M-class minesweeper (Netherlands)

Class overview
Builders	Van der Kuyk & Ree from, Fa. Koopman and J & A van der Schuyt
Operators	Royal Netherlands Navy
Completed	Four
General characteristics
Displacement	M1: 328  tonnes, M2: 205  tonnes and M3, M4: 230  tonnes
Length	+/- 30  m
Propulsion	M1, M2: 500 hp engine and M3, M4: 450 hp engine
Speed	M1: 9,5  knots and M2, M3, M4: 10  knots
Complement	16
Armament	2 x 12,7 mm MG

For the German Minesweepers of World War 2 vintage please see M class Minesweeper (Germany)

The M class was a class of four minesweepers of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It where the first minesweepers of the Dutch navy. The need for minesweepers for the Dutch marine came from the First World War where sea mines where used in great numbers. So the navy decided to turn tugboat in to minesweepers. The ships where build by three different shipyard Van der Kuyk & Ree from Rotterdam, Fa. Koopman Dordrecht and J & A van der Schuyt Papendrecht. The ships where still in service during the Second World War. Not one of the ships was able to escape to the United Kingdom and tree of the four ships fell in German hands. After the war the M 1 and M 4 where found and given back to the Netherlands and re-entered service as tugboats.

Ships in class

• Hr. Ms. M 1 (1918 - 1949)
• Hr. Ms. M 2 (1918 - 1940)
• Hr. Ms. M 3 (1918 - 1940)
• Hr. Ms. M 4 (1918 - 1992)

Source

• Netherlandsnavy.nl :: M class minesweepers
• Mark, C. Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II Alkmaar: De Alk bv, 1997: 106-116