Douwe Aukes-class minelayer

Class overview
Builders: Gusto, Schiedam
Operators:  Royal Netherlands Navy
Built: 19191922
In commission: 19221960
Completed: 2
Lost: 1
General characteristics
Type:Minelayer
Displacement:687 t (676 long tons)
Length:55 m (180 ft 5 in)
Beam:9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draft:3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:2 Yarrow cylindrical boilers
2 triple-expansion-engines, 1,175 shp (876 kW)
2 shafts
115 tons coal
Speed:13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph)
Complement:60
Armament:3 × 75 mm (3.0 in) L/55 semi-automatic guns
2 × .50 calibre machine guns
1 × .25 calibre machine guns
87 sea mines

The Douwe Aukes class were minelayers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, named after the naval hero Douwe Aukes.

The two ships were built at the Gusto shipyard in Schiedam. Construction began in 1919 and was completed in 1922.

Built to serve in the Dutch territorial waters, both ships were still in service during the Second World War and they both escaped to the United Kingdom, the Douwe Aukes on 14 May and the Van Meerlant on 18 May 1940. The Van Meerlant was sunk by a mine in 1942 while in British service.

Ships in class

Source

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