text by Ron van Maanen
The Van Galen was part of the so-called Admiralen-class with the dimensions 98,15 x 9,45 x 3,00m and a displacement of 1,316-1.680 (full load) tons. They were built after the drawing supplied by the British Yarrow yard and based on the design of the British experimental destroyers Ambuscade and Amazone. The 2 Parsons and 3 Yarrow boilers supplied 31.000 ahp and with 2 crews allowing a speed of 34 knots. Her sister ship Hr. Ms. Piet Hein reached on her trial a speed of 36,1 knots by 34.000 aphp. Her crew numbered 143 men. She was armed with 4-12cm guns, 1-4.7cm gun, 4-30mm machine guns, 4-12.7mm machine guns, 2x3 53,3cm torpedo tubes, 4 launchers with 12 death charges and 2 launchers for 24 Vickers mines, the latter causing that the aft gun couldn't be used. She also carried a V-type floating plane.
The Van Galen with pennant VG was laid down at the Maatschappij voor Scheepsbouw en Werktuigbouw Fijenoord at Rotterdam, Netherlands 28 may 1927, launched 28 June 1928 and commissioned 22 October 1929. Like most of her sister ships she didn't survive the second World War. She arrived 8 May 1940 returning from the Dutch East Indies back in the Netherlands when two days later the war broke out between the Netherlands and Germany. The same day she was ordered to enter the Nieuwe Waterweg to shoot at the airport Waalhaven at Rotterdam. Underway she was heavily attacked by German aircraft without a chance to escape. Heavily damaged she entered the Merwehaven where she sunk. Despite all attacks just two crewmembers were killed. The wreck was salvaged 23 October 1941 and at Hendrik Ido Ambacht broken up. The boilers were reused for a generating station.
The HMS Amazon of 1,33o tons and dimensions 323 (over all) s 31'5" was launched at Thornycroft 27 January 1926 and broken up after 6 October 1948. She was armed with 4-4'7" guns, 1-3"gun and 6 torpedo tubes.
The HMS Ambuscade of 1.170 tons and dimensions 322 (over all) x 31'1"was launched at Yarrow 15 January 1926 and sold to broken up 23 November 1946. She was armed with 4-4.7"guns and 6 torpedo tubes.
