The Dutch spar torpedo boat No. 12 or XII also called Argus built at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde at Flushing, Netherlands in 1878

The Zierikzeesche Courant dated 24 April 1878 republished an item from the newspaper Het Vaderland according to which the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde at Flushing probably got the order for building three torpedo boats while she offered the lowest building costs. This were the No. 10, 11 and 12.

The Middelburgsche Courant dated 10 May 1878. Despite the favourable offering of the Schelde decided the government otherwise and ordered at that moment just one torpedo boat at Flushing. The two others were built at the Koninklijke Fabriek van stoom- en andere werktuigen at Amsterdam the No. 11 or XI) and the Nederlandsche Stoombootmaatschappij Fijenoord at Rotterdam (the No. 10 or X). The Vlissingse Courant dated 12 May 1878 confirmed the building of the torpedo boat at Flushing.

The Middelburgsche Courant dated Tuesday 22 October 1878 reported that her keel was laid down. In the Vlissingse Courant dated 27 October was a small rectification. Here was written that while a torpedo boat did not have a keel, you ought to say/write that the building was started.

The Middelburgsche Courant dated 18 August 1879 that the torpedo boat no. 10 built at Rotterdam two days earlier had an official trail at the Nieuwediep and that month the boats built at Amsterdam and Flushing were also completed. That same newspaper dated Wednesday 17 September 1879 wrote that in the afternoon of last Saturday a trial found place of the torpedo boat named Argus built by the De Schelde for the government. Apparently there had been earlier trials while the item reported that since the last trial her speed remarkable increased and that she steam in just more as two hours from Flushing towards Antwerp. The Vlissingse Courant dated 18 September confirmed the name Argus. Strangely enough referred the order registration of the shipyard to an article published in the magazine Onze Vloot dated October 1950 in which she was called Prins Hendrik.

The Middelburgsche Courant dated 2 October 1879 reported that last Saturday the torpedo boat built at Flushing departed towards the Nieuwediep for the official trials. She steamed in 4 hours from Veere towards Dordrecht still not using her maximum available power. In the same newspaper dated 14 October was an item dated Nieuwediep 11 October published. That day was in presence of captain Van Alphen, inspector of the Steam Department, lieutenant colonel Boogaert, commanding officer of the torpedo service and other authorities the official trial with torpedo boat No. 12. The one mile trial and the one hour full speed trial were both very successful. During the hour her medium speed was 16 nautical miles (knots) with a medium of 338.3 screw revolutions each minute, with a maximum of 348 revolutions. Due to the hollow sea were all men soaked by the water. This was the second of the three torpedo boats built in the Netherlands. The engines delivered around 250 hp. The Vlissingse Courant dated 16 October supplied the same details.

Shipyard number 13. Ordered on 31 May 1978, not laid down but built while using models, launched on 18 August 1879, trials while berthed on the same date, official trial on 11 October and delivered to the navy. She was built in 16,5 months for a contracted price of ƒ 45.000, in fact her building costs were ƒ 43.500 so there was a net profit of ƒ 1.500 for the shipyard. Completely fitted out were the costs ƒ 47.154,00.

She had a displacement of 20-29 (maximum) tons with as dimensions 24,15 x 3,15 x 0,54 (fore contract)-1,58 (Aft contract) metres and a hold of 2,17 metres. Het 2-cylinder compound steam engine and one locomotive boiler provided 250 ihp allowing a speed of 16-17 (trial) knots. Her crew numbered 10 men. The armament consisted of 1-3.7cm gun and a spar torpedo equipment. Coal bunker capacity 5 cubic metres. In 1911 was she used as a target for the artillery training ship Hr.Ms. Bellona and sunk after 3 hits within a few minutes. A year later was she again used as a target but while deliberately being grounded she could not sink. In 1913 sold at Willemsoord [Den Helder] for ƒ 522,00 to be broken up.

Sources

A.J. Vermeulen. De schepen van de koninklijke marine en die der gouvernementsmarine 1814-1962. Vermeulen didn't mentioned the name Argus!

Order administration of the Dutch shipyard Kon.Mij. De Schelde at Flushing 1875-1970 (Municipality Archive at Flushing).