HNLMS Jan van Brakel (1936)
HNLMS Jan van Brakel was a minelayer and patrol vessel[lower-alpha 1] of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNN).[2] She was built in the Netherlands and served in the RNN between 1936 and 1957.[3]
 Jan van Brakel | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Netherlands | |
| Name | Jan van Brakel |
| Namesake | Jan van Brakel |
| Operator |  Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Builder | Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde, Vlissingen |
| Yard number | 201 |
| Laid down | 23 May 1935 |
| Launched | 8 February 1936 |
| Commissioned | 25 June 1936 |
| Decommissioned | 1 August 1957 |
| Fate | Expended as a target ship near Biak in 1957 |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type | Minelayer and patrol vessel |
| Displacement |
|
| Length | 58.70 m (192 ft 7 in) |
| Beam | 10 m (32 ft 10 in) |
| Draught | 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Crew | 65 |
| Armament |
|
Design and construction
Jan van Brakel was built at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde and assigned yard number 201.[1] The ship was laid down on 23 May 1935, launched on 8 February 1936 and commissioned into the Royal Netherlands Navy on 25 June 1936.[3] Jan van Brakel was designed to function as both a minelayer and patrol vessel.[2]
The ship was named after Jan van Brakel, a famous Dutch captain from the 17th century who took part in the Raid on the Medway.[4]
Propulsion
The ship had two Yarrow steam boilers that could deliver 800 hp each, for a total of 1600 hp.[5][6] This allowed Jan van Brakel to reach a speed of 15 kn.[7]
Armament
When it came to armaments Jan van Brakel was equipped with two 7.5 cm cannons, a single 3.7 cm cannon and four 12.7 mm machine guns.[1] In addition, it could carry 60 mines.[7]
Service history
As patrol vessel Jan van Brakel monitored fisheries in the North Sea.[1][6]
Second World War
On 12 May 1940 the ship laid 80 mines in the waters west of Haaksgronden.[8] Two days later, on 14 May 1940, Jan van Brakel left for England.[7] There the ship was made ready in Portsmouth to be able to lay British mines.[9]
On 1 June 1940 Jan van Brakel left Portsmouth for the River Tyne to lay mines if needed.[9] Later it also performed escorting duties for allied convoys in British waters.[7] In April 1942 the ship left for Curaçao to escort allied convoys in the waters of the Caribbean.[1] After two years of being active in the West Indies, Jan van Brakel returned at the end of 1944 to England and was rebuild as a mother ship for minesweepers.[7]
After the Netherlands was liberated Jan van Brakel functioned as mother ship for other minesweepers and was stationed at Terschelling.[10] However, this was only for a short duration as the ship left on 14 October 1945 for the Dutch East Indies together with eight minesweepers.[11] On 28 January 1946 they arrived and began clearing minefields that were still present in the territorial waters of the Dutch East Indies.[12] Later Jan van Brakel was also used as hydrographic survey vessel.[13][14]
In 1951 the ship returned to the Netherlands and was rebuild as a small frigate.[14] After being taken back into service in April 1953 it fulfilled the same duties as it did before the Second World War.[15]
In June 1955 the ship left for Dutch New Guinea and performed patrol duties.[14]
On 1 August 1957 Jan van Brakel was decommissioned and afterwards used as target ship near Biak.[3]
Notes
- The ship was classified in Dutch under different names, such as politievaartuig,[lower-alpha 2] politiekruiser[lower-alpha 3] or visserijpolitiekruiser.[lower-alpha 4]
- "Hr. Ms. Van Brakel in dienst: vlag en wimpel geheschen". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 26 June 1936.
Citations
- Mark (1997), p. 98.
- Roetering (1997), p. 14.
- van Amstel (1991), p. 38.
- "Mijnenlegger Jan van Brakel vaart proef". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 9 April 1936.
- "De "Jan van Brakel" in dienst gesteld: Een eenvoudige plechtigheid". De Standaard (in Dutch). 26 June 1936.
- "Te waterlating te Vlissingen: H.M. politiekruiser "Jan van Brakel"". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). 10 February 1936.
- von Münching (1978), p. 69.
- Roetering (1997), p. 30.
- Raven (1988), p. 112.
- Roetering (1997), p. 59.
- "Acht mijnenvegers naar Indië: "Geroepen tot een groote en historische taak"". Algemeen Handelsblad (in Dutch). 15 October 1945.
- Roetering (1997), p. 72.
- "De "Jan van Brakel" na vijf jaar weer thuis". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). 18 July 1951.
- "Het einde van een trouw schip: Hr Ms Jan van Brakel: Zesmaal veranderd van bestemming". De Volkskrant (in Dutch). 24 August 1957.
- "Na 22 jaar afgevoerd: Kon. Marine verliest het fregat "Jan van Brakel"". Nijmeegsch Dagbad (in Dutch). 6 August 1957.
References
- Mark, Chris (1997). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-522-9.
- von Münching, L.L. (1978). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog (in Dutch). Alkmaar: Alk. ISBN 90-6013-903-8.
- 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.
- van Amstel, W.H.E. (1991). De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine vanaf 1945 (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-997-6.
- 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.