HNLMS Colombia
Royal Netherlands Navy Auxiliary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HNLMS Colombia was originally an ocean liner, registered as MS Colombia. She was the flagship of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij. She would be commandeered and militarized by the Royal Netherlands Navy on 8 November 1940.[1]
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MS Colombia as a passenger liner in 1934 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Netherlands | |
| Name | Colombia |
| Launched | 1930 |
| Commissioned | 20 May 1941 |
| Out of service | 27 February 1943 |
| Fate | Torpedoed off the coast of Simonstad in 1943. |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Auxiliary, submarine tender |
| Displacement | 14,600 t (14,400 long tons) standard |
| Length | 139.30 m (457 ft 0 in) |
| Beam | 18.7 m (61 ft 4 in) |
| Draught | 8.10 m (26 ft 7 in) |
| Installed power | 8,000 hp (6,000 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2 × Werkspoor four stroke expansion engines powering 2 shafts |
| Speed | 15.5 knots (28.7 km/h; 17.8 mph) |
| Complement | 273 |
| Armament |
|
Service history
Serving as a troopship during the first year of her career with the Royal Netherlands Navy, Colombia was converted at Dundee into a submarine tender with the conversion work lasting from 1 May to 18 September 1941. She served in her role as submarine tender until she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-516, off the coast of Simonstown, Union of South Africa (33°36′S 27°29′E), on 27 February 1943. Eight of the 326 crew died during her sinking, with remaining survivors rescued by HMS Genista and a Royal Air Force launch.[2]