HNLMS Rigel
Multi-purpose steamship of the Government Navy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
HNLMS Rigel was a multi-purpose steamship of the Government Navy that could also be used as minelayer and as yacht for the Governor-general of the Dutch East Indies.[2][3] The ship was militarized in 1939 and taken into service of the Royal Netherlands Navy, where it served as minelayer between 1939 and 1942.[4][5]
 Rigel | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 Netherlands | |
| Name | Rigel |
| Operator | |
| Builder | Nederlandsche Dok Maatschappij, Amsterdam |
| Laid down | 3 March 1930 |
| Launched | 7 March 1931 |
| Commissioned | 6 November 1931 |
| Fate | Scuttled on 2 March 1942 as blockship |
| General characteristics [1] | |
| Type | Multi-purpose steamship |
| Displacement | 1,631 t (1,605 long tons) |
| Length | 67.50 m (221 ft 5 in) |
| Beam | 11.04 m (36 ft 3 in) |
| Draught | 3.06 m (10 ft 0 in) |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 12.5 knots (23.2 km/h; 14.4 mph) |
| Crew | 67 |
| Armament |
|
Design and construction
Rigel was built in the Netherlands at the Nederlandsche Dok Maatschappij.[6] The ship's construction began on 3 March 1930, it was launched on 7 March 1931 and commissioned into the Government Navy on 6 November 1931.[1] The costs of building the ship was estimated to be 1.080.000 Dutch guilders, which was considered to be quite low for this type of ship.[7][8]
The ship was equipped with a double set of rails on her deck that could carry a total of 150 mines.[3][9] After being militarized in 1939 Rigel also got equipped with a ASDIC installation between 1940 and 1941.[10]
Service history
In April 1938 Rigel towed the hydrographic survey vessel Hydrograaf to Soerabaja after it had lost a propeller.[11][12]
Second World War
Between 1939 and 1942 Rigel laid down mines in the waters of the Dutch East Indies.[4] Starting in August 1939 the ship was made ready to mine the Westervaarwater near Soerabaja.[13] In December 1941 it mined the access waters to Tandjong Priok.[14] A few months later, in February 1942, Rigel laid down mines together with the HNLMS Krakatau at the coast of Madoera.[15]
On 2 March 1942 Rigel was scuttled by its crew and used as blockship at the northern port entrance of Tandjong Priok.[1][16]
In March 1944 the ship was lifted and partly restored by the Japanese.[4] After Japan surrendered in 1945 the ship was found and handed over to the Dienst van Scheepsvaart (DvS).[1][17]
In 1951 the ship was transferred to the Indonesian Navy.[1]