HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes (1965)

HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes (F804) (Dutch: Hr.Ms. Tjerk Hiddes) was a frigate of the Van Speijk class. The ship was in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy from 1967 to 1986. The frigate was named after Dutch naval hero Tjerk Hiddes de Vries. The ship's radio call sign was "PAVC".[1] She was sold to the Indonesian Navy where the ship was renamed KRI Ahmad Yani (351).

Tjerk Hiddes
History
Netherlands
Name:	Tjerk Hiddes
Namesake:	Tjerk Hiddes de Vries
Builder:	NDSM, Amsterdam
Laid down:	1 June 1964
Launched:	17 December 1965
Commissioned:	16 August 1967
Decommissioned:	1986
Fate:	Sold to the Indonesian Navy
Indonesia
Name:	Ahmad Yani
Namesake:	Ahmad Yani
Commissioned:	1986
Identification:	351
Status:	active service
General characteristics
Type:	Van Speijk class
Displacement:	2,200 tons standard, 2,850 tons full load
Length:	113.4 m (372 ft)
Beam:	12.5 m (41 ft)
Draught:	5.8 m (19 ft)
Propulsion:	As built 2 x geared steam turbines 22,370 kW (30,000 shp) 2 x shafts Rebuild Caterpillar diesels (5 ships) SEMT-Pielstick diesels (1 ship)
Speed:	28.5 kn (52.8 km/h; 32.8 mph) With new diesels - estimated max. 24 kn (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Range:	4,500 nmi (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	180
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar: LW-03, DA-02, M45, M44 Sonar: Types 170B, 162 Combat system: SEWACO V
Armament:	1× OTO-Melara 76 mm gun 2× twin Simbad Launcher for Mistral SAMs 4× SS-N-26 SSM (On at least one ship) (Indonesian Navy) 4× C-802 SSM (On five ships) (Indonesian Navy) 2 × 3 – Mk 32 anti submarine torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried:	one NBO-105C
Aviation facilities:	Hangar

Design and construction

In the early 1960s, the Royal Netherlands Navy had an urgent requirement to replace its Van Amstel-class frigates, obsolete ex-American escorts built during the Second World War. To meet this requirement, it chose to build a modified version of the British Leander-class frigate as its Van Speijk class, using broadly the same armament as the original design, but where possible, substituting Dutch electronics and radars.[2]

The Van Speijks were 113.4 m (372 ft) long overall and 109.7 m (360 ft) between perpendiculars, with a beam of 12.5 m (41 ft) and a draught of 5.8 m (19 ft). Displacement was 2,200 long tons (2,200 t) standard and 2,850 long tons (2,900 t) full load.[3] Two Babcock & Wilcox boilers supplied steam to two sets of Werkspoor-English Electric double reduction geared steam turbines rated at 30,000 shp (22,000 kW) and driving two propeller shafts.[3][4] This gave a speed of 28.5 kn (32.8 mph; 52.8 km/h).[3]

A twin 4.5-inch (113 mm) Mark 6 gun mount was fitted forward. Anti-aircraft defence was provided by two quadruple Sea Cat surface-to-air missile launchers on the hangar roof. A Limbo anti-submarine mortar was fitted aft to provide a short-range anti-submarine capability, while a hangar and helicopter deck allowed a single Westland Wasp helicopter to be operated, for longer range anti-submarine and anti-surface operations.[3][4]

As built, Tjerk Hiddes was fitted with a Signaal LW-03 long range air search radar on the ship's mainmast, with a DA02 medium range air/surface surveillance radar carried on the ship's foremast. M44 and M45 fire control radars were provided for the Seacat missiles and ships guns respectively.[3][5] The ship had a sonar suite of Type 170B attack sonar and Type 162 bottom search sonar.[3] The ship had a crew of 251.[3]

An order for four Van Speijks, including Tjerk Hiddes, was placed in 1962, with two more ordered in 1964.[3] Tjerk Hiddes was laid down at the Amsterdam shipyard of Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij on 1 June 1964 and was launched on 17 December 1965. The ship was completed and entered service on 16 August 1967 with the pennant number F 804.[4][6]

Modifications

All six Van Speijks were modernised in the 1970s, using many of the systems used by the new Kortenaer-class frigates.[3] The 4.5-inch gun was replaced by a single OTO Melara 76 mm and launchers for up to eight Harpoon anti-ship missiles fitted (although only two were normally carried). The hangar and flight deck were enlarged, allowing a Westland Lynx helicopter to be carried, while the Limbo mortar was removed, with a pair of triple Mk 32 torpedo launchers providing close-in anti-submarine armament. A Signaal DA03 radar replaced the DA02 radar and an American EDO Corporation CWE-610 sonar replaced the original British sonar.[3][7][8] Tjerk Hiddes was modernised at the Den Helder naval dockyard between 15 December 1978 and 1 June 1981.[7][8]

Dutch service history

In 1969 Tjerk Hiddes participated in the NATO exercises Razor Sharp and Peace Keeper and also served with STANAVFORLANT.[9]

On 27 August 1978 she was present at the Navy days at Portsmouth.[1]

Tjerk Hiddes suffered from boiler problems, and in 1986 was put up for sale along with sister ships Van Speijk, Van Galen and Van Nes.[8] The four ships then were purchased by Indonesia. Tjerk Hiddes was decommissioned on 6 January 1986 and transferred to the Indonesian Navy on 13 October 1986.[10]

Indonesian service history

The ship was renamed Ahmad Yani on joining the Indonesian Navy, with the pennant number 351.[10] By 2002, the ships Seacat missiles were inoperable and it was reported that propulsion problems were badly effecting the availability of the ships of this class.[11] The ship's Seacat launchers were therefore replaced by two Simbad twin launchers for Mistral anti-aircraft missiles, and Ahmad Yani was re-engined with two 10.9 megawatts (14,600 shp) Caterpiller 3616 diesel engines.[12]

Notes

1. "helis.com". Retrieved 28 September 2019.
2. Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, pp. 269, 275
3. Gardiner & Chumbley 1995, p. 275
4. Blackman 1971, p. 234
5. Moore 1979, p. 357
6. Couhat & Baker 1986, p. 386
7. Moore 1985, p. 353
8. Couhat & Baker 1986, p. 387
9. "Hr.Ms. TJERK HIDDES". Onze Vloot. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
10. Prézelin & Baker 1990, p. 247
11. Saunders 2002, p. 323
12. Saunders 2009, p. 354

References

• Blackman, Raymond V. B., ed. (1971). Jane's Fighting Ships 1971–72. London: Sampson Low Marston & Co., Ltd. ISBN 0-354-00096-9.
• Couhat, Jean Labayle; Baker, A. D., eds. (1986). Combat Fleets of the World 1986/87. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85368-860-5.
• Gardiner, Robert; Chumbley, Stephen, eds. (1995). Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1947–1995. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-132-7.
• Moore, John, ed. (1979). Jane's Fighting Ships 1979–1980. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-354-00587-1.
• Moore, John, ed. (1985). Jane's Fighting Ships 1985–1986. London: Jane's Yearbooks. ISBN 0-7106-0814-4.
• Prézelin, Bernard; Baker, A. D., III, eds. (1990). The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 1990/1991. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-250-8.
• Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2002). Jane's Fighting Ships 2002–2003. Coulsdon, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-24328.
• Saunders, Stephan, ed. (2009). Jane's Fighting Ships 2009-2010. Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2888-6.