Gerard Callenburgh class destroyer

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 - the "Gerard Callenburgh" by the Germans after being captured and the "Isaac Sweers" in Britain after being evacuated as Holland fell to the Nazis.

Design

These ships were larger than the preceding Admiralen class destroyers. As those ships were outclassed by contemporary Japanese destroyers. The armament was increased to 5 guns with twin mounts in A and Y positions and a single gun in X position. The torpedo outfit was also increased to two quadruple tubes.

hips

*Hr. Ms. "Tjerk Hiddes" - built by RDM Rotterdam - launched 12 October 1939, scuttled 15 May 1940. Not being salavagable, the wreck was scrapped by the Germans

*Hr. Ms. "Philips Van Almonde" - built by KM de Schelde, demolished on the slipway 17 May as the Germans invaded the Netherlands.

*Hr. Ms. "Gerard Callenburgh" - built by RDM Rotterdam - launched 12 October 1939 - The Dutch attempted to scuttle this ship during the German invasion but the destroyer was salvaged and completed under German control with technical guidance from Blohm & Voss. Commissioned as the ZH1 on 11 October 1942. The Germans retained most of the Dutch armament and equipment. The ZH1 spent most of its life on trials in the Baltic but transferred to Western France via the English Channel in November 1943. When the western allies invaded Normandy (see Operation Neptune) the German destroyers based in western France attempted to interdict the invasion armada. The German squadron was intercepted by Allied destroyers (HMS Tartar, HMS Ashanti, HMS Eskimo, HMS Javelin, HMCS Haida, HMCS Huron and ORP Błyskawica). The ZH1 was torpedoed and sunk by the "Ashanti" on 9 June 1944, 33 men were lost.

*Hr. Ms. "Isaac Sweers" - built by KM de Schelde, launched 16 March 1940. Towed to England by the tug "Zwarte Zee" and completed in England by J Thornycroft with British armament and fire control equipment.

*Armament as completed was:
** 6 - 4 inch guns (3x2)
** 4 - 40mm Bofors
** 8 - 0.5 in machine guns
** 8 - torpedo tubes

Hr. Ms."Isaac Sweers" served in the Mediterranean Sea with Force H. In December 1941, together with HMS "Sikh", HMS "Maori" and HMS "Legion" she sank the Italian Cruisers "Alberico di Barbiano" and "Alberto di Giussano" in the Battle of Cape Bon. She then briefly served in the Indian Ocean. She was sunk by the German submarine U-431 on 13 November 1942 in the Western Mediterranean, 108 men were lost.

Notes

References

* M.J Whitley, Destroyers of World War 2, 1988 Cassell Publishing ISBN 1 85409 521 8
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/7807.html - page on Callenburgh from Uboat.net]
* [http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/2855.html - Page on Issac Sweers from Uboat.net]
* [http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Sweers_his.htm - page on Issac Sweers from the Dutch Navy]
* [http://www.unithistories.com/units_index/default.asp?file=../units_dutch/navy_destroyers.asp? - page from Dutch Destroyers]
* [http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Callenburgh.htm - technical page from the Dutch navy]