Pacific ships

Photos and the story

Kortenaer

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ClassAdmiralen class
TypeDestroyer (DD)
HullKN
BuilderBurgerhout, Rotterdam
Commissioned1928-09-03
FateSunk. Lost 27 February 1942 in the Battle of the Java Sea. A torpedo broke her in two and she sank at once. Not credited to one ship. Encounter took off 113 of 153 men, including her captain.
Armament (class)Dutch destroyer. Four guns and two funnels.
Command
  • Kroese, Antonie Captain from 30 September 1940; In command when she was lost, 27 February 1942. He survived

Laid down, displacement, length, beam, draft, speed, and complement are not stored for each hull, so this table leaves them out.

The armament line is the class drawing, not a measurement of this hull.

Kortenaer
HNLMS Kortenaer at anchor at Batavia in 1931. The pennant KN is on the bow. Photographed from USS Black Hawk (AD-9). U.S. Navy photograph NH 51891. Public domain.

Kortenaer was an Admiralen-class destroyer of the Royal Netherlands Navy, pennant KN. Burgerhout built her at Rotterdam and she was commissioned on 3 September 1928. She was named for Admiral Egbert Bartholomeusz Kortenaer. Lieutenant Commander Antonie Kroese had her from 30 September 1940.

On 27 February 1942 she was in Doorman's striking force. At about 1713 a torpedo hit her in the starboard quarter. She broke in two and sank within about a minute. Japanese records credit Haguro, from a range of about 22,000 yards. American survivors thought a submarine had fired it. The American narrative allows that it may have come from a destroyer.

Encounter stopped that night and took off 113 of her 153 men, Kroese among them. He survived her.

The pictures on this page are the originals.