Java-class cruiser
The Java class was a series of light cruisers operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy during the interwar period and World War II. Designed to defend the Dutch East Indies against the Empire of Japan, the cruisers were designed in 1916 to be the best in the world. However, a series of issues due to World War I, supply chain issues, worker strikes, instability in Germany, and a change in national policy delayed the ships for more than a decade. Of the three ships planned, one was canceled during a construction pause.
By the time the remaining two ships were launched in the mid 1920s, their design was outdated and little work was done to address the issue. Both ships saw action during World War II. was in the Netherlands when the country was invaded by Germany in 1940, and the cruiser fled to the United Kingdom. Under British control, she sailed around the world, was disarmed, and sunk as a breakwater off Normandy. was in the East Indies when the Pacific War began in 1941, and joined Allies of [World War II|Allied] efforts in attempting to repulse several Japanese invasions. During the Battle of the Java Sea, she was torpedoed and promptly sunk.
Design
Development
During the early 20th century, the primary purpose of the Royal Netherlands Navy was the protection of the oil-rich and economically vital Dutch East Indies. The largest threat was from the rapidly expanding Japanese Empire and its significantly larger and more powerful navy. Unable and unwilling to build a comparable force, the Netherlands focused on maintaining a small but high-quality fleet designed to delay any invasions until reinforcements from other European powers with similarly threatened colonies could arrive. In 1914, the Navy planned for a large expansion of its fleets, concerned about Japanese naval expansion and the need to maintain Dutch neutrality during World War I. One major aspect of the plan was the Java-class cruiser, intended to outperform all comparable cruisers, especially those of Japan. The new Japanese Chikuma-class scout cruiserwith displacement, eight guns and a top speed of was used as a template for what the new design needed to surpass.The first two cruisers were ordered in 1915. However, Dutch naval architecture firms lacked experience with such ships. Instead, contracts for their design were offered to British and German companies. The contract was given to Germaniawerft who emphasized German technical assistance and German-made guns, turbines, and other equipment.
Characteristics
When the ships were designed in 1915, the Navy believed they were the most powerful and modern cruisers in the world. Armed with ten Bofors-built SK L/50 caliber guns in single mountstwo on the bow, two on the stern, and three broadside guns on either sidethe ships were the most well-armed of their kind. Anti-air weaponry consisted of two guns located below both masts, and four Vickers machine guns. They had an overall length of, a beam of, a draught of, displacement of and were at full load.As designed, the ships were powered by three turbines supplied by eight boilers that provided through three propellers for a top speed of. Due to a bunkerage of 1,200 tons of oil, the ships had a cruising radius of at a cruising speed of. The waterline belt was thick for most of the ships' length, which tapered to towards the stern. The armored deck was, funnel uptakes, bulkheads, and the conning tower thick. The main guns were protected by gun shields which were at the thickest.
Celebes, the third ship of the class, was intended to operate as the flagship of the East Indies Fleet and was about longer and heavier than the rest of her class. After she was canceled, Celebes role of flagship was filled with the commissioning of in 1936.
Construction
Reliance on foreign expertise soon backfired as the German arms industry buckled and collapsed as a result of World War I and resulting political unrest throughout Germany. Construction stalled as materials were delayed and some parts never arrived at all. After the war, the Dutch government questioned the need to build new, expensive, warships. As a result, the newly-started Celebes was canceled and work on the other two ships was suspended. During the pause, the government explored alternative uses for the cruisers, including a proposal to convert them into English Channel ferries. Ultimately, the Navy successfully argued that completing the ships would be more cost-effective than abandoning them, and progress resumed in 1920. Both ships were launched over the next year as parts were sourced from countries such as the United Kingdom and Sweden, although eight SK L/50 guns were found in a Krupp warehouse and were incorporated. Construction was further delayed by a series of strikes, the newly introduced 8-hour work day, supply issues, and a fire that destroyed turbines intended for the future Sumatra. New turbines for the cruiser were sourced, allowing her to produce.The significant delays of her construction saw the ships outdated by the time she entered service, primarily regarding their armament. By 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty created a new standard of cruiser equipped with guns, which Japan heavily invested in. In addition, the single-barrel weapons protected only by gun-shields had already been replaced by enclosed, multi-gun turrets fed by independent magazines in other navies.