Wikipedia

K XIV-class submarine

The K XIV class submarine was a class of five submarines, built for the Royal Netherlands Navy. Used for patrols in the Dutch colonial waters. The class comprised K XIV, K XV, K XVI, K XVII and K XVIII.[1] The submarines diving depth was 80 m (260 ft). Three of the boats were lost in World War II.[3]

K XV and K XVI
Class overview
NameK XIV class
Builders
Operators Royal Netherlands Navy
Preceded byK XI class
Succeeded byO 19 class
Built1930–1934[1]
In commission1933-1946
Completed5
Lost3
General characteristics [2]
TypeSubmarine
Displacement
  • 865 tons surfaced
  • 1045 tons submerged
Length73.64 m (241 ft 7 in)
Beam6.51 m (21 ft 4 in)
Draught3.93 m (12 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced
  • 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged
Range
  • 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) on the surface
  • 26 nmi (48 km; 30 mi) at 8.5 kn (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) submerged
Test depth80 m (260 ft)
Complement38
Armament
  • 4 × 21 inch bow torpedo tubes
  • 2 × 21 inch stern torpedo tubes
  • 2 × 21 inch external-traversing torpedo tubes forward of the conning tower
  • 1 x 88 mm deck gun
  • 2 x 40 mm AA guns

Design

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The K XIV class submarines were the last submarine design made by J.J. van der Struyff, at the time chief engineer of the Royal Netherlands Navy.[4][5][6] They were a improved and englarged version of his previous K XI design.[7] The submarines of the K XIV class were fully riveted and their pressure hull were made of 14 mm thick steel. To increase their seaworthiness the pressure hull was plated with 3 mm thick steel.[8] As a consequence the K XVII was 200 ton heavier than the submarines in the previous class, the K XI class submarines.[9] However, this did allow the submarines of the K XIV class to dive as deep as 80 meters,[10] while withstanding the enormous water pressure.[4] Between the plating and the pressure hull there was room for the ballast tanks, fuel tanks, anchor, torpedo tubes and more.[9]

Armament

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The primary armament of the K XIV class submarines consisted of eight torpedo tubes that had a width of 53.3 cm, which made the K XIV class the first Dutch K[a] class that were equipped solely with 53.3 cm torpedo tubes.[10][13] There was also room aboard for a total of fourteen torpedoes, with 8 being in the torpedo tubes and six for reloads.[14] In addition, each boat was equipped with a single 8.8 cm deck gun and two 40 mm Vickers[b] anti-aircraft guns.[15]

Propulsion

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The K XIV class submarines were equipped with two 8-cylinder four-stroke MAN diesel engines that could produce 1,600 (combined 3,200[16]) shaft horsepower and drive the two screws of the submarine to a maximum surface speed of 17 knots.[17][13] Besides the two diesel engines, the submarines also had two electric motors that each could produce 430 hp and 192 cells batteries with a capacity of 4740 Ah.[18][13] This allowed the submarine to operate solely on electric power for 3 hours.[2] The maximum underwater speed was 9 knots.[10]

Sensors and processing systems

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The submarines of the K XIV class were equipped with passive sonars made by the German firm Atlas-Werke.[19][20] As part of this sonar system the boats had two rows of six hydrophones, with one row being placed at the stern and the other row at the bow.[20][19] The K XIV class was also the first submarine class that were equipped with a retractable radio antenna, in Dutch called radioperiscoop, which was installed behind the two normal periscopes.[13][21] The retractable radio antenna used the same mechanic as a normal periscope to move upward and downward.[22]

Layout

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The submarines were divided into six compartments.[23] The first compartment at the front contained a room with four torpedo launchers which were loaded during wartime, while there were also four reserve torpedoes stored. The room also acted at the same time as sleeping accommodation, galley and mess for the crew. In the second and third compartment the batteries were stored, and also contained the sleeping accommodation for officers. The fourth compartment was the nerve center of the K XIV class submarines, since this was the place where all control panels, instruments and command tower were located. The command tower was made of thick and pressure-resistant steel. The fifth compartment contained the machine chamber and thus the diesel motor. The sixth, and last, compartment was located at the back and had two torpedo launchers and the electric motor. There was also space for two reserve torpedoes. To enter the submarines six water resistant shutters were built. The submarine also had one twin external trainable mount amidships that hosted two torpedo tubes.[24][7]

Modifications

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Between December 1942 and May 1943 the K XIV and K XV were refitted at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.[3][7][25] During this major refit the bridge of both boats were reconstructed, which resulted in the loss of the forward 40 mm anti-aircraft guns.[26] Furthermore, the mounts for the two external-traversing torpedo tubes were removed.[7] As a result the sideview of the modernized boats showed a great resemblance with the boats of the O 21 class.[26]

Boats

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The boats were built by two different shipyards in Rotterdam. K XIV, K XV and K XVI were built by Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij and K XVII and K XVIII at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard.[27]

K XIV class construction data[28]
Name Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned
K XIV 31 May 1930 11 July 1931 6 July 1933 23 April 1946[29]
K XV 31 May 1930 10 December 1932 30 December 1933 1 June 1946[30]
K XVI 31 May 1930 8 April 1933 30 Januari 1934 25 December 1941 (sunk by I 66).[31]
K XVII 1 June 1931 26 July 1932 19 December 1933 21 December 1941 (struck by a mine).[31]
K XVIII 10 June 1931 27 September 1932 23 March 1934 2 March 1942 (scuttled later raised by the Japanese to be converted into an air warning picket hulk).[3]
16 June 1945 (sunk by HMS Taciturn).[3]

Notes

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  1. ^ The prefix K stood for colonial (Dutch: Koloniën), which meant that boats with this prefix were intended for service in the Dutch East Indies.[11][12]
  2. ^ Noppen claims they were Bofors anti-aircraft guns.[13]

Citations

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  1. ^ a b Raven (1988), p. 179.
  2. ^ a b Bosscher and Busssemaker (2007), pp. 86-87.
  3. ^ a b c d von Münching (1978), p. 45.
  4. ^ a b van Royen (1997), p. 13.
  5. ^ Anten (2011), p. 265.
  6. ^ Jalhay (1982), p. 13.
  7. ^ a b c d Fontenoy (2007), p. 265.
  8. ^ Bosscher and Busssemaker (2007), p. 25.
  9. ^ a b Kimenai (2010), p. 1.
  10. ^ a b c von Münching (1978), p. 44.
  11. ^ Lenton (1968), p. 28.
  12. ^ von Münching (1978), 41.
  13. ^ a b c d e Noppen (2020), p. 28.
  14. ^ Lenton (1968), p. 36.
  15. ^ Bosscher and Busssemaker (2007), p. 26.
  16. ^ van Willigenburg (2010), p. 62.
  17. ^ Bosscher and Busssemaker (2007), p. 29.
  18. ^ Jalhay (1982), p. 127.
  19. ^ a b Anten (2011), p. 330.
  20. ^ a b Bosscher and Busssemaker (2007), p. 38.
  21. ^ Anten (2011), p. 308.
  22. ^ Bosscher and Busssemaker (2007), p. 34.
  23. ^ van Royen (1997), pp. 13-14.
  24. ^ Gardiner and Chesneau (1980), p. 391.
  25. ^ van Beers (1945), p. 32.
  26. ^ a b van Willigenburg (2010), p. 63.
  27. ^ Jalhay (1982), p. 116.
  28. ^ Jalhay (1982), pp. 116-117.
  29. ^ Mark (1997), p. 74.
  30. ^ Mark (1997), p. 75.
  31. ^ a b de Bles, Boven and Homburg (2006), p. 99.

References

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  • Anten, Jaap (2011). Navalisme nekt onderzeeboot: de invloed van internationale zeestrategieën op de Nederlandse zeestrategie voor de defensie van Nederlands-Indië, 1912-1942 (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Pallas Publications/Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 978-90-4851-435-9.
  • Bosscher, Ph.M.; Bussemaker, H.O. (2007). Gelouterd door strijd: De Nederlandse Onderzeedienst tot de val van Java, 1942 (in Dutch). Amsterdam: De Bataafsche Leeuw. ISBN 978-90-6707-614-2.
  • de Bles, Harry; Boven, Graddy; Homburg, Leon (2006). Onderzeeboten! (in Dutch). Zaltbommel/Den Helder: Aprilis/Marinemuseum. ISBN 9059941306.
  • Fontenoy, Paul E. (2007). Submarines: An Illustrated History of Their Impact. Weapons and Warfare. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-85109-563-6.
  • Gardiner, Robert; Chesneau, Roger, eds. (1980). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-146-7.
  • Jalhay, P.C. (1982). Nederlandse Onderzeedienst 75 jaar (in Dutch). Bussum: De Boer Maritiem. ISBN 90-228-1864-0.
  • Kimenai, Peter (April 16, 2010). "Hr. Ms. K XVII: gezonken door een mijn of door een aanslag?" (in Dutch). TracesOfWar.com. pp. 1–7. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  • Lenton, H.T. (1968). Royal Netherlands Navy. Navies of the Second World War. London: Macdonald & Co.
  • Mark, Chris (1997). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II (in Dutch). Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 90-6013-522-9.
  • Noppen, Ryan K. (2020). The Royal Netherlands Navy of World War II. New Vanguard. Vol. 285. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 9781472841926.
  • Raven, G.J.A., ed. (1988). De kroon op het anker: 175 jaar Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Amsterdam: De Bataafsche Leeuw. ISBN 90-6707-200-1.
  • van Beers, A.C. (1945). Periscoop op! De oorlogsgeschiedenis van den Onderzeedienst der Koninklijke Marine (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Uitgeversmaatschappij Scheffer en Sikkema.
  • van Royen, P.C. (1997). Hr.Ms. K XVII en Hr.Ms. O 16: De ondergang van twee Nederlandse onderzeeboten in de Zuid-Chinese Zee (1941) (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Van Soeren. ISBN 90-6881-075-8.
  • van Willigenburg, Henk (2010). Dutch Warships of World War II. Emmen: Lanasta. ISBN 978-90-8616-318-2.
  • von Münching, L.L. (1978). Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog (in Dutch). Alkmaar: Alk. ISBN 90-6013-903-8.
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