The
De Zeven Provinciën class (also called
Eendracht class) is a
class of
light cruisers. They were built by
Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) and
Wilton-Fijenoord for the
Royal Netherlands Navy. The name
De Zeven Provinciën refers to the seven provinces which formed the
Dutch Republic in 1581.
Design
In the 1930s there was an increased awareness in the
Netherlands about the threat which the
Imperial Japanese Navy posed to the
Dutch East Indies. To face this menace, the
Koninklijke Marine embarked on a major naval expansion program in 1932, which included building two new
light cruisers as replacements for the aging
Java class cruisers. The design was an improvement of the earlier
HNLMS De Ruyter and both ships were laid down in 1939. The first was named
Kijkduin, later changed to
Eendracht, and the second one received the name
De Zeven Provinciën, hence the name of the class.
However, construction was interrupted by the
Nazi invasion of the Netherlands on May 10 1940. The
Germans continued work on
De Zeven Provinciën which was more advanced than its twin; it was renamed
KH2 and modified by fitting an
Atlantik Bow. Work progressed very slowly as the dockyards' capacity was used for other purposes and sabotage by the
Dutch resistance affected progress. On December 24 1944,
KH2 was launched for use as a
blockship in the
Nieuwe Waterweg of
Rotterdam but this action was never carried out.
After the end of
World War II, construction resumed on both ships to a modified design which incorporated the lessons of the war. Armament was modified from 2 triple and 2 twin
Bofors 152/53 mm guns, 6 twin 40 mm
AA and 2 triple 533 mm
torpedo tubes to 4 twin Bofors 152/53 mm guns, 4 twin
Bofors 57/60 mm guns and 8 single
Bofors 40/70 mm guns. An improved propulsion plant was fitted as well as a second funnel and advanced electronics. Names were also changed with
Eendracht becoming
De Zeven Provinciën and the former
De Zeven Provinciën being renamed
De Ruyter. Both ships were finally
commissioned by the
Royal Netherlands Navy in 1953.
Ships in class
There are two ships in the class:
HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (renamed
De Ruyter in 1947) and
Kijkduin (renamed
Eendracht c. 1940,
De Ruyter in 1944 and
De Zeven Provinciën in 1947). Both ships have enjoyed long service lives, first in the
Koninklijke Marine (until early 1970s) and then in the
Marina de Guerra del Perú.
Royal Netherlands Navy
thumb|De Zeven Provinciën operating with the USS Essex, 1967.
In
Dutch service both ships participated in several
NATO exercises, and were frequently used as
flagships for different naval
task forces. Between 1962 and 1964, the
De Zeven Provinciën underwent a refit by RDM which included the removal of the two aft
turrets and the installation of a
RIM-2 Terrier SAM system. Lack of funds precluded the same modifications from being carried out in the
De Ruyter, which was
decommissioned in 1973. Her sistership followed suit in 1976; the cruisers were replaced in Dutch service by the two
Tromp class frigates.
Peruvian Navy
De Ruyter was acquired by the
Peruvian Navy and
recommissioned in 1973 as
BAP Almirante Grau. The
De Zeven Provinciën was also bought in 1976, its
RIM-2 Terrier SAM was removed and replaced by a hangar and a flight deck for
ASH-3D Sea King helicopters, and recommissioned in 1978 as
BAP Aguirre. From 1985 until 1988 the
Almirante Grau underwent a major modernization by Amsterdam Naval Services (ANS), which has allowed the ship to remain in service, whereas the
Aguirre was
decommissioned in 1999.
Sources
- Moore, John (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 1974-75. Franklin Watts Inc., 1975.
- Rodríguez Asti, John, Cruceros. Buques de la Marina de Guerra del Perú desde 1884. Dirección de Intereses Marítimos, 2000.
Category:Cruiser classes it:Classe De Zeven Provinciën (incrociatore)ja:デ・ロイテル級巡洋艦 (2代)ru:Лёгкие крейсера типа «Де Зевен Провинсен»sr:Крстарице класе Де Зевен Провинцијен 
