Holland class cruiser

For other ships of the same name, see Holland class.

Holland-class cruiser
HNLMS Noord-Brabant
Class overview
Name:	Holland-class cruiser
Builders:	Rijkswerf (2) Koninklijke Maatschappij de Schelde, Flushing (2) Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, Rotterdam (2)
Operators:	Royal Netherlands Navy
Preceded by:	Koningin Wilhelmina der Nederlanden
Succeeded by:	Java-class cruiser
Completed:	6
General characteristics
Type:	Protected cruiser
Displacement:	3,840 tons (first 3 ships) 3,970 (last 3 ships)
Length:	93.3 m (306 ft 1 in) (first 3 ships) 94.7 m (310 ft 8 in) (last 3 ships)
Beam:	14.8 m (48 ft 7 in)
Draught:	5.41 m (17 ft 9 in)
Propulsion:	10,000 ihp (7,500 kW), two shafts
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h)
Complement:	324
Armament:	2 × 5.9 in (15 cm) (2 × 1) 6 × 4.7 in (12 cm) (6 × 1) 4 × 3 in (7.6 cm) (4 × 1) 4 × 1pdr (4 × 1) 2 × 45 cm (18 in) torpedo tubes
Armour:	5 cm (2.0 in) deck

The Holland class was a class of six pantserdekschepen (protected cruisers) of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The class was built in two groups, each consisting of three ships.

Design

The design was based on the British Apollo-class cruiser. The first 3 ships of the class were 93.3 metres (306 ft 1 in) long while the last three were 94.7 metres (310 ft 8 in) long, had a beam of 14.8 metres (48 ft 7 in), a draught of 5.41 metres (17 ft 9 in), and had a displacement of 3,840 ton. The last 3 ships were slightly larger and displaced 130 tons more than the first 3 ships. The ships were equipped with 2 shaft reciprocating engines, which were rated at 10,000 ihp (7,500 kW) and produced a top speed of 20 knots (37 km/h). The ships had 5-centimetre (2.0 in) deck armour. The main armament of the ships were two 5.9 in (15 cm) single guns. Secondary armament included six single 4.7 in (12 cm) guns and four 3 in (7.6 cm) single guns.

Construction

The class was built in two groups each consisting of 3 ships. The ships were laid down at Rijkswerf in Amsterdam, Koninklijke Maatschappij de Schelde in Flushing and Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij in Rotterdam.

Name	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Builder
First group
Holland	1895	4 October 1896	1 July 1898	1920	Rijkswerf, Amsterdam
Zeeland	1895	20 March 1897	1 June 1898	1924	Koninklijke Maatschappij de Schelde, Flushing
Friesland	1895?	4 November 1896	16 January 1898	1913	Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, Rotterdam
Second group
Gelderland	1 November 1897	28 September 1898	15 July 1900	17 May 1940	Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij, Rotterdam
Noord-Brabant	31 August 1897	17 January 1899	1 March 1900	17 May 1940	Koninklijke Maatschappij de Schelde, Flushing
Utrecht	1897	14 July 1898	1 March 1901	1913	Rijkswerf, Amsterdam

Service history

On 19 October 1900 Gelderland transported Paul Kruger to Europe during the Second Boer War. Holland together with Koningin Wilhelmina der Nederlanden and the Evertsen class coastal defence ship HNLMS Piet Hein where send to Shanghai to defend the Dutch interest during the Boxer Rebellion. Holland and Zeeland together with the coastal defence ships Hertog Hendrik, Koningin Regentes and De Ruyter assisted the KNIL during the Aceh War. In 1908 Friesland, Gelderland and the coastal defence ship Jacob Van Heemskerck where send to patrol the Venezuelan coast during the second Castro crisis. Friesland and Utrecht where decommissioned in 1913 with the remaining four being modernized. During the World War I all remaining ships were stationed in Dutch home waters. Holland and Zeeland were decommissioned in 1920 and 1924 while Noord Brabant became an accommodation ship in 1920. A role she fulfilled until she was damaged during the German invasion in World War II. Gelderland became a training ship in 1920. She was captured by Germany in 1940, renamed Niobe and sunk during the war in Kotka harbour in Finland on 16 July 1944.

External links

• Gelderland and Noord Brabant at netherlandsnavy.nl
• Description of class