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| Koninklijke Marine Royal Netherlands Navy Unique Light Cruiser 7,548 Tons 560.5' x 51.5' x 16.7' 7 x Bofors 15cm/5.9" guns 10 x Bofors 40mm AA 8 x .50 cal AA 1 x catapult 2 x Fokker floatplanes  RAN February 1942   Kevin Denlay 2002 |
Ship History Built by Wilton Fijenoord dockyard in Schiedam, Netherlands. Laid down September 16, 1933 as a unique light cruiser. Launched March 11, 1935 as Hr. Ms. De Ruyter named after Admiral Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter and was the seventh ship in the Royal Netherlands Navy with the name. Also known as HNMS De Ruyter or HNLMS De Ruyter. Commissioned October 3, 1936 in the Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) under the command of Captain A. C. van der Sande Lacoste. After shake down cruise, departs for the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) with Hr. Ms. Java and Hr. Ms. Sumatra. Wartime History On February 2, 1942 De Ruyter became the flagship of Rear Admiral Karel Doorman with Captain Eugène Edouard Bernard Lacomblé for the American-British-Dutch-Australian Floatilla (ABDAFLOAT) formed in Gili Islands in the Bali Sea off Lombok Island. On February 4, 1942 during the Battle of Makassar Strait (Battle of the Flores Sea, Action off Madura Strait) attacked by Japanese bombers and managed to evade four bombing runs but sustained minor damage from several near misses from bombs released by Type 96 Land Based Attack Bomber Rikko / G3M2 Nells from 1st Kokutai that caused minor damage to the fire control system for her 40mm AA guns. On February 18, 1942 in the evening departs Tjiltjap as part of a group of American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDA) warships for an attack on Japanese forces landing at Bali. The force includes Hr. Ms. De Ruyter and Hr. Ms. Java with destroyers Hr. Ms. Kortenaer, Hr. Ms. Piet Hein, USS John D. Ford (DD-228) and USS Pope (DD-225). On February 19, 1942 at 10:00pm at the start of the Battle of Badung Strait (Bali Sea Battle) part of the first group of Allied warships spotted the Japanese in Badung Strait. At 10:25pm they open fire at but cause no damage and the two Dutch cruisers continued through Badung Strait to the northeast, to allow the destroyers to engage with torpedoes. Sinking History On February 27, 1942 around midnight during the Battle of the Java Sea, both Hr Ms De Ruyter and Hr Ms Java were sunk minutes apart by Japanese Type 93 "Long Lance" torpedoes fired by Japanese cruisers Nachi and Haguro. Aboard, Admiral Doorman along with his crew of 345 were lost in the sinking. Shipwreck On December 1, 2002 the shipwreck of De Ruyter was discovered by MV Empress using side scan sonar then confirmed by SCUBA divers including Kevin Denlay to positively identify vessel. Although the team's principal objective was to locate HMS Exeter, sunk two days later, they were thrilled to find the two Dutch cruisers [De Ruyter and Java] instead. The shipwreck was upright, although tilted over to starboard off Bawean Island in the Java Sea at a depth of 69m / 226'. That same day, the team also discovered Hr Ms Java. Sometime between December 2002 to November 2016, the shipwreck was dived by Indonesian salvagers that illegally removed scrap metal. By November 2016 completely scrapped the shipwreck. During November 2016, the Netherlands Defence Ministry said in a statement: “The wrecks of HNLMS De Ruyter and HNLMS Java have seemingly gone completely missing. A large piece is also missing of HNLMS Kortenaer.” References The Guardian "Mystery as wrecks of three Dutch WWII ships vanish from Java seabed" November 16, 2016 "The [Netherlands Defence] ministry said in a statement: “The wrecks of HNLMS De Ruyter and HNLMS Java have seemingly gone completely missing. A large piece is also missing of HNLMS Kortenaer.” History of War: "Java Sea Shipwrecks of World War 2: One of the men who found them reflects on their loss" by James Hoare November 23, 2016 Thanks to Kevin Denlay for additional information and photographs Contribute
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