An item described the organisation of the torpedo service in the Dutch East Indies that moment with suggestions for improving her value. The writer of the note found it necessary that she was increased in such a manner that in 1915 the government possessed a Total of 24 torpedo boats of which 12 in peace time continuous in service. For the other 11 boats was it necessary that in wartime enough men at the torpedo boat stations at Batavia and Surabaya were available to man the boats. The positions of these stations had to be strategic choice in such a manner that each station was a link in one chain making it possible to attack an enemy despite from where that came. The mutual distance between the stations had to be limited to allow a gathering of the complete fleet of torpedo boats. His proposal was establish those stations at Riouw, Batavia, Surabaya and Macassar. At Surabaya was an torpedo atelier with a slipway suitable for 3 torpedo boats but which could easily be enlarged for 6 boats. If at Tandjong Priok a similar slip for 6 torpedo boats and a torpedo atelier and at Batavia a suitable army barracks or a guard ship to accommodate personnel of not commissioned torpedo boats came available than it was possible that both main stations take care of conservation and replacement of the torpedo boats. Batavia became responsible for Riouw and Surabaya for Macassar. On each of the four stations were 3 torpedo boats in actual service to be stationed being a continuous threat for a possible enemy. Macassar was the fulcrum against an attack coming from the Chinese or Japanese area via Macassar Strait, Riouw for Malacca Strait, Batavia for Sunda Strait and Surabaya for Madura Strait. It still was possible to gather the complete fleet to be active in a specified part of the Dutch East Indies. The Dutch East Indies government possessed at that moment over 5 new torpedo boats while the Cerberus (1) was to aged and hardly of any value for war service. These 5 torpedo boats were still of use in 1914 and it was sufficient to built until 1915 another 19 torpedo boats of the Hydra type and sent these towards the Dutch East Indies.(2)
The costs of a torpedo boat completely fitted out was 180.000 Dutch guilders resulting in a needed budget of 3.420.000 Dutch guilders for the next 10 years. The costs for a new slipway and torpedo atelier at Batavia, enlarging the slipway and torpedo atelier at Surabaya and barracks for the personnel at Riouw and Macassar were to be paid out of the Indische Marinebegroting (=budget for the Dutch East Indies navy). The barracks at Surabaya were large enough certainly if the crews of the ships being repaired there could stay on board or sent to the better climate at Lawang. If necessary could the aged Java (3) by converted into a floating barracks for the personnel of the torpedo service. The army barracks at Riouw and Macassar were large enough to accommodate the torpedo service personnel. At Batavia could in the harbour a training ship for the torpedo service be berthed. At the same time could this ship be used to accommodate the personnel of the torpedo service, as guard ship and as training ship for the native sea militia.
Notes
1. On stocks at the Dutch shipyard Kon.Mij. De Schelde at Flushing on 17 December 1887 as par torpedo boat, launched on 29 August 1888, commissioned on 12 November destined or the Dutch East Indies where she arrived on 16 February of the next year. Since 1896 a so-called fish torpedo boat, finally stricken between October 1919 and October 1920.
2. Several torpedo boats built in the Netherlands were sent to the Dutch East Indies like for instance the Python, Sphinx and Python. See for instance http://warshipsresearch.blogspot.nl/2011/09/three-torpedo-boats-minotarurus-sphinx.html
3. This must be the screw steamship 4th class Java laid down and launched at the Dutch yard Nederlandse Stoomboot Maatschappij at Fijenoord, decommissioned on 11 July 1904 and a year later transferred to the Dutch Government navy.
torpedo boat Python
The costs of a torpedo boat completely fitted out was 180.000 Dutch guilders resulting in a needed budget of 3.420.000 Dutch guilders for the next 10 years. The costs for a new slipway and torpedo atelier at Batavia, enlarging the slipway and torpedo atelier at Surabaya and barracks for the personnel at Riouw and Macassar were to be paid out of the Indische Marinebegroting (=budget for the Dutch East Indies navy). The barracks at Surabaya were large enough certainly if the crews of the ships being repaired there could stay on board or sent to the better climate at Lawang. If necessary could the aged Java (3) by converted into a floating barracks for the personnel of the torpedo service. The army barracks at Riouw and Macassar were large enough to accommodate the torpedo service personnel. At Batavia could in the harbour a training ship for the torpedo service be berthed. At the same time could this ship be used to accommodate the personnel of the torpedo service, as guard ship and as training ship for the native sea militia.
Notes
1. On stocks at the Dutch shipyard Kon.Mij. De Schelde at Flushing on 17 December 1887 as par torpedo boat, launched on 29 August 1888, commissioned on 12 November destined or the Dutch East Indies where she arrived on 16 February of the next year. Since 1896 a so-called fish torpedo boat, finally stricken between October 1919 and October 1920.
2. Several torpedo boats built in the Netherlands were sent to the Dutch East Indies like for instance the Python, Sphinx and Python. See for instance http://warshipsresearch.blogspot.nl/2011/09/three-torpedo-boats-minotarurus-sphinx.html
3. This must be the screw steamship 4th class Java laid down and launched at the Dutch yard Nederlandse Stoomboot Maatschappij at Fijenoord, decommissioned on 11 July 1904 and a year later transferred to the Dutch Government navy.
