The Friesland-class destroyers were built for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the 1950s. They were a larger modified version of the with more powerful machinery. Eight ships were built. They were replaced by the s in the early 1980s and seven ships were sold to the Peruvian Navy where they served until 1991. The main armament was supplied by Bofors.
The machinery was identical to that used in the American s and manufactured under licence by Werkspoor. The radar was manufactured by Hollandse Signaalapparaten.
Background After World War II, the Royal Netherlands Navy had to be rebuilt. There were different visions about what the navy should look like, opinions on the subject - or fantasies - diverged. One of the plans was based on the Royal Netherlands Navy having no less than 48 submarine destroyers. That number, however, was quickly scaled back. For the 1947 budget, funds were included for the first time for the new ships: the so-called "Submarine Destroyer 1947". In 1948 six ships of these Holland-class destroyers were ordered, but only 4 would eventually be built. In 1948 it was announced that the Dutch navy would purchase, alongside the four "Holland-class" ships, another eight submarine destroyers. In September 1948, a new improved design was made on basis of the Holland-class destroyers, this design was at the time called "Submarine Destroyer 1949" and would later be known as the Friesland-class destroyer. Like the Holland-class destroyers the Friesland-class destroyers were designed by engineer K. de Munter, who was employed at the Bureau Scheepsbouw which fell directly under the Dutch Ministry of the Navy.
Service history The destroyers of the Friesland class regularly operated with the Karel Doorman and together formed an ASW-Hunter-Killer-Group.
Ships In contrast to previous Dutch Navy practice the ships were named after provinces or cities rather than admirals.
Name Pennant number BuilderLaid downLaunchedCommissioned Fate D812 NDSM, Amsterdam 17 December 1951 21 February 1953 22 March 1956 Broken up 1979 D813 NDSM, Amsterdam 21 February 1952 9 January 1954 12 September 1956 Sold to the Peruvian Navy 1980 as D814 KM de Schelde, Vlissingen 28 November 1953 5 September 1955 31 October 1956 Sold to the Peruvian Navy 1980 as D815 Wilton-Fijenoord, Schiedam 15 October 1953 8 August 1955 4 October 1957 Sold to the Peruvian Navy 1982 as D816 NDSM, Amsterdam 9 January 1954 26 March 1955 1 August 1957 Sold to the Peruvian Navy 1981 as D817 KM de Schelde, Vlissingen 15 February 1954 2 June 1956 1 October 1957 Sold to the Peruvian Navy 1980 as D818 RDM, Rotterdam 7 January 1954 26 January 1956 28 February 1957 Sold to the Peruvian Navy 1981 as D819 NDSM, Amsterdam 25 March 1955 25 August 1956 10 April 1958 Sold to the Peruvian Navy 1980 as
See also List of destroyers of the Netherlands
Equivalent destroyers of the same era
Notes
Citations
Bibliography Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995
sv:Hr. Ms. Friesland (1953)