text by Ron van Maanen
The Van Nes 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. The 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, 1-7.5cm gun, 4-40mm 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.
Ordered 21 December 1927, on stocks at Burgerhout’s Scheepswerf and Machinefabriek at 15 August 1928, launched 20 March 1930 and commissioned 12 March 1931. Call sign VN. Sunk by aircrafts of the Japanese carrier Ryujo at the position 03.27 longitude and 106.38 latitude (south of Banka) with 68 dead. At the moment she escorted the Dutch merchant steamship Sloet van de Beele belonging to the Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij. The latter was used as a troop transport and destined from Billiton towards Java and was lost in the same attack with 249 dead.
The HMS Amazon of 1,330 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.
