MBT HrMs Torpedo Boat "Isaac Sweers" (1941) - Construction Plan Scale 1:200 (10.11.001)

The Hr.Ms. Isaac Sweers was a Gerard Callenburgh-class destroyer, built for the Royal Netherlands Navy. She was launched on 16 March 1940, but following the German invasion of the Netherlands, the ship was towed to Great Britain for further completion. In May 1941, the ship was commissioned.

Technical Specifications

Length: approx. 110 metres

Beam: approx. 10 metres

Speed: 28.5 knots

Armament:

• • 6 × 4-inch British dual-purpose guns

  • 2 × fully stabilised 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns

  • Radar: RDF 289 for air defence

  • Crew: 194

Operations and Battlefields

Battle of Cape Bon (13 December 1941): The Isaac Sweers was part of an Allied destroyer flotilla that attacked the Italian cruisers Alberico da Barbiano and Alberto da Giussano. Although the torpedo attacks were unsuccessful, the Alberto da Giussano was heavily damaged by artillery fire.

Escort of convoy MW 8B (January 1942): During this mission, the Isaac Sweers rescued the crew of the British destroyer HMS Gurkha, which had been torpedoed by the German submarine U-133. The Dutch destroyer towed the damaged ship through a sea of burning oil and brought the 240 survivors to Tobruk.

Operation Torch (13 November 1942): During the Allied landings in North Africa, the Isaac Sweers was torpedoed by the German submarine U-431. The ship sank rapidly, with 108 of the 194 crew members losing their lives. The survivors were rescued by the British trawler HMS Loch Oskaig.

Legacy

Hr.Ms. Isaac Sweers is remembered as a symbol of courage and determination. Her crew showed exceptional bravery during dangerous missions in the Mediterranean. The ship is honoured in maritime museums and memorial sites in the Netherlands.

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