The never realized Dutch 1.500 tons monitor design ‘A’ of 1896

Archive Machinefabriek en Ketelmakerij Kon. Mij. De Schelde toegang 506 inv.no. 506.2243

Despite the huge maritime interests of the Netherlands is for centuries the need of a (strong) navy discussed, even in the time that she still possessed possessions over sea like the Dutch East Indies. The navy was to support the army in defending the homeland in stead of battling with an almost certainly much stronger opponent. Especially in the Dutch East Indies was the navy of far more value. If an enemy could not rule in the waters in the latter area was an invasion of the main island Java with a transport fleet nearly suicide. The Dutch warships were to harass the transport fleet underway or during an actual invasion supporting the Dutch army on land. Year after year was the naval budget discussed in the parliament. In the Second Chamber was the budget for 1897 discussed. In his memorandum supplied minister of navy Van der Wijck (1) more details about the needs of the fleet including budget. Within 13 years was his fleet plan to be executed.

There were totally 3 monitors of this type for the service in the Zuider Frontier needed, building costs each 1.520.000 Dutch guilders, totally 4.560.000 Dutch guilders. The already existing monitor Reinier Claeszen (2) was to be considered to be of the A’ design. The other projected two monitors are never realized. The building of the second one was to start in 1903 completed in December 1904 and the last one to be started in 1904 and completed in December 1906.

Displacement 1.500 tons. Armoured deck with a thickness of 5cm. The armament was to consist of 2x1-21cm L/40 in barbette turrets armoured with 20cm steel en protected by 15cm thick shields, 4-7,5cm quick firing guns with 1,5-2,5cm thick shields and 4-3,7cm quick firing guns. The horsepower was 700 ihp allowing a trial speed of 9,5 miles during 4 hours. Coal bunker capacity 60 ton. Draught 3,10 metres.

As a response of the development and use of smaller quick firing guns was the building of monitors again a topic of discussion. The obsolete totally unprotected gunboats had no chance on contrary to monitors which offered just a relative small part of the ship above the waterline as potential target while the heavy guns on board could be easily protected against medium calibre guns. It became clear that the small Dutch monitors were just suitable for service in calm water such the defence of the inner sea Undersea (nowadays the Ijsselmeer) and the waters in the Zuiderfrontier (like in the province Zealand). They were however not to be used for defending the Texelsche Zeegaten (entrance to the North Sea between the island Texel and the mainland where the major Dutch naval base Den Helder was situated. There were two kinds of monitors needed with different draughts. For the monitors which were to enter Amsterdam, Netherlands was a maximum draught of 2,90 metres allowed. The monitors to serve in the Zuiderfrontier had not such a limit and could have a somewhat larger draught.

Notes
1. Herman Marinus van der Wijck (Djokjakarta, Dutch East Indies 26 ay 1843-Velp, Netherlands 8 December 1932) liberal politician, served in the Royal Netherlands Navy last in the rank of lieutenant 1st class, was secretary general of navy 1 October 1883-9 May 1894 and minister of navy 9 May 1894-27 July 1897. As minister he persuaded with success the parliament to approve in 1896 the building of 3 new protected cruisers Utrecht, Noord-Brabant and Gelderland, which was an increase of the fleet plan of his predecessor J.C. Jansen dated 1892. At that moment were already 3 armoured ships being built, namely the Kortenaer, Piet Hein and Evertsen.
2. Her main purpose was to defend the tidal inlets and especially the so-called Zuiderfrontier. The order to her building at the Kon. Fabriek van stoom- en andere werktuigen te Amsterdam was given in July 1889. However this factory was liquidated and the order given to the navy yard Amsterdam while the shipyard Kon. Mij. De Schelde at Flushing would manufacture the engines and boilers. She was laid down on 24 September 1890, launched on 21 November 1891, trial on 7 October 1893 and commissioned at Hellevoetsluis on 1 March 1894. Stationed in February 1904 at Flushing when the Netherlands wanted to preserve her neutrality during the war between Russia and Japan. In 1907 was she temporarily stationed at Rotterdam during the strikes in the harbour. Decommissioned on 21 August 1907 for major repairs at the navy yard at Hellevoetsluis and on 2 April 1908 brought to Flushing to receive three new Yarrow boilers. These water tube boilers no.’s 102-104 were ordered on 27 December 1907, she arrived at Flushing on 3 April 1908 and departed on 3 November. On 1 April 1913 again decommissioned but the repairs were stopped on 28 November. The morning edition of the newspaper Algemeen Handelsblad dated 10 December 1914 reported her sale at the navy yard at Hellevoetsluis a day earlier for ƒ 39.715 to the N.V. Frank Rijsdijks Scheepsslooperij at Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht. With a displacement of 2.479 ton were her dimensions 70,00 x 1352 x 4,55 metres.