HNLMS Piet Hein (1927)

HNLMS Piet Hein at full speed off the Dutch East Indies in 1937
History
Netherlands
NamePiet Hein
NamesakePiet Pieterszoon Hein
BuilderBurgerhout, Rotterdam
Laid down26 August 1925
Launched2 April 1927
Commissioned25 January 1929
FateSunk, 19 February 1942
General characteristics
Class & typeAdmiralen-class destroyer
Displacement1,310 long tons (1,331 t) standard
Length
  • 98.15 m (322.0 ft) oa
  • 93.57 m (307.0 ft) lbp
Beam9.45 m (31.0 ft)
Draft3 m (9.8 ft)
Installed power31,000 hp (23 MW)
Propulsion
Speed36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range3,200 nmi (5,900 km; 3,700 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement129
Armament
  • 4 × 4.7 in (120 mm) guns (4×1)
  • 2 × 3 in (76 mm) AA guns (2×1)
  • 4 × 1.3 cm (.5 in) machine guns
  • 6 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (2×3)
  • 24 × mines
Aircraft carried1 × Fokker C.VII-W floatplane
Aviation facilities1 × Davit

HNLMS Piet Hein was an Admiralen-class destroyer operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy between 1928 and 1942. She was designed to also serve as a minelayer, and spend most of her career in the Dutch East Indies. During the Dutch East Indies campaign of World War II, the destroyer joined an Alied fleet in several attempts to repulse Japanese invasions. In one such attempt, during the Battle of Badung Strait, Piet Hein became isolated from her fleet and exchanged fire with the Japanese destroyer Asashio. In the ensuing engagement, she lost electrical power and became immobile. Afterwards, she was torpedoed and quickly sank.