| Navy | The Royal Dutch Navy |
| Type | Minesweeper |
| Class | Jan van Amstel |
| Pennant | |
| Built by | Gusto (Schiedam, The Netherlands) |
| Ordered | |
| Laid down | 21 Mar 1936 |
| Launched | 22 Sep 1936 |
| Commissioned | 26 May 1937 |
| End service | |
| History | The Crijnssen gathered fame during the Second World War, because of her spectacular escape from Surabaya to Australia in March 1942. Covered with tree branches, the minesweeper crossed the Japanese naval lines camouflaged as a tropical island. HrMs Abraham Crijnssen was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy on 26 August 1942. She was returned on 5 May 1943. She was stricken in 1961 and transferred to the Zeekadetkorps Nederland. In 1996 she was preserved at the Marinemuseum at Den Helder. More info on that here. More on this ship see this website (offsite link). |
Commands listed for HNMS Abraham Crijnssen
Please note that we're still working on this section
and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War.
| Commander | From | To | ||
| 1 | luitenant ter zee 1e klasse (Lt.Cdr.) Eugenius Cornelis Johannes van der Horst, RNN | 24 Dec 1938 | 2 Sep 1939 | |
| 2 | luitenant ter zee 2e klasse (Lt.) Bernardus Poortman, RNN | 2 Sep 1939 | 20 Mar 1941 | |
| 3 | luitenant ter zee 2e klasse (Lt.) Johannes Abraham Agelink van Rentergem, RNN | 20 Mar 1941 | 3 Oct 1941 | |
| 4 | luitenant ter zee 2e klasse (Lt.) Anthonie van Miert, RNN | 3 Oct 1941 | 25 Aug 1942 | |
| 5 | luitenant ter zee 1e klasse (Lt.Cdr.) Joseph Remy Louis Lebeau, RNN | 5 May 1943 | 8 Jul 1944 | |
| 6 | luitenant ter zee 1e klasse (Lt.Cdr.) Klaas Gerrit Tiel, RNN | 8 Jul 1944 | 20 Mar 1945 | |
| 7 | kapitein-luitenant ter zee (Cdr.) Sies Dobbenga, RNN(R) | 20 Mar 1945 | 19 Feb 1946 | |
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Notable events involving Abraham Crijnssen include:
20 Apr 1942
HrMs K IX (Lt. T. Brunsting, RNN) and HrMs K XII (Lt.Cdr. H.C.J. Coumou, RNN(R)) departed Fremantle for Sydney. They were escorted by HrMs Abraham Crijnssen (Lt. A. van Miert, RNN). (1)
3 May 1945
Around 0910K/3, HrMs O 21 (Lt. F.J. Kroesen, RNN) arrived at Melbourne from Wellington.
She was escorted in by HrMs Abraham Crijnssen (Cdr. S. Dobbenga, RNN(R)) which had joined around 1120K/2. (2)
13 May 1945
HrMs O 21 (Lt. F.J. Kroesen, RNN) departed from Melbourne for Fremantle.
She is escorted until 0930K/14, by HrMs Abraham Crijnssen (Cdr. S. Dobbenga, RNN(R)). (2)
30 May 1945
HMS Vox (Lt. W.E.I. Littlejohn, DSC, RANVR) conducted A/S exercises off Sydney with HrMs Abraham Crijnssen (Cdr. S. Dobbenga, RNN(R)). (3)
Sources
- File 2.12.03.6049 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
- File 2.12.03.6419 (Dutch Archives, The Hague, Netherlands)
- ADM 173/20352
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.