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Royal Netherlands Navy - Koninklijke
Marine Dolfijn class Submarine |
 |
| 04/25 |
| Units: |
|
S 808
HNLMS Dolfijn S 809 HNLMS Zeehond Batch 2 (Potvis subclass) S 804 HNLMS Potvis S 805 HNLMS Tonijn |
| Specifications: |
|
Type:
Diesel-electric Attack Submarine Displacement: 1,530 tons surfaced / 1,826 tons submerged Length: 79.5 meters (261 ft) Beam: 7.8 m (26 ft) Draft: 5 m (16 ft 4 in) Speed: 14.5 knots (27 km/h; 16.7 mph) surfaced / 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) submerged Range: ? Test depth: 200 m (660 ft) Complement: 67 Propulsion: Diesel-Electric 2 x MAN 12-cylinder 12-V6V 22/30 diesel-engines (1,400 hp) 2 electric-motors (2,200 hp) 2 shafts / 2 propellers Systems: Type 1001 radar active and passive sonars Armament: 8 x 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (4 bow, 4 stern) for 16-22 Mark 8 torpedoes > later Mk.37 torpedoes mine laying capability |
|
The Dolfijn class submarines of the Royal Netherlands Navy are a
class of four submarines; Dolfijn, Zeehond, Potvis and Tonijn. They
were the first indigenous submarines built in the Netherlands and
for the Royal Netherlands Navy after World War II. They formed the
backbone of the Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Service during most
of the Cold War. The four diesel-electric submarines of the Dolfijn class and the Potvis class form the so-called Three-Cylinders; These four boats are virtually identical and the four boats are considered one and the same class consisting of two batches. The name is based on their unusual design, instead of one or two pressure hulls the submarines of the Dolfijn class consists of three separate pressure hulls (cylinders) arranged in a triangle and enclosed in an external steel casing which separates the inside of the submarine into three parts. The main advantages are that it allows submarines to dive deeper and have better stability than other boats, among other things. The disadvantage, however, is that it means that the submarine has more machinery and thus more crew to maintain and control those machinery. The upper hull was meant for the living and working part of the crew and the lower two hulls were for the engines, batteries and storage rooms. This allowed the submarine to dive much deeper than other submarines from the late 1950s, with a test depth of 200 metres (660 ft). The Royal Netherlands Navy considered using nuclear propulsion for the second batch of Dolfijn class submarines (so-called Potvis class) and therefore postponed in the late 1950s their construction to study the feasibility of building nuclear powered submarines, but in the end it was decided not to use nuclear propulsion for the Potvis-class submarines. This meant that both Potvis class submarines were built with diesel-electric propulsion like her earlier sister ships. The Dolfijn-class submarines had several tasks in case of wartime, these were: - Attacking enemy surface vessels, submarines and merchant ships - Laying mines - Gather intelligence - Pick up and drop off agents in enemy territory - Save pilots of aircraft's during air attacks on enemy territory - Being an advanced radar station for the Dutch fleet - Defending Dutch ships against submarines |
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class + detail images for more images go to the individual boat's page |
 S 808 HNLMS Dolfijn  S 809 HNLMS Zeehond  S 804 HNLMS Potvis  S 805 HNLMS Tonijn   |
| | seaforces.org | Royal Netherlands Navy start page | |