- 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’m going to suggest a destroyer of the Netherlands Navy Gerard Callenburgh-class.
This is the HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh (1939)
A blueprint of the Gerard Callenburgh-class
Source: | Nationaal Archief
HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh getting launched. 12th of October 1939
Source: Foto's
History
Spoiler
HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh (On the right, construction number RDM 207) and one of her sister ships HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes (On the left, construction number RDM 208). 9th June 1939
Source: Foto'sThe origins of the Gerard Callenburgh-class starts in the 1930’s. The Navy had started a re-equipment program to strengthen the Navy again, and in this plan twelve new destroyers were planned. In 1931 eight new destroyers of the Admiralen-class were finished, so another four ships had to be made. But it would take another few years before actual progress was made for this.
In 1937 the first design blueprints would be made for this new class of ships, at the time it was simply known as the Torpedobootjager 1937 (Destroyer 1937). Work continued on the design till 1938, and around 1938 the new ship class was given a name, the Gerard Callenburgh-class. In October of 1938 the first two ships were laid down, HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh and HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes.
Another photo of HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh (Left) and HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes (Right). Exact date is unknown
Source: Foto's[u]HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh was launched on the 12th of October 1939, and she was taken to another dock for completion. This would still take some time however since the ship was only really able to float, but not much else. All the weapons, superstructure, smoke funnels, and much more still had to be fitted.
However on the 10th of May 1940 Germany would invade the Netherlands, and HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh and her three sister ships were all not finished yet. HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh did have her main guns fitted, but they were not able to be operated yet.
There was no way to finish the ship now, and one of the sister ships, HNLMS Isaac Sweers, managed to be towed to Britain, but the same could not be done for HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh due to a lack of towing ships big enough to do the job. And so it was decided to scuttle the ship, and also her sister ship HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes, which was done on the 15th of May.
In the top left of the photo we see HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh and HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes again, now in a further stage of completion. 5th of December 1939
Source: Foto'sBy the time the Germans had taken over the Netherlands they decided to raise HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh and HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes. The Germans planned to repair the ships and put them in service as the ZH 1 and ZH 2, ZH meaning Zerstörer Holland (Destroyer Holland). HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh was raised on the 14th of July 1940. Big delays in her repair meant that she would only be put into German service in June of 1943, now under the name of ZH 1.
HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh getting raised by the Germans on the 14th of July 1940
Source: Foto's
Design
Spoiler
A cross section blueprint of the Gerard Callenburgh-class
Source: | Nationaal ArchiefThe Gerard Callenburgh-class destroyer was a class of four ships made in the Netherlands. Two ships were made by “Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij” (RDM for short), and the other two ships were made by “Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde”. The ship in this suggestion, HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh, was being made by RDM.
HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh was 106,3 metres long, had a beam of 10,3 metres and a draft of 3,2 metres, and displaced 1.628 tons at standard displacement, and 2.240 tons at full. She was planned to have a crew of 180 men. The ship was able to reach 36 knots.
The main weaponry of the ship was five 12cm guns. These gun were made in the Netherlands by “Wilton-Fijenoord”. Four of these guns were mounted in two twin turrets, and the last gun was in a single gun turret. The exact layout of the guns changed a little bit during development, but the final setup was a single twin turret at the front and rear, and the final single gun turret superfiring over the rear twin turret.
The guns had a firerate of 10 rounds per minute.
Ammunition for the 12cm guns consisted of just an HE shell, and also a Starshell could be fired.The secondairy guns consisted of four 40mm No. 4 autocannons in two Hazemeijer twin turrets. These twin mounts were very advanced triaxial mountings with built-in tachymetric director and automatic stabilisation. One twin turret was put in a superifiring position over the front 12cm turret, and the other 40mm turret was mounted behind the rear smoke funnel.
Furthermore HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh was planned with two twin 12,7mm Colt-Browing machine gun turrets. The exact position of the guns changed a lot during development. At first the two twin turrets were planned on top of the main bridge. Then later I’ve seen just four single machine gun mounts on blueprints, only to then see it pop up in a twin mount again, but now located on the main deck of the ship just forward of the torpedo tubes.
You can see what I mean on the Torpedo launcher blueprint just below this text, to the right of the blueprint you see some circles drawn with the text “Dubb. Mitr.” next to it, this is short of “Dubbel Mitrailleur”, which means Twin Machine Gun.The ship was also planned with two quad 533mm torpedo tube launchers. These were mounted behind the smoke funnels, with the rear 40mm No. 4 turret being placed in between the two launchers. The torpedoes planned for the Gerard Callenburgh-class are not specifically stated, but they would most likely have been the Whitehead Type V 53 torpedoes. These had a 350 kg TNT warhead, and a range of 4.000 meters at 45 knots, or a range of 12.000 meters at 28 knots.
A blueprint of the torpedo launchers of the Gerard Callenburgh-class
Source:| Nationaal ArchiefThe ship was also planned with four depth charge launchers and two naval mine rails. The mines used would have been the Dutch Model 1921 onces, and the ship would have carried 24 of these, 12 per rail. These mines had a charge of 200 kg of Trotyl.
Finally there was also an Aircraft Crane. The Crane was mounted in the middle of the ship, in between the two smoke funnels. There was room for one Fokker C.11w floatplane. The ship did not have any kind of catapult system however, the aircraft would have to be lowered into the water with the crane and then take of on it’s own.
A blueprint of the floatplane setup on the Gerard Callenburgh-class
Source: | Nationaal Archief
Ingame
Spoiler
HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh would be a must have for a Dutch/BeNeLux (Sub)tree. Whilst HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh was never completely finished, she would still be very welcome ingame since the Dutch Navy doesn’t have any other destroyers like it. The only other Dutch operated destroyers to add around this Rank/BR would be British onces used during and after the second world war, and this wouldn’t be very unique so HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh would be a much better pick!
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 Gerard Callenburgh would be a pretty normal destroyer, it doesn’t exact stand out in any special way, the only thing HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh has that most French destroyers do not is good anti-aircraft weapons. Most French destroyers use the 37mm Model 1925, and this gun simply doesn’t compare to the 40mm Bofors that HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh has.
Specifications
Spoiler
A rigging plan blueprint of the Gerard Callenburgh-class. Dispite it being a rigging plan blueprint it does show us an excellet outside view of the ship. Note that the rear superfiring turret has just a single gun instead of the other twin turrets
Source: | Nationaal ArchiefStandard Displacement: 1.628 tons
Full Displacement: 2.240 tons
Length: 106,3 m
Beam: 10,3 m
Draft: 3,2 m
Installed powerplant: 2 x Werkspoor-Parsons steamturbines, 3 x Yarrow boilers (45.000 hp)
Propulsion: 2 x shafts, three bladed propellors
Maximum speed: 36 knots
Crew: 180 menArmament:
2 x 2 12cm No. 8 guns
1 x 1 12cm No. 6 guns
2 x 2 40mm No. 4 autocannons
2 x 2 12,7mm Colt-Browning machine guns
2 x 4 533 mm torpedo tubes firing (most likely) Type V 53 torpedoes
2 x 1 Mine rails with 12 Model 1921 mines per rail
4 x 1 Depth Charge launchers1 x Aircraft crane, with a Fokker C.11w floatplane carried. (Max speed 280 km/h, 2 x 7.9 mm FN-Browning machine guns, one firing forwards, and one for the gunner)
A cool early design blueprint of the Gerard Callenburgh-class. Note that the ship does not have superfiring rear turrets here, instead the single gun turret is located between the two smoke funnels
Source: | Nationaal Archief
Another photo of HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh (On the left, construction number RDM 207) and one of her sister ships HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes (On the right, construction number RDM 208). 13th September 1939
Source: Foto's
And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading about this amazing machine.
See you on the battlefield!
Sources
Spoiler
Dutch sources:
- “Nederlandse marineschepen 1939-1945” book, by Peter Kimenai
- Tjerk Hiddes class Destroyers (1939)
Secondairy sources:
- Gerard Callenburgh-class destroyers (1938)
- Gerard Callenburgh-class destroyer - Wikipedia
- German destroyer ZH1 - Wikipedia
- HNMS Gerard Callenburgh of the Royal Dutch Navy - Dutch Destroyer of the Gerard Callenburgh class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net
Photos:
Blueprints: