscade between 1926-1930. Except for the Hr. Ms. Van Galen lost in May 1940 in the Netherlands were her sister ships lost in the Dutch East Indies during the Second World War. Displacement of 1.316 (standard)-1.640 (full load) tons, speed 36 knots and with a speed of 15 knots a range of 3.200 nautical miles. Armament of 4x1-12cm/4.7” guns, 2-7,5cm/3” anti aircraft gun or 1-7,5cm gun and 4-4cm/1.6” anti aircraft guns, 4-13cm/0.5” machineguns and 2x3-53,3cm/21” torpedo tubes. Able to take a seaplane with them lowered and lifted with the use of a crane.
