The Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Zeemacht 1906-1907 reported that the British cruiser HMS Astraea (1) visited Tandjong Priok, Dutch East Indies on 13 December 1906 and between 4-8 January 1907. The Dutch newspaper Het nieuws van den dag: kleine courant dated 10 January 1907 reported the arrival of the British squadron in the morning of 13 December 1906. The commanding officer of the Dutch coastal defence ship Hr.Ms. Hertog Hendrik (2) paid a visit. The King Alfred (3) was the flagship and described as an armoured cruiser of 14,100 tons displacement, the Astraea as a cruiser of 4,360 tons and the Monmouth (4)as a protected cruiser of 9,800 ton. The De Tijd dated Thursday 10 January 1907 reported that the British squadron of vice admiral A.W. Moore (5) would leave on next Tuesday. The Astraea was bound for Semarang, Makassar and Balik Papan, the other two ships King Alfred and Monmouth were to return to Singapore. The British large cruiser HMS Diadem (6) was the next visit to be expected. The De Locomotief dated 1 May 1907 referred to a statement of the correspondent at Singapore of The naval and military record. He said that a second class cruiser like the Astraea was not suitable for showing the colors in the Dutch East Indies like recently at Semarang. She was not impressive enough and he mentioned that a native at Priok or somewhere else against his mate said: "I thought that the British had such gigantic warships but in fact they are not larger or more formidable than the Dutch warships."
Notes
1. Of the Astraea-class protected cruisers, preceded by the Apollo-class and succeeded by the Eclipse-class which was ordered in 1889, laid down in August 1890 at the Devonport Dockyard, launched 17 March 1893, commissioned in November 1895, decommissioned/paid off in July 1919 and finally sold 1 July 1920 to be broken up at Castle, however she was resold and finally broken up in Germany.
2. On stocks at the navy yard at Amsterdam 13 October 1900 and launched 7 June 1902 by the Dutch prince Hendrik (after which she was named) which was married with queen Wilhelmina. Trials found place 9 September 1903 and she was commissioned 5 January 1904. After the rebuilding in 1926 was she commissioned 2 May 1927 but in the summer a year later was she fitted out with a crane for two-four floating planes. After 1935 the crane was removed. In the Spanish Civil War used for escort duties. In 1938 she was decommissioned but at the outbreak of the Second World War again in service as the battery ship Vliereede serving off Texel, Netherlands. Decommissioned 11 November 1939 and laid up at the navy yard at Den Helder, Netherlands. She was sunk by own personnel May 1940, salvaged by the Germans and rebuild at Antwerp, Belgium as the floating battery Ariadne. In May 1945 found back at Wilhelmshafen, Germany and rebuilt at the Wilton-Fijenoord yard as an accommodation ship. Commissioned 21 October 1947 at Amsterdam, Netherlands as Wachtschip Amsterdam and later at Willemsoord still called Hertog Hendrik (A 888). Decommissioned 27 September 1968 and sold 28 August 1972 to be broken up.
3. Of the Drake-class consisting of the Drake, Good Hope, King Alfred and Leviathan preceded by the Cressy-class and succeeded by the Monmouth-class. In fact was this class an enlarged and improved Cressy-class design made by chief constructor Sir William White with as potential opponent the French armoured cruiser Jeanne d’Arc. Laid down at the shipyard of Vickers Limited, Barrow-in-Furness, England by the countess of Lathom on 11 August 1899, launched on 28 October 1901. Completed on 22 December 1903, torpedoed by the German submarine UB-86 north of Ireland on 11 April 1918, repaired at Liverpool, England and decommissioned again and finally sold to be broken up in the Netherlands on 30 January 1920.
4. Of the Monmouth-class also called County-class, built to act against light cruisers and armed merchant ships consisting of the Monmouth, Bedford, Essex, Kent, Berwick, Cornwall, Cumberland. Donegal, Lancaster and Suffolk. Preceded by the Drake-class and succeeded by the Devonshire-class. Laid down by London and Glasgow Shipping Company. Govan, Scotland on 29 August 1899, launched on 13 November 1901, completed on 2 December 1903 and sunk during the Battle of Coronel against a German squadron on 1 November 1914 with her entire crew of 735 men. She was heavily damaged by the SM Gneisenau and finally capsized after the German light cruiser SMS Nürnberg attacked her.
5. Sir Arthur William Moore (30 July 1847 Frittenden, England-3 April 1934) ended his career in the rank of admiral (promoted 10 October 1907). Since 1906 Commander-in-Chief, China.
6. Part of the Diadem-1st class protected cruisers designed by Sir William White, preceded by the Powerful-class and succeeded by the Cressy-class. Laid down at the shipyard of Fairfield Shipbuilding&Engineering Company Limited, Goven, Scotland on 23 January 1896, launched on 21 October 1896, completed on 19 July 1898, refitted in 1909, used as stokers’ training ship in 1914, laid up in reserve in October 1915, used as stokers’ training ship in January 1918 and finally sold to Ward, Morecambe to be broken up on 9 May 1921. Building costs 582.662 pound sterling excluded armament and stores.
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