Second World War When the Second World War
broke out for the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, the
Zwarte Zee was requisitioned by the
Royal Netherlands Navy.
Zwarte Zee was tasked with evacuating the unfinished
destroyers and
Philips van Almonde from
Vlissingen to
The Downs in
England. However,
Philips van Almonde was unable to launch from its stocks and was
scuttled on the slipway instead, leaving
Zwarte Zee with just the
Isaac Sweers to be towed.
Postwar In 1945, the
Zwarte Zee returned to Smit. In 1948, the ship was partially rebuilt, with modifications made to the
stern. On 31 December 1951, the ship was severely damaged in a collision with the Danish vessel
Bjørn Clausen and had to be towed to
Saint-Nazaire. On 11 January, the Zwarte Zee arrived at
Rotterdam, where it was repaired. In 1961, the ship was renamed
Zwarte Zee III, as a new
Zwarte Zee, the fourth of this name, had entered service. In early 1962, it was renamed again, this time to
Ierse Zee. On 27 October 1966, the ship was towed by the tugs
Kinderdijk and
Kijkduin to N.V. Frank Rijsdijk's Industrial Enterprises in
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht to be scrapped. During this "farewell voyage," the ship was slowly sailed along the
Nieuwe Maas through the port of Rotterdam, allowing many people along the shore to watch the ship's transit. ==References==