In the memorandum of explanation for the navy budget for 1875 (1) was the new shipbuilding program discussed including the building of a torpedo vessel. The minister of navy Taalman Kip was interested in building such a vessel similar to what the Swedish and Norwegian navies ordered. Regarded the successful results and the achieved speed of 17-18 miles found the minister necessary to let the Dutch vessel built by the same shipyard. It was to be fitted out with a spar torpedo and with a superstructure hardly raising above the water surface offering just a small target.(3)
Notes
1. Kamerstuk Tweede Kamer 1874-1875 kamerstuknummer 2 VI ondernummer 32.
2. Willem Frederik van Erp Taalman Kip (19 December 1924 The Hague, Netherlands-16 March 1905 The Hague, Netherlands), navy officer, inspector for the pilotage in the Dutch East Indies and four times minister of navy.
3. In 187 was the first Dutch (spar) torpedo boat at the No. I with as dimensions 24,25 x 3,37 x 1,20 metres, a displacement of 35,7 tons, a horsepower of 240 ihp which allowed a speed of 13,28 miles, a crew of 10 men and an armament of 1-3,7cm gun and a spar torpedo launching device. Her trial was on 23 October and year later on 22 February commissioned in the Royal Netherlands Navy and finally stricken in 1901. Her speed was practically far behind the 17-18 miles discussed in the memorandum. Other spar torpedo boats in the next coming years were also built by the British firm Thornycroft&Co. and at Dutch shipyards like the Kon.Mij. De Schelde at Flushing.
