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Friday, 12 January 2024

The armament of the Dutch merchant ship Hoogkerk in the Second World War

Stadsarchief Rotterdam THO-457. Collectie Cock Tholens

Veteraan towed from Schiedam to Spoorweghaven, Rotterdam 3 June 1955

Stadsarchief Rotterdam, 4121 Collectie Ary Groeneveld 1956-1978 no. 1280-2

Being scrapped by Simons Scheepssloperijen, Pernis, begin March 1958

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.

Armed with 4-2cm guns supplied at New York on 25 December 1942.

Gross tonnage 5,132 tons, net tonnage 3,155 tons, deadweight 8,815 tons, grain capacity 523,000 cubic feet, bale capacity 481,000 cubic feet and as dimensions 124.097 x 16.67 x 8.14 metres. Launched by Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft m.b.H. & Co K.G., Flensburg, Germany with yard number 312 on 12 August 1911, delivered on 21 September 1921 as Atto to Roland Linie A.G., Bremen, Germany, since 24 April 1919 due to war reparations owner The Shipping Controller and manager Houlder, Middleton&Co. Ltd., London, England, renamed St. Augustine Abbey in 1920 with owner/manager David Steamship Co. Ltd., London, England, renamed Hoogkerk of N.V. Vereenigde Nederlandsche Scheeepvaartmaaatschappij,, The Hague, Netherlands in 1921, handed over to the Dutch government in January 1945 while she was unseaworthy, used as storage for ammunition at England and Netherlands, since 1947 at Schiedam as training ship for dockers, renamed Veteraan in 1949 and sold to be broken up in 1958.

Source

Archieven van hoofd handelsbescherming en diverse handelsbeschermingsofficieren 1941-1946 inv.no. 53 (Nationaal Archief, The Hague, Netherlands. 

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