HNLMS Isaac Sweeres was under construction by the Royal Netherlands Navy at the time the Netherlands were invaded.
She was however towed to the United Kingdom and completed there using British Anti-aircraft armament and equipment.
After her launch in 1940 she was deployed to the Mediterranean where she served alongside the British Navy.
She was however torpedoed by a U-Boat off Algiers in November 1942 and sank.
She led a short albeit distinguished career.
Gibraltar Philatelic.
Gibraltar SG724ms
Isaac Sweers HNLMS
-
aukepalmhof
- Posts: 8005
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am
Re: Isaac Sweers HNLMS
Built as a destroyer under yard No 212 by the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde, Vlissingen (Flushing), Netherlands for the Dutch Royal Navy.
26 November 1938 laid down.
16 March 1940 launched as the HNLMS ISAAC SWEERS, named after a 17th century Dutch Admiral Isaac Sweers (1622 – 1673). She was one of the Gerard Callenburg class.
Displacement 1,628 standard, 2,240 ton full load. Dim. 106.3 x 10.28 x 3.5m, length bpp 105m, draught 2.8m.
Powered by two Parsons geared turbines manufactured by Werkspoor, 45,000 shp, twin shafts, speed 37.5 knots.
Range by a speed of 19 knots, 5,400 mile.
Armament 6 – 10.2 cm Mk 16 guns, 4 – 40mm Bofors, 4 – 20mm Oerlikons, 8 – 53.3 cm torpedo tubes,
When war broke out in 1940 between Germany and the Netherlands was she not yet completed.
And it was decided to tow her to the U.K.
10 May 1940 she was towed to England by the Dutch tug ZWARTE ZEE (Black Sea) and she arrived the 11th in the Downs.
29 May 1941 was she completed and commissioned at the yard of John I Thornycroft at Southampton.
24 June 1941 in service under command of commander J Houtsmuller with a crew of 194.
After a training period out of Scapa Flow did she join the 19th Destroyer Flotilla based in Greenock, escorting convoy’s.
17 September she sails from Greenock together with other ships to take part in Operation Halbert to escort nine merchant ships to Malta.
During the passage she was ordered to escort HMS RODNEY to Gibraltar where she arrived on 24 September.
25 September she joined the Malta convoy again, during the passage in the Mediterranean to Malta the convoy came under attack by torpedo planes and the ISAAC SWEERS had a narrow miss by a torpedo.
Near Malta she received orders together with Force A to return to Gibraltar, where she arrived on 01 October 1941.
Then used as escort to a convoy to Freetown afterwards escort for it Perpetual convoy to Malta.
After her return to Gibraltar used in anti-submarine patrols west of Gibraltar.
11 December 1941 she joined the 4th Destroyer flotilla and the flotilla sailed from Gibraltar for the Eastern Mediterranean.
During the passage eastward the flotilla encountered Italian warships near Cap Bon, Tunisia, which they attack; two fast Italian cruisers were sunk.
13 December 1941 the flotilla enters Malta.
After a few days the flotilla received orders to steam eastward and escort the transport HMS BRECONSHIRE who had sailed from Alexandria bound for Malta.
17 December early in the morning the flotilla made contact with the BRECONSHIRE.
The same day from 13.00 till 18.00 the convoy was coming under attack from aircraft numerous times, not any ship of the convoy was damaged, an large Italian fleet was in the vicinity but did attack from a long range and did not want to fight it out and withdrawn.
18/19 December the convoy enters Malta, shortly thereafter the ISAAC SWEERS sailed out bound for Alexandria.
Used to escort convoys from Alexandria on 17 January 1942 she rescued most of the crew from the torpedoed HMS GURKHA and put them ashore at Tobruk, where after she joined the convoy again which safely arrived in Malta.
23 January 1942 she got orders to proceed to the Dutch East Indies and via the Suez Canal she arrived 08 February 1942 in Colombo for dry-docking and some repairs.
28 February she sailed from Colombo, but shortly there after she is recalled, and on 15 March she is attached to the British Eastern Fleet.
She was refuelled at the Addu Atol and on 13 April arrived at Bombay, after some target practice she arrived on the 30 April 1942 at the Seychelles.
22 May 1942 she sails en via Durban, Simonstown, Freetown and Gibraltar she arrived in England
From June to September overhauled by the Thornycroft dockyard her MGs replaced by 20mm Oerlikons.
After her overhaul she practice out from Scapa Flow.
Then she took part in Operation Torch the landing of the Allies forces in North Africa.
The ISAAC SWEERS remains near Gibraltar as a unit of Force H.
11 November 1942 she received orders to pick up the survivors of the Dutch troop transport NIEW ZEELAND, the survivors were safely transported to Gibraltar.
12 November after refuelling at sea from Force “R” she was ready for action 00.00 hours and she would cover the flank of Force “R”. during the night before joining Force “H”.
Around 05.00 a.m. she was hit by two torpedoes on the starboard side, fired by the German U boat U 431 which put the whole ship on fire from bow to stern.
She was hit in a fuel tank and burning oil spread over the water, she sank in position 37 23N 02 12E only 86 men survived of a crew of 194.
Gibraltar 1994 49p sgMS724, scott660d.
Source: De Koninklijk Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog by Ph. M. Bosscher. Zij vochten op de Zeven Zeeen by K.W.L.Bezemer. Various web-sites.
.
26 November 1938 laid down.
16 March 1940 launched as the HNLMS ISAAC SWEERS, named after a 17th century Dutch Admiral Isaac Sweers (1622 – 1673). She was one of the Gerard Callenburg class.
Displacement 1,628 standard, 2,240 ton full load. Dim. 106.3 x 10.28 x 3.5m, length bpp 105m, draught 2.8m.
Powered by two Parsons geared turbines manufactured by Werkspoor, 45,000 shp, twin shafts, speed 37.5 knots.
Range by a speed of 19 knots, 5,400 mile.
Armament 6 – 10.2 cm Mk 16 guns, 4 – 40mm Bofors, 4 – 20mm Oerlikons, 8 – 53.3 cm torpedo tubes,
When war broke out in 1940 between Germany and the Netherlands was she not yet completed.
And it was decided to tow her to the U.K.
10 May 1940 she was towed to England by the Dutch tug ZWARTE ZEE (Black Sea) and she arrived the 11th in the Downs.
29 May 1941 was she completed and commissioned at the yard of John I Thornycroft at Southampton.
24 June 1941 in service under command of commander J Houtsmuller with a crew of 194.
After a training period out of Scapa Flow did she join the 19th Destroyer Flotilla based in Greenock, escorting convoy’s.
17 September she sails from Greenock together with other ships to take part in Operation Halbert to escort nine merchant ships to Malta.
During the passage she was ordered to escort HMS RODNEY to Gibraltar where she arrived on 24 September.
25 September she joined the Malta convoy again, during the passage in the Mediterranean to Malta the convoy came under attack by torpedo planes and the ISAAC SWEERS had a narrow miss by a torpedo.
Near Malta she received orders together with Force A to return to Gibraltar, where she arrived on 01 October 1941.
Then used as escort to a convoy to Freetown afterwards escort for it Perpetual convoy to Malta.
After her return to Gibraltar used in anti-submarine patrols west of Gibraltar.
11 December 1941 she joined the 4th Destroyer flotilla and the flotilla sailed from Gibraltar for the Eastern Mediterranean.
During the passage eastward the flotilla encountered Italian warships near Cap Bon, Tunisia, which they attack; two fast Italian cruisers were sunk.
13 December 1941 the flotilla enters Malta.
After a few days the flotilla received orders to steam eastward and escort the transport HMS BRECONSHIRE who had sailed from Alexandria bound for Malta.
17 December early in the morning the flotilla made contact with the BRECONSHIRE.
The same day from 13.00 till 18.00 the convoy was coming under attack from aircraft numerous times, not any ship of the convoy was damaged, an large Italian fleet was in the vicinity but did attack from a long range and did not want to fight it out and withdrawn.
18/19 December the convoy enters Malta, shortly thereafter the ISAAC SWEERS sailed out bound for Alexandria.
Used to escort convoys from Alexandria on 17 January 1942 she rescued most of the crew from the torpedoed HMS GURKHA and put them ashore at Tobruk, where after she joined the convoy again which safely arrived in Malta.
23 January 1942 she got orders to proceed to the Dutch East Indies and via the Suez Canal she arrived 08 February 1942 in Colombo for dry-docking and some repairs.
28 February she sailed from Colombo, but shortly there after she is recalled, and on 15 March she is attached to the British Eastern Fleet.
She was refuelled at the Addu Atol and on 13 April arrived at Bombay, after some target practice she arrived on the 30 April 1942 at the Seychelles.
22 May 1942 she sails en via Durban, Simonstown, Freetown and Gibraltar she arrived in England
From June to September overhauled by the Thornycroft dockyard her MGs replaced by 20mm Oerlikons.
After her overhaul she practice out from Scapa Flow.
Then she took part in Operation Torch the landing of the Allies forces in North Africa.
The ISAAC SWEERS remains near Gibraltar as a unit of Force H.
11 November 1942 she received orders to pick up the survivors of the Dutch troop transport NIEW ZEELAND, the survivors were safely transported to Gibraltar.
12 November after refuelling at sea from Force “R” she was ready for action 00.00 hours and she would cover the flank of Force “R”. during the night before joining Force “H”.
Around 05.00 a.m. she was hit by two torpedoes on the starboard side, fired by the German U boat U 431 which put the whole ship on fire from bow to stern.
She was hit in a fuel tank and burning oil spread over the water, she sank in position 37 23N 02 12E only 86 men survived of a crew of 194.
Gibraltar 1994 49p sgMS724, scott660d.
Source: De Koninklijk Marine in de Tweede Wereldoorlog by Ph. M. Bosscher. Zij vochten op de Zeven Zeeen by K.W.L.Bezemer. Various web-sites.
.
- Attachments
-