Ships of the Royal Netherlands Navy

Ships

Ships Introduction

Profiles: day-to-day histories of selected ships
This section provides a detailed description of the histories of the larger warships. Additions are ofcourse welcome. The start of the world war in May 1940 caught the Dutch navy in the middle of reconstruction, as many modern ships were at the dockyard. Only a few ships could be saved when the Germans finally forced the Netherlands to surrender. However, with the old ships in service, augmented by ships completed in the UK and ships taken over from the Royal Navy, the RNN played an important role in the early war years, when every man and ship available was most important to help turn the tide. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, resulting in a war with Japan presented the naval forces in the NEI with a similar situation. Cut off from Holland, the NEI tried to expand her defenses, but was by far not ready to take on the Japanese. The loss of the NEI resulted in the decimation of the navy. After March 1942, the Navy was able to take over several larger ships to augment her potential, but the numbers never replaced the war losses.

Ships in service, designed or under construction
All the larger ships in service, under construction and designed before and during the war. The small ships, such as requisitioned trawlers and patrolboats have not yet been added

Ships by name
A complete listing of ships with pages on this site

Gouvernements Marine
The civil navy, tasked with o.a. things as transport of government goods, charting sealanes and countering piracy, was militarized in 1939 and became a part of the RNN.

Pennants
To distinguish various ships and to maintain security, pennants were used. An explanation by Mark C. Jones.

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Ships	Introduction
Profiles: day-to-day histories of selected ships This section provides a detailed description of the histories of the larger warships. Additions are ofcourse welcome.	The start of the world war in May 1940 caught the Dutch navy in the middle of reconstruction, as many modern ships were at the dockyard. Only a few ships could be saved when the Germans finally forced the Netherlands to surrender. However, with the old ships in service, augmented by ships completed in the UK and ships taken over from the Royal Navy, the RNN played an important role in the early war years, when every man and ship available was most important to help turn the tide. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, resulting in a war with Japan presented the naval forces in the NEI with a similar situation. Cut off from Holland, the NEI tried to expand her defenses, but was by far not ready to take on the Japanese. The loss of the NEI resulted in the decimation of the navy. After March 1942, the Navy was able to take over several larger ships to augment her potential, but the numbers never replaced the war losses.
Ships in service, designed or under construction All the larger ships in service, under construction and designed before and during the war. The small ships, such as requisitioned trawlers and patrolboats have not yet been added
Ships by name A complete listing of ships with pages on this site
Gouvernements Marine The civil navy, tasked with o.a. things as transport of government goods, charting sealanes and countering piracy, was militarized in 1939 and became a part of the RNN.
Pennants To distinguish various ships and to maintain security, pennants were used. An explanation by Mark C. Jones.