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Saturday, 10 September 2011

Dutch Gouvernementsmarine patrol vessels Valk and Arend in the Dutch service and the Arend in Japanese service as P108

Drawings made by: Alexander van Maanen



The website http://www.combinedfleet.com/PB-108_t.htm of Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp and Peter Cundall supplies a lot of information dealing with both ships. “5 January 1928: A shipbuilding contract was signed between the Mij Fijenoord shipyard of Schiedam (near Rotterdam) and the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN). The new ship's main assignment will be to serve as an anti-smuggling “opium-jager” (opium interdiction) vessel in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). 5 July 1928: The keel is laid down. 21 May 1929: launched. 18 November 1929: The ship is commissioned in the RNN and named Arend (Eagle). At first, the ship is laid up for about two months. 16 January 1930: Completed at the renamed Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard.” See more further details while being in Dutch service the above mentioned URL.


During the Second World War Japan captured the Dutch East Indies. During the well known battle in the Java Sea in 1942 was a combined Allied squadron commanded by the Dutch rear admiral Karel Doorman nearly completely destroyed.(1) The remaining ships were scuttled to prevent capture by the Japanese or tried to escape towards Australia. The Arend was scuttled by her own crew lying at Tandjong Priok 1 March. She was however a year later salvaged by the Japanese, repaired and since 1944 in Japanese service as the patrol boat named PB 108. She was finally sunk by American planes off Celebes 28 March 1945.