HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck (1906)

HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck (Dutch: Hr.Ms. Jacob van Heemskerck) was a unique coastal defence ship[lower-alpha 1] of the Royal Netherlands Navy built by the Rijkswerf in Amsterdam. She was among the ships send to patrol the Venezuelan coast during the Second Castro Crisis. After her active career she was rebuilt into a stationary battery ship and recommissioned. During World War II she was captured by the invading German forces and converted in an anti-aircraft battery. After the war the ship was recovered and given back to the Netherlands, to be converted to an accommodation ship.

For other ships with the same name, see HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck.
Jacob van Heemskerck
History
Netherlands
NameJacob van Heemskerck
NamesakeJacob van Heemskerck
BuilderRijkswerf, Amsterdam
Laid down1905
Launched22 September 1906
Commissioned22 April 1908
Recommissioned23 February 1948
Decommissioned13 September 1974
Renamed
  • Batterijschip IJmuiden (1939)
  • Neptunus (1948)
Reclassified
  • Floating battery ship, 1939
  • Accommodation ship, 1948
Stricken4 October 1974
FateScrapped
Nazi Germany
NameUndine
NamesakeUndine
Acquired16 July 1940
Commissioned1943
ReclassifiedAnti-aircraft battery, 1943
FateReturned to the Netherlands postwar
General characteristics
TypeUnique coastal defence ship
Displacement4,920  tons
Length98 m (321 ft 6 in)
Beam15.19 m (49 ft 10 in)
Draught5.69 m (18 ft 8 in)
Installed power6,400 hp (4,800 kW)
Propulsion2 shafts, reciprocating engines
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Complement340
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament
Armour
  • 6 in (15 cm) belt
  • 8 in (20 cm) barbette
  • 8 in (20 cm) turret

Design

The ship was 98 m (322 ft) long, had a beam of 15.19 m (49.8 ft), a draught of 5.69 m (18.7 ft), and had a displacement of 4,920 ton. The ship was equipped with 2 shaft reciprocating engines, which were rated at 6,400 ihp (4,800 kW) and produced a top speed of 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h). The ship had a belt armour of 6 in (15 cm), 8 in (20 cm) barbette armour and turret armour. Two 9.4 in (24 cm) single turret guns provided the ship's main armament, and these were augmented by six single 15 cm (5.9 in) guns and six 7.5 cm (3.0 in) single guns. The ship had a complement of 340 men.[1]

Service history
Jacob van Heemskerck in the 1920s.

The ship was built at the Rijkswerf in Amsterdam. Prince Henry of the Netherlands attended the launch ceremony and christened the ship on 22 September 1906. The ship was commissioned on 22 April 1908. The same year she, together with the Holland-class cruisers Friesland and Gelderland were sent to patrol the Venezuelan coast during the Second Castro Crisis.[2]

On 16 May 1910 the ship left the port of IJmuiden to steam for Sheerness to bring Prince Henry of the Netherlands to the funeral of Edward VII of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that was held on 20 May. During the last part of the journey the ship was escorted by five British torpedo boats. Later that year the Belgian king Albert I and his wife made a state visit to the Netherlands. During this visit, they visited the IJ in Amsterdam where Jacob van Heemskerck, Friesland, Piet Hein, Evertsen, O 1 and other Dutch warships were present and fired shots in salute. The pair were given a tour on the van Heemskerck.[3]

On 24 July the ship left the port Den Helder for the coronation fleet review of King George V at Spithead on 27 June.[4]

On 17 May 1917 the ship, together with the lugger Zorg en Vlijt picked up the crew of the luggers Mercurius and Jacoba that were boarded and later scuttled by a German submarine 50 nautical miles off the coast of IJmuiden.[5]

World War II

After her active career she was rebuilt into a stationary battery ship and renamed Batterijschip IJmuiden and recommissioned on 19 April 1939. She was stationed in IJmuiden. During the German invasion in World War II on 14 May 1940 she was scuttled by her crew to prevent her being captured by the German forces.

Accommodation ship Neptunus after the war.

The Germans however raised the ship on 16 July 1940 and towed her to Amsterdam on 24 July. From there she was towed to Kiel in March 1941. There she was rebuilt into a floating anti-aircraft battery at the Howaldtswerke and renamed Undine. After the war she was found back in Wilhelmshafen and returned to the Netherlands.

At the Rijkswerf in Amsterdam she was rebuilt into an accommodation ship. She was recommissioned on 23 February 1948 and renamed Neptunus. This role she fulfilled until her decommissioning on 13 September 1974. On 4 October that same year she was stricken.[6]

Notes
  1. In the Dutch navy the ship was classified as "pantserschip" literally translated: armored ship.

References
  1. "navalhistory". Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  2. "Maritieme kalender 1908". Archived from the original on 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  3. "Maritieme kalender 1910". Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  4. "Maritieme kalender 1911". Retrieved 2012-11-29.
  5. "Maritieme kalender 1917". Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  6. "netherlandsnavy.nl". Retrieved 2012-10-29.
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