Eduard Herbert Vorster, RNN

Born  21 Sep 1905Ambon, Netherlands East Indies
Died  Jun 1940(34)HrMs O-13


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Ranks

16 Aug 1927 luitenant ter zee 3e klasse (S.Lt.)
16 Aug 1929 luitenant ter zee 2e klasse (Lt.)
16 Aug 1929 luitenant ter zee 2e klasse (Lt.)
11 Feb 1939 luitenant ter zee 1e klasse (Lt.Cdr.)

Decorations

Warship Commands listed for Eduard Herbert Vorster, RNN


ShipRankTypeFromTo
HNMS O 13 (N 13)luitenant ter zee 1e klasse (Lt.Cdr.)Submarine6 Oct 193925 Jun 1940

Career information

We currently have no career / biographical information on this officer.

Events related to this officer

Submarine HNMS O 13 (N 13)


9 May 1940
HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN) is ordered to leave base (Den Helder) and take up a patrol position of the Dutch coast. (1)

10 May 1940
HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN) is ordered to proceed to the U.K. (1)

11 May 1940
HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN) arrived at the Downs escorted by minesweeper HrMs Jan van Gelder (Lt. P.L.M. van Geen, RNN). (1)

12 May 1940
Several Dutch ships that escaped from the Netherlands to the Downs proceed to Portsmouth. The ships involved are;
Unfinished light cruiser HrMs Jacob van Heemskerck (Lt.Cdr. A. van Foreest, RNN),
Minesweeper HrMs Jan van Gelder (Lt. P.L.M. van Geen, RNN),
Submarine HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN)
unfinished submarines HrMs O 21 (Lt.Cdr. J.F. van Dulm, RNN) and HrMs O 22 (Lt.Cdr. A.M. Valkenburg, RNN).

All ships arrived safely in Portsmouth later the same day. (1)

29 May 1940
HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN) departed Portsmouth for her 1st war patrol. She was ordered to pstrol in the English Channel. (2)

1 Jun 1940 (position 49.54, -0.46)
At 0100 hours, HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN), sighted 'what was thought to be' an enemy submarine in position 49°54'N, 00°46'W. This submarine was seen to fire two White Very lights. O 13 dived but did not attack. [No German submarine was operating in this area, if it was a submarine it was more likely an Allied one as several were operating in the English Channel, it might have been HMS Oberon (Lt.Cdr. E.F. Pizey, DSC, RN) which was operating not far away.]

Later the same day HrMs O 13 ended her 1st war patrol at Portsmouth. (2)

3 Jun 1940
The Dutch submarine HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN) departed Portsmouth for Dundee. She was escorted by the British armed yacht HMS White Bear (Capt. R. Gill, RD, RNR). The British submarines HMS H 28 (Lt. E.A Woodward, RN) and HMS H 31 (Lt. R.J. Hemingway, RN) were also in company until Blyth. (3)

6 Jun 1940
HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN) arrived at Dundee. (4)

11 Jun 1940
HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN) conducted wireless trials off Dundee. (4)

12 Jun 1940
HrMs O 13 (Lt.Cdr. E.H. Vorster, RNN) departed Dundee for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the North Sea near position 57°00'N, 05°50'E.

She was ordered to return to leave patrol at 2200A/19 to return to Dundee where she was to arrive on 21 June. She was ordered to report her position on 20 and 21 June 1940. She failed to return to base and did not signal her positions on 20 June and 21 June as ordered.

Sources

  1. File 2.12.27.215 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
  2. ADM 199/1856
  3. ADM 199/373
  4. ADM 199/400

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.


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