World of the Battleship project

[Bruce Taylor]

Hi all,

I’m recruiting contributors for a book of essays on individual battleships from the navies of the world. Structure, career, life and soul, one battleship per navy, 1900-1950. I’d very much like Hr.Ms. Die Zeven Provincien to be included to represent the Koninklijke Marine and was wondering if anyone could suggest or put me in touch with a likely author.

By the nature of the project I’m looking for someone who can not only cover the structure and career of the vessel but also provide some insights into her internal organization and life aboard, as well as the mutiny of 1933. The project is being backed by Seaforth and there are now a dozen of us covering ten vessels from the world's navies. I can send the full project brief to anyone who requests it.

I much look forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Bruce Taylor

[gastrion]

Re: World of the Battleship project

Hi, I'm not sure if by battleship you mean a battleship or just a warship.
The class 'only' measured 101m and displaced a mere 6530 tonnes.
I'm not sure of it's the 'battleship' you might be looking for in a book of battleships or battlecruisers.

This baby is a whole lot bigger and more heavily armed, but I'm not sure if it's in your project's time frame.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Zeven_P ... ss_cruiser
And there are more than enough enthousiasts out there who served aboard her.

greets,

Gastrion

[Willem Cool]

Re: World of the Battleship project

"gastrion" wrote: This baby is a whole lot bigger and more heavily armed, but I'm not sure if it's in your project's time frame.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Zeven_P ... ss_cruiser
And there are more than enough enthousiasts out there who served aboard her.

greets,

Gastrion

This ship might be significant bigger in size but with her main armament of 8-15cm (6") guns you can't
really classify her as a battleship.... This vessel is officially classified as a "light cruiser".

The Netherlands Navy never owned a real "battleship- or cruiser", although there were detailed plans for
building a class of 3 Battlecruisers before the outbreak of WWII.
These ships should give the navy some fighing chance against the fast-growing Japanese Navy.
The class (if being build) would have had ( most likely) a similair look and charasteristics as the
German "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau".

There is a topic about these class right here on this Forum, regretfully it is written in Dutch but there
are some real nice pics, for getting the idea..

See topic : http://www.dutchfleet.net/showthread...erontwerp-1939

Mvg.
Willem

[Willem Cool]

Re: World of the Battleship project

Found a lot of info in english for you, how could i forget this site... ,

http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Special_battlecruiser.htm

have fun,
Willem

[gastrion]

Re: World of the Battleship project

I know the Eendracht's aren't battleships, but they're the closest you can get to a battleship in the Dutch navy ever.
And they're beautiful ships, so if the Dutch navy is to be represented it might as well be with these ships

Too bad those ships were never built, but it's understandable since the order was placed in: Nazi Germany
They would've screwed their japanese allies over if they continued to deal.

[dragon]

Re: World of the Battleship project

Zeven Provincien got 11'' turrets, not only 6'', and was the most heavied armed one of it's time. Likely ''Coastal battleship''....

[gastrion]

Re: World of the Battleship project

"dragon" wrote: Zeven Provincien got 11'' turrets, not only 6'', and was the most heavied armed one of it's time. Likely ''Coastal battleship''....

He was talking about the two light cruisers laid down in the late 30's and entering service in 1953. They had 6" guns.
This class: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Zeven_P ... ss_cruiser

[dragon]

Re: World of the Battleship project

Ah No wonder, my screen didn't show all text by Security mode on my Job.

[Bruce Taylor]

Re: World of the Battleship project

Hi all,

Many thanks for these replies. And my apologies for not being much clearer: I mean the coast defence ship De Zeven Provincien launched in 1909, fitted with a couple of 11-inch guns and eventually sunk as Soerabaja at Soerabaja in 1942. My project embraces the wider meaning of "battleship" 1900-1950, i.e. any big-gun capital ship, to include pre-dreadnought battleships, armoured cruisers, battlecruisers and coastal defence ships.

So, does anyone know of any recent books and articles on DZP so that I can contact the author with an invitation? Failing that, who are the prominent authors/experts on the KM between the world wars?

Your help would be much appreciated!

Bruce

[Bruce Taylor]

Re: World of the Battleship project

Dear all, Please forgive my misspelling the name of this ship, here corrected: De Zeven Provinciën. With all good wishes, Bruce

[gastrion]

Re: World of the Battleship project

Yes I figured you meant that ship. It's confusing having all those (lead)ships named De zeven provincien.
I don't know about any experts or articles on the ship. There isn't a lot of materiel on the Dutch navy (in those times) in Dutch let alone English.
It's going to require some digging.

good luck

[Erik Smit]

The only ship the dutch navy ever had that was considered a Battleship in it's time was the "Koningin der Nederlanden" In the year 1874.

[Erik Smit]

Sorry it's "Koning der Nederlanden"