Yardnumber 138. Whitehead-Hay design. Her building was ordered on 18 March 1910, the contract signed somewhere between May and June 1910, laid down in the submarine whare house on the North bank on 31 December, in the thrushes in June 1911, plating fitted in December, launched on 30 July 1912, technical trials in August and September, 24-26 October and 1 November, official full speed trial on 22 October, docked on 11 November, delivered on 11 February 1913, stricken on 2 April 1932 and in May a year later sold to be broken up. Costs completely fitted out when she was for the first time commissioned ƒ 520.000. The 2takt M.A.N. diesel manufactured by the Maschinefabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg supplied during the trial 280 ahp at 453 rpm allowing a speed of 8,2 (submerged)-11,4 (surfaced) knots. Range with a speed of 10 knits 760 miles and while submerged with a speed of 8,75 knots three hours. The armament consisted of 2-45cm bow torpedo tubes on top of each other and 1 machine gun no. 3. She could carry with her 4 torpedoes. Diving depth 30 metres . Displacement 133,974 (surfaced)-149,410 tons (submerged). Dimensions 29,914 (between perpendiculars)-32,35 (over all) x 3,048 x 2,726 and a hold of 3.453 metres or 98’1”x 106’2”x 10’0” x 8’11¼” and 11’4”. Her crew numbered 10 men.
The newspaper Vlissingse Courant dated 20 May published an item dated the 19th reporting that De Schelde was ordered by the department of navy after a private registration to built a third submarine to serve in the Dutch waters similar to the on now building [the Hr.Ms. O2]. The edition dated 22 September reported that the minister asked the Parliament during the discussions dealing with the budget for 1911 ƒ 278.340 for the second payment term. The edition dated 13 October 1911 reported that since the 14th naval engineer G.A.W. Wagenaar was transferred to the shipyard for the supervision over the building. On 1 July 1912 wrote the reporter that the De Schelde was responsible for building the Dutch submarines although far too slow. He did not want to blame the shipyard but wondered what caused this slow progress despite the desperate need of the navy for submarines. The Hr.Ms. O1 en O2 were continuous in service and the Hr.Ms. O3 was to be launched in July and completed in September. On 12 July however he wrote that she would be launched in begin August. As her commanding officer was lieutenant 2nd class D. van Nijmegen Schonegevel (1) appointed. Six days later was reported that her commanding officer since 22 July was detached at De Schelde to supervise her completing. The 22nd was her launching on Tuesday 30 July 15.30 o’clock announced. In the meantime complained some members of the Dutch parliament during the naval budget 1912 discussions about the delays in the building of the O1 and the destroyers Bulhond and Jakhals the latter now serving in the Dutch East Indies. The launching on the planned datum of the Hr.Ms. O3 was a success. She was according to the reporter in main features similar to the Hr.Ms. O2. The minister answered in the Parliament that the shipyard was not to blame for the delay in the building of the Hr.Ms. O1, but she was responible for the delay with the destroyers. Another newspaper the Middelburgsche Courant dated Tuesday 24 September reported that she on last Friday afternoon performed her trials and on Saturday morning in the dock her diving tests. She was now to perform her measured mile trial and submerged trials while in the meantime the dry dock was prepared for docking her. For security reasons archived on 9 October the navy salvage vessel in the Eerste Binnenhaven (first inner harbour) van Flushing to be present during the diving trial. The measured mile en diving trials were to start on Wednesday 23 October in the presence of the navy commission. On 3 November were the official trials completed in which she well performed and now was she prepared for service. On the 4th was reported that during lunchtime a small explosion in the accumulators battery took place. However there were no victims and just little damage. What caused the explosion was unknown. The newspaper N.R.C. claimed later that she was dry docked for 3 months to repair the damage caused by the explosion destroying a large number of the accumulators. The newspaper Vlissingse Courant of the 12th made clear that was nonsense. She was just dry docked as planned to be painted.
Note
1. Dionys van Nijmegen Schonegevel (31 December 1883 Workum-February 1976 Palm Beach , USA
Sources
Severeal Dutch newspapers as mentioned in the text
Order administration Kon.Mij. De Schelde 1875-1970 (Municipality Archive Flushing ).
