HNLMS O 21

Last updated
O 21 haven van Gribalter.jpg
O 21
History
Flag of the Netherlands.svgNetherlands
NameO 21
Builder Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde, Vlissingen
Laid down20 November 1937
Launched21 October 1939
Commissioned10 May 1940
Decommissioned2 November 1957
FateSold for scrapping, 24 January 1958
General characteristics [1]
Class and type O 21-class submarine
Displacement
  • 990 tons surfaced
  • 1205 tons submerged
Length77.7 m (254 ft 11 in)
Beam6.8 m (22 ft 4 in)
Draught3.95 m (13 ft 0 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 19.5  kn (36.1 km/h; 22.4 mph) surfaced
  • 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged
Range
  • 10,000  nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) surfaced
  • 28  nmi (52 km; 32 mi) at 8.5 kn (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) submerged
Complement39
Armament
  • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes
  • 2 × 21 in stern torpedo tubes
  • 2 × 21 in (1×2) external-traversing TT amidships

O 21, laid down K XXI was an O 21-class submarine of the Royal Netherlands Navy that saw service during World War II. During the war she sank several ships, among them the German submarine U-95.

Contents

Ship history

O 21 being readied for sea trials, October 1939. Onderzeeboot Hr.Ms. O 21 (1940-1957) Gereed voor de proefvaart (2158 015383).jpg
O 21 being readied for sea trials, October 1939.

The submarine was laid down on 20 November 1937 as K XXI at the Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde, Vlissingen During construction she was renamed O 21, and was finally launched on 21 October 1939. Following the German invasion of 10 May 1940, the O 21 was hastily commissioned, still incomplete, and sailed for England on 12 May together with her sister O 22 and the tugboat B.V. 37, to be finally completed at the Navy yard in Rosyth. [2]

During the war she operated around England, the Mediterranean Sea, Colombo in the Indian Ocean and Fremantle off the west coast of Australia. She survived the war and was decommissioned on 2 November 1957 and sold for scrap the following year. [2]

Summary of raiding history

Ships sunk and damaged by O 21. [3]

DateShip nameNationality/TypeTonnage (GRT)Fate
28 July 1941ErnestoItalian merchant ?missed
3 August 1941 ?Italian barquentine ?Damaged
5 September 1941IsarcoItalian merchant5738Sunk
3 October 1941Oued YquemVichy-French merchant1369Sunk
22 November 1941San SalvatoreItalian schooner92Sunk
28 November 1941 U-95 German submarine769 tonnes (757 long tons)
871 t (857 long tons)
Sunk 36°24′N3°20′W / 36.400°N 3.333°W / 36.400; -3.333
13 March 1943Kasuga Maru No.2Japanese merchant cargo ship3967Sunk
22 April 1943Yamazato MaruJapanese army cargo ship6925Sunk
29 July 1945 ?Japanese coaster ?Damaged
29 July 1945 ?Japanese coaster ?Damaged

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References

  1. "Dutch Submarines: The O 21 submarine class". dutchsubmarines.com. 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Dutch Submarines: The submarine O 21". dutchsubmarines.com. 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  3. Helgason, Guðmundur (2013). "HNMS O 21". uboat.net. Retrieved 23 July 2013.