M class minesweeper

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Class overview

Builders:	Van der Kuyk & Ree from, Fa. Koopman and J & A van der Schuyt
Operators:	Royal Netherlands Navy
Completed:	Four
General characteristics
Displacement:	M1: 328 tonnes, M2: 205 tonnes and M3, M4: 230 tonnes
Length:	+/- 30 m
Propulsion:	M1, M2: 500 hp engine and M3, M4: 450 hp engine
Speed:	M1: 9,5 knots and M2, M3, M4: 10 knots
Complement:	16
Armament:	2 x 12,7 mm MG

For the German Minesweepers of World War 2 vintage please see M class Minesweeper (Germany)

The M class was a class of four minesweepers of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It where the first minesweepers of the Dutch navy. The need for minesweepers for the Dutch marine came from the First World War where sea mines where used in great numbers. So the navy decided to turn tugboat in to minesweepers. The ships where build by tree different shipyard Van der Kuyk & Ree from Rotterdam, Fa. Koopman Dordrecht and J & A van der Schuyt Papendrecht. The ships where still in service during the Second World War. Not one of the ships was able to escape to the United Kingdom and tree of the four ships fell in German hands. After the war the M 1 and M 4 where found back and given back to the Netherlands and re-entert service as tugboat.