Stamp issued to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Royal Nerthlands Navy League.
No information regarding the cruiser Gelderland. SG486
Gelderland
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shipstamps
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:12 pm
Gelderland
Stamp issued to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Royal Nerthlands Navy League.
No information regarding the cruiser Gelderland. SG486
-
aukepalmhof
- Posts: 8005
- Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am
Re: Gelderland
Built as cruiser by Maatschappij “Fijenoord” at Schiedam, for the Dutch Royal navy.
1897 Laid down.
28 September 1898 launched under the name GELDERLAND, named after the Dutch province Gelderland.
Three sisterships the HOLLAND, ZEELAND and NOORDBRABANT.
Displacement 3.950 ton, dim. 94.7 x 14.82 x 5.40m. (draught)
Powered by two 3-cyl. triple expansion steamengines, 9.867 ihp, twin screws, speed 20 knots. 12 Yarrow pattern water tube boilers supplied steam. Bunker capacity maximum 930-ton coal. Range 4.500 miles @ 10 knots.
Armament 2 – 15cm, 6 – 12cm, 6 – 7.5cm, 8 – 3.7cm guns and 4 – 50MG, 3 - 30 MG. Two torpedo tubes
Crew 325.
1900 Completed at a cost of 3.057.944 Dutch Guilder.
15 July 1900 commissioned at Nieuwediep.
After commissioned she was ordered to steam to the Dutch East Indies, and on 22 August 1900 sailed from Vlissingen (Flushing).
When in the position of Perim, Red Sea she received orders to convoy the President of the Republic of South Africa, Paul Kruger to Europe.
19 October 1900 at Lourenço Marques (Maputo), President Kruger embarked and the GELDERLAND sailed to Europe, where on 22 November at Marseille President Kruger disembarked.
The GELDERLAND sailed via the Suez Canal to the East Indies, in the Suez Canal she was involved in a collision with the British ship PETERSTON, the GELDERLAND got some damage on the port side, which was repaired at Suez.
19 January 1901 arrived at Tandjong Priok. The next four year she served in the waters of the Dutch East Indies before heading home in 1905, she sailed home together with the UTRECHT and NOORDBRABANT and via Mahé, Perim, Port Said, Algiers and Tangier she arrived at Vlissingen on 13 August 1905.
12 September paid off for a refit by the “Fyenoord” yard at Schiedam, during the refit new boilers were fitted in and the armament altered by the reduction of 4 – 3.7cm and 2 –7.5cm guns.
25 February 1907 recommissioned at Willemsoord, and sailed for the West Indian station on 20 March 1907 via Tangier, Las Palmas and Fort of France for Curaçao, which she reached in April.
Made first a courtesy call at the U.S.A. arrived Hampton Roads on 2 June, was also dry-docked there between 13 and 17 June before she headed for New York.
03 July sailed from New York for Curaçao where she arrived on 10 July.
Jan.1908 she made a cruise to Colombia, Panama, Mexico and the U.S.A. where she again was dry-docked at New Orleans, on her return voyage to Curaçao she made a call at Havana.
May 1908 made an other cruise to Trinidad and Suriname.
At the end of 1908 she was involved in active service during a dispute with Venezuela, the Venezuelan patrol vessel ALIX was captured early 1909.
24 April 1909 she sailed homeward bound and arrived Nieuwediep on 14 May.
05 June 1909 paid off at the Rijkswerf in Willemsoord and recommissioned February 1911.
Stationed in home waters, she made a cruise to Cadiz, Las Palmas, Gibraltar and Tanger between 08 April and 8 June 1911 before she was taking H.R.H. Prins Hendrik to Sheerness for the Coronation of King George V, which took place in London on 22 June.
29 June she was home again and made thereafter a cruise to the Mediterranean between October and December 1911.
The first part of 1912 she visited Danish and Norwegian waters.
When trouble arouse in the Balkan she was ordered to proceed to Turkish waters and sailed on 16 October 1912 to protect the Dutch interests and nationals, she arrived home 19 June 1913.
A second deployment was made to the Turkish waters between October and December 1912.
Made in 1914 cruises to Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim between 26 May and 26 June.
During the First World War, the Netherlands were lucky to stay out of the war and in that time the GELDERLAND was always on high alert in the Dutch waters.
She was decommissioned on 16 April 1918 for conversion to an artillery school-ship, and she was recommissioned as seagoing school-ship 27 April 1920. Her armament was reduced to 10 –12cm, 2 – 7.5cm, four 3.7cm, 1 – 7.5cm mortar and two machine guns.
1922 Two 12cm guns were landed and replaced by 2 – 7.5cm guns, of which one was semi-automatic.
She had other refits between November 1930 and 02 May 1931 and 21 July 1931 to 18 March 1935.
Between November and December 1935 she made a cruise to West Africa, and on 09 September 1937 she carried the Dutch Royal family to Harwich for a visit to Great Britain.
Then again ordered to Caribbean waters, sailed from the Netherlands on 28 October 1937 and returned on 18 March 1938.
Then again ordered to Caribbean waters, sailed from the Netherlands on 28 October 1937 and returned on 18 March 1938.
During the Spanish civil war used for convoy duties between Gibraltar and Curaçao from the end of 1938 till 02 March 1939 when she returned at Nieuwendiep.
When Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, the GELDERLAND did not take part, she was decommissioned and disarmed and laid up at the Rijkswerf at Den Helder.
Used as a accommodation ship till 1941 when she was seized by the Germans and towed to the yard of C van der Giessen & Co., Krimpen a/d IJssel, for refitting in floating AA (flak) battery ship. During this refit she was altered her appearance beyond recognition. The refit was completed in 1944, then she sailed to Elbing most probably for her AA armament.
01 March 1944 re-commissioned under command of Ob. Lt. Gunther Engels, and manned by the 9th German Naval Flak Regiment, was armed with 08 – 10.5cm, 4 – 4cm Flak 28 and sixteen 2 cm quadruple mountings.
Renamed in NIOBE.
First stationed off Gotenhafen, the German main navy base in the eastern Baltic. But when in the late spring of 1944 she was needed in the Gulf of Finland to keep the Gulf closed for Russian warships, and preventing the Russian fleet for leaving Kronstadt. The German vessels deployed in the Gulf were under air attack of the Russian Air force. To protect these vessels against the air attacks the NIOBE was ordered to proceed to the Gulf of Finland.
The NIOBE made a call at Helsinki on 8 July and arrived at Kotka 10 July were she anchored in the west harbour.
When the Russian found out that a warship was anchored in Kotka, they were thinking that it was the modern and largest vessel of the Finnish navy the coast defence ship VÄINÄMÖINEN. A large air armada of 131 planes attacked the ship on 16 July, the NIOBE was attacked with bombs and torpedoes, the first hit destroyed a 10.5cm gun and the crew was killed, but also NIOBE flak control equipment was destroyed and orders had to be given by megaphone.
16.03 She was struck by two torpedoes and immediately took a dangerous list to starboard, after the third wave of airplanes the NIOBE had many hits and she was severe damaged. Her list increased to 45-degree and the engine room and tween deck flooding.
The order was given to abandon the vessel when most of her guns were out of action. The NIOBE rolled over and with a list of 50 degree came to rest on the bottom of the harbour.
Some 60 men were killed, 120 wounded.
The NIOBE shot down six enemy aircraft and the shore defence three.
Some weapons and equipment were taken off the wreck. But when peace was signed the wreck of the NIOBE was still there.
After the war the Netherlands abandoned the ship in 1947 to the Finns who raised her in 1952 and scrapped her in 1953.
Netherlands Antilles 1967 6c sg486, scott308
Source: Marine News 1990/470. Warship International March 1971. http://leden.tref.nl/~jviss000/Gelderland.htm and some Dutch books.
1897 Laid down.
28 September 1898 launched under the name GELDERLAND, named after the Dutch province Gelderland.
Three sisterships the HOLLAND, ZEELAND and NOORDBRABANT.
Displacement 3.950 ton, dim. 94.7 x 14.82 x 5.40m. (draught)
Powered by two 3-cyl. triple expansion steamengines, 9.867 ihp, twin screws, speed 20 knots. 12 Yarrow pattern water tube boilers supplied steam. Bunker capacity maximum 930-ton coal. Range 4.500 miles @ 10 knots.
Armament 2 – 15cm, 6 – 12cm, 6 – 7.5cm, 8 – 3.7cm guns and 4 – 50MG, 3 - 30 MG. Two torpedo tubes
Crew 325.
1900 Completed at a cost of 3.057.944 Dutch Guilder.
15 July 1900 commissioned at Nieuwediep.
After commissioned she was ordered to steam to the Dutch East Indies, and on 22 August 1900 sailed from Vlissingen (Flushing).
When in the position of Perim, Red Sea she received orders to convoy the President of the Republic of South Africa, Paul Kruger to Europe.
19 October 1900 at Lourenço Marques (Maputo), President Kruger embarked and the GELDERLAND sailed to Europe, where on 22 November at Marseille President Kruger disembarked.
The GELDERLAND sailed via the Suez Canal to the East Indies, in the Suez Canal she was involved in a collision with the British ship PETERSTON, the GELDERLAND got some damage on the port side, which was repaired at Suez.
19 January 1901 arrived at Tandjong Priok. The next four year she served in the waters of the Dutch East Indies before heading home in 1905, she sailed home together with the UTRECHT and NOORDBRABANT and via Mahé, Perim, Port Said, Algiers and Tangier she arrived at Vlissingen on 13 August 1905.
12 September paid off for a refit by the “Fyenoord” yard at Schiedam, during the refit new boilers were fitted in and the armament altered by the reduction of 4 – 3.7cm and 2 –7.5cm guns.
25 February 1907 recommissioned at Willemsoord, and sailed for the West Indian station on 20 March 1907 via Tangier, Las Palmas and Fort of France for Curaçao, which she reached in April.
Made first a courtesy call at the U.S.A. arrived Hampton Roads on 2 June, was also dry-docked there between 13 and 17 June before she headed for New York.
03 July sailed from New York for Curaçao where she arrived on 10 July.
Jan.1908 she made a cruise to Colombia, Panama, Mexico and the U.S.A. where she again was dry-docked at New Orleans, on her return voyage to Curaçao she made a call at Havana.
May 1908 made an other cruise to Trinidad and Suriname.
At the end of 1908 she was involved in active service during a dispute with Venezuela, the Venezuelan patrol vessel ALIX was captured early 1909.
24 April 1909 she sailed homeward bound and arrived Nieuwediep on 14 May.
05 June 1909 paid off at the Rijkswerf in Willemsoord and recommissioned February 1911.
Stationed in home waters, she made a cruise to Cadiz, Las Palmas, Gibraltar and Tanger between 08 April and 8 June 1911 before she was taking H.R.H. Prins Hendrik to Sheerness for the Coronation of King George V, which took place in London on 22 June.
29 June she was home again and made thereafter a cruise to the Mediterranean between October and December 1911.
The first part of 1912 she visited Danish and Norwegian waters.
When trouble arouse in the Balkan she was ordered to proceed to Turkish waters and sailed on 16 October 1912 to protect the Dutch interests and nationals, she arrived home 19 June 1913.
A second deployment was made to the Turkish waters between October and December 1912.
Made in 1914 cruises to Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim between 26 May and 26 June.
During the First World War, the Netherlands were lucky to stay out of the war and in that time the GELDERLAND was always on high alert in the Dutch waters.
She was decommissioned on 16 April 1918 for conversion to an artillery school-ship, and she was recommissioned as seagoing school-ship 27 April 1920. Her armament was reduced to 10 –12cm, 2 – 7.5cm, four 3.7cm, 1 – 7.5cm mortar and two machine guns.
1922 Two 12cm guns were landed and replaced by 2 – 7.5cm guns, of which one was semi-automatic.
She had other refits between November 1930 and 02 May 1931 and 21 July 1931 to 18 March 1935.
Between November and December 1935 she made a cruise to West Africa, and on 09 September 1937 she carried the Dutch Royal family to Harwich for a visit to Great Britain.
Then again ordered to Caribbean waters, sailed from the Netherlands on 28 October 1937 and returned on 18 March 1938.
Then again ordered to Caribbean waters, sailed from the Netherlands on 28 October 1937 and returned on 18 March 1938.
During the Spanish civil war used for convoy duties between Gibraltar and Curaçao from the end of 1938 till 02 March 1939 when she returned at Nieuwendiep.
When Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, the GELDERLAND did not take part, she was decommissioned and disarmed and laid up at the Rijkswerf at Den Helder.
Used as a accommodation ship till 1941 when she was seized by the Germans and towed to the yard of C van der Giessen & Co., Krimpen a/d IJssel, for refitting in floating AA (flak) battery ship. During this refit she was altered her appearance beyond recognition. The refit was completed in 1944, then she sailed to Elbing most probably for her AA armament.
01 March 1944 re-commissioned under command of Ob. Lt. Gunther Engels, and manned by the 9th German Naval Flak Regiment, was armed with 08 – 10.5cm, 4 – 4cm Flak 28 and sixteen 2 cm quadruple mountings.
Renamed in NIOBE.
First stationed off Gotenhafen, the German main navy base in the eastern Baltic. But when in the late spring of 1944 she was needed in the Gulf of Finland to keep the Gulf closed for Russian warships, and preventing the Russian fleet for leaving Kronstadt. The German vessels deployed in the Gulf were under air attack of the Russian Air force. To protect these vessels against the air attacks the NIOBE was ordered to proceed to the Gulf of Finland.
The NIOBE made a call at Helsinki on 8 July and arrived at Kotka 10 July were she anchored in the west harbour.
When the Russian found out that a warship was anchored in Kotka, they were thinking that it was the modern and largest vessel of the Finnish navy the coast defence ship VÄINÄMÖINEN. A large air armada of 131 planes attacked the ship on 16 July, the NIOBE was attacked with bombs and torpedoes, the first hit destroyed a 10.5cm gun and the crew was killed, but also NIOBE flak control equipment was destroyed and orders had to be given by megaphone.
16.03 She was struck by two torpedoes and immediately took a dangerous list to starboard, after the third wave of airplanes the NIOBE had many hits and she was severe damaged. Her list increased to 45-degree and the engine room and tween deck flooding.
The order was given to abandon the vessel when most of her guns were out of action. The NIOBE rolled over and with a list of 50 degree came to rest on the bottom of the harbour.
Some 60 men were killed, 120 wounded.
The NIOBE shot down six enemy aircraft and the shore defence three.
Some weapons and equipment were taken off the wreck. But when peace was signed the wreck of the NIOBE was still there.
After the war the Netherlands abandoned the ship in 1947 to the Finns who raised her in 1952 and scrapped her in 1953.
Netherlands Antilles 1967 6c sg486, scott308
Source: Marine News 1990/470. Warship International March 1971. http://leden.tref.nl/~jviss000/Gelderland.htm and some Dutch books.