According to the list and supplements 1-2 on 13 September 1945 BDZ No. 673 sent by the office of armament the Royal Netherlands Navy located at 41 East 42nd Street, New York 17, USA. There were no complete records available, so there were several sources used to compile the list. Sometimes the kind of guns gave indirect information regarding the origin such as 4”/BL and 12 pounder guns were British mostly supplied in the United Kingdom, Canada or Curacao. The 4.7” guns were old Japanese guns placed on some vessels in the begin of the war at Singapore and some 4” guns in the same period at Surabaya, Dutch East Indies. The trade in which the ship was used gave also an indication were the guns were supplied, for example involved in the Pacific trade means supplied at the West Coast.
Launched at the Nederlandse Dok&Scheepsbouwmaatschappij, Amsterdam, Netherlands on 29 April 1939, completed on 1 August 1939, operated for La Corona, a subsidiary of the Royal Dutch Shell Company and finally broken up at Hong Kong in 1959. In the Second World War, fought together with her escort HMIS Bengal on 11 November 1942 a heroic battle against the Japanese auxiliary cruisers Hokoku Maru and Aikoku Maru. Against all odds both ships survived the battle in which the Hokoku Maru even was destroyed probably by a 10,2 cm shell of the Ondina. The Aikoku Maru torpedoed the Ondina and left the scene believing she was sinking. The crew of the Ondina which already had left their ship going of board of the lifeboats returned and managed to keep her floating returning safely to Fremantle, Australia. Five men of her crew were killed including her master. In 1945 was she the first Dutch tanker after the war entering the harbour of Rotterdam, Netherlands. De Dutch queen Juliana commemorated what she did by a so-called Royal Citation in a Day Order. Only Dutch warships or Netherlands-flagged merchant ships which performed extra ordinary well during the war could get such honour. Until she was broken up she continued her voyages in the Far East but also towards South America.
With a gross tonnage of 9.070 tons were her dimensions 130,49 x 16,62 x 6,40 metres or 428.1 x 54.5 x 21 feet. The single Werkspoor six-cylinder 2.800hp diesel allowed a maximum speed of just 12 knots.
Armed with 2-2cm guns
Armed with 4-2cm guns supplied at Tampa, Florida, USA in May 1944
Armed with 1-10,16cm/4” quick firing gun
Source
Archieven van hoofd handelsbescherming en diverse handelsbeschermingsofficieren 1941-1946 inv.no. 53 (Nationaal Archief, The Hague, Netherlands.
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