- 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 rather obscure patrol boat of the Dutch Navy.
This is the P9-class patrol vessel, HNLMS RP 131!
HNLMS RP 131 in 1948
Source: Foto's
History
Spoiler
In the late 1930’s the Dutch Navy didn’t have any dedicated patrol vessels. Instead older minelayer or similar larger vessels were used for this purpose, and they got the job done but something smaller and specific for the patrol role was desired.
That’s when the Navy decided to built four different classes of patrol boats. These were the P1, P5, P9 and P17-class boats. Each class was a little bigger and better armed then the previous. The P1-class turned out to be too small and too weak for the Navy. **The P9-class was very similar to the previous P5-class, only the P9’s have slightly logner dimensions.
HNLMS RP 131 started of it’s carreer as the HNLMS P16. She was made in the Soerabaja dockyard and finished in 1940.
When the war broke out in the Dutch East Indies the HNLMS P16 not see active service. On the 5th of March 1942 she would be sunk by her own crew in Tanjung Priok. She would then be raised by the Japanese again who would put it back into service as a patrol vessel. The ship would be found again in 1945 and returned to Dutch service under the “Dienst van Scheepvaart” fleet (This was an civilian organization), she was given the name RP 131 Lilly.
At the end of 1947 she was taken over by the Dutch Navy and put back into military service as the HNLMS RP 131.
I do not know for how long the ship stayed in service.
Design
Spoiler
HNLMS RP 131 was 18,9 metres long, had a beam of 3,92 metres and a draft of 1,15 metres, and displaced 26 tons. She had a crew of 10 men and was able to reach a top speed of 12,5 knots.
[u]The main weaponry of the ship consisted of two single 12,7mm Colt-Browning machine guns.** The ship had one at the front and one at the rear.
There was also a large searchlight on top of the bridge.
Ingame
Spoiler
The HNLMS RP 131 would be quite a normal gunboat ingame. It’s not exactly special in any way, it’s just cool and obscure.
As usualy with my Dutch vehicle suggestions, I ofcourse want to see this ingame in a Dutch or BeNeLux techtree. Ofcourse the BeNeLux has been added to France, so this is now the only option where Dutch vessels 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.
Specifications
Spoiler
Displacement: 26 tons
Length: 18,9 m
Beam: 3,92 m
Draft: 1,15 m
Powerplant: 2 x 150 hp Buda Lanova diesel engines
Maximum speed: 12,5 knots (23,15 km/h)
Crew: 10 menArmament:
2 x 1 12,7mm Colt-Browning machine guns
The blueprint of the P9-class patrol vessel
Source: | Nationaal Archief
And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading about this little boat.
See you on the battlefield!
Sources