HNLMS Douwe Aukes (ML 1, N 81) was a minelayer of the Royal Netherlands Navy

Royal Netherlands Navy

The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...

. She was built in the Gusto shipyard at Schiedam

Schiedam

Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft...

 as the lead ship of the Douwe Aukes class

Douwe Aukes class minelayer

The Douwe Aukes class were minelayers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, named after the naval hero Douwe Aukes.The two ships were built at the Gusto shipyard in Schiedam...

, and one of her early commanders was Eugène Lacomblé

Eugène Lacomblé

Eugène Edouard Bernard Lacomblé was an officer in the Royal Netherlands Navy from 1914 to 1942. He began and ended his career on board the cruiser De Ruyter.-Life:...

.

Second World War

On 14 May 1940 the Douwe Aukes fled to the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, picking up survivors from the sinking of the Johan Maurits van Nassau

HNLMS Johan Maurits van Nassau

HNLMS Johan Maurits van Nassau, named after John Maurice of Nassau, was a Dutch sloop that served in the early part of World War II, when it was sunk...

 during the crossing. She was first stationed at Falmouth

Falmouth, Cornwall

Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....

 alongside her sister ship Van Meerlant

HNLMS Van Meerlant

HNLMS Van Meerlant was a minelayer of the Royal Netherlands Navy built in the Gusto shipyard at Schiedam as part of the Douwe Aukes class.-Service:...

 and the HNLMS Medusa

HNLMS Medusa (1911)

HNLMS Medusa was a Dutch minelayer of the Hydra class, built in Amsterdam and named after Medusa in Greek mythology.-Service:...

., and then at Sheerness

Sheerness

Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....

. From 29 April 1941 she was lent to the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 for anti-aircraft duties on the eastern English coast. She was also active in the D-Day landings. She was returned to the Dutch navy in 1945.

Post-war

Post-war, the Douwe Aukes acted as a depot ship for the Mine Service

Mine Service

The Mine Service is the wing of the Royal Netherlands Navy dealing with mine-laying and minesweeping. It was established in 1907 from the Torpedo Service ....

, then from 1959 as accommodation for the Mine Service at Hellevoetsluis

Hellevoetsluis

Hellevoetsluis is a small city and municipality on Voorne-Putten Island in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland...

. She finally left service in 1960.

Sources

• Mark, C. Schepen van de Koninklijke Marine in W.O. II Alkmaar: De Alk bv, 1997 94-103