HNLMS Potvis (S804)

Career
Name: Potvis
Builder: Wilton-Fijenoord, Schiedam
Laid down: 17 September 1962
Launched: 12 January 1965
Commissioned: 2 November 1965
Decommissioned: 18 June 1992
Fate: Broken up 1994
General characteristics [1]
Class and type:Dolfijn-class submarine
Displacement:1140 tons standard
1509 tons surfaced
1831 tons submerged
Length:78.3 m (256 ft 11 in)
Beam:7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Draught:5 m (16 ft 5 in)
Propulsion:2 × 1,250 bhp (932 kW) diesel engines
2 × 2,200 bhp (1,641 kW) electric motors
Speed:14.5 kn (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) surfaced
17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph) submerged
Complement:67
Armament:4 × 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes
4 × 21 in stern torpedo tubes

Potvis (Dutch: Sperm whale) was a Potvis class (modified Dolfijn-class submarine) of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Ship history

The submarine was laid down on 17 September 1962 at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard in Schiedam and launched on 12 January 1965. 2 November 1965 she was commissioned in the Dutch navy.[2]

In January 1968 Potvis and Dolfijn left the port of Den Helder for a war simulation in the northern Atlantic Ocean that would last 5 weeks.[2] The boat was overhauled in 1970 at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard.[2] From October until November 1976 Potvis and the tender Mercuur perform torpedo system trials at Andros, Bahamas.[2] From 2 to 21 July 1978 Potvis, Dolfijn, Zeehond and Zwaardvis practiced firing exercises. [2]

On 19 November 1982 a refit of the boat started at the Naval Yard in Den Helder. This lasts until 8 August 1983.[2] In 1984 she made a visit to Willemstad Curaçao. The following years she made several visits to Norway and Scotland.[2]

In 18 June 1992 she was finally decommissioned and broken up 1994.[2]

References

  1. "Dutch Submarines: The Dolfijn submarine class". dutchsubmarines.com. 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Dutch Submarines: The submarine Potvis". dutchsubmarines.com. 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2013.