K XVIII arriving in Soerabaja, 11 July 1935

Check out the K XIV class 1930-40's photo special for more K XVIII related images.

1931

10 Feb 1931- ?: is stationed in Rotterdam and has the military and nautical supervision of the
 construction of Hr.Ms. "K XIV", "K XV", " K XVI", "K XVII" and "K XVIII".

10 June 1931: K XVIII is laid down at the Fijenoord. shipyard in Rotterdam.

1932

27 Sep 1932: K XVIII is launched.

1933

July and August 1933: K XVII conducts her first trials.

1934

23 Mar 1934: K XVIII is commissioned to the Royal Netherlands Navy.

23 Mar - 1 Aug 1934: K XVIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

20 Jun - 1 Aug 1934: K XVII, K XVIII, Hertog Hendrik, Evertsen and Z 5 sail from Nieuwediep (Netherlands) to the Baltic Sea. They visit the ports of: Gdynia, Koningsbergen, Riga and Copenhagen.

6 Nov 1934 - 20 Aug 1935: K XVIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

14 Nov 1934 - 11 July 1935: The K XVIII sails from Nieuwediep (Netherlands) to Soerabaja Prof. Dr. F.A. Vening Meinesz, B.Sc. is on board in order to conduct gravity measurements. The submarine visits the following ports: Funchal, St. Vincent, Dakar, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Buenos-Aires, Mar del Plata, Cape town, Durban, Port Louis (Mauritius) and Fremantle.

Prof. Dr. F.A. Vening Meinesz, B.Sc and K XVIII. (Photo: © Collection Mathieu Rievers)

For more information about these gravity measurements and the Professor's submarine voyages read the book .

The K XVIII is also used as a navigational beacon for the airplane Snip on its Christmas flight to the Dutch West Indies. This famous 23000-mile voyage around the world is carried out unescorted.

The following were the four objectives for this voyage around the world:

a) Supporting the Dutch submarine force in the Dutch East Indies.
b) Testing the endurance of the material and personnel.
c) Showing the flag.
d) Enabling Prof. Dr. Ir. F.A. Vening Meinesz, B.Sc. to conduct gravity measurements.

During its voyage around the world K XVIII visits the following harbours: Den Helder, Funchal (Madeira), St Vincent, Dakar, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Mar del Plata, Tristan da Cunha, Cape town, Durban, Mauritius, Fremantle and Soerabaja.

There are several books and movies about this voyage around the world, the titles of which can be found on the page. The film about this voyage was shot by the first officer on board, Ltz. I  M.S. Wytema.

24 Nov - 5 Dec 1934: K XVIII arrives off Funchal (Madeira ), because of the bad weather she can only dock at the end of her visit.

1935

9 Apr - 13 Apr 1935: In Feb 2004 Bill Rice writes: "In addition to visiting Cape Town in 1935, K XVIII visited the Royal Naval Base at Simon's Town. She was the first submarine ever to enter False Bay and the first to use the Naval dry-dock at Simon's Town. She docked on 9 April 1935 and undocked on 13 April with her hull cleaned and coated and minor defects repaired. She then left for Cape Town where she spent a few days before continuing her epic journey to the Far East."

11 July 1935:  K XVIII arrives in Soerabaja (Dutch East Indies). The crew of the K XVIII receives the "K XVIII medal" from the "Rijkscommissie voor graadmeting en waterpassing" to commemorate the trip from the Netherlands to Soerabaja. Ten crew members also receive a Royal decoration (this latter decoration information is unconfirmed).

20 Aug 1935 - 25 Oct 1937: K XVIII is under the command of Ltz. II  / Ltz. I  .

1937

25 Oct 1937 - 17 Jan 1938: K XIII or the K XVIII is under the command of Ltz. II  .

1938

17 Jan 1938 - 21 Aug 1939: K XVIII is under the command of Ltz. II  / Ltz. I  .

6 Sep 1938: To celebrate the fact that Queen Wilhelmina is 40 years head of state a fleet show is held in Soerabaja. Twenty navy ships and three Gouvernementsmarine vessels sail past the Commander Naval Forces V.Adm. Ferwerda, French V.Adm. Le Bigot and East-Java Governor Ch.O. van der Plas, who are all on board the Rigel.

 

The following submarines participate in the fleet show: K XVIII, K XVII, K XV, K XIV, K XIII and K XII.

1939

21 Aug 1939 - 2 Dec 1941: K XVIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

1940

10 May 1940: Germany attacks the Netherlands.

1941

16 Jan - 26 Jan 1941: K XVIII patrols the Makassar Strait.

June 1941: After intelligence reported an escorted Japanese transport fleet heading to south-east Asia several submarines, including K XVII and K XVIII, are ordered to the north-west of the Dutch East Indies.

28 Nov - ? 1941: K XVIII is under repair at the M.E.

30 Nov 1941: is placed under British (C-in-C China) operational control.

2 Dec 1941 - 4 Jan 1942: K XVIII is under the command of. Ltz. I  .

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".

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

2 Jan 1942: The CZM informs that on Jan 6 the submarines K XIV, K XV and K XVIII will form . (radio message #828 0102-0347).

4 Jan - 2 Mar 1942: K XVIII is under the command of Ltz. I  .

6 Jan 1942 - 3 Feb 1942: K XVIII is attached to .

6 Jan - ? 1942: K XVIII patrols the Makassar Strait, several ships are attacked

In a radio message (#940 0107-1615 and #941) the K XIV and K XVIII are ordered to mainly attack Japanese forces up to 04°N00'-120°00'E, in the Soeloe Archipel and off Holo (this order is  withdrawn at a later date) and that K X should take part in the local defence of Tarakan. 

?22 Jan 1942: The Dutch lightship Orion, which is anchored near Balikpapan, is scuttled by gunfire of the K XVIII.

23 Jan 1942: In the Makassar Strait near Balikpapan the K XVIII attacks a Japanese destroyer (1400t), one or more torpedo(es) hit and the destroyer sinks. This attack is not reported in any recent publications.

The Dutch submarine probably attacked the Japanese light-cruiser NAKA but missed and hit the passenger-cargo ship ss Tsuruga Maru instead.

We are still looking for a photo of the the NAKA. Do you have one ? Then please contact us at webmaster@dutchsubmarines.com.

23 or 24 Jan 1942 : K XVIII attacks  a convoy off Balikpapan. The submarine torpedoes and sinks the Japanese passenger-cargo ship ss Tsuruga Maru (6988t) as is confirmed by official Japanese sources, or Buruga Maru according to other sources. Position: 00°10'N-118°00'E. Tsugura Maru is a freighter of the N.Y.K. Line. The coordinates seem to indicate that this attack took place off Samarinda and not off Balikpapan (as reported).

The Japanese Tsuruga Maru (Photo: © Collection Hasashi Noma)

We are still looking for a photo of the Buruga Maru . Do you have one ? Then please contact us at webmaster@dutchsubmarines.com.

24 Jan 1942: In the Makassar Strait, off Samarinda (position 00°10'N-118°00'E), the K XVIII attacks the Japanese patrol boat P 37 (935t). One or more torpedo(es) hit and the vessel is either damaged or sunk. According to Japanese sources the vessel is heavily damaged and discarded at an unknown.  According to Dutch sources the target was the Japanese Submarine Chaser # 12 (291t) and was either missed or damaged.

P 37 (935t), officially Patrol Boat No. 37, is the ex-Hishi 2nd class destroyer of the Momi class (770t). Several of these destroyers where converted/re-armed in 1939 into patrol boats. In 1941 several boats where converted once again so they could launch a Daihtsu landing craft.

We are still looking for a photo of P 37 and Submarine Chaser # 12. Do you have one ? Then please contact us at webmaster@dutchsubmarines.com.

24 Jan 1942: During the Japanese attack on Balikpapan the K XVIII is heavily damaged by depth-charges. The submarine is unable to dive and has to return to Soerabaja for repairs.

24 Jan - 28 Jan 1942: K XVIII is docked at the Naval Yard in Soerabaja.

28? Feb 1942: The deck gun of K XVIII is used to scuttle the docked ship Banckert. The ship was damaged in air raids on 24th and 28th of February and was set on fire by the deck gun of K XVIII, Banckert tipped over and was scuttled

2 Mar 1942: The K XVIII is scuttled while under repair in Soerabaja in order to avoid being captured by invading Japanese forces.

4 Mar 1942: Ltz. I  (the "former" commander of the K XVIII), Ktz. (chief torpedo workshops) and F.H. Ermers (civil servant) are killed when they inspect the damage inflicted by scuttling charges that were setoff the previous day. The Dutch blew-up the torpedo stores and workshops on the Soerabaja Naval Base because the invading Japanese are getting close. During their inspection the three men find out that a scuttling charge in store number III is still intact. Unfortunately it did explode when the men were nearby, killing all three of them.

1944

The Japanese raise (1944?) and repair (194?-1944) the K XVIII. The submarine is converted into an air warning picket hulk and is stationed in Madoera Strait.

1945

8 May 1945: Germany surrenders.

16 June 1945: The Japanese air warning picket hulk ex-K XVIII is sunk off Soerabaja by the Royal Navy submarine Taciturn. Position: 06°48'S-112°47'E.

 

 

Check out the K XIV class 1930-40's photo special for more K XVIII related images.

For more information on the history of K XVIII, watch the video or read the books ,  , (all in Dutch) and (German language).

	Home		Boats	Tenders	News
				Pictures	Links
		M-media				Help US !
	Copyright © 1997-2006 - Design and content DutchSubmarines.com