HNLMS Tromp (1937)

Type

Destroyer

Period

20th Century

Nation

Netherlands

Overview: HNLMS Tromp was the lead ship of the two-vessel Tromp class, officially built as a flotilla leader/torpedo cruiser for the Royal Netherlands Navy but often classed as a light cruiser. She is best known for her World War II service defending the Dutch East Indies and for her uncanny survivability, earning the nickname "the most reportedly sunk ship" of the war after repeated (false) Japanese claims of her destruction. Specifications: The ship displaced about 3,400 long tons standard, measured 132 m (433 ft) in length with a 12.4 m beam, and was powered by Parsons geared steam turbines driving two shafts at 56,000 shp for a design speed of 33 knots. Main armament comprised six 150 mm guns in three twin turrets, backed by 40 mm and 20 mm AA guns and two triple 21-inch torpedo tube mounts; she also carried a single Fokker C.XIW floatplane, a distinctive feature for modelers to include. Service History: Completed in 1938, Tromp initially operated in the Mediterranean and off the European coast before being sent in 1939 to reinforce the East Indies, where the Dutch government believed a war against Japan was inevitable. She was assigned to the Combined Striking Force, ABDA Command in January 1942 for the defence of the Dutch East Indies, and was badly damaged off Bali on 18 February 1942 during the Battle of Badung Strait, when she was hit by eleven 5-inch shells from the Japanese destroyer Asashio. After repairs she served alongside British, Australian, and American forces out of Sydney, Fremantle, and Trincomalee for the remainder of the war. Notable Facts: During the war she was repeatedly reported as having been destroyed by the Imperial Japanese Navy, earning her the reputation of being one of "the most reportedly sunk ship" of the war, and because she kept showing up despite being declared sunk she was given the nickname "The Ghost Ship." After the war she returned to the Netherlands, and after 1949 was used as a training and accommodation ship before being decommissioned in 1955 and scrapped in 1969.