HNLMS O 19

O 19, laid down K XIX was an O 19-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy that saw service during World War II. The O 19, along with her sister ship O 20 were the first submarines in the world to be equipped with a submarine snorkel that allowed the submarine to run its diesel engines while submerged.

Ship history
The submarine was laid down at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard in Rotterdam on 15 June 1936 as the K XIX but was renamed the O 19 at some point. The submarine was launched on 22 September 1938 and commissioned in the Dutch navy on 3 July 1939. From 25 July til 13 September 1939, the O 19 sailed to the Dutch East Indies via the Suez Canal.

The submarine performed multiple patrols and missions in the Pacific theater of World War II, sinking multiple Japanese vessels, attacking shipping convoys and laying mines.

On 8 July 1945, the O 19 was en route to Subic Bay in the Philippines at a speed of 16 knots when it struck Ladd Reef in the South China Sea. Unable to pull free of the reef, the crew of the O 19 were rescued by the USS Cod (SS-224). To prevent enemy capture, the O 19 was scuttled by her crew using explosives, torpedoes and gunfire.

Summary of raiding history
Ships sunk by O 19.