HNLMS O 15

O 15 was a O 12-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy that saw service during World War II. It was the only submarine of the O 12 class built by Wilton-Fijenoord of Rotterdam.[1] It was one of many Dutch ships doing convoy duty during the Spanish Civil War. When World War II broke out O 15 was stationed in Curaçao. It returned to Europe and was based in Dundee, whence it patrolled the coast of Norway and accompanied convoys to Archangelsk. The sub survived World War II and was taken out of active duty just after the Japanese surrender. It was demolished in 1946 in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht.[2]

HNLMS O 15 in 1935
History
Netherlands
Name: HNLMS O 15
Builder: Wilton-Fijenoord, Rotterdam
Laid down: 3 March 1930[1]
Launched: 27 May 1931
Commissioned: 28 July 1932[1]
Decommissioned: 11 September 1945[1]
Out of service: 2 October 1946
General characteristics
Class and type: O 12-class submarine
Displacement:
  • 610 tons surfaced
  • 754 tons submerged
Length: 60.4 m (198 ft 2 in)
Beam: 6.8 m (22 ft 4 in)
Draught: 3.6 m (11 ft 10 in)
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) surfaced
  • 8 kn (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) submerged
Range:
  • 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) on the surface
  • 28 nmi (52 km; 32 mi) at 8.5 kn (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) submerged
Complement: 29-31
Armament:

Service history

Before World War II

With sister ship O 13, O 15 attended the Brussels International Exposition in 1935. During the Spanish Civil War O 15 was on convoy duty, from 23 March to 24 June 1937, protecting Dutch merchant ships. On 2 October 1939, the ship left with O 20 and the sloop Van Kinsbergen for Curaçao, via the long route (around Scotland) because of the threat of mines in the English Channel. After 27 days the ship arrived in Curaçao on 29 October.[2]

During World War II

During the German attack on the Netherlands in 1940 O 15 was in the Curaçao harbor for maintenance. In early July, after consultations between the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Royal Navy led to the conclusion that there was no need for Dutch submarines in the Caribbean, O 15 was ordered to go to England via Kingston, Bermuda and Halifax. In Hamilton, Bermuda, repairs were made to the diesel engines which were due for an overhaul at Halifax. Since parts and workers were not available at Halifax, O 15 sailed to Philadelphia. It helped in testing the CSC (Canadian Sea Control) type radar and only crossed the Atlantic for Dundee, Scotland on 15 September 1942. It patrolled the Norwegian coast and accompanied convoys to Archangelsk and was used on occasion for anti-submarine warfare and ASDIC testing. For maintenance, O 15 received parts from O 14, which was decommissioned in 1943.[2]

After World War II

O 15 returned to the Netherlands on 30 June 1945 and was docked in Rotterdam until 23 July. It returned to Dundee for training but was taken out of active duty shortly after the Japanese surrender and decommissioned a month later, in September.[2]

For a while O 15 transported personnel from Dundee to Rotterdam, and was sold on 2 October 1946, then demolished in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht.[2]

References
  1. (in English) Dutchsubmarines.com :: O 12 class
  2. (in English) Dutchsubmarines.com :: O 15

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