Hr. Ms. Java
Hr.Ms. Sumatra
Hr.Ms. De Ruyter
Hr.Ms. Tromp
Hr.Ms. Jacob van Heemskerck
An item referred to the Tidskrift i Sjöväsendet which claimed that in 1935 3-777 ton submarines and 3-5.000 ton cruisers were to be laid down in the Netherlands for the defence of the Dutch East Indies.(1)
Note
1. Sadly enough for the Royal Netherlands Navy was this news nonsense. Between 16 September 1933-3 October 1936 was one light cruiser with a displacement of 6.442 (standard)-7.822 (full load) tons under construction. She was the Hr. Ms. De Ruyter sunk in the Battle of the Java Sea on 27 February 1942. The Royal Netherlands Navy possessed in 1935 two already obsolete light cruisers Hr. Ms. Java and Sumatra. Between 17 January 1936-18 Augustus 1938 was the 3.450 (standard)-4.025 (maximum) ton Hr. Ms. Tromp built followed by her sister ship Hr. ms. Jacob van Heemskerck between 21 October 1938-10 May 1940. The latter was in England completed into an air defence cruisers and performed such well during the Second World War that it was claimed that not a single convoy ship would be lost when she was on duty.
