G.13-class torpedoboats

G 13 -class torpedoboats

Design history

Class of torpedo boats intended for defence of coastal areas off Holland. The class originally numbered 4 ships, but G 14 had already been stricken by 1919. Their value as a warships was at the time of their completion already doubtful, since foreign navies were completing destroyers that were bigger, faster and more heavily armed than these torpedo boats. In May, 1940, these ships were worn out and relegated to patrol duties and did not see much action during the invasion of the Netherlands.

The Royal Navy saw little value in the two ships that managed to escape to the UK. The ships were coal-fired, so the tell-tale smoke from their funnels making them little suited for convoy escort duty. In addition, they lacked the deck space and size for additional equipment and armament. Lastly, they lacked the seaworthiness to be an effective escort in Britain's coastal waters. They were soon transferred to the Royal Navy to allow their crews to man more modern warships and scrapped during the war.

G 13, most likely at Den Helder.

Construction details [1]

Name G 13 G 15 G 16

Dockyard Koninklijke Maatschappij "De Schelde", Vlissingen (Flushing) Maatschappij voor Scheeps- en Werktuigbouw "Fijenoord", Rotterdam Maatschappij voor Scheeps- en Werktuigbouw "Fijenoord", Rotterdam

Dockyard number 151^[2]

Laid down March 5, 1913 June 10, 1913 July 22, 1913

Launched October 18, 1913 January 3, 1914 March 10, 1914

Commissioned March 11, 1914 August 3, 1914 July 29, 1914

Pennants G.13 (prewar)
H.35 (WW II) G.15 (prewar)
H 66 (WW II) G.16 (prewar)

[1]: Information taken from [MAR]. Information confirmed by other sources unless noted otherwise.
[2]: From [KMS].

Specifications [1]

Displacement 180 tons (standard)
230 tons (full load)

Crew 27

Dimensions 49,50 x 5,20 x 2,90 m

Armament 2 x 75 mm L/30 Bofors No. 4 (2x1)
2 x .50 (12.7-mm) machineguns (1x2)^[2]

Torpedoes 3 x 450 mm torpedo tubes (3x1) with Type II ⁴⁵ torpedoes^[3].

Anti-submarine 2 depthchargethrowers^[4]
Number of depthcharges unknown.

[1]: Information taken from [MAR] and confirmed by other sources unless noted otherwise with corrections or additions.
[2]: According to [GB110-18], one twin .50 MG was taken off G-15 and fitted to Notre Dame de France in January, 1941.
[3]: Torpedo type from [MOH]. The tubes may have been removed in the UK and shipped to the Netherlands East Indies to be fitted to TM-4 class motor torpedo boats.
[4]: From [MUN].

Propulsion details [1]

Boilers 2 boilers

Machinery Reciprocating steam system

Performance 3000 ihp

Shafts 2^[2]

Bunkerage 42 tons coal

Maximum speed 26 knots

[1]: Information taken from [MAR], [MB13]. Information confirmed by other sources unless noted otherwise.
[2]: [MAR] says 2 shafts, [MB13], [COL], [GRO5] says 1.

Histories^[1]

G 13 Machinegunned by German aircraft, 3 crewmen wounded.
Evacuated from Den Helder on May 14, 1940 with minelayers Nautilus, Jan van Brakel, Douwe Aukes, Medusa and gunboat Johan Maurits van Nassau. Johan Maurits van Nassau was sunk, their survivors were transferred to G-13 which transferred them to the rescue ship Dorus Rijkers off den Helder. Arrived on the Downs May 15.
Patrol and escort duties from and to Falmouth May - July 1940.
Transit to Holyead July 25 - August 1, 1940.
Patrol duties off Holyhead July - August, 1940.
Decommissioned at Holyhead on August 9, 1940, crew assigned to anti-submarine trawlers Notre Dame de France and Jean Frederic.
Transferred to Royal Navy at Belfast December 27, 1940. Assigned Harbour Defence Patrol at Belfast.^[2]
Returned to RNethNavy July, 1942.
Scrapped by T.W. Ward Ltd, Preston (UK) starting February, 1943.^[3]

G 15 Evacuated from Den Helder May 14, 1940.
Patrol and escort duties from and to Falmouth May - July 1940.
Transit to Holyhead, arrived September 23, 1940.
Decommissioned December 27,1940.
Transferred to Royal Navy December 27, 1940. Assigned Harbour Defence Patrol at Belfast.
Returned to RNethNavy July, 1942.
Scrapped by T.W. Ward Ltd, Preston (UK) starting February, 1943.^[3]

G 16^[4] Scuttled Den Helder May 14, 1940.
Raised May/June, 1940 and repaired.
Renamed by German Kriegsmarine as torpedo recovery vessel TFA-9 on December 5, 1941.
Commissioned September 19, 1942, assigned to 22nd submarine flotilla.
Scuttled/sunk Kiel (Germany) on May 3, 1945. Raised and towed to Den Helder.
Expended as target ship off Den Helder 1948.

[1]: War history from [GB110].
[2]: [COL] says G-13 was attached to the 2nd submarine flotilla until paid off in 1942. This seems highly unlikely as the 2nd Submarine Flotilla was never based at Belfast. The flotilla was based at Holy Loch (Firth of Clyde) during the first months of 1941, then moved to Halifax (Canada) and merged with the 3rd flotilla in December 1941. It was apparently reformed in 1942 for service in the Mediterranean.
[3]: From [DAK].
[4]: History in Kriegsmarine from [GRO5], [MA14].

Photos

Photo of G-16 in German Kriegsmarine service as torpedo recovery vessel TFA-9. Note the trunked funnel. (Collection webmaster)

Photo of G-16 in German Kriegsmarine service as torpedo recovery vessel TFA-9. Date and place unknown. (Collection webmaster)

Sources

BOS1 Ph.M. Bosscher "De Koninklijke Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog", volume 1 (1984).

DAK J. Dakres "The Last Tide: A History of the Port of Preston 1806-1981" (1986).

GB110 GB110 (Mededelingen van de Marinestaf), volume 2, chapter 3: "De verrichtingen van Hr.Ms. Colombia en van de Z- en G-boten".

GRO5 Erich Gröner, Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945, Band 5 - Hilfsschiffe II (1988).

KMS Koninklijke Mij 'de Schelde' "De schepen die wij bouwden 1875 - 1950" (1950).

LEN H.T. Lenton "Navies of the Second World War - Royal Netherlands Navy" (1968).

MA14 Marine-Arsenal Sonderheft Band 14 "Raritäten zur See in der letzten 70 Jahren" (1997).

MB13 Departement van Defensie, "Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Marine 1913-1914", published 1915.

MB36 Departement van Defensie, "Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Marine 1936-1937" (1938).

MAR Chris Mark "Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II" (1997).

MOH J.M. Mohrmann "Marine torpedodienst 1875-2000" (2000).

MUN L.L. von Münching "Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in de tweede wereldoorlog" (1978)

VML A.J. Vermeulen "De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine en die der gouvernementsmarine 1862-1962" (1962).

October 25, 2015 Added photo of G-16 in German service.

August 5, 2015 Added scrapping details for G-13 and G-15.

August 31, 2014 Minor additions to history of G-13.

August 23, 2014 Added photo of G-16 as TFA-9.

Back Home

Construction details [1]
Name	G 13	G 15	G 16
Dockyard	Koninklijke Maatschappij "De Schelde", Vlissingen (Flushing)	Maatschappij voor Scheeps- en Werktuigbouw "Fijenoord", Rotterdam	Maatschappij voor Scheeps- en Werktuigbouw "Fijenoord", Rotterdam
Dockyard number	151^[2]
Laid down	March 5, 1913	June 10, 1913	July 22, 1913
Launched	October 18, 1913	January 3, 1914	March 10, 1914
Commissioned	March 11, 1914	August 3, 1914	July 29, 1914
Pennants	G.13 (prewar) H.35 (WW II)	G.15 (prewar) H 66 (WW II)	G.16 (prewar)
[1]: Information taken from [MAR]. Information confirmed by other sources unless noted otherwise. [2]: From [KMS].

Specifications [1]
Displacement	180 tons (standard) 230 tons (full load)
Crew	27
Dimensions	49,50 x 5,20 x 2,90 m
Armament	2 x 75 mm L/30 Bofors No. 4 (2x1) 2 x .50 (12.7-mm) machineguns (1x2)^[2]
Torpedoes	3 x 450 mm torpedo tubes (3x1) with Type II ⁴⁵ torpedoes^[3].
Anti-submarine	2 depthchargethrowers^[4] Number of depthcharges unknown.
[1]: Information taken from [MAR] and confirmed by other sources unless noted otherwise with corrections or additions. [2]: According to [GB110-18], one twin .50 MG was taken off G-15 and fitted to Notre Dame de France in January, 1941. [3]: Torpedo type from [MOH]. The tubes may have been removed in the UK and shipped to the Netherlands East Indies to be fitted to TM-4 class motor torpedo boats. [4]: From [MUN].

Propulsion details [1]
Boilers	2 boilers
Machinery	Reciprocating steam system
Performance	3000 ihp
Shafts	2^[2]
Bunkerage	42 tons coal
Maximum speed	26 knots
[1]: Information taken from [MAR], [MB13]. Information confirmed by other sources unless noted otherwise. [2]: [MAR] says 2 shafts, [MB13], [COL], [GRO5] says 1.

Histories^[1]
G 13	Machinegunned by German aircraft, 3 crewmen wounded. Evacuated from Den Helder on May 14, 1940 with minelayers Nautilus, Jan van Brakel, Douwe Aukes, Medusa and gunboat Johan Maurits van Nassau. Johan Maurits van Nassau was sunk, their survivors were transferred to G-13 which transferred them to the rescue ship Dorus Rijkers off den Helder. Arrived on the Downs May 15. Patrol and escort duties from and to Falmouth May - July 1940. Transit to Holyead July 25 - August 1, 1940. Patrol duties off Holyhead July - August, 1940. Decommissioned at Holyhead on August 9, 1940, crew assigned to anti-submarine trawlers Notre Dame de France and Jean Frederic. Transferred to Royal Navy at Belfast December 27, 1940. Assigned Harbour Defence Patrol at Belfast.^[2] Returned to RNethNavy July, 1942. Scrapped by T.W. Ward Ltd, Preston (UK) starting February, 1943.^[3]
G 15	Evacuated from Den Helder May 14, 1940. Patrol and escort duties from and to Falmouth May - July 1940. Transit to Holyhead, arrived September 23, 1940. Decommissioned December 27,1940. Transferred to Royal Navy December 27, 1940. Assigned Harbour Defence Patrol at Belfast. Returned to RNethNavy July, 1942. Scrapped by T.W. Ward Ltd, Preston (UK) starting February, 1943.^[3]
G 16^[4]	Scuttled Den Helder May 14, 1940. Raised May/June, 1940 and repaired. Renamed by German Kriegsmarine as torpedo recovery vessel TFA-9 on December 5, 1941. Commissioned September 19, 1942, assigned to 22nd submarine flotilla. Scuttled/sunk Kiel (Germany) on May 3, 1945. Raised and towed to Den Helder. Expended as target ship off Den Helder 1948.
[1]: War history from [GB110]. [2]: [COL] says G-13 was attached to the 2nd submarine flotilla until paid off in 1942. This seems highly unlikely as the 2nd Submarine Flotilla was never based at Belfast. The flotilla was based at Holy Loch (Firth of Clyde) during the first months of 1941, then moved to Halifax (Canada) and merged with the 3rd flotilla in December 1941. It was apparently reformed in 1942 for service in the Mediterranean. [3]: From [DAK]. [4]: History in Kriegsmarine from [GRO5], [MA14].

Photos
	Photo of G-16 in German Kriegsmarine service as torpedo recovery vessel TFA-9. Note the trunked funnel. (Collection webmaster)
	Photo of G-16 in German Kriegsmarine service as torpedo recovery vessel TFA-9. Date and place unknown. (Collection webmaster)

Sources
BOS1	Ph.M. Bosscher "De Koninklijke Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog", volume 1 (1984).
DAK	J. Dakres "The Last Tide: A History of the Port of Preston 1806-1981" (1986).
GB110	GB110 (Mededelingen van de Marinestaf), volume 2, chapter 3: "De verrichtingen van Hr.Ms. Colombia en van de Z- en G-boten".
GRO5	Erich Gröner, Die deutschen Kriegsschiffe 1815-1945, Band 5 - Hilfsschiffe II (1988).
KMS	Koninklijke Mij 'de Schelde' "De schepen die wij bouwden 1875 - 1950" (1950).
LEN	H.T. Lenton "Navies of the Second World War - Royal Netherlands Navy" (1968).
MA14	Marine-Arsenal Sonderheft Band 14 "Raritäten zur See in der letzten 70 Jahren" (1997).
MB13	Departement van Defensie, "Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Marine 1913-1914", published 1915.
MB36	Departement van Defensie, "Jaarboek van de Koninklijke Marine 1936-1937" (1938).
MAR	Chris Mark "Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II" (1997).
MOH	J.M. Mohrmann "Marine torpedodienst 1875-2000" (2000).
MUN	L.L. von Münching "Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in de tweede wereldoorlog" (1978)
VML	A.J. Vermeulen "De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine en die der gouvernementsmarine 1862-1962" (1962).

October 25, 2015	Added photo of G-16 in German service.
August 5, 2015	Added scrapping details for G-13 and G-15.
August 31, 2014	Minor additions to history of G-13.
August 23, 2014	Added photo of G-16 as TFA-9.