Gerard Callenburgh class

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The Gerard Callenburgh class were a group of four destroyers ordered for the Royal Netherlands Navy just before World War II. Two ships were completed: The Gerard Callenburgh by the Germans after being captured and the Isaac Sweers in Britain after being evacuated as Holland fell to the Nazis.

1 Design
- 1.1 General Characteristics (as designed)
2 Ships
3 References

[edit] Design

These ships were larger than the preceeding Admiralen class destroyers. As those ships were outclassed by contemporary Japanese destroyers. The armament was increased to 5 guns with twin mounts in A and Y positions and a single gun in X position. The torpedo outfit was also increased to two quadrouple tubes.

[edit] General Characteristics (as designed)

Displacement: 1604 tons standard, 2228 full load
Length: 107 m
Beam: 10.6 m
Draught: 2.8 m
Machinery: 2 shaft, 3 boilers, parsons geared turbines, 45,000 hp
Speed: 37.5 knots
Armament:
- 5 120mm guns (2x2,1x1)
- 4 - 40mm guns
- 4 - 0.5in machine guns
- 8 - 533mm torpedo tubes
Crew: 158

[edit] Ships

HMNLS Tjerk Hiddes - built by RDM Rotterdam - launched 12 October 1939, scuttled 15 May 1940. Not slavagable, the wreck was scrapped by the Germans

HMNLS Philips Van Almonde - built by KM de Schelde, demolished on the slipway as the Germans invaded Holland

HMNLS Gerard Callenburgh - built by RDM Rotterdam - launched 12 October 1939 - The Dutch attempted to scuttle this ship during the German invasion but the destroyer was salvaged and completed under german control with technical guidance fron Blohm & Voss. Commisioned as the ZH1 on 11 October 1942. The Germans retained most of the Dutch armament and equipment. The ZH1 spent most of its life on trials in the Blatic but transferred to Western France via the English Channel in November 1943. When the western allies invaded Normandy (see Operation Neptune) the German destroyers based in western France attempted to interdict the invasion armada. The German squadron was intercepted by Allied destroyers (HMS Tartar, HMS Ashanti, HMS Eskimo, HMS Javelin, HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron and ORP Błyskawica). The ZH1 was torpedoed and sunk by the Ahshanti on 9 June 1944, 33 men were lost.

HMNLS Isaac Sweers - built by KM de Schelde, launched 16 March 1940. Towed to England by the tug Zwarte Zee and completed in England by J Thornycroft with British armament and fire control equipment.

Armament as completed was:
- 6 - 4 inch guns (3x2)
- 4 - 40mm Bofors
- 8 - 0.5 in machine guns
- 8 - torpedo tubes

The Issac Sweers served in the Mediterranean Sea with Force H. In December 1941, together with HMS Sikh, HMS Maori and HMS Legion she sank the Italian Cruisers Alberico di Barbiano and Alberto di Giussano in the Battle of Cape Bon. She then briefly served in the Indian Ocean. She was sunk by german submarine U-431 on 13 November 1942 in the Western Mediterranean, 108 men were lost.