Eendracht class light cruiser

[JeeWeeJ]

So after doing the post on the newest Zeven Provinciën class frigates i was working on a post about the class of post-WW2 light cruisers of the same name, or the Eendracht class as they were initially known. But then i stumbled upon a nice post about them on the EU forums so i nicely asked if i could copy it. Anyway, i present you with the Eendracht class light cruiser!

 

Credits go to Tarskin of the EU forums!

 

Tarskin, on 04 September 2012 - 09:02 AM, said:

Eendracht class (light) cruiser

 

http://www.zeeuwse-n...ser-001--2-.jpg

Fig 1. Zeven Provincien class close up

 

The ships of this class were meant to replace the old Java-class cruisers in the defence of the Dutch Indies. Orginally they had a main battery of 8 x 5.9 inch guns, but such an armament wasn't powerful enough in comparison with the modern cruisers built by the other navies. They were redisigned instead, being equipped with 10 guns and a modern AA-battery of 40 mm Bofors guns. The Germans found these ships at the dockyards after May 1940, but the construction was only in an early stage. Although the Germans planned to complete them as the trainingcruisers KH 1 and KH 2, the dockyards' capacity was put to other use, so the construction only advanced very slowly. In 1944, the Germans decided to block several ports with blockships, and the Zeven Provinciën was launched ( with the German atlantic bow ) to block the Nieuwe Waterweg. Fortunately, she was never used this way, both ships could be completed both war. The design however was modified several times, now implementing the lessons learned in the war. This meant that the ships didn't look like the original design at all, that displacement and dimensions were increased and appeared to be better ships. Originally, they were in fact a enlargement of the smaller cruiser De Ruyter, which was sunk in the Battle of the Javasea. Commissioned by the Dutch since 1953, the ships were bought by the Peruvian navy in the seventies, and are now approaching the end of their careers.

 

Preliminary design of 1947

http://netherlandsna...dracht_1947.gif

Fig 2. Sketch drawing of original design

 

Post-1972 look of the cruisers

http://netherlandsna...evprov_1972.gif

Fig 3. Sketch drawing of modernized design

 

General Characteristics

 

Displacement:

12,040 tonnes

 

Length:

187.32 m

 

Beam:

17.25 m

 

Draught:

6.72 m

 

Propulsion:

4 Werkspoor-Yarrow three-drum boilers

2 De Schelde Parsons geared steam turbines

2 shafts

85,000 shp

 

Speed:

32 knots

 

Range:

7,000 nm at 12 knots

 

Complement:

973

 

Armament:

8 x 152 mm main guns

8 x 57 mm AA guns

8 x 40 mm AA guns

 

Armor:

50-76 mm belt

50-125 mm turrets

50-125 mm conning tower

 

Ships in class

 

There are two ships in the class: HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (renamed De Ruyter in 1947) and Kijkduin (renamed Eendracht c. 1940, De Ruyter in 1944 and De Zeven Provinciën in 1947). Both ships have enjoyed long service lives, first in the Koninklijke Marine (until early 1970s) and then in the Marina de Guerra del Perú.

 

'Modern' day service

 

In Dutch service both ships participated in several NATO exercises, and were frequently used as flagships for different naval task forces. Between 1962 and 1964, the De Zeven Provinciën underwent a refit by RDM which included the removal of the two aft turrets and the installation of a RIM-2 Terrier SAM system. Lack of funds precluded the same modifications from being carried out in the De Ruyter, which was decommissioned in 1973. Her sister ship followed suit in 1976; the cruisers were replaced in Dutch service by the two Tromp-class frigates.

 

http://home.kabelfoo.../zvp_in_zee.jpg

Fig 4: HrMs Zeven Provincien (modernized) at sea

 

Fig 5. Almirante Grau at sea

 

Veterans story of serving aboard the HrMS Zeven Provincien (translated)

 

Note: this was directly translated by the original author (and some extra edits by me) from dutch text with a lot of dutch naval lingo in it. So some sentences or used terms might be a bit awkward. - JeeWeeJ

 

Spring 1969 I got transfered to the HrMs Zeven Provincien after 2.5 years of service on the HrMs Limburg. I got sent there with mixed feelings as i didn't really like larger ships and bases. Luckily, I got a nice job straight away, 'paay-gevechtscentrale' (Combat Information Center). (Dutch) cruisers seperated the battleops (?) from the command and control and therefore we mostly did anti-aircraft and aircraft escorting. Radar equipment such as the VI (Vertical Indicator) were completely new to me as was the equipment with which we could aim the Terrier missiles. This job gave me the oppurtinity to get acquinted with both said systems. Central in our battleops we had a huge podium with an air plotter and some smaller ones at the sides of the battleops room. The monitors for our artillery were placed in a different corner. De Zeven Provinciën had the classification of a light cruiser as was her sister ship the HrMs De Ruyter, the HrMs Zeven Provinciën got her aft section completely rebuilt however to make room for the Terrier weapon system.

 

The Terrier is an american anti-air missile which was used by the American Navy from the 50s till shortly after 1970 when they were replaced by the Standard Missile. The Terrier was a two step missile for medium range. The Royal Netherlands Navy received a Terrier system towards the end of the 50s for De Zeven Provinciën. The movie "Kies Zee" of the RNN (RNN propaganda film - JeeWeeJ) shows how shortly after installing the missile system they performed some practice firing. These excercises were all performed in American waters. I myself never experienced an actual missile firing, they probably didn't want to waste any.... - :) We did practice extensively with readying and aiming, normally a learjet was rented by the navy for these excercises.

 

We made several trips with the ship to e.g. Casablanca - Lissabon - Gibraltar - Portmouth (Plymuiden) - Invergorden - Cadiz and Bordeaux. The fleet commander announced shortly after leaving Bordeaux that he was displeased by the large amount of crew members of various ships put on "penalty parade".... -;) (no clue how to properly translate that last part - JeeWeeJ)

 

Sources:

 

Netherlandsnavy.nl

http://en.wikipedia....n_class_cruiser

http://nl.wikipedia....ovinciën_(1953)

http://home.kabelfoo...provincien.html

Jane's Fighting Ships of WW2

Extra info by JeeWeeJ:

 

Still in service!

The Peruvian Almirante Grau (ex-HNLMS De Ruyter (C801)) is still in service with the Peruvian navy today. This makes her the only (and last) active gun-based cruiser in the world and her 6" guns are the largest naval guns still in active service. Almost 60 years old and still going strong!

 

Meaning of the given names:

Eendracht - means "unity" or "concord" in english

Kijkduin - a town on the western coast of the Netherlands, near the city of The Hague

De Ruyter - 17th century dutch admiral

De Zeven Provinciën - Translates into The Seven Provinces, the initial provinces of the Netherlands, united during it's 80 year war against Spain. Also known as The United Provinces or the Dutch Republic.

 

More photos:

http://www.zeeuwse-n...-Provincien.png

HNLMS De Ruyter (left) and HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (right)

 

http://www.dejaap.nl...eventerrier.jpg

HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën after her refit with the Terrier missile system

 

http://www.claesenpe...-web-xlarge.jpg

HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën as initially built

[Windhover118]

Nice find Jee and complements to Tarskin for a well written article.

[Tanz]

Awesome Post JeeWeeJ :Smile_great:

I just posted on the Sverdlov Class...one having been transferred to Indonesia as a deterrence against Dutch gun cruisers :Smile_honoring:

[JeeWeeJ]

Yes, the Indonesians had a nice armsdeal going with the USSR, with the only goal of kicking the Dutch out of Western New Guinea. They also bought 6 top-of-the-line jet bombers and anti-ship missiles, just to take care of the Dutch colossus class carrier HNLMS Karel Doorman.

 

(But we Dutchies lost that colony peacefully anyway due to immense financial pressure from the UN and the US... Western New Guinea became an independant nation...only to be invaded and annexed by Indonesia a few months later)

[Ariecho]

Very nicely done!  (+1)