In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats.
The Netherlands initially employed few destroyers. The first were commissioned in the 1910s and built to British designs. Subsequent series were also built according to a British concept and during and immediately after the Second World War the Royal Navy took over a number of former British destroyers. After the Second World War, ships were built according to their own concept, the last of which were decommissioned in the 1980s. Most of the destroyer’s tasks were taken over by frigates and patrol ships in the Royal Navy.
Pre World War II
Wolf class
The Wolf- or Fret-class destroyers, also known as the “Dutch: Roofdier class” or “Predator” were a class of eight destroyers that were built between 1910 and 1913 for the Royal Netherlands Navy to serve in the Dutch East Indies. They were the first Dutch destroyers built after a British design. The ships were replaced at the end of the 1920s by the Admiralen class.
No Commissioning/Decommissioning information found yet
World War II
Amiralen class
The Admiralen class were eight destroyers built for the Royal Netherlands Navy between 1926 and 1931. The Admiralen-class destroyers were made out of the need to replace the ageing Wolf class (Dutch: Roofdier-class) destroyers. The Wolf class consisted of eight ships, therefor this new Admiralen-class would also consist of eight ships. All ships fought in World War II and were scuttled or sunk.
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
DR/GT | HNLMS Ghent | Admiralen class | 31-05-1928 | -- | Scuttled, 15-02-1942 |
EV | HNLMS Evertsen | Admiralen class | 12-04-1928 | -- | Destroyed, 01-03-1942 |
KN | HNLMS Kortenaer | Admiralen class | 03-09-1928 | -- | Sunk in the Battle of the Java Sea, 27-02-1942 |
PH | HNLMS Evertsen | Admiralen class | 25-01-1929 | -- | Sunk in the Battle of Badung Strait, 19-02-1942 |
VG | HNLMS Van Galen | Admiralen class | 22-10-1929 | -- | Sunk, 10-05-1940 |
WW | HNLMS Witte de With | Admiralen class | 20-02-1930 | -- | Scuttled, 02-03-1942 |
BK | HNLMS Banckert | Admiralen class | 14-11-1930 | -- | Sunk as target ship, 1949 |
VN | HNLMS Van Nes | Admiralen class | 12-03-1931 | -- | Sunk, 17-02-1942 |
Gerard Callenburgh class
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 and two were never completed.
While the ship Gerard Callenburghshe was still fitting out Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940. The Royal
Netherlands Navy decided to scuttle this ship to prevent her from falling into German hands, five days later. The Germans, however, refloated the ship and renamed her ZH1, standing for Zerstörer, [destroyer] Holland.
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
ZH1 | HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh | Gerard Callenburgh | 11-10-1942 | -- | commissioned German ZH1, Scuttled 09-06-1944 |
G83 | HNLMS Isaac Sweers | Gerard Callenburgh | 29-05-1941 | -- | Torpedoed and sunk on 13-11-1942 |
-- | HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes | Gerard Callenburgh | -- | -- | Never completed |
-- | HNLMS Philips van Almonde | Gerard Callenburgh | -- | -- | Never completed |
Brittisch N, Q and S class
The N, Q and S class destroyers were Dutch warships built by the British.
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
G16 | HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes | N class | 30-10-1942 | -- | HMS Nonpareil transfered to the Netherlands |
G84 | HNLMS Van Galen | N class | -- | -- | HMS Noble transfered to the Netherlands |
D801 | HNLMS Banckert | Q class | 21-11-1945 | april 1952 | HMS Quilliam (G09) transfered to the Netherlands |
D802 | HNLMS Evertsen | N class | 01-02-1946 | 1963 | Sold to the Royal Netherlands Navy on 01-02-1946 |
D804,F812 | HNLMS Kortenaer | N class | october 1945 | 1963 | HMS Scorpion (G72) sold to the Netherlands 1945 |
DD805 | HNLMS Piet Hein | N class | 05-10-1945 | 1962 | HMS Serapis (G94) sold to the Netherlands 1945 |
After World War II
Holland class – (Type 47A)
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
D808 | HNLMS Holland | Holland class | 30-12-1954 | 1978 | Sold to Peruvian Navy in 1978 |
D809 | HNLMS Zeeland | Holland class | 01-03-1955 | 29-09-1979 | Sold for scrap 08-11-1979 |
D810 | HNLMS Noord-Brabant | Holland class | 01-06-1955 | 1974 | decommissioned when rammed by British bulk carrier |
D811 | HNLMS Gelderland | Holland class | 17-08-1955 | 1973 | Sold for scrap 1988, scraped 1993 |
Friesland class – (Type 47B)
Hull | Name | Class | Commissioned | Decommissioned | Status |
D812 | HNLMS Friesland | Friesland class | 22-03-1956 | 29-06-1979 | Broken up 1979 |
D813 | HNLMS Groningen | Friesland class | 12-09-1956 | 20-01-1981 | Sold to the Peruvian Navy, DD78, Gálvez |
D814 | HNLMS Limburg | Friesland class | 31-10-1956 | 01-02-1980 | Sold to the Peruvian Navy, DD76, Capitan Quiñones |
D815 | HNLMS Overijssel | Friesland class | 04-10-1957 | 11-06-1982 | Sold to the Peruvian Navy, DD70, Coronel Bolognesi |
D816 | HNLMS Drenthe | Friesland class | 01-08-1957 | 24-11-1980 | Sold to the Peruvian Navy, DD72, Guise |
D817 | HNLMS Utrecht | Friesland class | 01-10-1957 | 15-8-1980 | Sold to the Peruvian Navy, DD71, Castilla |
D818 | HNLMS Rotterdam | Friesland class | 28-02-1957 | 15-05-1981 | Sold to the Peruvian Navy, DD79, Diez Canseco |
D819 | HNLMS Amsterdam | Friesland class | 10-04-1958 | 12-05-1980 | Sold to the Peruvian Navy, DD77, Villar |
References:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_destroyers_of_the_Netherlands