Shipbucket

Aceh class armored cruisers:
As with their contemporaries, the Kapuas class protected cruisers, the Aceh class was postponed four years after the 1883 Naval Act debacle. Based on the British Orlando class, they were built by the Pembroke and Chatham yards in the UK. Both were laid down after their British cousins were completed and thus were slightly modified to reflect both Nusantaran requirements and operational experience with the commissioned ships; including repositioning the armor belt to provide more protection when the ships were fully loaded and moving the port and starboard torpedo tubes under the waterline.

Both these ships and the Kapuas class took longer to build as they had a low priority due to the ongoing Royal Navy expansion of the time. When they commissioned in 1893 as First Class Cruisers, they were welcome additions to the fleet with Aceh serving as fleet flagship until Marapi entered service in 1903. They were modified during 1900-1901 with their funnels extended by 2 meters to improve draught of the boilers and with reduced masts.

Re-designated as armored cruisers “AC”, in 1910, the pair had rapidly become obsolete after the turn of the century by more powerful designs entering service as well as the advent of battlecruisers. The ships were removed from front line duty in 1912 but remained in service until after WWI, being placed on limited commission after the conflict ended. After that they saw little activity beyond harbor defense and limited deployments in Nusantaran home waters until 1925, when they were decommissioned and scrapped beginning the following year.

In class: (2) Aceh, Bali

Built: 1888-1893

In commission: 1893-1925

Displacement: 5,630 ts normal, 6,390 ts full load

Dimensions: Length (o/a) 98.6m, (w/l) 94.5m, beam 17.1m, draft 7.3m

Propulsion: 2-shaft, 2 x 3-cyl vertical triple expansion engines, 4 x double-ended boilers; 8,500 ihp

Performance: 18.0 knots

Range: 8,000 nm at 10 knots

Armor: Compound steel. Belt 254mm, transverse bulkheads 406mm, deck 51-76mm, conning tower 305mm

Armament: 2 x BL 9.2-inch Mk V, 10 x BL 6-inch Mk IV, 6 x 6-pdr Hotchkiss QF, 10 x 3-pdr Hotchkiss QF, 6 x 450mm torpedo tubes (2 port, 2 starboard, 1 bow, 1 stern all submerged)

Crew: 490

Next up: "Modern" protected cruisers

Cheers!
Stealthjester

Kapuas class protected cruisers:
Authorized under the “replacement” Naval act of 1887, the Kapuas class of protected cruisers first entered service in 1895. These ships were built in British shipyards and were based on the Apollo class, but like the Aceh class before them had several subtle differences from their Royal Navy counterparts, such as the amidships torpedo tubes being relocated from deck to submerged mounts. They were also the first Nusantaran warships to use nickel-steel armor.

The new ships proved to be somewhat less than successful in actual service as they were poor sea-boats and suffered from restricted fields of fire of their secondary 4.7 inch guns. They were re-classed as light cruisers in 1910 but in reality were already obsolete. The decision was made to place the ships up for sale after less than two decades of service – something unheard of in the KNM of the time. An offer from the Kingdom of Siam was ultimately accepted and three of the cruisers were sold in late 1912. They were renamed Mi yxthx (“Indomitable” ex-Kapuas), Chuxseiyng (“Renown” ex-Barito), and Pnithan (“Resolution” ex-Mahakam). They would serve in the Royal Siam Navy through the mid 1930’s.


The last ship in Nusantaran service, KNS Sepik, was converted to a minelayer/cruiser beginning in September of 1914, where she lost her aft 6” gun mount and two 4.7” secondary guns but was provisioned to carry up to 100 mines. Re-commissioned in the spring of 1915 and re-designated CM-1, Sepik continued to serve in her new role until 1925, when she was decommissioned and sold off. She was broken up between 1926 and 1927.


In class: (4) Kapuas, Barito, Sepik, Mahakam

Built: 1890-1896

In commission: 1896-1925

Displacement: 3,700 ts normal, 4,150 ts full load

Dimensions: Length (o/a) 95.7m, (w/l) 94.0m, beam 13.3m, draft 5.6m

Propulsion: 2-shaft, 2 x 3-cyl vertical triple expansion engines, 5 x cylindrical boilers; 9,720 ihp

Performance: 20.0 knots

Range: 8,000 nm at 10 knots

Armor: Nickel-steel alloy. Deck 32-51mm, conning tower 76mm

Armament: 2 x QF 6-inch Mk I, 6 x QF 4.7-inch Mk II, 8 x 6-pdr Hotchkiss QF, 4 x 360mm torpedo tubes (1 port, 1 starboard, 1 bow, 1 stern all submerged)

Crew: 315

Next up: Torpedoboats and Nusantara's first true battleships

Cheers!
Stealthjester

these are great ships!

_________________
Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
New AU project "Aravala"

Thank you!

Karmozijn class torpedo boats:
Although classed as torpedo boats, the Karmozijn class was as large as contemporary torpedo boat destroyers as well as being similarly armed. Their plans were in fact based on current British and American examples and had design features of both nations’ ships.

Entering service at the turn of the century, the new ships were highly successful, albeit criticized for their relatively short range. Considered excellent sea-boats, they were well liked by their crews, although somewhat cramped internally. They were re-designated as destroyers (D prefix – same hull numbers) in 1910, and had their single 450mm torpedo tubes swapped out for duel launchers three years later.

Obsolete by the end of WWI, three; Karmozijn, Toermalijn, and Hessoniet, were decommissioned in 1919 and scrapped. Amber and Diamant decommissioned in 1921, leaving only Zirkonia in active service for another year. She was converted into a target ship in 1923 and was sunk during live fire exercises two years later.

In class: (6) Karmozijn, Amber, Toermalijn, Zirkonia, Diamant, Hessoniet

Built: 1899-1901

In commission: 1900-1922

Displacement: 450 ts normal, 680 ts full load

Dimensions: Length (o/a) 75.0m, (w/l) 73.9m, beam 7.0m, draft 2.0m

Propulsion: 2-shaft, 2 x SKR 4-cyl vertical triple expansion engines, 4 x SKR boilers; 9,500 ihp

Performance: 28.0 knots (design), 27.5 knots (actual)

Range: 1,500 nm at 8 knots

Armor: none

Armament: 1 x QF 12-pdr Mk II, 5 x 6-pdr Hotchkiss QF, 2 x 450mm torpedo tubes (1 amidships, 1 aft centerline deck mounts)

Crew: 77

Azuur class torpedo boats:
The follow-on to the Karmozijn class, the Azuur class torpedo boats were nearly identical to the earlier ships save they were a meter longer, slightly heavier, used more powerful engines allowing them to reach 28 knots, and replaced the aft 6-pounder with a second 12-pounder (76mm) gun. They were also better laid out internally and were not as cramped. All ten were in service by the end of 1903.

After entering service, the Azuurs careers were similar to the earlier ships, and were re-designated as destroyers in 1910. In May of 1911, while on a goodwill visit to the Philippines, the KNS Serandiet (D-14) collided with a Japanese-registered freighter in bad weather off Luzon and sank with the loss of most of her crew. Although ultimately determined to be an accident, this event nevertheless further strained relations between Nusantara and the Japanese Empire. The nine surviving ships had their single torpedo tubes replaced by twin launchers in 1915

With the outbreak of WWI in 1914, the Azuur class was utilized as escorts for cruisers on neutrality patrols along with newer destroyers. Remaining in service after the conflict ended the first of the class to retire were Azuur, Vermiljoen, Kyaniet, and Carneool, all of which decommissioned in 1922. The last five active members were decommissioned starting in early 1923; all had been sold off and scrapped by the end of 1925.

In class: (10) Azuur, Vermiljoen, Smaragd, Parel, Kyaniet, Scharlaken, Carneool, Serandiet, Onyx, Paars

Built: 1901-1903

In commission: 1902-1923

Displacement: 480 ts normal, 720 ts full load

Dimensions: Length (o/a) 76.0m, (w/l) 74.9m, beam 7.0m, draft 2.0m

Propulsion: 2-shaft, 2 x SKR 4-cyl vertical triple expansion engines, 4 x SKR boilers; 10,800 ihp

Performance: 29.0 knots (design), 28.0 knots (actual)

Range: 2,000 nm at 8 knots

Armor: none

Armament: 2 x QF 12-pdr Mk II, 4 x 6-pdr Hotchkiss QF, 2 x 450mm torpedo tubes (1 amidships, 1 aft centerline deck mounts)

Crew: 80

Next up: Marapi class pre-dreadnoughts

Cheers!
Stealthjester

Lovely additions, I like the look of these.

_________________
Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Marapi class battleships:
With the commissioning of this trio of pre-dreadnought battleships, Nusantara was recognized by most of the major nations as an emerging naval power in the Far-East. It was also when many modern historians assert the naval rivalry with the Japanese Empire began. This rivalry would itself lead to a full-blown naval arms race by the beginning of the 1930’s between the two island nations.
Authorized by the Naval Act of 1898, the new ships were to be built by British yards as Nusantara did not yet have the shipyard capacity for these large warships – although existing facilities were quickly expanded so that repairs/modernization could be carried out without having to send the ships back to the UK. They were based on the Formidable/London/Duncan series of battleships the Royal Navy had under construction at the time – although most of the Nusantaran ships design features came from the London class. Five ships were originally planned; however budgetary considerations limited the class to three ships.

All three member of this class commissioned by the end of 1903 and were the largest and most heavily armed warships to join the Nusantaran Navy to date – dwarfing the “battleships” of the Bratan class, which were relegated to second-line status and re-classed as coastal battleships within a year.
After entering service, the new ships were rotated on active deployments due to manpower shortages until early in 1905, when enough officers, and particularly experienced crew, became available. Marapi was designated fleet flagship – replacing the cruiser Aceh – while Sundoro and Ijen became squadron leaders as for the first time the KNM was divided into separate commands.
The new ships changed very little during their service lives although their masts were cut down by nearly twelve meters during 1908-1909 when they were equipped with wireless sets. Beginning just after the outbreak of the First World War, considerable discussion was given to modernizing the trio – despite their post-Dreadnought obsolescence – including converting them to oil-fired boilers, but ultimately these plans were shelved due to lack of funding under the restricted naval budgets of the Suratinoyo administration.

During the war, the Marapi class performed neutrality patrols or escorted high priority merchant ships, and were placed on limited duty following the armistice. In 1923, Sundoro was withdrawn from front-line service and converted to a depot/training ship between 1929-25. Most of her armament was removed save for the forward 12” twin mount, two 6” guns, and four 12-pounders, while a new deckhouse was built over the aft barbette and two additional boom cranes were added.

Despite increasing obsolescence, Marapi and Ijen continued in service until the mid 1920’s. Marapi was decommissioned in 1926, Ijen the following year. Both were placed in ordinary until 1929, when they were sold off and scrapped. Sundoro continued to serve as an auxiliary until decommissioned in early 1938. She was sold off and broken up by the end of 1939.

In class: (3) Marapi, Sundoro, Ijen

Built: 1900-1903

In commission: 1903-1927

Displacement: 14,380 ts normal, 15,600 ts full load

Dimensions: Length (o/a) 131.6m, length (p/p) 120.0m, beam 23.0m, draft 7.9m

Propulsion: 2-shaft, 2 x 3-cyl vertical triple expansion engines, 13 x Babcock & Wilcox boilers; 15,660 ihp

Performance: 18.0 knots (design), 18.4 knots (trials)

Range: 5,400 nm at 10 knots

Armor: Krupp/Harvey armor. Belt 229mm tapering to 51mm at the bow, deck (2) 25/64mm, turrets 254-203mm sides w/76-51mm roofs, 305mm barbettes, 152mm casemates 356-254mm forward conning tower, 76mm aft conning tower

Armament: 4 (2 x 2) 12”/40 Mk IX, 12 x 6”/45 Mk VII, 14 x QF 12-pdr Mk II, 6 x 3-pdr, 4 x 450mm torpedo tubes (2 port, 2 starboard submerged)

Crew: 720-770

Next up: Part II 1904-1921

Cheers!
Stealthjester

History:

Part II (1904-1921):
1904: The nationalist Unie (Union) Party gains a majority in parliament and appoints an outspoken, albeit charismatic, former Minister of State named I Nyoman Antara as prime minister. Antara is passionately devoted to making Nusantara safe and secure from “foreign adventuring” as he calls it and his government would soon embarks on a massive expansion of the military, particularly the Navy, by the end of the decade.

1905: The islands of the Celebes are formally annexed by Nusantara after decades of the latter’s involvement in the affairs of the native groups – including interventions in several inter-tribal wars. This was the last major territorial acquisition which created the nation familiar today.
The overwhelming Japanese victory in the Russo-Japanese War over the Russian Empire makes them the dominate power in the region – although this fact is slow to catch on in the West. Prime Minister Antara, however, recognizes the potential threat to Nusantara immediately and along with his political ally and close friend, Navy Minister Guus van der Waal, creates an ambitious plan to expand the Navy’s capabilities which is presented to Parliament by the fall of the year. The Naval Act of 1905 is passed by a significant majority in the Parliament. The Act calls for the addition of two battleships, two armored cruisers, six protected cruisers and twelve destroyers. In addition, the Act calls for the expansion of both the Surabaya and Tanjung Priok Navy Yards to allow the new ships to be built locally as part of an overall effort to reduce and eventually eliminate any need for foreign sources to supply ships or armament. This expansion plan would delay any new construction until early 1907.

1906: With the commissioning of HMS Dreadnought in December the Royal Navy turned the naval world on its head – effectively rendering any existing battleship obsolete – including those of Britain herself. Within six years thirteen other nations (including Nusantara) were either building dreadnoughts or had contracted to have them built, with the resulting naval arms races between Britain and Germany and the major South American countries of Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, being particularly fierce.

1907: First significant oil strikes in Nusantara mark the beginning of a new and highly profitable industry for the country. A state-owned company; Nusantara Nationale Olie (NNO) was chartered to administrate and expand the new industry. NNO’s monopoly was broken four years later by a private company; Djoyosuroto-Visser, in April of 1911.
The battleships Toba and Dieng, scheduled to be laid down in Surabaya and Tanjung Priok in the spring of 1907, were postponed in light of Dreadnought’s launch the previous year as the Navy Ministry re-evaluated their plans. A complete redesign was not feasible due to time constraints, but the existing design was heavily modified with input sought from the three countries actively building dreadnoughts; Britain, Germany, and the US. The result was a semi-dreadnought design with a mishmash of features that nevertheless proved to be successful in every respect save speed and maneuverability. The ships were finally laid down by mid-1908, but unfortunately, due to their protracted build times, were still obsolete when they commissioned in 1912-13. Meanwhile, construction of the armored cruisers Bengkulu and Gorontalo begins. One ship was contracted out each to the private yards of Guret Shipwrights and Berlage en Prawiro. Both had been laid down by late summer. In addition, the Navy Ministry also began researching foreign submarine designs, primarily British and American. In April of the following year, a single US C-class submarine is ordered as an evaluation and training boat.

1908: Construction of the new protected cruisers (Mamberamo class), as well as the class of modern turbine-driven destroyers (Saffier class) called for by the 1905 Naval Act begins. Most of these ships are built by private shipyards throughout Nusantara – for many of these firms these vessels were their first naval contracts.

1909: The first Nusantara submarine; KNS Istinggar, is shipped from the US and commissions into the Navy in December. Over the next few months the boat is put through her paces and both the Navy Ministry and the Admiralty were very impressed with her performance, and in April of 1910 orders were placed for two improved D-class boats from Electric Boat Company which commissioned as the Pandat class by late 1911. These new boats marked the beginning of a period of the Nusantara Navy paralleling US submarine development – including building US-designed submarines under license in Nusantara – that continued into the early 1930’s.

1910: With the Toba class battleships still under construction, the Navy Ministry was becoming increasingly aware that the new ships would be effectively obsolete when completed, so the decision was made to introduce a new Naval Act to authorize a class of “dreadnought” battleships.
Almost immediately, intense debate broke out over the proposed class. The Procurement Board was split not only on the desired specifications for the new ships but also whether to contract them out to a foreign shipyard or build them locally – which would require another expensive expansion of existing shipyards. Finally in June Navy Minister van der Waal stepped in and forced a decision – the Board would set final specifications no later than the end of September before seeking design proposals abroad. When those specifications are released it had also been decided that a group of five ships would be needed and that the class ship would be built by the winner of the contract with the rest built in Nusantaran yards. By mid October, design proposals had been submitted by six shipbuilding firms in Germany, the UK, and the United States. The Board debated for nearly six months before reaching a decision and selecting Germaniawerft’s Project 733 design in early April of 1911.
Meanwhile, a complete fleet-wide ship type reclassification occurs within the KNM. Many ships, mostly cruisers and torpedoboats are re-designated under the new system which, with occasional updates, is still used today by the Nusantara Republic Navy.

1911: Indragiri, the sixth member and final member of the Mamberamo class, is launched. When she commissioned in the fall of 1912, she joined Mamberamo, Kahayan, Pulau, Musi, and Batang Hari, as the first Nusantaran warships fitted with steam turbines – using British Parsons designs built under license. Originally rated as protected cruisers, these ships were re-classed as light cruisers while building and as was commonplace at the time, the guns for these ships were foreign-sourced – specifically from Krupp in Germany with whom the Nusantara government had a good working relationship originally established with the earlier Cipinang class ships.
Meanwhile, after signing the contract for the first new battleships with Germaniawerft in May of 1911, construction of the class ship – tentatively called the Rinjani – was delayed another three months while the Navy and Finance Ministries argued over funding for the new ships. Finally, PM Antara forced a compromise allowing the bill to be presented to Parliament, which was passed in September. It was during that time that Germaniawerft made final changes to the design while Krupp began building the first of a projected forty-eight 343mm (13.5”) guns designed especially for these ships.

1912: Rinjani is finally laid down in the Germaniawerft yards in Kiel, Germany, in March. Her projected completion time was twenty-eight months, which would prove to be optimistic. In Nusantara, Rinjani’s first sister-ships; Kerinci and Merbabu were laid down in the Surabaya Navy Yard in July and October respectively. Talakmau and Sindoro, the fourth and fifth ships of this class were delayed until either slipways became available at Surabaya or the still under construction 200 meter, 25,000 ton dry-dock in Tanjung Priok was completed.
In early December, KNS Amethist, the last of the twelve new turbine-driven Saffier class destroyers, is commissioned. These were the first Nusantaran ships to use exclusively oil-fired boilers and were very successful as well as long-lived, three; Robijn (D-29), Ebbehout (D-34), and Groen (D-37) surviving to serve during WWII.

1913: The completed dry-dock at the Tanjung Priok Navy Yard allowed construction of the fourth Rinjani class ship; Talakmau, to begin. Her keel was laid in September. The final ship in the class; Sindoro was laid down the following January after Kerinci was launched in late November.

1914: The conflict later known as the Great War breaks out with the June assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand – heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary – in Sarajevo. By August all the major powers of Europe had been pulled into the conflict and the warships under construction for foreign nations by Britain, Germany, and France were either abandoned in favor of more pressing wartime projects or seized to prevent their use by an enemy state.
This was the fate of the Rinjani. She had launched slightly behind schedule in August of 1913 and as a result was still fitting out when the British Royal Navy established a blockade of Germany a year later and thus was trapped in Kiel. As the battleship was nearly complete including the installation of her main armament, this resulted in the German government seizing the ship for use by the Imperial German Navy and she commissioned into the Kaiserliche Marine in February of 1915 as SMS Weissenburg. Back in Batavia, the Antara Government was furious of course, but there was realistically little they could do. The situation worsened when Krupp advised that due to the blockade they would be unable to ship any additional guns or ammunition ordered for the ships building in Nusantara beyond what was already delivered or en route. This meant there would be enough guns available to complete Kerinci and Merbabu but not Talakmau or Sindoro. Construction was halted on the latter two ships in mid September pending a decision on their disposition.

1915: The Koninklijke Nusantara Luchtmacht (Royal Nusantara Air Force) is created by act of Parliament in January and formally established March 11th. Its initial roster of aircraft is somewhat “eclectic” and includes British Airco DH.2’s, French Voisin III’s, and even a pair of American Curtis Model H-4 flying boats. The first KNLu airbase is established early the following year outside the city of Malang.
Both completed members of the re-named Kerinci class commissioned during 1915, Kerinci in late April and Merbabu in mid July. Talakmau and Sindoro had been canceled the previous November and the latter was scrapped on the slipway beginning in January, but Talakmau was close enough to being launched to warrant consideration of converting her to another use. Over the next several months the Navy Ministry and the Admiralty debated. In May of 1915 the decision was made to convert the ship to a hybrid battleship/aircraft carrier (similar in concept to the British Furious when first commissioned). Work resumed in late September and the ship – renamed Havik after the goshawks found in the Celebes islands – was launched in April of 1916.

1916: The Antara Government proposes the Naval Act of 1916, which called for a second class of dreadnoughts, a pair of battlecruisers, additional destroyers and submarines, as well as establishing a new naval base at Medan and three naval stations; one each in Borneo, the Celebes, and Timor. However, when the Act was introduced into Parliament, the members of the opposition parties balked at the projected costs, which would have tripled the naval budget. Combined with the ongoing Great War raging in Europe which had already seen a number of campaigns and naval actions in the Pacific – including an Australian invasion of German New Guinea – this set off a firestorm of debate which dragged on for months, with Antara and the Unie Party increasingly seen as warmongering expansionists.
The situation continued to worsen until finally it culminated in the June 9th assassination of Prime Minister Antara and four other high-ranking officials while on a state visit to the newly established Malang Airbase. Quickly capitalizing on the tragedy (or opportunity depending on one’s loyalties) the opposition Kamerdikan and Sociaal Progressief (Social Progressive) Parties formed a coalition government under Prime Minister Maarten Suratinoyo, who moved quickly to kill the 1916 Naval Act which enraged the remaining prominent hardliners in Parliament, but was otherwise widely supported.
The year concluded on a sour note as well. In early November, the cruiser KNS Tor (CL-18) was sunk by the Japanese armored cruiser Chikuma off Australia when the Japanese ship mistook the Nusantara vessel for a German raider. Although the Japanese government insisted the incident was an unfortunate accident and no malice was intended, in the political chaos following the Antara assassination the situation threatened to spiral out of control. Britain, caught in the middle (Japan an ally and Nusantara a long-time trading partner), tried to smooth things over diplomatically with little success. The Netherlands forced a solution by invoking the seldom-used provision in the Nusantaran constitution allowing them oversight of foreign policy. They re-imposed Nusantara’s neutrality in exchange for a formal apology and restitution from Japan. Thus the crisis which had come at a critical time for the Allies was averted – but relations between Nusantara and Japan never really recovered.

1917: PM Suratinoyo continues to slash military spending across the board. The only naval programs to continue relatively unaffected were the Havik conversion and the submarine program. Overseas, the United States declares war on Germany in April. By the summer of 1918 American servicemen were arriving in Europe at the rate of 10,000 a day.

1918: In late January, Havik is commissioned. She is an odd-looking ship, resembling her half-sisters retaining the forward and amidships 343mm twin turret, but with a flying off deck, handling cranes, and aircraft hangers located aft of the redesigned superstructure. Many in the Admiralty wondered about this strange vessel and what use she was to the navy as initially this hybrid carrier carried no aircraft due to spending cuts. She would finally receive her first complement of planes (initially surplus Sopwith Camel 2F.1’s) about six months later.
In Europe, the defeat of the final major German offensive by the Allies in mid-July marked the beginning of the end for the Central Powers. On November 11, 1918, an armistice was in place ending the fighting in Europe which remained in place until the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28th of 1919 officially ending the Great War.

1919: The Koninklijke Nusantara Kustwacht (Royal Nusantara Coast Guard) is established on February 7th. The organization replaces the Nusantara Maritime Revenue Agency and to date is the last new service branch to be added to the country’s military. The KNK inherited the previous service’s cutters and support vessels, most of which were built in the 1890’s and are now outdated. It will be several years before the issue of replacement ships is taken up by the still cost-conscious Parliament, however.

1920: As a condition of the German surrender and provisions of the Versailles Treaty, a few warships were portioned out to the Allies as reparations. SMS Weissenburg was one of the few German capital ships not interned at Scapa Flow and as such was to be ceded to the Allies. Originally allotted to the US, the ship was returned to Nusantara following a formal request from the latter leading to negotiations between the two governments in May. After inspection and repairs, the battleship was commissioned into the Nusantara Navy under her original name of Rinjani in early August becoming one of only two battleships seized at the outbreak of the Great War which returned to active service with their original owners – the other being the Chilean dreadnought Almirante Latorre (ex-HMS Canada).

1921: In the United States, the Harding Administration calls a disarmament conference in Washington DC in late November to try and curb the new postwar naval arms race between the former wartime allies. Participants included the US as host country, the UK, Japan, France and Italy. Signed on February 6, 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty limited the construction of capital ships as well as establishing tonnage limits as well as what ships had to be scrapped to comply with the treaty and when existing ships could be replaced.
In Nusantara, the conference was watched with great interest, and although not a participant, the county was directly effected by Japanese, and to a lesser extent by American and British, naval policy and strategic planning – especially in the event of any future conflict in the Pacific. Long-range planners in the Navy Ministry saw a golden opportunity to achieve parity or near-parity with their most likely opponent – Japan – and began drawing up plans to make that a reality.

Warships: 1904-1921

I. Capital Ships

Toba class semi-dreadnoughts:
Originally intended to be an improved Marapi with a heavier secondary battery, the Toba class was originally slated to be laid down during 1907, but was delayed after the launch of Dreadnought in 1906 led to an extensive, albeit not complete, redesign. Design assistance was sought from Britain, Germany, and the US with the inevitable result of the final plans having features of all three nations’ ships. This delayed the start of construction until 1908 and combined with the lengthy build time meant the new battleships were obsolete before they could even put to sea.
Despite this, when the ships finally commissioned they proved to be highly successful, although they never reached their design speed of 19 knots and maneuvered poorly due to their single rudder. These flaws notwithstanding, they were excellent sea-boats and stable gun platforms. This was borne out by the Toba riding out the 1927 storm that sank the cruiser Batang Hari and damaged several other ships in the formation unscathed – she even drew alongside the stricken cruiser in the violently rough water and took off survivors. Dieng, meanwhile, took the gunnery proficiency award four times over her career – a testament not only to her crew’s superb training and accuracy but also the ship’s inherent stability.

Both ships were given a modest refit in 1916 where their bridges were enlarged and two additional 12-pounder (3”) guns were installed on each main turret roof. They were otherwise unchanged for the next eight years.

After WWI, the pair continued in front-line service despite being thoroughly obsolete by this point until, in a controversial decision, the Admiralty chose to modernize both ships. Dieng entered drydock in February of 1924, Toba four months later. When they re-commissioned in 1925 they had changed considerably in appearance. They were given twelve new oil-fired boilers built by Herkenhoff en Zonen (Herkenhoff & Sons) replacing the old SKR coal-burning units which required new, more efficient uptakes and funnels. The submerged torpedo tubes were removed, the upper superstructure and masts were replaced and the 4” casemate guns were replaced with twelve British QF 4-inch Mk V HA guns built under license by the Nationale Bewapeningswerken (National Armament Works) which had been established in early 1924. The Toba class were thus among the first Nusantaran warships fitted with duel-purpose guns.

After rejoining the fleet, the battleships continued in front-line service for another seven years before being decommissioned in 1931. They had remained as popular with their crews as ever so when two years later they were to be sold off and scrapped, there was such an uproar from their former officers and crew to spare at least one of the ships for the Museum of Naval History that the Navy Ministry designated Toba for that role while Dieng went to the breakers by the end of 1934. Toba was moved to Teluk Bayur by December of 1933 where she can be seen today. Last refurbished in 2015, she remains a popular attraction and is the only surviving semi-dreadnought in the world and along with the Imperial Japanese Navy’s Mikasa – Admiral Togo’s flagship at the Battle of Tsushima – the only remaining example of the pre-dreadnought battleship.

In class: (2) Toba, Dieng

Built: 1908-1913

In commission: 1912-1931

Displacement: 18,160 ts normal, 19,415 ts full load

Dimensions: Length (o/a) 150.0m, length (w/l) 147.0m, beam 26.0m, draft 8.5m

Propulsion: 3-shaft, 3 x SKR 4-cyl vertical triple expansion engines, 14 x SKR boilers; 18,420 ihp

Performance: 19.0 knots (design), 18.25 knots (actual)

Range: 9,000 nm at 10 knots

Armor: Krupp cemented armor. Belt 279mm tapering to 127mm ends, deck 51-76mm, main turrets 229-305mm, main barbettes 254mm, secondary turrets 178-254mm, secondary barbettes 229mm, casemates 127mm, forward conning tower 254mm, aft conning tower 152mm

Armament: 4 (2 x 2) 12”/45 Mk X, 8 (4 x 2) 10”/45 Mk VII, 14 x QF 4”/40 Mk III, 8 x QF 12-pdr Mk II, 4 x 450mm torpedo tubes (2 port, 2 starboard submerged)

Crew: 878-935

Next up: Dreadnoughts!

Cheers!
Stealthjester

Greetings!

Some explanation – I will be posting the remaining images for the Rinjani Class as well as background later – right now I will be entering the Modern Battleship Challenge.

This will be the first time entering one of the challenges as well as the first time I’ve drawn something newer than 1927 – wish me luck!

Cheers!
Stealthjester

Kerinci (Rinjani) class dreadnoughts:
Originating with Germaniawerft’s Project 733 design, the Rinjani class was the first true dreadnought battleships to enter service with the KNM, as well as the first capital ships powered by steam turbines.
The class had a complicated history. As mentioned above, the class ship was seized by the German Navy at the outbreak of WWI and commissioned as SMS Weissenburg. She was never fully accepted by her crews and was considered a “foreign” ship. Weissenburg did see action in the Battle of Jutland in May of 1916 where she was moderately damaged. After the battle the ship was given a low priority for repairs and didn’t re-enter service until February of 1917. She saw no further action, languishing with the rest of the High Seas Fleet in harbor. Following the German defeat the battleship was surrendered to the US as war reparations and eventually returned to Nusantara. After inspection and necessary maintenance, she was re-commissioned into the Nusantaran Navy under her original name and served for another three years before being sold to the Netherlands in late 1923. Rechristened Reinier Claeszen, the ship served for another seventeen years before escaping to the UK with the remnants of the Dutch Navy following the German invasion in May of 1940. She served with the Allies in the Atlantic Theater for the rest of the war and afterward for a short time with the postwar Dutch Navy before being decommissioned and scrapped in August of 1952.
Officially renamed after the second ship completed, the next two members of the class; Kerinci and Merbabu, both entered service with the KNM in 1915. They proved successful in service and were modernized twice. The first modernization was limited and took place between 1925 and 1926, while the second was more extensive and occurred between 1936 and 1937. Merbabu was sunk at her moorings during the Japanese attack on the Surabaya Naval Yard in July of 1941 and was declared a total loss – she was raised solely to clear the harbor by the beginning of 1942 and was scrapped after the war ended (several of her guns were salvaged however, and served as spares for her sister-ship). Meanwhile, Kerinci served in most of the major encounters with the Japanese Navy during the conflict and was damaged on several occasions. When the conflict ended in early December of 1945 the ship, now thoroughly worn out, was decommissioned in May of 1946, and was sold for scrap shortly thereafter.
Construction of the last pair of ships; Talakmau and Sindoro, was halted in September of 1914 due to lack of the Krupp-supplied main guns needed to complete them because of the wartime blockade and were formally cancelled a month later. Sindoro, only 21% complete by this point, was broken up on the slipway in January of 1915, while Talakmau was converted into a hybrid battleship/carrier (see her entry for further information).



The first major modernization for the two ships of this class which remained in Nusantaran service occurred between March of 1925 and April of 1926 and consisted of replacing the masts with new tripods fore and aft. The forward superstructure was updated and new rangefinders were installed. Finally, the wartime 7.5cm guns were replaced by locally-built 4”/45 Mk I duel-purpose guns (licensed copies of the British QF 4-inch Mk V HA) – only deck-mounts were installed as the hull casemates were deleted along with the submerged torpedo tubes.

The second and last major modernization took place between August of 1936 and November of 1937 and was more extensive. The superstructure was torn down completely and replaced with a modern tower forward and pole mast aft while the mixed oil/coal-fired boilers were replaced by updated HeZ oil only units with new uptakes and funnels. Additionally, a catapult and handling crane were installed aft for two Vought O5U observation seaplanes purchased from the United States – the twenty-two planes ordered by the KNM being the only ones of this type built.

During WWII, Kerinci received British Type 273 surface search and Type 281 air-search radar installations during 1943 and her AA battery was considerably increased. By the beginning of 1945 she carried thirty-six 40mm Bofors guns in mixed quad and twin mounts and sixteen 20mm Oerlikons in single mounts.


In class: (3+2); Rinjani (seized by Germany 1914, returned 1920, sold to the Netherlands 1923), Kerinci, Merbabu, Talakmau (converted to semi-carrier 1915-18), Sindoro (canceled incomplete 1914, scrapped)

Built: 1912-1915

In commission: 1915-1946

Displacement: 23,620 ts normal, 24,760 ts full load

Dimensions: Length (o/a) 176.8m, length (w/l) 175.0m, beam 28.0m, draft 8.5m

Propulsion: 3-shaft, 3 x SKR (Parsons in Rinjani) direct-drive turbines, 14 x SKR (Schulz-Thornycroft in Rinjani) mixed oil and coal-fired boilers; 35,900 shp

Performance: 22.0 knots

Range: 9,000 nm at 10 knots

Armor: Krupp cemented armor. Belt 305mm tapering to 170mm ends, deck 50-70mm, main turrets 200-330mm, main barbettes 305mm, casemates 80-170mm, torpedo bulkhead 40mm, forward conning tower 330mm, aft conning tower 170mm

Armament: 8 (4 x 2) Krupp 34.3cm SK L/45, 16 x Krupp 15cm SK L/45, 12 x Krupp 7.5cm SK L/50, 4 x 500mm torpedo tubes (2 port, 2 starboard submerged)

Crew: 986-1,145

Next up: Nusantara's first (sort of) aircraft carrier!

Cheers!
Stealthjester