K VIII, date and place unknown. Note the smoke from the exhausts. (Photo: © Collection www.DutchSubmarines.com).

1917

27 June 1917: K X is ordered.

31 Oct 1917: K VIII is laid down at the K.M. De Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen.

1922

28 Mar 1922: K VIII is launched.

15 Sep 1922: K VIII is commissioned to the Royal Netherlands Navy.

15 Sep - 13 Nov 1922: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1923

15 May 1923 - 1 Mar 1924: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

18 Sep - 24 Dec 1923: K VIII travels to the to the Dutch East Indies accompanied by the submarine tender Pelikaan, K II and K VII.

The group is under the command of  Kapt.ltz. E. M. Wissmann and prior to departure from Den Helder the group is inspected by Sbn. C. Fock.

Pelikaan, K II and K VII depart from Den Helder (18 Sep, around 11:30 hrs) and they anchor off Den Helder. They continue their voyage around 12:30 hrs and head for Gibraltar. K VIII departs from Rotterdam. Other sources report the K VIII departs from Vlissingen and joins the group on the North Sea  The boats travel via Gibraltar, Tunis, Alexandria, the Suez Canal, Aden, Colombo and Sabang. In the N.E.I. they form the Pelikaan division. 

22 Sep 1923 at +/- 10:00 hrs: While in the Bay of Biscay the group has to make an 2 hr stop to give K VIII time for repairs.

24 Sep 1923: The weather has calmed down and a sloop from the Pelikaan, carrying fresh bread, comes alongside the submarines.

Between 15:30 and 17:00 hrs the K II submerges for exercises with other vessels.

25 Sep 1923: In the deep (100 - 300 meters) waters off Cape Rocca K II (and possibly the other submarines as well) conducts several dive exercises. At the end of the day they set course to Gibraltar.

28 Sep1923 at +/- 01:00 hrs: The group arrives in Gibraltar.

3 Oct - 7 Oct 1923: The group departs from Gibraltar and heads for Tunis.

11 Oct - 18 Oct 1923: The group departs from Tunis and heads for Alexandria. The initial time of departure is 01:00 hrs. But this has to be postponed because the Pelikaan has engine problems. When the Pelikaan is finally ready to set sail her anchor winches fail as well. The other vessels now do leave port but wait for the Pelikaan to join them, which eventually happens around 19:00 hrs.

But half up the channel the helmsman makes a mistake and the Pelikaan runs aground.

12 Oct 1923: K II tries to pull the Pelikaan free. Although the cable is as thick as an upper arm and brand new it still brakes.

12 or 13 Oct 1923: The other vessels of the group take over 80000 tons of fuel from Pelikaan and finally a French tugboat pulls her free.

While transiting to Alexandria the K II submerges a couple of hours each day. K II makes these frequent dives in order to take gravity measurements.

16 Oct 1923 at +/- 16:00 hrs: A sloop from the Pelikaan brings another load of fresh bread.

18 Oct 1923: The group arrives in Alexandria.

25 Oct - 6 Nov 1923: The groups sails from Alexandria to Aden (Yemen).

25 Oct 1923 at +/- 10:00 hrs: The group departs from Alexandria.

26 Oct 1923 at 11:00 hrs: The group arrives in Port Said (Suez Canal).

In the Red Sea the temperature in K II's engine room rises to 100ºF, after submerging the temperature rises to 115-130ºF.

13 Nov - 27 Nov 1923: The groups sails from Aden to Colombo (Ceylon).

During this transit K II submerges about 6 times. While submerged they use the ijsmachine (ice machine) to cool down the air in the boat.

Because the Pelikaan had numerous engine failures the group arrives in Colombo three days late.

Several officers visit the graves of the K IV sailors that were killed in an accident in 1921.

5 Dec - 11 Dec 1923: The group sails from Colombo (Ceylon) to Sabang (Dutch East Indies)

17 Dec- 24 Dec 1923: The ships sail from Sabang to Tandjong Priok (Batavia/Jakarta, Dutch East Indies).

1924

1 Mar 1924 - 28 May 1925: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. II  .

1925

28 May 1925 - 15 Feb 1927: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1926

25 Mar 1926: K VIII, K II, K VII, and K IX  sail together from Tarakan to Manila (Philippines) and back.

K VIII (front) and K IX in Manila, 1926. In the background K II (left) and K VII. More pictures of this series can be seen at the K II, K VII and K IX page. (Photo: © E.G. Tall EM2(SS), collection D.E. Tall ET1(SS))

1927

1 June 1927 - 22 Mar 1928: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1928

22 Mar 1928 - 1929: K VIII is under the command of ?

1930

According to his files he also commanded the K VIII, unfortunately the dates of this command are not in his files. But it was probably some time in 1930-31.

1933

21 Feb - 30 Mar 1933: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. II  .
reports that this is probably correct. Around this time the Cdt. of  K VIII was possibly J.N. Sluyter or .

1934

12 Feb - 12 May 1934: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. II  .

12 May 1934 - 2 Dec 1935: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. II  .
reports: 29 Oct 1935 - 02 Dec 1935: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1935

reports: 29 Oct 1935 - 02 Dec 1935: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1936

1936 - 1938: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1939

1 Nov - 9 Dec 1939: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. II  .

1940

10 May 1940: Germany attacks the Netherlands.

6 July - 14 Oct 1940: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. II  .

22 Aug 1940: K X has a defect air pump, it will take about 6 weeks to get it fixed. K VIII will stay in service untill the repairs on the KX are copleted.

1941

7 Dec 1941: The USA declares war on Japan after Japanese forces attack Pearl Harbour. Approximately 7 hours after the attack the Netherlands also declares war on Japan.

7 Dec 1941: The CZM radios (#109 1207-2215) that "War with Japan has broken out".

< 8 Dec 1941 >: K VIII is kept in reserve at Soerabaja.

21 Dec 1941: In Singapore harbour the K XIII is damaged due to a battery explosion. Escorted by the destroyer Van Nes the K XIII returns to Soerabaja for repairs. Most of the crew is transferred to the K VIII.

14 Dec 1941: Japanese planes bomb Tarempah (Anambas Islands) which is Netherlands East Indies territory.

27 Dec 1941: Japanese invaders occupy Tambelan Islands, Dutch territory, between Borneo and Singapore.

1942

6 Jan 1942: K VIII returns to active service. Most of the crew are ex-crewmembers of the K XIII.

6 Jan - 11 Apr 1942: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

K VIII is used as an ASDIC piggy boat.

?24? Feb - ?2? Mar 1942: K VIII patrols the Java Sea (between Bawean island and the north coast of Java) and the Madura Strait. No attacks are made.

2 Mar 1942: K VIII loads fuel in Soerabaja (N.E.I.).

3 Mar 1942 at 20:00: K VIII departs fro Soerabaja and set sail to Fremantle (Australia) because the Japanese have invaded Java.

12 Mar 1942: K VIII arrives in Geraldton (Australia).

17 Mar 1942 at 19:45 hrs: K VIII arrives in Fremantle.

The B.D.Z.  (Commander Dutch Naval Forces) and the B.S.O. (Commander Forces East) would like to send anout 50 Europeans, mainly submarine service personnel, to the U.K. In the U.K. the Dutch Navy needed new personnel for the new subs being built there. Therefore the B.S.O. wants to decommission a submarine and he proposes to the B.D.Z. to decommission the K VIII. The K VIII battery is still ok but the diesels are in such a bad state that it is expected she can not make it to Sydney. B.D.Z. agrees and they decide K VIII will be decommissioned on 18 May 1942.

18 Mar 1942:  K VIII is based at Fremantle and is under U.S. operational control.

11 Apr - 15 July 1942: K VIII is under the command of Ltz. II  .

18 May or 15 July 1942: K VIII is decommissioned.

?? 1942 or 1943: The main battery of the K VIII is removed and kept in reserve since it might be needed for the operational K XII. Later it is used as a replacement for the damaged batteries of the K IX.

?17 July 1942: K VIII is sold for scrap.?

27 July 1942: The Queen is asked permission to strike the K VIII and the K IX.

17 Aug 1942: The Queen gives permission to strike the K VIII and the K IX.

27 Aug 1942: K VIII is stricken and sold (date unknown) by the disposal committee.?

Various parts, including several electric motors, of the K VIII are used for the K IX. One of the propulsion electric motors is used by the USN for a submarine slipway they built in Fremantle (Australia). Until the 1970's it was used to provide DC power to the ships on the slipway.

During a blackout in Perth straight after the war the K VIII was towed up river to Perth where her diesel generators were used to supply emergency power. To make it possible to get up river the conning tower was removed, so the boat could pass under the railway bridge across the Swan River at Fremantle.

The conning tower deck of K VIII is used for the Fremantle pilot boat Lady Forrest, this ship is still in the Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle.

Unknown date: K VIII is scrapped in Western Australia by RAN, SEW, SEC. The main electro was removed and installed as a DC generator at the main slips.

1943

After further stripping the hull is towed to Jervoise Bay where is is to be beached and broken up. However, if foundered 100 yards offshore and was abandoned.

From Jervoise Bay Shipwrecks by Mike McCarthy. 1978:

...K VIII was eventually abandoned in Jervoise Bay (south of Fremantle) after being partially stripped. Her main electro motor was removed at that time and until recently was used to supply DC power to ships on the main Fremantle slipway. The submarine remained ashore in a relatively intact condition till 1957 when she was demolished so that all salvageable metals could be recovered...

The position of the wreck is 32.14002S-115.764E (Jervoise Bay)

1957

The wreck is declared a navigational hazard with the increased shipping in Cockburn sounds and is blown up by divers Jack and Terry Sullivan.

Below some exerts of diver T. Sullivan's diary:

20 Jul 1957: "Set a case of plastogel at various places Woodmans sub. . . . . ."

27 Jul 1957: "24 stick under keel. Stern badly dented."

28 Jul 1957: "Have decided have to blow sub into small pieces to shift."

2 Aug 1957: "Put 36 stick in sub bow and blew it to pieces. Discovered 12" x 12" lead of unknown length. Approx. 25 cases of plastogel needed to blow sub into sizes that can be handled."

7 Aug 1957: "Went to sub and left of charge set day before. Blew up a school of 'Pilchard' and gleaned 7 doz. from the shore as they floated in. The proposed plan was to blow up the vessel and drag the metal ashore with a bulldozer."

8 Sep 1957: " Went to woodman's..... and exploded 6 cases set before. Water spouted about 200' into the air ? pieces iron and wood. The sub was split as I thought it would, right down the centre"

16 Sep 1957: "Stern section has been blown off."

25 Sep 1957: "After dragging the bow section of the sub into the sand hills this method was abandoned and a barge purchased for mooring over the site."

1 Oct 1957: "Barge arrived . . . .setting up anchors. . . ."

13 Oct 1957: " . . .works on sub . . .good. Have the rudder, fins came in 3 different pieces, 4 pieces altogether."

The bow laid in the sand hills of Jervoise Bay for many years.

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