K XV was one of five K XIV class submarines built for the Royal Netherlands Navy. She served during World War II.

K XV in the Dutch East Indies, 1935
History
Netherlands
NameK XV
BuilderRotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij
Laid down31 May 1930
Launched10 December 1932
Commissioned30 December 1933
Decommissioned23 April 1946
FateSold for scrap December 1950
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeK XIV class submarine
Displacement
  • 865 tons surfaced
  • 1045 tons submerged
Length73.64 m (241 ft 7 in)
Beam6.51 m (21 ft 4 in)
Draught3.93 m (12 ft 11 in)
Propulsion
Speed
  • 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph) surfaced
  • 9 kn (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged
Range
  • 10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph) on the surface
  • 26 nmi (48 km; 30 mi) at 8.5 kn (15.7 km/h; 9.8 mph) submerged
Complement38
Armament
  • 4 × 21 inch bow torpedo tubes
  • 2 × 21 inch stern torpedo tubes
  • 2 × 21 inch external-traversing torpedo tubes forward of the conning tower
  • 1 x 88 mm gun
  • 2 x 40 mm guns (replaced with 1 x 20 mm gun during WWII)

Service history edit

 
Sister ships K XVI and K XV photographed together at sea

The submarine was laid down in Rotterdam at the shipyard of Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij on 31 May 1930. The launch took place on 10 December 1932. On 30 December 1933 the boat was commissioned in the Dutch navy.[2]

On 7 February 1934 K XV and K XIV left the Netherlands for the Dutch East Indies. The route they took led through the Suez Canal.[2] On 6 September 1938 she participated in a fleet show at Surabaya. The show was held in honor of the Dutch Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands who was than 40 years the head of state. More than twenty navy ships participate in the show.[2]

In the war K XV sank several Japanese ships. She survived the war and was decommissioned on 23 April 1946. 1 June 1946 she was stricken and sold for scrap in December 1950.[2]

Summary of raiding history edit

Ships sunk and damaged by K XV.[2]

Date Ship name Nationality/Type Tonnage (GRT) Fate
1 March 1942 Tsurumi Japanese Navy tanker 8000 Damaged
23 April 1944 ? Proa 10 Sunk
23 April 1944 ? Japanese coastal motor ship 50 Sunk

References edit

  1. ^ "Dutch Submarines: The K XIV submarine class". dutchsubmarines.com. 2012. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Dutch Submarines: The submarine K XV". dutchsubmarines.com. 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2013.