Hr. Ms. K I
Hr. Ms. K III
Hr. Ms. K V
Hr. Ms. K VI
The Royal Netherlands Navy possessed roughly two kinds
of submarines, namely the O-class submarines which served in European waters
and the in the beginning larger K-class submarines which served in the Dutch
East Indies. The latter went on own power (except for the Hr. Ms. K I) to their
destination. The Department of Colonies paid for the building of the K-class
but which were manned by personnel of the Royal Netherlands Navy. On 10
December 1923 wrote the chief of the naval staff at The Hague, Netherlands to
the minister of navy that there were not enough (spare) torpedoes available for
the submarines K IV-XIII. For each submarine was just two torpedoes for each
tube in storage. With other words it could happen that on a single voyage all
torpedoes were launched. In his opinion there was a spare of at least 50%
necessary equal to the submarines K I-III. The last three had a larger calibre
of torpedoes.(1)
To solve this problem could for the K IV-X the
torpedoes be used no longer needed for the destroyers of the Wolf-class built
between 1910-1913 and armed with 2-45cm torpedo guns. While this were older
torpedoes was it needed to fit them out with a larger charge of explosives and
the purchase of around 66 war charge chambers. For the K XI-XIII were new
torpedoes to be bought namely 6 of 53cm and 12 of 45cm. He advices the minister
of navy to consult the minister of colonies to add to the budget over 1925 the
needed money for purchasing the extra torpedoes.
Source
Archive Marinestaf 1886-1942 inv.no. 293 (National Archive at The Hague, Netherlands)
Note
K I, laid down 10-09-1911 had 3-45,7cm/18” torpedo
tubes.
K II (laid down 20-09-1915), K III (15 July 1915) and
K IV (laid down 30-12-1915), had 4-45,7cm/18” torpedo tubes.
K V (laid down 4-4-1916), K VI (laid down 04-04-1916)
and K VII (laid down 25-07-1916) had 6-45,0cm/17.7” torpedo tubes.
K VIII (laid down 31-10-1917), K IX (laid down
01-03-1919) and K X (laid down 01-11-1919) had 4-45cm/17.7” torpedo tubes .
K XI (laid down 09-12-1922), K XII (laid down
09-01-1923) and K XIII (laid down 15-10-1923) had 2-53cm/21” torpedo tubes and 4-45cm/17.7”
torpedo tubes.
