Goeree-class minesweeper

The Goeree class was a ship class of ten minesweepers that served in the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) between 1947 and 1956.[2] They were former R boats that served in the Kriegsmarine and German Mine Sweeping Administration. In 1947 they were transferred to the Netherlands as war reparations.[3]

A minesweeper of the Goeree class entering the Port of Scheveningen
Class overview
NameGoeree class
BuildersYacht und Bootswerf Burmester, Bremenburg-Swinemünde
Operators Royal Netherlands Navy
Built1942–1944
In commission1947–1956
Planned10
General characteristics [1]
TypeMinesweeper
Displacement125 t (123 long tons)
Length39.4 m (129 ft 3 in)
Beam5.8 m (19 ft 0 in)
Draft1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in)
Propulsion
Speed25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Crew30 - 31
Armament
  • 1 x 40 mm gun
  • 1 x 20 mm gun

Construction and design

The ten minesweepers of the Goeree class were originally built as R boats for the German Kriegsmarine.[1][4] They were built between 1942 and 1944 at the shipyard of Yacht und Bootswerf Burmester in Bremenburg-Swinemünde.[5][6] In comparison to other Dutch minesweepers in service of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN) at the time, the Goeree class minesweepers were considered small, weighting only on average around 123-150 tons.[7][8] However, they were quite fast.[9] There were some complaints about the conditions aboard the ships as the accommodation was not really suitable for the average height of Dutch naval personnel and it could also become very hot inside the ship.[4][10]

Service history

German Mine Sweeping Administration

After having served in the Kriegsmarine during the Second World War the ten minesweepers were used between 1945 and 1947 by the German Mine Sweeping Administration to clear mines in the North Sea and Dutch seaways.[11] During this time the boats were manned by former Kriegsmarine personnel and under Dutch command, however, administratively they fell under the Royal Navy as the boats were in their possession.[12][9] In 1947 the German personnel aboard the ten minesweepers were sent back to Germany and the boats were transferred via the Central Mine Clearance Board to the Netherlands as war reparations.[1][13][12]

Royal Netherlands Navy

The Netherlands received the ten boats in November 1947 and together they formed the Goeree class in the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN).[14][2][5] After being commissioned the minesweepers were assigned to Minesweeping Flotilla 4 (Dutch: Flottieljemijnenvegers 4; FMV 4) and were mainly used to clear German moored contact mines near the Dutch coast.[9] Some of the boats were rebuilt in 1949 by different Dutch shipyards, but they all served until 1956 in the RNN.[14]

On 1 February 1957 nine Goeree-class minesweepers were sold to the Dutch firm M. Caranza en Co. from Amsterdam for a total of 378.969 Dutch Guilders, which led to most ships getting scrapped.[15][16][17] The remaining ship that was not sold, the Goeree, became an accommodation ship for the boarding school Admiraal van Kingsbergen in Groningen.[1][15]

Ships in class
A Goeree class minesweeper in the Port of Scheveningen
Goeree class construction data[14][2]
Ship Pennant No. Commissioned Decommissioned Fate
Goeree M869 1947 1956 Became an accommodation ship for the boarding school Admiraal van Kingsbergen in Groningen.
Malzwin M870 1947 1956 Sold for scrap on 1 February 1957.
Roompot M871 1947 1956 Sold on 1 February 1957 and afterwards rebuilt as sand dredger.
Schiermonnikoog M872 1947 1956 Sold for scrap on 1 February 1957.
Schouwen M873 1947 1956 Sold for scrap on 1 February 1957.
Schulpengat M874 1947 1956 Sold for scrap on 1 February 1957.
Stortemelk M875 1947 1956 Sold for scrap on 1 February 1957.
Urk M876 1947 1956 Sold for scrap on 1 February 1957.
Vlieter M877 1947 1956 Sold for scrap on 1 February 1957.
Walcheren M878 1947 1956 Sold for scrap on 1 February 1957.

Notes

Citations
  1. van Amstel (1991), p. 67.
  2. Schoonoord (2012), p. 319.
  3. Woudstra (1982), p. 143.
  4. "Met Hr. Ms. Schouwen (100 ton) op mijnenjacht". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). 20 August 1949.
  5. "Mijnenvegers te koop". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 26 January 1957.
  6. Raven (1988), p. 183.
  7. "Boven de Waddeneilanden: nog 1600 mijnen". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). 17 December 1949.
  8. "Mijnenvegers te koop bij inschrijving". Het Parool (in Dutch). 25 January 1957.
  9. Roetering (1997), p. 88.
  10. Roetering (1997), p. 90.
  11. "Duitse mijnenvegers voor onze marine". Arnhemsche courant (in Dutch). 19 November 1947.
  12. "Tien Duitse mijnenvegers voor de Kon. Marine". Friesch Dagblad (in Dutch). 19 November 1947.
  13. Raven (1988), p. 123.
  14. van Amstel (1991), pp. 67-69.
  15. "Nu torpedojagers onder de hamer". Trouw (in Dutch). 6 February 1957.
  16. "Marine verkoopt oude mijnenvegers". Friese koerier (in Dutch). 2 February 1957.
  17. "Nederlandse mijnenvegers hebben afgedaan". Provinciale Drentsche en Asser courant (in Dutch). 25 January 1957.

References
  • Raven, G.J.A., ed. (1988). De kroon op het anker: 175 jaar Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Amsterdam: De Bataafsche Leeuw. ISBN 90-6707-200-1.
  • Roetering, B., ed. (1997). Mijnendienst 1907-1997 90 jaar: feiten, verhalen en anekdotes uit het negentigjarig bestaan van de Mijnendienst van de Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). ISBN 90-90-10528-X.
  • Schoonoord, D.C.L. (2012). Pugno pro patria: de Koninklijke Marine tijdens de Koude Oorlog (in Dutch). Franeker: Van Wijnen. ISBN 978-90-5194-455-6.
  • van Amstel, W.H.E. (1991). De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine vanaf 1945 (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-997-6.
  • Woudstra, F.G.A. (1982). Onze Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-915-1.
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