On 6 May 1920 asked the Chef of the Dutch Naval Staff at The Hague, Netherlands the liaison officers at London, England and Berlin, Germany to supply all available and/or necessary information dealing with minelayer-submarines. The reason for this request was a possible project for such submarines to be used in Dutch territorial waters or in the Dutch East Indies. In the Dutch naval shipbuilding program for 1925 was such a submarine for the Dutch East Indies planned. The Naval Law was however refused by the Parliament. The first minelayer-submarine in the Royal Netherlands Navy was the former German UC 8 of 1915. Interned during the First World War and later bought by the Dutch cabinet and taken into the service as Hr. Ms. M 1. Despite the intention was the first newly built minelayer submarine not earlier realized as in 1936. The O 19 (first to be named K XIX) was laid down on 15 June 1936. The Kon. Mij. De Schelde at Vlissingen, Netherlands designed in 1929-1934 a minelayer submarine but which was never built.
The Dutch liaison officer at Berlin supplied details about the German submarines adding some general information. He wrote that before the First World War Germany did not possessed any minelayer submarine. In the German navy was none place for such a submarine, only for submarines which could cooperate with the Hochseeflotte (the major surface warships). There were still no ideas in merchant trade war using mines in 1911. The mines on board of the large minelayer submarines were via two stern mine tubes launched. On board were the mines stored in dry circumstances with the possibility for maintenance until the launching. For long patrols was this kind of storage preferable.
Built in 1916, displacement 1.164 (surfaced)-1.880 (submerged) tons, speed 7,1 (submerged)-14,7 (surfaced) miles, the armament consisted of 4-50cm torpedo tubes in the bow, for 22-24 extra torpedoes were taken with, l1-15cm gun and 1 machinegun. For the guns were 1.500-2.000 shells and for the machinegun 1.600 cartridges available. Range 6.080 (13.000) miles with a speed of 8 miles. Fuel capacity 92 (+99) tons? Fitted out with 2x1.200 hp diesel machinery for surfaced propulsion and 2x600 hp electric machinery for submerged propulsion. Crew numbered 4 officers and 36 sailors. Able to carry 42 mines of the UE200 type with her.(1)
Source
Archive Dutch Naval Staff 1886-1942 (National Archive, The Hague, Netherlands) inventory 132a.
Note
1. Type UE II long range minelayer submarine.
