| Article number: | 16.11.034 |
The Hr.Ms. "Gouden Leeuw" and Hr.Ms. "Prins van Oranje" were minelayers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, built in the early 1930s. Together they formed the "Prins van Oranje" class and played an important role in the defence of the Dutch East Indies just before and during the Second World War.
(Twin class)
| Characteristics | Information |
|---|---|
| Type | Minesweeper (minelayer) |
| Class | Prince of Orange class |
| Number | 2 vessels |
| In service | 1932 |
| Designed for | Operations in the Dutch East Indies (South-East Asia) |
| Shipyard | De Maas, Rotterdam |
| Specification | Data |
|---|---|
| Displacement | approx. 1,490 tonnes (standard), 1,950 tonnes (fully loaded) |
| Length | 75 metres |
| Beam | 11.4 metres |
| Draught | 3.6 metres |
| Propulsion | 2 diesel engines (Werkspoor), 1,600 hp in total |
| Speed | ~15 knots |
| Crew | approx. 100 men |
| Mines | Capacity up to 150 sea mines |
| Armament | |
| • 2 × 75 mm guns | |
| • 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns | |
| (later sometimes slightly modified) |
| Name | Pennant | In service | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMS Prins van Oranje | — | 1932 | Sunk in 1942 (by a Japanese attack near Sebuku Island) |
| H.M.S. Gouden Leeuw | — | 1932 | Sunk in 1942 by its own crew near Surabaya to prevent capture |
Both minelayers were stationed in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) as part of the archipelago’s maritime defence. They laid minefields to protect key straits, harbours and naval bases, including:
Surabaya
Ambon
Tarakan
Balikpapan
Makassar Strait