Java-class cruiser
Sumatra-class cruiser
The Sumatra class was a class of light cruisers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, named after the island of Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). Originally, three ships were planned: HNLMS Sumatra, HNLMS Java and HNLMS Celebes. Celebes was intended to be the flagship of the naval commander in the Dutch East Indies, and therefore she was slightly bigger than the other two ships. However, the contract was cancelled with 30 tons of material already prepared.
The class was designed by the Germaniawerft in Kiel, but constructed in the Netherlands. They were designed to counter the Japanese reconnaissance cruisers of the Chikuma class of 1912, and therefore fitted with 10 150mm (5.9 inch) guns. However, these were not turret-mounted, and by the time the cruisers were launched (Sumatra in 1920, Java in 1921), they had already become obsolete.
Nonetheless, both Sumatra and Java were still active at the outbreak of World War II. Java was sunk by a Japanese cruiser at the Battle of the Java Sea, and Sumatra performed escort and patrol duties during the first part of the war; she was finally sunk at Ouistreham as a wavebreaker for the Mulberry harbour.
Specifications
- Displacement: 6670 tons standard, 8078 tons fully loaded
- Crew: 526
- Primary armament: 10 x 150mm Mk. 6 guns
- Anti-aircraft armament: Sumatra: 6 x Bofors 40mm No. 1, Java: 8 x Bofors 40 mm No. 3; both: 8 x Browning .50 machine gun
- Anti-submarine warfare: 10 to 12 depth charges
- Armour: belt 75mm, deck 25mm (50mm at connection with belt), tower 125mm, gun shields 100mm
- Propulsion: 8 boilers, 3 steam turbines. Sumatra: 82 000 shp, Java: 73 000 shp
- Range: 4340 miles at 10 knots
- Maximum speed: 31 knots
- Reconnaissance: 2 Fokker C-11W aircraft
- Miscellaneous: smoke generator, 36 mines (removed during 1935 refit)