Dutch brig of war Cachelot 1844-1871

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Netherlands
.Sustainable URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.244187

This beautiful half model is of the Dutch 1st class 12-gun brig of war Cachelot built at the navy yard at Flushing by A.E. Tromp. She was to be armed with 12-30pd grenade guns. With a displacement of 499,5 Dutch tons were her dimensions 30,5  (between perpendiculars on loading line) x 9,5 (inner hull) x 4,0 (draught fore)-4,3 (draught aft) x 4,71 (hold) metres. According to a list dealing with the navy yards and the projects dated 1 January 1845 was this 12-gun brig new model just completed for 3/20 in stead of the obliged 5/20 according to the work orders for 1844. In 1845 she was to be completed for 7/20.(1) In the newspaper Goessche Courant editions dated 5 and 9 February 1846 called a 1st class 12 gun brig still being built. The edition dated 6 January 1848 still described her as uncompleted. The Zierikzeesche courant dated Wednesday 2 July 1851 reported that she was launched on the Saturday before. The Middelburgsche Courant dated 27 November 1854 reported something unexpectedly. In the Parliament was the navy budget for 1855 discussed. An especially appointed commission reported that the cabinet did not much to improve the fleet which apparently was in a position of decay. Another remark was that what the budget claimed not agreed with the reality. A list dated no. 44 1 July 1854 reported that the Cachelot was nearly completed. Now was explicit reported that she like three other ships (2) were built according to a wrong design and now to be completed but if necessary to be taken part and replaced by ships built according to new designs. The edition dated 22 September 1857 reported that due to a Royal decision dated the 17th she was destined for the Dutch East Indies and to be commissioned on 16 October. Het etat-major consisted of captain-lieutenant A.F. Siedenburg, 1st lieutenant J.J.A.D. Phaff (1st officer), 2nd lieutenants H.J. baron van Boecop, H.H. baron van Reede van Oudsthoorn and jhr. J.H.P. von Schmidt auf Altenstadt, officer of health 2nd class H.E. Thepass, officer of administration 2nd class J.W. van der Wulp and shipping clerk F.T. Courier dit Dubikart. The edition dated 17 October reported her departure in begin November. Three days later was the date 1 November mentioned. On the 10th was reported that she passed on 11.00 o’clock on the 2nd the lighthouse off Dungeness. She was an excellent sail ship with a speed of 10 miles although she behaved like a real whale keeping ‘her head’ below the water surface. The Java-bode dated 10 February 1871 reported that she was sold on an auction at Surabaya, Dutch East Indies for ƒ 8.000 on the morning of the 4th to mr. Nicolaï. She was described as condemned.

Notes
1. Kamerstuk Tweede Kamer 1844-1845 no. XXI VIIII sub no. 22 dealing with the navy budgets for 1846 and 1846. Municipality archive Vlissingen, archive of the town no. 5533 reported that she was laid down on 4 September 1844. The Vlissingse Courant reported that on Wednesday 4 September 1844 the keels were laid down of a brig and a schooner [Adder]. B.J. Tideman mentioned in his Memoriaal van de Marine (published 1876-1880) that she was built in 1852 with a displacement of 546 tons and as dimensions 31,50 x 9,50 x 4,50 metres and an armament of 10 guns. In his Verhandeling over de scheepsbouwkunde als wetenschap (published 1859) he wrote that the weight of her war stores was 39 tons and the costs of being completely fitted out ƒ 162.000. According to several documents varied her crew numbers. For instance on 1 January 1858 were 111 men on board, 1 January 1868 96 (78 Europeans and 18 natives) and was ordered she should have 100 (including 18 natives). The Verhandelingen en berigten betrekkelijk het zeewezen, vol. 27 reported that while part of the Indische Militaire Marine on 1 July 1868 her armament consisted of 2 long 12 pd guns and 8 medium 30pd guns. She was on 1 January that same year handed over by the Royal Netherlands Navy to the Indische Militaire Marine, the latter naval force especially active in the Dutch East Indies. August Elize Tromp (12 March 1801 Zierikzee-10 June 1871 Hilversum), chief constructor for the Royal Netherlands Navy finally dismissed on 5 December 1866.
2. The other ships involved were according to list no. 42 and of which the building was continued were the frigate Prinses Sophia, the corvette Java and the brig Zeepaard. One Parliament paper (Kamerstuk Tweede Kamer 1854-1855 no. II VIII sub no. 107) even supplied more details. The four involved ships were built using the original plans of the British captain sir William Symonds. However in the practice it became clear that British and already some Dutch warships (frigate Prins Hendrik, corvette Sumatra and the brig Zeehond) built according to those plans were expensive to be built en in fact hardly possessed any good qualities as a warship. That was the reason that the building stopped of the four ships. The ships were to be broken up and the usable parts to be used for new ships using other designs. In fact was this intention not executed. Sir William Symonds (24 September 1782 Burt St. Edmunds-30 March 1856 on board of the French steamship in the Strait of Bonifacio off Sardinia. Retired in 1856 and appointed into the rank of rear admiral. Served in the British Royal Navy between 1794 and 1856 including becoming Surveyor of the Navy on 9 June 1832. He was not undisputed for his experimental manner of shipbuilding/designing. In 1844-1846 started the Board of Admiralty with tests to prove his designs were in fact failures. The results although not complete a failure caused his resigning in October 1847.