HNLMS Adolf van Nassau was a unique ship built for the Royal Netherlands Navy.
Context The Adolf van Nassau was part of the 1855 program that aimed to provide the Netherlands with a balanced fleet of screw propelled warships. The 1855 program called for three types of ships: frigates with auxiliary power of 400 hp; steam corvettes with 250 hp and steam sloops with 100 hp. The reason to create the program were the worries in the house of representatives about the state of the navy. There was a feeling that the navy was creating an enormous variety of ships, that would turn out to be inefficient and ineffective.
The first frigate with auxiliary power was the Wassenaar, a sail frigate converted during construction. The ships of the Evertsen class were laid down in 1854 and 1856 and were designed for auxiliary steam power. Meanwhile, the years between 1845 (acceptance of screw propulsion) and 1862 (Battle of Hampton Roads) were the most revolutionary years in the history of warship construction. The transition from auxiliary steam power to full steam power is a less obvious aspect of these years. In the late 1840s a screw steam frigate that could make 6 knots was superior to any sail-only or paddle-driven warship. A ship with so-called 'full steam power' was something different. It meant that the ship could outrun any ship that was more or less depended on sail.
The Adolf van Nassau would be the fourth frigate of the 1855 program. The major 'flaw' of the Evertsen class in comparison to contemporary foreign frigates was the maximum speed of about 8 knots. Increasing the speed would be a logical design objective.
Characteristics Design The Adolf van Nassau basically seemed to be a lengthened Evertsen class. Her dimensions were the same, except that she was (72.86 - 63.50) 9.36 m longer. This is about 15% longer, and the increased length was no doubt used to install the more powerful steam engine and boilers. The additional space might also have been used for storing 5 months of food and 18 months of other needs.
Machinery In April 1861 the machinery for the Adolf of 450 horsepower was ready in the factory of Van Vlissingen en Dudok van Heel. In April 1865 she was reported to have attained a speed of 9 knots under steam, and 15 miles with machines and sail on a hard wind.
Sails The Adolf van Nassau was supposed to move by sail most of the time. She therefore had a full sailing apparatus. Her main mast stood 60 meters above the water. The composition of the mast was: mast (the lowest part) of 34.4 m, topmast (Dutch: steng, first extension) 19.5 m, topgallant (Dutch: bramsteng, second extension) 17.15 m, total 71.05 m. The ship being deep (inside the hull) 5.30 m makes this 65.75 m above water. Counting overlap it makes 60 meters. The later unprotected cruiser Atjeh (which had full steam power) had a main mast standing only 38 m above water.
Armament Deck Gun type Original armament 1873 1876 At the Bow SBML 1 long 60-pdr on pivot and sled 1 long 60-pdr on pivot and sled 1 long 60-pdr on pivot and sled Upper deck SBML 12 long 30-pdr No 1, 2 or 3 12 long 30-pdr No 1, 2 or 3 12 long 30-pdr No 1, 2 or 3 Shell guns 4 Shell gun 20 cm No3 4 Shell gun 20 cm No3 4 Shell gun 20 cm No3 Main gun deck SBML 26 long 30-pdr No 4 22 * 16 cm RML, 4 long 30-pdr No 4 8 * 16 cm RML, 18 long 30-pdr No 4 Shell Guns 8 Shell gun 20 cm No 2 8 Shell gun 20 cm No 2 8 Shell gun 20 cm No 2
From the start the armament of the Adolf van Nassau was given as '51 guns' just like the Evertsen class. Therefore, one can fill in the original armament of 51 guns according to the table in 'Memorandum voor den Jeugdigen Zeeofficier'. This is strange, because the Adolf was 15% longer, and one would therefore expect a longer main battery. That is a stronger main gun deck, even when the total number of guns stays the same.
If one notes that it was 1864 before the Adolf was actually commissioned, this armament was actually fictitious for a very long time. It's not even sure what the actual armament was on her first trip in 1865. There was mention that the Adolf could mount up to 80 guns, which is in line with the number of gun ports on the main deck. In August 1867 she was stated to mount 8 rifled guns, probably in the same configuration as that documented in 1876. In 1873 the armament of the Adolf was stated to be 1 * 60 pdr; 16 * long 30 pdr; 12 * grenade gun 20 cm; 22 * 16 cm RML. Just like the Evertsens. A logical assumption is that the 16 cm RML simply replaced an equal number of long 30 pdr No 4. In the budget for 1876 the Adolf was projected as armed with 1 * 60 pdr; 30 * long 30 pdr; 12 * grenade gun 20 cm; 8 * 16 cm RML.
Criticism The active service record of the Adolf van Nassau runs from September 1864 to June 1868, less than 4 years! Her service record did extend to 1874, but from 1868 till 1874 she did not see active service, and lots of money were spent on repairs. However, the mid 1874 decision to end her career does not necessarily reflect her condition, and might have been due to considerations about operational cost in combination with being obsolete.
Therefore, in comparison to foreign ships, serious remarks can be made about the Adolf'''s speed, armament and quality of construction. The root cause was that as a principal, the Dutch navy also had a role in stimulating the Dutch machine building industry. The navy could also have opted for an older existing steam engine without possible quality issues, or for buying a faster engine from abroad. The key consideration in this respect was that just like having a fleet, having an effective national capacity to build warships was also a cornerstone of national security.
Construction and Commissioning
Construction of the Adolf van Nassau The Adolf van Nassau was laid down in Vlissingen on 4 December 1858. In early June 1861 a number of vessels was moved out of the Vlissingen dock to make room for launching the Adolf. She was launched on 8 June 1861. Thus the Adolf had spent only 30 months on the slipway. Compared to the time on the slipway for the Evertsen (35 months), and the Zeeland(41 months), this was very short. The Adolf was also built at a time when the Dutch state shipyards had been too busy (overspanning).
Commissioning delayed Both the Evertsen and the Zeeland were commissioned within one year of their launch. In August 1861 the commissioning of the Adolf was said to be postponed to spring 1862., but this would be the regular time to commission her. By October 1861 most of the steam engine and other machinery had been placed on board.
Delays became apparent in spring 1862. In May there was talk about commissioning the Adolf in July. In February of the next year there were rumors that the Adolf would be commissioned for a trip by Prince Alexander to Russia. In July 1863 there was a tender for constructing an iron roof over the Adolf van Nassau. The tender was awarded for 12,300 guilders. The iron roofs over ships in ordinary were becoming a normal construction at the time, though it was remarkable that it was constructed over a ship that had not even sailed yet.
The delay in commissioning the Adolf is explained by two circumstances. The commissioning of the Gloire in August 1860 had basically rendered all existing steam frigates and smaller vessels obsolete. But, this was not yet clear to all. On 8 March 1862 the Battle of Hampton Roads did provide certainty about the use of armor on ships. The Dutch had not done much about armoring, and suddenly realized that they were quite defenseless. Money and men were required for other things than equipping the Adolf. The events in Japan of 1863 and 1864 were the next strain on Dutch naval resources. They also made clear that in many theaters unarmored ships would remain important for some years.
Service First trip
In early July 1864 the Adolf was to be made ready for the East Indies. She was also to transport the director and commander of the navy to Java.
In mid-June another steam frigate, the Zeeland was planned to be refit before her next trip to the East Indies. Her crew was to transfer to the Adolf. On 19 July the Prinses Maria sailed from Nieuwediep to Vlissingen with 100 sailors of the Zeeland, that were to be transferred to the Adolf. On 6 August 100 more of the crew of the Zeeland, that was decommissioning in Nieuwediep, were transferred to the Adolf by ship. Captain S. Faber Huys was to become the first commander of the Adolf, but he retired on 6 August. Captain O.A. Uhlenbeck was immediately appointed to replace him. He was placed in the 'bovenrol' of the Adolf with the date 21 August. On 21 August the Adolf would indeed be commissioned officially.
On 16 September 1864 the Adolf left the dock of Vlissingen and made a short trial on the Schelde. On 29 September the Adolf made a trial run from Vlissingen to Terneuzen. The officer-engineer Juliën was present to inspect the machines. On 15 October 1864 the Adolf finally left Vlissingen.
Collision with the merchant ship Gustav On the very first day of her very first voyage the Adolf van Nassau would get in a serious collision with a merchant ship. The ships she collided with was the Swedish Barque Gustav of Captain Berglund, which was sailing from Sundsvall (a center of forestry) to Bristol. On 18 October the Gustav would enter Gravesend without foremast and with other damage.
On 15 October at 22:30 the Adolf was steaming in beautiful weather and a calm sea. On the latitude of South Foreland, she then sighted a Barque without lights coming from the opposite direction. Suddenly, the barque sailed upwind instead of sailing downwind, like a sail ship ought to do in these circumstances. As a consequence both ships collided, sustaining damage to hull and rigging without getting leaky. During the night the Adolf put the Gustav in tow till morning, when an English tugboat offered to pull her to the closest harbor. The Gustav declined this offered and next set sail and disappeared. In the afternoon the warm water tank of the Adolf ripped open, and the engines were stopped. After stopgap repairs the Adolf sailed to the Downs. In the Downs repairs to the machinery continued day and night till the morning of Wednesday (the 19th). The Adolf then sailed to Sheerness, where she entered the dry dock on Thursday 27 October. The damage would be repaired in a few days.
The above was a story published on 2 November. On 19 October, there was a rumor in Vlissingen that the Adolf had been sighted with a broken 'kluiverboom' Jibboom (an extension of the bowsprit), and broken 'voorbramsteng' (second extension of the fore-mast). The Adolf was reported as leaving Deal for Sheerness on 19 October. On 21 October L.K. Turk, director of naval construction in Nieuwediep, left Nieuwediep to assess the damage, and to see where it should be repaired. On 21 October the Adolf anchored in the Nore with 'a lost voorbramsteng, broken bowsprit and other damage to ship and machinery'. Later on the 21st the Adolf, after exchanging salutes, sailed up the Medway to be repaired in one of the docks.