Higgins anti-submarine boats

These boats were ordered in the US in order to provide the potential in the Netherlands East Indies with more anti-submarinecapabilities. Six arrived in late 1941/early 1942, where they probably didn't see much action. Two others were delivered to Curaçao after the NEI fell, where they were very welcome after the German submarines started their operations here.

Higgins boat H-8

Construction details

Name OJR-1 OJR-2 OJR-3 OJR-4 OJR-5 OJR-6 H-7 H-8

Dockyard Higgins Yard, New Orleans, USA

Commissioned Dec. 10 1941 Dec. 22 1941 - Summer 1942

Specifications

Displacement 48 tons

Dimensions 21,34 x 5,02 x 1,42 m

Crew 12

Armament 1 x 20 mm *
4 x .50 (2 x 2)

ASW Asdic (only H-7 and H-8)
16 depthcharges

* Not mentioned by all sources. Probably added only to H-7 and H-8

Construction details

Machinery 4 Kermath petrol engines

Shafts 2

Performance 2600 hp

Speed 24 knots

* Later replaced by 2 Packard engines in H-7 and H-8. The Kermath-engines worked unsatisfactory

Histories

OJR-1 Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 16 1941. Scuttled Soerbaja Mar. 2 1942. She or her sistership OJR-4 was raised by the Japanese and subsequently commissioned on August 4 1943 as Auxiliary Submarinechaser 101 (Cha 101). This ship was sunk by Allied surfaceforces east of Tawi-Tawi on April 8 1945. Hyperwar: World War II on the World Wide Web mentions that the ship was sunk by USAAF B-24 bombers (13th Air Force), while Cha 72 was damaged in the same attack, position 04.43' S, 122. 17'E

OJR-2 Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 16 1941. Lost in gasoline-explosion near Soerabaja on February 2 1942.

OJR-3 Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 22 1941. Lost in gasoline-explosion near Soerabaja on February 2 1942.

OJR-4 Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 22 1941. Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 22 1941. Scuttled March 2 1942 in Soerbaja to prevent capture. Also see OJR-1

OJR-5 Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, February 1 1942. Not yet commissioned when scuttled on March 2 1942 in Soerabaja

OJR-6 Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, February 1 1942. Not yet commissioned when scuttled on March 2 1942 in Soerabaja

H-7 Arrived on Curaçao August 26 1942, after which she conducted patrols in the Dutch West Indies. Decommissioned and stricken January 1946

H-8 Arrived on Curaçao August 26 1942, after which she conducted patrols in the Dutch West Indies. Together with MRB-50, she picked up 13 survivors from the Dutch tanker Rosalia, torpedoed and sunk by U-615 in the night of 27/28 July 1943. Decommissioned and stricken January 1946

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Construction details
Name	OJR-1	OJR-2	OJR-3	OJR-4	OJR-5	OJR-6	H-7	H-8
Dockyard	Higgins Yard, New Orleans, USA
Commissioned	Dec. 10 1941		Dec. 22 1941		-		Summer 1942

Specifications
Displacement	48 tons
Dimensions	21,34 x 5,02 x 1,42 m
Crew	12
Armament	1 x 20 mm * 4 x .50 (2 x 2)
ASW	Asdic (only H-7 and H-8) 16 depthcharges
* Not mentioned by all sources. Probably added only to H-7 and H-8

Construction details
Machinery	4 Kermath petrol engines
Shafts	2
Performance	2600 hp
Speed	24 knots
* Later replaced by 2 Packard engines in H-7 and H-8. The Kermath-engines worked unsatisfactory

Histories
OJR-1	Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 16 1941. Scuttled Soerbaja Mar. 2 1942. She or her sistership OJR-4 was raised by the Japanese and subsequently commissioned on August 4 1943 as Auxiliary Submarinechaser 101 (Cha 101). This ship was sunk by Allied surfaceforces east of Tawi-Tawi on April 8 1945. Hyperwar: World War II on the World Wide Web mentions that the ship was sunk by USAAF B-24 bombers (13th Air Force), while Cha 72 was damaged in the same attack, position 04.43' S, 122. 17'E
OJR-2	Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 16 1941. Lost in gasoline-explosion near Soerabaja on February 2 1942.
OJR-3	Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 22 1941. Lost in gasoline-explosion near Soerabaja on February 2 1942.
OJR-4	Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 22 1941. Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, December 22 1941. Scuttled March 2 1942 in Soerbaja to prevent capture. Also see OJR-1
OJR-5	Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, February 1 1942. Not yet commissioned when scuttled on March 2 1942 in Soerabaja
OJR-6	Arrived as deckcargo on merchant in NEI, February 1 1942. Not yet commissioned when scuttled on March 2 1942 in Soerabaja
H-7	Arrived on Curaçao August 26 1942, after which she conducted patrols in the Dutch West Indies. Decommissioned and stricken January 1946
H-8	Arrived on Curaçao August 26 1942, after which she conducted patrols in the Dutch West Indies. Together with MRB-50, she picked up 13 survivors from the Dutch tanker Rosalia, torpedoed and sunk by U-615 in the night of 27/28 July 1943. Decommissioned and stricken January 1946