A-class minesweepers

These small minesweepers were the first purpose-built minesweepers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, based upon the German "FM"-design of World War I-vintage. These ships arrived in Soerabaja on October 20, 1930 towed by the tugboats Friesland and Vlaanderen. All minesweepers were in Soerabaja in early March 1942 and scuttled there.

Minesweeper B

Construction details
Name A B C D
Dockyard Rijkswerf Willemsoord, Den Helder Rijkswerf Willemsoord, Den Helder Rijkswerf Willemsoord, Den Helder Rijkswerf Willemsoord, Den Helder
Laid down September 13, 1928 September 22, 1928 April 19, 1929 1928
Launched April 19, 1929 September 24, 1929 late 1929 1929
Commissioned August 4, 1930 August 4, 1930 August 4, 1930 August 4, 1930
Dockyard number 6 7 8 9
Pennants A B C D

Specifications
Dutch Navy Japanese Navy
Displacement (Washington tons) 179 tons 179 tons
Crew 30 30
Dimensions 42,80 x 6 x 1,5 m
Armament 2 x 12.7 mm machine guns 1 x 47 mm
3 x 25 mm
1 x 13 mm
ASW - 8 depthcharges
Radar -  

Propulsion details
Boilers * 1 watertube boiler
Machinery * 2 triple expansion engines
Shafts 2
Range  
Bunkerage 40 tons oil
Performance 700 ihp
Max Speed 14,5 knots
* Machinery was built by J. & K. Smit in Kinderdijk

Histories
A * Damaged on February 28, 1942 during an air attack. Scuttled by own crew in Soerabaja March 1, 1942 but raised and repaired by IJN. Completed on January 17, 1943 as the auxiliary submarinechaser Cha 113, but sunk by USS Hardhead on June 23, 1945 off Talembau, Java. (Position 114.16 E - 05.44 S)
B * Scuttled by own crew in Soerabaja March 2, 1942, but raised and repaired by Japanese Navy. Completed on December 20, 1942 as Cha 112. Sunk June 4, 1945 off Laut Ketjil, Java by B-24 Liberators from the 13th Airforce in position 116.04 E - 05 S.
C Scuttled in Soerabaja on March 6, 1942 but raised and salvaged by Japanese Navy. Completed on April 8, 1943 as Cha 116, but sunk by American carrier-based aircraft of TF-38 on November 13, 1944, 20 miles west of Cavite, Manila Bay. (Position 120.45 E - 14.30 N)
D Destroyed at Soerabaja March 2, 1942. She was apparently not salved by the Japanese navy. What happened to the wreck is not known.
* It is not entirely which of A and B was Cha 112 and which was Cha 113.

Sources and related links

Sources
F. Bertijn "Voor een veilige zee" (1982)
F. Bertijn "60 jaar mijnendienst" (1966)
A.J. Vermeulen "De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine en die der gouvernementsmarine 1814-1962 (1962)
Chr. Mark "Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II" (1997)
L.L. von Münching "Schepen van de Kon. Marine in de 2e Wereldoorlog" (1978)
M.A. Cageling/P. de Jong "Onze strijdmacht ter zee" (1938)
Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Marine 1929-1930
Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Marine 1930-1931

Related links (please report any broken links)
German-navy.de // FM-class minesweepers
The official chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II - July, 1945

May 31, 2006 Revised data

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