The Van Straelen class was a ship class of sixteen minesweepers that were built in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN).van Amstel (1991), pp. 76-78. They were taken into service of the RNLN between 1960 and 1962 and served until 1 March 1983.Raven (1988), p. 185.Roetering (1997), p. 129.

Design and construction The ships were designed in the Netherlands and build between 1958 and 1962 at several different Dutch shipyards.Schoonoord (2012), p. 99. The costs of the class was split between the United States and the Netherlands. The United states paid under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP) for the construction of eight ships and the Netherlands paid for the other eight ships.Woudstra (1982), p. 154.

To sweep mines the ships were equipped with the W Mk 7, ME 31 to ME 33 and the AX Mk 6B or 4V. Furthermore, they could be equipped with the M Mk 6h which would give the ships a magnetic sweeping ability.

Service history The minesweepers were used to sweep mines in shallow and narrow inland waters.Woudstra (1982), p. 151.

Ships in class The ships were named after officers, sailors and other personnel of the Royal Netherlands Navy that distinguished themselves during the Second World War and/or the Indonesian War of Independence and were awarded posthumously either the Military Order of William or Bronze Cross for their service.

+ Van Straelen-class construction dataSchoonoord (2012), pp. 319-320. ShipPennant No.BuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissioned DecommissionedFate M868 De Noord 26 January 1958 29 June 1959 12 March 1960 1983 Sold in 1986 to the firm Holland & Zn. M869 G. de Vries Lentschr Jr. 28 August 1958 27 February 1960 19 August 1960 1983 Sold in 1986 to Delft Geophysical M870 Arnhemse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij 27 April 1959 6 February 1960 22 August 1960 1983 Loaned to ZKK Den Helder in 1984. In 2022 loaned to Korps Zeekadetten in Veere. M871 G. de Vries Lentschr Jr. 27 April 1959 28 May 1960 14 November 1960 1983 Sold to Peru in 1984 as Acarillo M872 Arnhemse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij 28 November 1958 17 May 1960 20 December 1960 1983 Sold in 1986 to Delft Geophysical as Delft Fortuna M873 De Noord 6 April 1959 10 May 1960 19 December 1960 1983 Loaned to ZKK Hellevoetsluis in 1985 M874 De Noord 29 June 1959 10 May 1960 19 December 1960 1983 Sold in 1988 in Zaandam M875 Arnhemse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij 29 December 1959 1 October 1960 28 April 1961 1983 Sold in 1986 to Delft Geophysical as Delft Minerva M876 G. de Vries Lentschr Jr. 26 June 1959 30 June 1960 5 April 1961 1983 Loaned to ZKK Maassluis in 1986 M877 De Noord 27 March 1961 4 December 1961 11 April 1962 1983 In 1984 to Zeekadetkorps M878 G. de Vries Lentschr Jr. 30 May 1960 3 May1961 6 October 1961 1983 Sold to Peru in 1984 as Melo M879 De Noord 8 June 1960 15 March 1961 6 October 1961 1983 Sold in 1986 to Delft Geophysical M880 De Noord 18 June 1960 15 March 1961 6 October 1961 1983 M881 G. de Vries Lentschr Jr. 8 July 1960 30 August 1961 21 February 1962 1983 Sold in 1986 to the firm Holland & Zn. M882 Arnhemse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij 19 September 1960 26 August 1961 21 March 1962 1983 Sold in 1986 to Delft Geophysical M883 Arnhemse Scheepsbouw Maatschappij 16 May 1960 4 March 1961 6 October 1961 1983 Sold for scrap in 1987 to the firm Westmetaal

See also List of minesweepers of the Royal Netherlands Navy

Equivalent minesweepers of the same era

Notes

Citations

References