- Yes.
- No.
- In a future Dutch/BeNeLux techtree.
- In the French BeNeLux sub-tree
- Other (Please explain in the comments).
- I said “No” in the first question.
Today I want to suggest one of the De Zeven Provinciën-class light cruisers!
This is the light cruiser HNLMS De Ruyter (C801)
HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) most likely around the 1950’s
Source: Foto's
History
Spoiler
HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) at sea
Source: Foto'sThe story of the De Zeven Provinciën-class light cruiser actually starts back in 1937. At this time the Dutch Navy started work on a new class of light cruiser, known as the Eendracht-class.
Two ships were being constructed, but all work stopped when Germany invaded the Netherlands during WW2.Thankfully the two hulls of the cruisers remained intact throughout the war, the Germans even continued work on them a bit in the hopes of using them for themselves.
When Germany was defeated and the Netherlands started to rebuild the two hulls were ofcourse still there. In desperate need to rebuild their Navy, the Dutch government continued work on the two hulls again.The new technologies available after the war meant that the original design from 1937 wasn’t going to cut it anymore, so while the hulls were already finished, the entire superstructure and weaponry loadouts could still be changed, and so around1946 many different redesigns were proposed. But eventually they settled on a four turret, eight gun, light cruiser design, using some of the most brand new equipment available to them at the time.
These two newly redesigned cruisers would know be known as the De Zeven Provinciën-class.
HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) in 1966
Source: Foto'sFun fact HNLMS De Ruyter was actually officially launched on the 24th of December 1944 while she was still under German control. The Germans wanted to use it to block allied ships from entering the Netherlands, but thankfully this was not carried out and she remained intact. HNLMS De Ruyter would go into service on the 18th of November 1953 and given the identification name C801.
The service carreer of HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) was sadly quite uneventfull. She would participate in several NATO exercises, and would also frequently be used as a flagship for different naval task forces.
HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) in 1971
Source: Foto'sAround 1960 her sister ship, HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (C802), would be taken out of service for some time to undergo a refit. The refit turned the HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (C802) into the first and only guided missile cruiser the Dutch Navy would ever operate. But due to a lack of funds the same refit could not be done to HNLMS De Ruyter (C801), instead she recieved a smaller refit that just focussed on updating all the internal equipment.
A nice colorized photo of HNLMS De Ruyter (C801)
Source: Foto's
Fate
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BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81) leaving the Netherlands to go to Peru, 1973
Source: Foto'sIn the early 1970’s HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) was starting to show her age, and with the ever improving missile technology the Dutch Navy saw no need for a large gun cruiser anymore. In 1973 the ship was sold to the Peruvian Navy, and renamed to BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81).
Throughout her carreer with the Peruvian Navy she would recieve many upgrades, mainly her weaponry was greatly improved. In the end she would end up being armed with Otomat anti-ship missiles and 40mm OTO Melara Compact CIWS turrets, whilst also still having her four twin 15cm turrets.
She would continue to serve with the Peruvian Navy till 2017, and she was sadly scrapped in 2022.
Design
Spoiler
A blueprint of HNLMS De Ruyter (C801)
Source: | Nationaal ArchiefHNLMS De Ruyter (C801) was 185,7 metres long, had a beam of 17,3 metres and a draft of 5,6 metres, and displaced 9.529 tons at standard displacement, and 11.850 tons at full. She had a crew of 973 men and was able to reach 32 knots.
Here's a fun little fact about the two ships of the De Zeven Provinciën-class. When Germany had captured the hulls during the second world war, they continued work on them as mentioned before. One of the hulls was given an "Atlantic bow". This is a more pointed bow that would disperse waves better, and was quite common on German ships of WW2. However the other hull was not given this bow, and so now skipping to the 1950's, the two ships of the De Zeven Provinciën-class have slightly different bows. HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) used the hull WITH the "Atlantic bow". HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (C802) used the hull WITHOUT the "Atlantic bow".The main weaponry of the ship was eight 15cm No. 15 guns, mounted in four twin turrets These guns were the Bofors 15,2 cm kanon m/42 guns that were made in the Netherlands by Wilton-Fijenoord.
The guns had a firerate of around 15 rounds per minute per gun, which would lower to 10 round per minute as soon as the ready ammunition in the lifts ran out.
Ammunition for the 15cm guns consisted of an AP, HE and Starshell rounds.
A 15cm No. 15 turret getting liften onto the HNLMS De Ruyter (C801)
Source: Foto'sThe secondairy guns consisted of eight 57mm No. 1 guns Bofors mounted in four twin turrets. These were the Bofors 57 mm/60 SAK Model 1950 autocannons. Two turrets were placed on either side of the ship, and one turret at both the front and back of the ship, superfiring over the 15cm turrets. These 57mm autocannons had a rate of fire of 125 rounds per minute per gun.
Lastly HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) was armed with eight 40mm No. 6 autocannons. These were the Bofors 40 mm/70 Model 1948 autocannons mounted in the SAK-40/L70-315 single mountings. The guns were spread around the superstructure of the cruiser, with two at either side of the bridge, and two at either side of the rear superstructure.
A 40mm No. 6 onboard HNLMS De Ruyter (C801)
Source: Foto's
Two 40mm No. 6 autocannons on the side of the bridge of HNLMS De Ruyter (C801)
Source: Foto'sProtection of the ship was pretty standard for a light cruiser. The belt armour of the ship was a 75 mm armored belt, which would lower to 50mm at the ship ends. The armoured deck was 20 mm thick. The internal armoured citadel was 30 mm thick all around.
And finally the barbettes of the turrets were protected by 100 mm of armour, while the turrets themselves were 50 - 125mm thick.
A blueprint of the armour plan of the De Zeven Provinciën-class
Source: | Nationaal Archief
Ingame
Spoiler
The De Zeven Provinciën-class light cruiser would be amazing to see ingame. It’s a post WW2 cruiser with very high firerate guns and deadly secondairy weapons. We have just a few post WW2 cruisers ingame, so seeing this area expanded upon would be really nice.
HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) would be really nice ingame as one of the more powerfull light cruisers ingame. Something that also helps is the very well known name of the ship, I think most people must have heard of the name De Ruyter by now.
My first choice would be to have this ship be added into a independent BeNeLux techtree. But ofcourse the BeNeLux has been added to France, so this is now the only option where Dutch vehicles will go to. But it must be said that the Netherlands and France have nothing in common, and do not make sense to combine together ingame.
In the French tree HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) would fit right at home. The French Navy has many post WW2 cruisers of their own that we could see ingame, and HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) would simply be another ship of that type, although HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) has a more powerfull main gun battery then most French post WW2 cruisers.
But for an independent BeNeLux tree HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) would serve as the most powerfull light cruiser you can unlock in the tree, and it would also be the last ship you would unlock.
Specifications
Spoiler
A side view cutaway of the De Zeven Provinciën-class
Source: | Nationaal ArchiefStandard Displacement: 9.529 tons
Full Displacement: 11.850 tons
Length: 185,7 m
Beam: 17,3 m
Draft: 5,6 m
Installed powerplant: 2 x De Schelde/Parsons steamturbines, 4 x Werkspoor-Yarrow boilers (85.000 hp)
Maximum speed: 32 knots
Crew: 973 menArmor:
Belt: 50 - 75 mm
Armoured Deck: 20 mm
Citadel: 30 mm (Roof and sides)
Conning tower: 10 mm
Barbettes: 100 mm
Turrets: 50 - 125 mmArmament:
4 x 2 15cm No. 15 guns (15,2 cm kanon m/42)
4 x 2 57mm No. 1 guns (57 mm/60 SAK Model 1950)
8 x 1 40mm No. 6 autocannons (SAK-40/L70-315)
A top-down view of the ship
Source: | Nationaal Archief
HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) whilst a Westland AH-12A flies next to it
Source: Foto's
And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading about this amazing machine.
See you on the battlefield!
Sources
Spoiler
Main sources:
- “Vlootrevue, Kruisers De Ruyter en de Zeven Provinciën”, book by A.J.C. Veenstra
- De Zeven Provinciën class Cruisers (1944)
Extra sources:
- Kruisers De Ruyter (C801) en De Zeven Provinciën (C802)
- Hr.Ms. de Ruyter C 801 - ONZE MARINE VLOOT
- De Zeven Provincien class cruiser - Royal Netherlands Navy - Koninklijke Marine
- De Zeven Provinciën-class cruiser - Wikipedia
Photos:
Blueprints: