View source for Tromp-class cruiser

{{Short description|Class of flotilla leaders of the Royal Netherlands Navy}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = File:Kruiser Hr.Ms. Tromp (1938-1955) (2158 004039).jpg
| Ship caption = Lead of her class ''Tromp'' {{circa}} 1938
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''Tromp'' class
| Builders = [[Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij|Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Mij]]
| Operators = {{navy|Netherlands}}
| Subclasses = 
| Cost = 
| Built range = 1936–1940
| In service range = 
| In commission range = 1938–1969
| Total ships building = 
| Total ships planned = 2
| Total ships completed = 2
| Total ships cancelled = 
| Total ships active = 
| Total ships laid up = 
| Total ships lost = 
| Total ships retired = 2
| Total ships preserved = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship type = [[Flotilla leader]] or [[light cruiser]]
| Ship displacement = {{convert|3,787|LT|t|0|abbr=on}}
| Ship length = {{Convert|131.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{Convert|12.4|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship height = 
| Ship draught = {{Convert|4.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = * 2 geared steam turbines
* 4 boilers
* 2 shafts
| Ship speed = *{{convert|34.5|kn|lk=in}} achieved
*{{convert|33.5|kn|mph km/h|lk=in}} design
| Ship range = 
| Ship endurance = 
| Ship complement = 
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship EW = 
| Ship armament = *'''''Tromp''''' (at launch):
* 6 × {{convert|150|mm|in|abbr=on}} (3×2)
* 4 × [[Bofors 40 mm Automatic Gun L/60|40 mm]] (2×2)
* 6 × {{convert|533|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} torpedo tubes (2×3)
*4 × {{Convert|.5|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} (2×2)
* '''''Jacob van Heemskerk''''' (at launch):
* 10 × {{convert|102|mm|in|0|abbr=on}} guns (5×2)
* 6 × {{Convert|20|mm|in|abbr=on|order=}}
* 1 × [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|QF 2-pounder]] (1×4)
| Ship armour = *{{Convert|15-25|mm|in|abbr=on}} main deck
*{{Convert|16-25|mm|in|abbr=on}} second deck
*{{Convert|16|mm|in|abbr=on}} turrets
*{{Convert|13|mm|in|abbr=on}} [[conning tower]]
| Ship aircraft = 1 × [[Fokker C.XI|Fokker C.XIW]] [[floatplane]] (''Tromp'')
| Ship aircraft facilities = 
| Ship notes = 
| Ship power = {{Convert|56,000|shp|kW|abbr=on}}
}}
|}

The '''''Tromp''-class''' was a two-ship series of [[Light cruiser|light cruisers]] operated by the [[Royal Netherlands Navy]] between 1939 and 1969. Officially designated as [[Flotilla leader|flotilla leaders]], the ships were built to also operate as torpedo and scout cruisers. The two ships, ''[[HNLMS Tromp (1937)|Tromp]]'' and ''[[HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck (1939)|Jacob van Heemskerck]]'', were intended to defend the [[Dutch East Indies]] against [[Japan]]. By the start of [[World War II]], only ''Tromp'' was in service: the uncompleted ''Heemskerck'' fled to the [[United Kingdom]] and was converted into an [[Anti-aircraft warfare|air-defense]] cruiser following the [[German invasion of the Netherlands|Invasion of the Netherlands]]. The two ships operated with either British or American fleets throughout Asia for the rest of the war, and participated in Allied offensives throughout the [[Indonesian archipelago|Indonesian Archipelago]] and [[Western Pacific Ocean|western Pacific]]. During the [[Cold War|early Cold War]], the ships participated in several fleet maneuvers before they were reassigned as training ships and decommissioned in the late 1960s.

== Development ==
During the [[Interwar period]], the [[Royal Netherlands Navy|Dutch Navy]] was split between defending the [[Netherlands]] and the [[Dutch East Indies]], particularly the island of [[Java]]. While the European fleet focused around [[Minelayer|minelaying]], the flotilla in Asia relied on a combination of [[aircraft]], [[Destroyer|destroyers]], and [[Submarine|submarines]] to identify and destroy an invading force near the [[Coast|coastline]]. [[Cruiser|Cruisers]] were vital in this doctrine, as they had the capability to sail out to sea and attack enemy convoys outside the [[Indonesian archipelago]] and serve as powerful [[Escort ship|escorts]] for allied vessels.<ref name=":52">{{Cite book |last=van Oosten |first=F. C. |title=Warship Profile 40: Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship De Ruyter |date=1 January 1974 |publisher=Profile Publications |isbn=9780853830627 |asin=B0007C1ABY}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=73–74}}

By 1927, the [[Great Depression in the Netherlands|Great Depression]] had sapped the budget and strength of the [[Dutch military]]. Recognizing the need for post-depression rebuilding, the Navy proposed the ''Vlootplan Deckers'' ([[Laurent Deckers|Deckers]] Fleet Plan) in 1930 to expand the East Indies fleet to a satisfactory size.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Noppen |first=Ryan K. |title=The Royal Netherlands Navy of World War II |date=2020 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing Plc |others=Paul Wright |isbn=978-1-4728-4191-9 |edition=1st |series=New Vanguard Series |location=London}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=16–17|page=14}} The plan included two additional light cruisers, described as [[Torpedo cruiser|torpedo cruisers]] and [[Scout cruiser|scout cruisers]], intended to operate as [[Flotilla leader|flotilla leaders]]. The two ships were envisioned as a fiscally efficient response to the Japanese [[Fubuki-class destroyer|''Fubuki''-class destroyers]] that outmatched comparable Dutch destroyers. doctrine called for the two ships to be fast enough to lead destroyers in combat while being armed well enough to overpower Japanese cruisers and destroyers.<ref name=":02" />{{Rp|pages=|page=21}}
[[File:Hr.Ms. kruiser Tromp (1938-1955), presentatie van zij- en bovenaanzicht van de dekken (2158 011744).jpg|thumb|general arrangement plan of ''Tromp'' as intended. Note the four gun mounts behind the aircraft.]]

== Design ==
After the design was enlarged to the size of a cruiser for service in the East Indies, the ships displaced {{convert|3,787|LT|t|0|abbr=on}} and measured {{Convert|131.9|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length, with a beam of {{Convert|12.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} and a draft of {{Convert|4.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Four oil-fired boilers turned two [[Turbine|turbines]] and two [[Propeller|propellers]], which produced {{Convert|56,000|shp|kW|abbr=on}} and a design speed of {{convert|33.5|kn|lk=in}}, although ''Tromp'' reached {{convert|34.5|kn|lk=in}} during her [[Sea trial|sea trials]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Schedel |first=Charles W. |date=2001 |title=Ask Infoser |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/44892754?read-now=1&seq=9#page_scan_tab_contents |journal=Warship International |volume=38 |issue=2 |pages=129–143 |issn=0043-0374}}</ref>{{Rp|pages=136-137}}  

Their hulls were longitudinally subdivided into 17 torpedo [[Bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]] between {{Convert|20-30|mm|in|abbr=on}} thick that was reinforced by a [[double hull]] which extended for about 60% of the ships' length. The [[main deck]] was {{Convert|15-25|mm|in|abbr=on}} thick and was joined by a lower deck {{Convert|25|mm|in|abbr=on}} thick above the forward [[Naval magazine|magazine]] and {{Convert|16|mm|in|abbr=on}} over the [[Drivetrain|steering gear]] and aft magazine.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Whitley |first=M. J. (Michael J. ) |url=https://archive.org/details/cruisers-of-wwii-enciclopedia-images/page/192/mode/2up?q=%22De+Ruyter%22+ |title=Cruisers of World War Two : an international encyclopedia |date=1995 |publisher=London : Arms and Armour Press |isbn=978-1-85409-225-0}}</ref>{{Rp|page=194}} The turrets and [[Barbette|barbettes]] were also {{Convert|16|mm|in|abbr=on}} thick, and the conning tower was protected by {{Convert|13|mm|in|abbr=on}} of armor.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|pages=137}}

''Tromp'' was the only ship built to the initial design. She was fitted with three twin {{Convert|5.9|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} turrets{{En dash}}two mounted on the bow and one stern{{En dash}}and an anti-air compliment that consisted of two{{efn|Four were planned to be fitted, but only two were actually mounted}} twin {{Convert|40|mm|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} Bofors at the back of her forecastle deck and two twin {{Convert|.5|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} machine guns. She was also equipped with two triple {{Convert|21|in|cm|abbr=on|order=flip}} [[Torpedo tube|torpedo tubes]] located midship on either side, a [[Fokker C.V|Fokker C.VIX]] [[floatplane]], and a crane that lowered the aircraft into the water.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=194}} ''Jacob van Heemskerck'' was uncompleted when she fled the Netherlands during the [[German invasion of the Netherlands|German Invasion]], and was instead fitted out by the Royal Navy who envisioned her as an anti-air cruiser. As such, she was fitted with five [[QF 4-inch naval gun Mk XVI|twin {{Convert|4|in|mm|abbr=on|order=flip}} Mk XVI]] turrets: three in the same location as ''Tromp'', and a turret on each side where the torpedo tubes and aircraft were planned. She was also given an additional mast to carry a British air-search radar, two [[depth charge]] racks, six {{Convert|20|mm|in|abbr=on|order=}} guns, and a [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|quad 2-pounder naval gun]], although the exact armament of both ships changed over time.<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|pages=|page=137}}

== Ships ==
=== ''Tromp'' ===
After she entered service in 1938, ''[[HNLMS Tromp (1937)|Tromp]]'' initially operated in the Mediterranean and off the European coast. In 1939, she was sent to reinforce the East Indies, where the Dutch government believed a war against Japan was inevitable. Following the outbreak of World War II and Dutch capitulation, the cruiser operated under Royal Navy command and escorted vital convoys throughout the region. By February 1942, the Dutch East Indies was invaded from multiple sides by Japan as allied forces were overwhelmed. In an effort to coordinate resistance, elements of the [[Royal Navy|British]], Dutch, and [[United States Navy|American]] navies formed the [[American-British-Dutch-Australian Command|Combined Striking Force]]. ''Tromp'' sailed with the fleet and withstood several air attacks before she was badly damaged by Japanese destroyers during the [[Battle of Badung Strait]]. She was repaired in Australia and attached to the [[United States Seventh Fleet|US 7th Fleet]] for [[Anti-submarine warfare|anti-submarine]] patrols in the [[Western Pacific Ocean|western Pacific]] throughout 1943. In January of the next year, she joined the [[East Indies Station|British Eastern Fleet]] for a series of [[aircraft carrier]] raids against the occupied Indonesian islands. During [[Operation Cockpit]], [[Operation Crimson|Crimson]], and [[Operation Transom|Transom]], she shelled enemy land instillations before she supported the [[Operation Dracula|invasions of Rangoon]] and [[Borneo campaign|Borneo]] in 1945. At the end of the war, she accepted the surrender of [[Belitung]] and returned to Europe. For the rest of her career, she joined allied forces in the North Atlantic before she was demoted to a [[training ship]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mulder |first=Jantinus |title=Cruiser HNLMS Tromp |date=2012 |publisher=Uitgeverij Lanasta |isbn=978-90-8616-191-1 |edition=1st |series=Lanasta - Warship Series |location=Amsterdam}}</ref>{{Rp|page=25|pages=29-47}}
=== ''Jacob van Heemskerck'' ===
[[File:Jacob van heemskerk light cruiser.jpg|thumb|''Jacob van Heemskerk'' during World War II, armed as a British air-defense cruiser.]]When the Netherlands was invaded by Germany, ''[[HNLMS Jacob van Heemskerck (1939)|Jacob van Heemskerck]]'' was still working up. Her commissioning was hastened, and she fled for Great Brittain on the night of 14 May. While her main battery and {{Convert|20|mm|in|abbr=on}} guns had been installed prior to her departure, the rangefinders for her main battery were still missing. Once arrived in England, she would receive depth charge racks from the torpedo boats [[G-class torpedo boat|G13 and G15]]. She then escorted members of the [[Monarchy of the Netherlands|Dutch royal family]] to [[Canada]] before she sailed to [[Portsmouth]] for completion. As there were no rangefinders available that paired with her armament, and no torpedo tubes had been installed, she would instead be converted into an air-defense cruiser starting in June. Work was finished in February 1941, and she patrolled parts of the North Atlantic before getting deployed to the Pacific with the [[East Indies Fleet|British East Indies Fleet]] in 1942. She then participated in the [[Battle of Madagascar|Invasion of Madagascar]] and patrolled the [[Indian Ocean]], escorting convoys and sinking the German [[blockade runner]] ''[[MV Ramses|Ramses]]'' in the process. By 1944, the cruiser returned to Britain and continued to escort convoys in the Mediterranean and Atlantic for the rest of the war. Following [[German Instrument of Surrender|German capitulation]], she became the first ship to warship to visit [[Amsterdam]] after its liberation. After the war, she became the [[flagship]] of [[HNLMS Karel Doorman (R81)|HNLMS ''Karel Doorman'']]'s task force and was reduced to an [[Barracks ship|accommodations ship]] in 1955.<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=196|pages=}}<ref name=":0" />{{Rp|page=|pages=140-141}}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data<ref name=":8" />{{Rp|page=194|pages=}}
|-
! scope="col" | Name
!Builder
! scope="col" | Laid down
! scope="col" | Launched
! scope="col" | Commissioned
! scope="col" | Decommissioned
|-
! scope="row" | {{HNLMS|Tromp|1937|2}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij|NSM]], [[Amsterdam]]
| 17 January 1936
| 24 May 1937
| 18 August 1938
| 10 December 1968
|-
! scope="row" | {{HNLMS|Jacob van Heemskerck|1939|2}}
| 31 October 1938
| 16 September 1939
| 10 May 1940
| 27 February 1970
|}

== See also ==
* [[La Galissonnière-class cruiser]] 
* [[Capitani Romani-class cruiser]] 
* [[Agano-class cruiser]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Tromp.htm netherlandsnavy] - Breakdown of equipment on both ships

{{Tromp class cruisers}}
{{Royal Netherlands Navy cruisers}}
{{WWII Dutch ships}}

[[Category:Cruiser classes]]
[[Category:Tromp-class cruisers]]