HNLMS A (1929)

HNLMS A (Dutch: Hr.Ms. A) was an A-class minesweeper minesweeper of the Royal Netherlands Navy that was scuttled by her crew during the Battle of Java. She was later re-floated and repaired by the Japanese and converted into auxiliary submarine chaser Cha-113 or No. 113 (Japanese: 第百十七號驅潜特務艇).

HNLMS A prior to departure to the Dutch East Indies
History
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Name:	HNLMS A
Builder:	Royal Shipyard, Willemsoord, Den Helder
Laid down:	13 September 1928
Launched:	19 April 1929
Sponsored by:	Royal Netherlands Navy
Completed:	4 August 1930
Fate:	scuttled, 1 March 1942
History
Empire of Japan
Name:	No. 113
Acquired:	repaired by the Empire of Japan, 1943
Commissioned:	10 December 1943
Fate:	sunk by torpedo attack, July 23, 1945
General characteristics
Class and type:	A-class minesweeper
Displacement:	179 long tons (182 t) standard[1]
Length:	45 m (147 ft 8 in) overall[2]
Beam:	5.99 m (19 ft 8 in)[2]
Draught:	1.49 m (4 ft 11 in)[2]
Installed power:	690 hp[1][3]
Propulsion:	2 triple expansion engines, 2 shafts[1]
Speed:	14.0 knots (16.1 mph; 25.9 km/h)[1][4]
Complement:	38 (Dutch)[1]
Armament:	Dutch: *2 × 12.7 mm[1] Japanese:[5] *1 x 47 mm *3 x 25 mm *1 x 13 mm 8 depth charges

History

She was ordered by Royal Netherlands Navy and laid down on 13 September 1928 at the Royal Shipyard at Willemsoord, Den Helder, the first of four minesweepers in her class each denominated by a letter (HNLMS B, HNLMS C, HNLMS D).[1] She was launched on 19 April 1929 and completed on 4 August 1930.[6][1] She arrived at Surabaya on October 20 1930 towed by the tugboats Friesland and Vlaanderen.[5] On 28 February 1942, she was attacked and damaged by Japanese aircraft at Surabaya.[6] On 1 March 1942, during the Battle of Java, she was scuttled by her crew at Surabaya.[6]

She was raised by the Japanese and converted into submarine chaser No. 113.[6] On 10 December 1943, her conversion was completed and she was commissioned into the Imperial Japanese Navy.[6] She was mostly engaged in escort duties around Java.[6] On June 23, 1945 she was torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine USS Hardhead along with shuttle boat No. 8333 northeast of Madura Island and southeast of the Masalembu Islands at coordinates (05°45′S 114°16′E).[7] At the time, Cha-113 was counterattacking Hardhead which had just sunk Cha-42 at (05°44′S 114°16′E).

References

1. Womack, Tom (1 December 2015). The Allied Defense of the Malay Barrier, 1941-1942. McFarland & Company. p. 61. ISBN 9781476662930.
2. Toda, Gengoro S. (21 September 2019). "驅潜特務艇 (Cha - Stats)". Imperial Japanese Navy - Tokusetsukansen (in Japanese).
3. Toda lists 700 hp
4. Toda lists 13 knots
5. Visser, Jan. "A-class minesweepers". Netherlands Navy.
6. Toda, Gengoro S. "第百十三號驅潜特務艇の艦歴 (No. 113 submarine chaser - Ship History)". Imperial Japanese Navy -Tokusetsu Kansen (in Japanese).
7. Cressman, Robert (15 October 2016). The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781591146384.