HNLMS K X

HNLMS K X was one of the three K VIII-class submarines of the Royal Netherlands Navy, built to serve as a patrol vessel in the Dutch colonies.

Ship history
The submarine was ordered from the Koninklijke Maatschappij de Schelde shipyard at Vlissingen on 27 June 1917, but not laid down until 1 November 1919, and finally launched on 2 May 1923. Commissioned on 24 September 1923, she sailed alone to the Dutch East Indies in late 1924.

World War II
In February and March 1941 K X, HNLMS K VIII and HNLMS K XIX patrolled the Sunda Strait while based at Tanjung Priok, while the GERMAN CRUISER Admiral Scheer was sinking Allied merchant shipping in the Indian Ocean.

After repairs at Surabaya K X returned to service on 8 December 1941 for local defense duties following the start of the war with Japan. On 25 December 1941 K X sailed to the Celebes Sea following the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.

On 8 January 1942 K X arrived at Tarakan in Borneo for repairs, just days before the Japanese invasion. K X slipped out of port on 10 January and after dark observed a large fleet of Japanese ships at anchor off the coast. While attempting to position herself for a torpedo attack the submarine was spotted by a enemy destroyer and was forced to submerge. Short on battery power and with faulty steering gear and only one diesel engine operating the submarine returned to Surabaya for repairs.

K X returned to duty on 24 February to patrol off Surabaya. During the Japanese invasion of Java she was damaged by depth charges and forced to returned to port. On 2 March 1942 K X was scuttled at Surabaya to avoid being captured by the Japanese. K X was raised by the Japanese during the war and used as a floating oil hulk. Recovered by the Dutch after the war, she was scrapped at Surabaya in 1946.

Crewmen from K X, HNLMS K IX and HNLMS K XII were sent back to England to crew the submarine Haai, then under construction as HMS Varne (P66), but their unescorted passenger ship MV Abosso was sunk by the German U-boat GS U-575 north of the Azores on 29 October 1942, and only four of the 34 Dutch Navy men aboard survived.