In the first part of the 20th
Century was the Netherlands Royal Navy interested in obtaining (nine) dreadnoughts
mainly for the defence of the Dutch East Indies. While Dutch shipyards were not
able at that moment to build such warships were tenders asked from foreign
shipyards. Namely the German shipyards Friedrich
Krupp Germaniawerft at Kiel, Blohm&Voss at Hamburg, Vulcan Werke at
Stettin, Schichau at Danzig, A.G. Weser, at Bremen, the British shipyards of Sir
W.G. Armstrong, Elswick, Vickers at London, Beardmore at Glasgow and the
Conventry Syndicate/Fairfield Shipbuilding&Co. at London and the Italian
shipyards of Stabilimento Technico at Triest and Ansaldo at Sestri Ponente.
The armament was to consist of
:
4x2-35.6cm/14” /45 breech
loading guns in barbettes placed on the centre line, 4 guns were to fire
straight ahead, 4 right astern and 8 on each broadside over the greatest
possible sector on each side and for each gun 100 rounds;
16-15cm/6” quick firing /50 in
casemates with 250 round for each gun. At least 4 guns were to fire straight
ahead and 4 right astern and also a few degrees over the other side of the
centre line and
12-7,5cm/3” quick firing guns
without gun shields to be used as anti-balloon artillery as far as they were
not mounted between decks, for each gun 300 pounds.
4-21” broadside submerged
torpedo tubes. The 2 foremost torpedo tubes were to fire 10-15 degrees before
the beam, the 2 backward torpedo tubes 10-15 degrees abaft the beam and for
each gun 3 torpedoes.
While the Royal Netherlands
Navy since decades for the main armament her ships fitted out with Krupp guns
which performed always well and was trusted by the Dutch naval personnel was a
strong preference for Krupp guns on the battleships to be built.
Main armour belt at least 25cm
thick, sloping to the fore and aft ends with the lower limit no rising out of
the water with the ship trimmed to trial displacement heeled over an angle of
minimum 7 degrees. The 6” gun casemates were to protected by 18cm thick armour,
the barbettes and conning tower by at least 30cm thick armour. Further more
armoured decks and bulkheads and the lower parts of the funnel protected. The
armour was to made of Krupp cemented steel. Longitudinal nickel steel made
bulkheads, torpedo nets and booms were to be used as anti torpedo protection.
Accommodation required for 35
officers, 15 engineers, 19 warrant officers, 36 petty officers and around 800
sailors.
As the battleship was to serve
in the tropics [the Dutch East Indies] were good cooling devices for the
ammunitions a necessity. There were two separate similar refrigerating plants
acquired, each able to cool all ammunition magazines at the same time to a
maximum allowed temperature of 28 degrees.
The Germaniawerft sent several
designs like project numbers 753 and 806. Project No. 806 described a battleship
with as dimensions 184 x 28 x 9 metres or 604 x 92 x 30 feet and a displacement
of 24.605 long tons. The machinery consisted of 3 three turbine sets, 6 double-ended
boilers and 1 single-ended boiler and 3 screws. The hull was protected by a
waterline belt of 15cm (fore and aft)-25cm (amidships). Other figures for the Germaniawerft
are dealing with a displacement of 27.280 tons/26.850 long tons.
Sources
Archive Kon. Mij. De Schelde
1875-1970 (Municipality Archive Vlissingen, Netherlands) inventory number
214.1818.
