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Allied Warships

HNMS O 23 (P 23)

Submarine of the O 21 class

NavyThe Royal Dutch Navy
TypeSubmarine
ClassO 21 
PennantP 23 
Built byRotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij, (Rotterdam , Holland) 
Ordered21 Jun, 1937 
Laid down12 Oct, 1937 
Launched5 Dec, 1939 
Commissioned13 May, 1940 
End service1 Dec, 1948 
Loss position
 
HistoryDecommissioned on 1 December 1948.
Sold to be broken up for scrap in April 1949.

For the complete service history of this ship see this website (offsite link).

Commanding Officers:
Lt.Cdr. Gerrit Koudijs
13 May 1940 - 1 June 1940

Lt.Cdr. Gerardus Bernardus Michael van Erkel
1 June 1940 - 28 September 1940

Lt.Cdr. Albertus Marinus Valkenburg
28 September 1940 - 20 November 1940

Lt.Cdr. Gerardus Bernardus Michael van Erkel
20 November 1940 - 13 November 1941

Lt.Cdr. Karel van Dongen
13 November 1941 - 30 December 1941

Lt.Cdr. Albertus Marinus Valkenburg
30 December 1941 - 23 February 1944

Lt.Cdr. Arie Jan Schouwenaar
23 February 1944 - 16 March 1946 

Former nameK XXIII

Noteable events involving O 23 include:

30 Jun, 1941
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. G.B.M. van Erkel) torpedoes and sinks the Italian tanker Capcitas (5371 GRT) about 7 nautical miles north-west of Cape Sant Vincent, Italy in position 43º06'N, 10º26'E. (see map)

16 Aug, 1941
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. G.B.M. van Erkel) fires 4 torpedoes at a merchant in the Tyrrhenian Sea in position 39º35'N, 13º18'E. All torpedoes missed their target. (see map)

27 Jul, 1942
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. A.M. Valkenburg) damages the Japanese coaster Shofuku Maru No.2 (729 GRT) with gunfire south of Penang, Malaya in position 05º07'N, 98º50'E. (see map)

29 Jul, 1942
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. A.M. Valkenburg) fires four torpedoes at the Japanese heavy cruisers Kumano and Suzuya escorted by the destroyers Oyashio, Hayashio and Kuroshio (all offsite links) in the Straits of Malacca west of Poeloe Perak, Malaya (Perak province, Malaysia). The torpedoes missed their targets and O 23 is depth charged but manages to escape without damage.

2 Aug, 1942
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. A.M. Valkenburg) torpedoes and sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Zenyo Maru (6440 GRT) off Penang, Malaya in position 05º36'N, 99º53'E. (see map)

25 Oct, 1942
HrMs O 23 (Lt.Cdr. A.M. Valkenburg) torpedoes and damages the Japanese merchant Shinyu Maru (4622 GRT) off Penang, Malaya in position 05º28'N, 99º56'E. (see map)


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