In 1946 ordered the Dutch supreme commanding officer
in the Far East by order no. 62 to investigate the harbours including shipyards
in the Dutch East Indies and Netherlands New Guinea. In those so-called Sitraps
(Situation reports) was information collected dealing with the available
facilities, personnel and vessels/boats. The Dutch East Indies fell in Japanese
hands in the Second World War when the Dutch forces surrendered on 8 March 1942
until Japan surrendered on her turn on 15 August 1945. On 17 August 1945
declared nationalistic leaders like Soekarno and Hadda the independence of what
was called the Republik Indonesia. The result was a struggle for years before
the Netherlands forced by international pressure accepted the Indonesian
independence on 29 December 1949.
There were 4 government vessels operated by the Royal
Netherlands Navy consisting of the motor ship Harmen (D001) of 61 gross tons,
the motor ship Ambon (D005) of 58 gross tons, the motor ship Lily (D0003) of 40
gross tons and the motor ship Cootje (D0002) of 40 gross tons. Furthermore were
present the harbour pilot boat motor ship Cassa (P003), 1 small motorboat TT
(H001) at the moment used by the H.P.B. Tanah Merah and the small motorboat
Irene (P001) at that moment not in service. The Harmen and Ambon were lying at
Ambon for major repairs, Cootje en Lily were in service and the Cassa placed on
the slipway. There was also one steel made lighter with equipment to lift 10
tons.
Source
Archive Dutch
Marinestaf (1942) 1945-1948 inventory number 195, National Archive, The Hague.
