HNLMS De Ruyter (1863)

Dutch Netherlands Navy:
74 guns 2nd rate, 54 guns Razee, 51 guns steam Frigate, Casemate Ironclad, 1831-1874

HNLMS De Ruyter was a unique case in the Royal Netherlands Navy, once its largest sailing frigate laid down in 1831, before being rebuilt as a steam frigate for a second career and from 1861 rebuilt as a Casemate ironclad comparable to the CSS Virginia. In this third life her career was brief though, as she was found not very satisfactory and removed from service in 1874. Yet she is a rare example of the radical transformations that were typical of the era.

First career: As a 74-gun ship of the line

De Ruyter as built (initial hull form, as a 74 cannons ship of the line

On 1 June 1842, J.C. Rijk became Directeur-generaal of the Dutch navy and by 18 June 1843 Secretary for the Navy, and seeing the state of the Navy, planned a serie of important reforms. With the secession of Belgium and extreme tensions budgetary constrains were created by refocusing budget to the army. Rijk wanted to cut spending but to make the navy more rational, counting more on ship quality than quantity and having a second look at technology, notably the rise of steam. He wanted a smaller but more professional and modern Navy, and his policy was approved by the king on 25 January 1843.

HNLMS De Ruyter in her early career as a heavy Frigate

The ‘Plan Rijk’ (Stelsel Rijk) led to the maintenance of only two 84 guns ships of the line and four 74 ships of the line. Some already existed, other were under construction. There were preior to his arrioval, proposals for further ships of the line, which he declined. In fact he even wanted to razee existing ones and create heavy frigates, and having four of these. One was in service, two just launched, with the fourth being optionally the existing ship of the line HNLMS Kortenaar, or the smaller De Ruyter still under construction in Vlissingen.
Rijk wanted also to refocus on larger guns rather than more guns. A razee allowed precisely that move, as the cutting of a full deck spared topweight and improved stability enough to precisely fit larger guns. The solution of a Razee was judged way more economical than building another heavy frigate.
It should be noted that the 74-gun ship of the line was the absolute gold standard on that category since a century. To British standards they were considered 2nd class, but all navies invested in these as they were perfect all-rounders. It was originally developed by the French navy in the 1740s to complement its frigates, and already encompassed many characteristics of the latter.

HNLMS De Ruyter was laid down in 1831 at the same time as Wassenaar (1833) and Tromp (1830) at the Rijkswerf Vlissingen. These might all have been of the same class. While still under construction the De Ruyter and the Wassenaar were razeed, or redesigned as heavy frigates, known in the Dutch navy as ‘frigates 1st class’. This might have been done according to the same plan, implying that for some time there was a ‘De Ruyter class’ of razees comprising the De Ruyter and the Wassenaar. In 1851 indeed, De Ruyter was 30% completed, Wassenaar 35% so the conversion fell on them.

Second career: As a 54-gun Frigate

Second appearance as a razee 1st rank Frigate, 1955 (before steam conversion)

De Ruyter end as only loosely related to the heavy frigates (first class) laid down and designed as such as HNLMS Prins van Oranje (ex-Waal) and HNLMS Doggersbank. Indeed they shared the same beam as De Ruyter and Wassenaar but they were more balanced designs. Doggersbank had thirty medium 30-pounders, and thirty 30-pounder carronades, in two batteries and good overall lay-out. De Ruyter however had all her main battery in a line. However, these could be larger.
De Ruyter was eventually launched as a razee, but still as a sailing vessel and screw propulsion in 1953 already made sail-only frigates obsolete. Thus, as she was being completed, HNLMS Wassenaar (1856) had been herself reconverted as a steam ship, so a reconstruction along her lines was called for Plan 1855, a fleet of steam frigates all powered by 400 hp, and 250 hp steam corvettes, 100 hp steam sloops.

De Ruyter’s near sister HNLMS Wassenaar

Thus began a third phase or reconstruction, as she ship had been launched already. She returned into the drydock to reinforce her lower decks in order to support the heavy cast boilers and main steam engine. New spaces were also adapted for coal. Her rigging was also simplified and due to the installation of a funnel, her amidship section was completely changed as well.
In her planned completed conversion to a frigate only auxiliary power was envisioned so she received a 400 hp steam engine. Many were purchased in UK for this new plan.
Both De Ruyter and Wassenaar were planned at first with 54 guns but De Ruyter’s main battery was made of 36-pounders, Wassenaar being fitted with 30-pounder long No 4. considered more capable. Both were comparable to foreign ships of the line however. In 1853, De Ruyter as a razee,n not yet converted to stealm, was to have a new armament of twenty-two 22 long 36-pounders and eight 20 cm grenade guns No 1 on the same battery deck, but on both ends. On the upper deck, twenty two medium 30-pounders No 3 were to be fitted and a single long 60-pounder on a rail mount usable as chase gun. 36-pounder were common on lower decks for ships of the line at the time, so this was a solid armament.

Conversion as Steam Frigate: 1858-1862

In September 1858, conversion to steam at Hellevoetsluis was planned as soon as she returned from the East Indies and integrated in the budget for 1859, “400 hp and 45 guns”. Good returns indee were garnered from the use from August 1857 of the first Dutch steam frigate, Wassenaar. As a near sister to De Ruyter this made her conversion in turn an evidence. Thus De Ruyter was decommissioned on 15 June 1859 and on 1 June drydocked, stripped of masts, spars and rigging, towed to Hellevoetsluis to be gutted and reinforced as said above, and receive her auxiliary steam power. The whole bow and stern were removed, she was lengthened by 25 feet. On 17 August she was towed by the Cycloop to Hellevoetsluis to complete her conversion, and when examined, her wood condition was judged excellent despite her being laid down in 1831.

On 18 September 1861, De Ruyter was launched a second time from Hellevoetsluis, completed at berth, with the masts and rigging reinstalled. By early October she was towed to Vlissingen by Cycloop and on the 7th in Brouwershaven, then Vlissingen, towed back into the dock on the 9th. Cost at the time amounted to one million guilders, which was 74% of the cost of an equivalent brand new frigate. However for her critics, this was going to be even worse soon. She was allegedly completed and commissioned in 1863.

As a Casemate Ironclad: 1862-1865

On 8 March 1862 indeed the Battle of Hampton Roads between Monitor and Merrimack proved that an unarmored frigate was toast when confronted to any armored ship. De Ruyter as she was, had only auxiliary power and could not escape more modern ironclads.

On 9 April 1862, a commission was appointed to examine how to armor existing ships. The first plan was to have broadside ironclads, but the advisors concluded none of the existing ships was to be suitable and seaworthy after conversion. Some could be converted in a coastal defense role however, if converted as casemate ships, and this was the case of De Ruyter. At the time her steam conversion was not even completed and already cost a herfty 200,000 guilders. It was estimated that her conversion into a casemate ironclad would cost much more. This was a difficult decision but ultimately the wish to have an ironclad as soon as possible pressed her conversion anyway. By August 1862 Rijkswerf Vlissingen had her in drydock and started removing the upper deck and some gun ports. The idea was to removed all her superstructure almost above the waterline and install a brand new wooden structure to support sloped wrought iron armour plates.

As it proceeded slowly in 1962-65, the conversion to auxiliary steam power and new expenditure amounting to eight hundred thousand guilders already raised concerns, and was bad enough for her initial career (1854-59) as such as fairly short when decision was made to convert her finally in 1959 as a casemate ironclad, which was long and expensive process, especially as when delivered. When tried in 1867, she failed to be comparable to the modern ships in foreign service. She was immobilized for steam conversion from 1859 when decommissioned, until December 1861 when completed. But by March 1862 already, the conversion cost amounted to 200,000 guilders when it was decided to convert her yet again as an ironclad. The armour purchased was worth of 298,000 guilders. In 1867 when completed as such, her artillery and configuration was already obsolete. Broadside ironclads just had more firepower than Casemates ones.

Hull and general design

What engineers made was to cut out the deck at battery level. A rectangular, boxy casemate was installed amidship, going further forward than aft, which had a greater free deck space. To guide the ship, more generous posts were built instead of the small structures on Monitor or Merrimack. Indeed they had two “conning towers”, 12-faceted, 12-sight slitted and armoured like the rest. The rigging was replaced by two masts fore and aft of the main single funnel. Both were composite shooner rig for simplification, which was popular for such vessels at the time. Also on the casmate roof deck deck located hatches leading below and four boats under davits.

As noted in Conways 1860-1905, the final ship displaced 2828 tonnes standard, with dimensions of 211 feet 8 inches long overall, 47 feet and 5 inches wide, and 22 feet 4 inches in draught.
Or 64.52 meters long, for 14.46 meters in beam and 6.80 meters in draught. There were ladder to access the upper casemate deck fore and aft. Anchors were on the froward deck, and the casptan below. There were further access hatches on her fore and decks. The stern rudder protruded of her poop a few meters with its axe and bar inside the plating.

Protection: It was made of 6-inches (150 mm) Britrish made wrought iron plates (cost almost 300k Guilders) placed along the hull, with original wood backing, teak, and on the flat casemate battery deck. Conning tower as well (presumably). Both forward and aft transverse ends of the casemate were sloped.

Powerplant: She had her still her original auxiliary steam horizontal Compound engine (probably bought in UK) with four to more rectangular single-ended boilers, truncated into a single funnel. Power was 400 hp nominal, 1750 shp on Conways, for a top speed of around 5-6 knots taking her steam sister Wassenaar as a reference. De Ruyter was indeed much heavier.

Armament: She carried as completed a brand new armament of fourteen long 60 pounder smoothbore guns roughly equivalent to 12 inches or 300 mm. No data on these.
The casemate had five ports either side and two more on the forward and aft plates, for 14 total so no free port to move around guns as in the original Merrimack. All ports had a corresponding fixed gun with very limited traverse. She was moved around as a broadside ironclad, but very slowly as seen above.
She had a refit later in which she ended with just four 9-inches rifled muzzle loaders (RML) in the 1870s, to per broadside.

Career of NHLMS De Ruyter

First career as sailing Frigate 1854-59

De Ruyter was laid down as a ship of the line as seen above in Vlissingen in 1831, launched on 5 August 1853 and converted as a razee, “heavy” or 1st class sailing frigate. On 2 August 1854 she started sea trials under her first captain F.X.R.’t Hooft until officially commissioned on 21 August 1854. On the 27th, she was order to bring the new Naval commander of the East Indies to his post in full regalia, Rear Admiral J.F.D. Bouricius. As they wanted to stay in the captain’s quarters, brand new cabins were added on the upper deck and there were even hundred extra sailors to man new vessels in the East Indies. On 11 September, the paddle steamer Cycloop (a companion of De Ruyter for many years) arrived with these sailors from Nieuwediep/Willemsoord and by mid-September however, a Cholera outburst was declared on board. 4 out of 26 patients were declared deceased by 19 September. Half the crew was landed and quarantined, and at the time it amounted to 531 men.

On 21 October 1854, HNLMS De Ruyter left Vlissingen for the roadstead and on the 24th, the Secretary for the Navy arrived on board. On the 25th, Cycloop brought 60 more sailors and the following day, the ship was Christened by the Navy secretary when he fully inspected her and HNLMS Doggersbank also anchored nearby. On 9 November the naval base commander also inspected her and on 10 November Rear Admiral J.F.D. Bouricius arrived with his daughter and ADC at the nearby Hotel Wellington. On 15 November she was to attempt to sail out, marred by fog. On 16 November she sailed out at 8:00 in the morning with 650 men on board and large provision for the long trip, and 56 officers.
The trip was done without problems in November-December and by early January she was in the Indian Ocean. On 19 January 1855 she anchored in Table Bay and departed on the 29th but collided with a Danish barque at night in Sunda Strait. She at last dropped anchor at Batavia on 21 March 1855. On the 28th, Bouricius took over command of the navy and colony of the Dutch East Indies, greeting farewell to VA E.G. van der Plaat and his family, bound for home with De Ruyter which also left most of her sailors.

On 22 April 1855 HNLMS De Ruyter left Batavia and set sail for home. On 18 June she stopped at Saint Helena to resupply and arrived on 5 August in Nieuwediep, entering harbor on the 22th.
In October 1855, captain Stavenisse de Braauw took command as the ship was ordered for the Mediterranean. On 28 November she sailed screened by the brig HNLMS Zeehond from Texeland stopped on 30 December in La Spezia. On 16 February she dropped anchor in Alexandria. On 8 March she was in Malta, Genoa on 13 March with a change of captains for H.J. van Maldeghem in Toulon on 10 May. On 7 June she left Malaga, on 13 June was off Lisbon, then Cornwall and arrived on 7 July at Nieuwediep.
On 1 August her band started performing with crowds on the shores as she left Nieuwediep, tugged out by a private tugboat and starrted a new 6-week cruise on the North Sea via Cherbourg, Spithead on the 15th, Dungeness and back in Texel on 30 August.

It was planned a second cruise in the Mediterranean and she left Texel on 5 November, passed Dungeness and dropped anchor in Malta on 26 November. By 20 December she visited Smyrna. On 9 January she she sailed for Scala Virulate and Athens but before sailing to Malta she was toi transfer part of her crew and supplies on 8 March the frigate HNLMS Doggersbank in Mahon. On 5 April this complete, Doggersbank leaving for home and on 1 May De Ruyter was in Toulon, Marseille on the 19th, towed by the Bulldog but on 26 May she sailed Tripoli, entering on 2 June as first Dutch warship to do so in 20 years with the consul Ridder de Testa and Emilius Franciscus Eliodorus Testa and on 3 June officers and cadets went on shore. She left on the 5th for Toulon.

In between the Dutch admiralty sent a letter for the captain in which they desired to form a Mediterranean squadron as conditions for manoeuvers were better than the north sea and as believed, better for the sailor’s health. On 18 July De Ruyter was in Lisbon to await for the steam corvette HNLMS Groningen with the Prince of Orange on board as squadron commander, and HNLMS Wassenaar, just converted to steam arrived in turn on 15 August. On 30 August they were joined by the brig Zeehond with cadets for both frigates. On 27 September De Ruyter was in Madeira and visited the Canary Islands, but ended in Cadiz on 6 November, then Mahon in december, but contrary winds sent Wassenaar in Cagliari. On 15 April De Ruyther was back in Vlissingen without achieving the squadron full manoeuvers intended.

On 1 May 1858 Captain J.C. du Cloux took command and she was planned for a cruise to the East Indies by June 1858 she embarked 150 soldiers and later 120 barrels of silver coins (1,200,000 guilders). On 25 June she was visited by Prince Lobanoff, ADC of Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich visiting the Netherlands to modernize the Russian fleet. She departed at last on 9 July and on 10 October arrived in Simonsbaai, and on 21 December she was in Batavia. She also exchanged most of her 350 crew for sailors bound for home. On 23 January 1859 she left Batavia with VA Bouricius on board, dying during the trip on 4 May and under command of his son, Captain-lt G. Fabius. She was at de Schelde on 20 May, rugged in port on 1 June. By then her conversion as steam ship was decided and she was decommissioned on 15 June 1859. However her conversion as steam ship was further delayed as she was from 1862 rebuilt as a casemate ironclad, so she had no career as a steam frigate.

Second career as ironclad 1865-74

After her conversion was completed at great cost and great delays in 1865, the concept of casemate ironclads was already obsolete. Even broadside ironclads in between had been made so, and central battery ironclads were all the rage. The problem with “Pantserschip” De Ruyter was that she was way too slow, at best 6 knots with her limited rigging, to make any impression when facing sea going ironclads of the great powers of the time, capable of 12-15 knots. She manoeuvered way too slowly as well to present her broadside while her armour could still be pirced by British 68-pdr or new rifled guns anyway.
In the books she was noted as an “armored steam battery”, not even a sea going ironclad (“gepantserde stoombatterij”) with her fixed 60-pounder guns. Too slow for fleet work she was condemned to serve as a floating battery for the Scheldt estuary. In 1870 she was presumably rearmed, although she only served for three years at that point. Perhaps her wooden hull was also a concern now, starting to rot. She was decommissioned for the last time in 1874 at Willemsoord. She was BU afterwards.

Note: Very poor data and no photo to show of this ship as a battery.

Read More/Src

Books

Departement van Marine (1851-52), Koninklijke Nederlandsche Marine op den 1sten Januarij 1851, Gebroeders van Cleef
Pilaar, J.C.; Obreen, J.M. (1842), “In- en buitendienststellingen, enz”, Tijdschrift Toegewijd Aan Het Zeewezen, 2, L.C. Vermande 1842
Rijk, J.C. (1851), Het bestuur der marine, vol. 1, Hulst van Keulen, Amsterdam
Naval Department (1853), Verzameling van zee-orders voor de zeemagt, Van Cleef, ‘s Gravenhage.

Links

Marine der Vereenigde Nederlanden, 1853
Het bestuur der marine, onder den schout-bij-nacht, later vice-admiraal J.C. Rijk, gedurende het tijdvak van 3 junij 1842 tot 15 september 1849, Volume 1
Koninklijke Nederlandsche Marine Volume 4 Departement van Marine 1851
Koninklijke Nederlandsche Marine Volume 4 Departement van Marine 1852
Tijdschrift toegewijd aan het zeewezen, Volume 2 Couverture Brest van Kempen, 1842
https://www.deruyter.org/uploads/media/Innovator-scheepsbouw%20namen%20Ruyter.pdf
https://www.navypedia.org/ships/netherlands/nl_bb.htm
illustration on zeeuwsarchief-prod.imgix.net
https://dhonline.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/55a3f4fd-c820-4f36-bb3b-c6d1058a8cc7-Wandeling%20oude%20Rijkswerf%20Willemsoord%20nieuw.pdf
https://www.zeeuwsarchief.nl/blog/bijna-zeeslag-bij-terneuzen-in-1866/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HNLMS_De_Ruyter_(1853)
https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/lint011gesc04_01/lint011gesc04_01_0003.php
https://www.wargamevault.com/product/473260/HNLMS-De-Ruyter