The Dutch submarine Hr.Ms. O16 commanded by lieutenant 1st class C.J.W. van Waning cruised in the Mediterranean between 11 January-25 March 1937 followed by visiting the USA and Portugal returning at Den Helder on 6 April.(1)
On 19 January was Terceira sighted and on Wednesday 20th 08.30 o’clock the Fayal canal between Picoa and Fayal entered. At 09:00 o’clock came the pilot on board and was berthed in the harbour of Horta where she stayed until Monday 25th January 07:00 o‘clock when she departed for Bermuda.
The pilot came outside the harbour on board but his English was unintelligibly and sometimes were his intentions hardly to be understand. To be able to communicate with the shore was a small motor boat hired for 1.200 escudo’s or 110 Dutch guilders for a period of 5 days. An item reported that Horta as harbour was of less significance although there was hope that would change is she became on short notice as a port of call for the transatlantic airline. The German Lufthansa already let make a nice slip for large flying boats and stationed other material like a heavy launch. An item reported that Horta possessed a quite well equipped locksmith’s shop despite being more specialized in the more coarse work did some smaller more sophisticated work well and even for free. There were none docks available. The O16 lost her port anchor when the chain broke in a storm. Although this anchor was salvaged was immediately after the chain broke a heavy anchor with chain via the port captain hired from the firm Bensay&Co laid and lift by a large launch of the German Lufthansa. The commanding officer of the O 16 advices in case of uncertain weather conditions immediately after arrival in the harbour to bring out a windward anchor especially for destroyers and submarines. The costs of hiring, laying and lifting such an anchor were just 275 escudo’s or 25 Dutch guilders. The harbour herself was protected against sea conditions and swell despite from where the wind came
Note
1. Designed by navy engineer ir. G. de Rooy who also was supervisor during the building. Tender dated 1 April 1933, ordered on 12 April 1933, to be delivered on or for 1 November 1935, contract signed on 18/24 April 1935, steel ordered on 12 June 1933, steel arrived on 6 September 1933, administration started on 30 November 1933, laid down by the Kon. Mij. De Schelde, Vlissingen, Netherlands with yard number 200 between the North and South slips between 28 December 1933-4 January 1934m with the support of locomotive lying with a weight of 545,5 ton of 8 lorries in 8 hours replaced towards the South slip on 7 December 1935, in the thrushes on 2 January 1935, plating fitted on 29 March 1935, launched by Mrs. H.M. ’t Hooft-Plaisir on 27 January 1936, docked between 4/10 March, 22-25 May and 25 August-28 September 1936, trial while berthed on 2 March 1936, technical trials between 12 March-28 May 1936, torpedo launching tests at Den Helder, between 21 April-8 May 1936, official trial on 28 May 1936, full speed trial on 12 October 1936, diving tests on 80 metres depth on 26 November 1936, delivered on 26 October 1936, contracted price ƒ 1.405.600,00, building costs ƒ 1.572.309,07 and costs when for the first time commissioned ƒ 2.672.553, commissioned on 26 October 1936, departed towards Den Helder op 29 October 1936 lost on 15 December 1941 in the South China Sea when she strike a Japanese mine. Displacement 892 (standard)-948,994 (surfaced)-1.170,216 (submerged) tons and as dimensions 76,525 (between perpendiculars)-77,525 (over al) x 6,30 (outside thrush)-6,55 (wale) x 5,786 (depth) x 3,964 (trimmed)-3,91 meter. Her crew numbered 36 men. The armament consisted of 8-53cn torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern, 2 in the superstructure which could horizontal be turned, 14 torpedoes, 1-8,8cm gun and 2-4cm No. 2 machineguns. Fitted with an anti mine device. Propulsion consisted of 2-1.699 hp 8 cylinder 4 stroke MAN engines from Wilton-Fijenoord and 2-325 ahp main electric engines with 2x96 cells batteries. Speed achieved on 26 May 1936 18,75 (surfaced)-9,3 (submerged) miles with contracted speed of 17-9 miles. Diving depth 80 metres.
Source
Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeemacht 1936-1937.
