The modern Netherlands Navy dates its founding to a "statute of admiralty" issued by
Maximilian, King of the Romans (future Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I), and his son
Philip the Fair, the ruler of
Burgundian lands (a minor at that time) on 8 January 1488.
Netherlands Golden Age in 1653 during the
First Anglo-Dutch War. The Netherlands navy was involved in several wars against other European powers from the late 16th century, initially for independence against Spain in European waters, later for shipping lanes, trade and colonies in many parts of the world, notably during the
Anglo-Dutch Wars. During the 17th century the
Dutch States Navy was one of the most powerful navies in the world. As an organization, the Dutch navy consisted of five separate admiralties (three of them in
Holland, and one each in
Friesland and
Zeeland), each with its own ships, personnel, shipyards, command structures and revenues.
World War II , commanding officer of in 1958. At the start of WWII the Dutch had five cruisers, eight destroyers, 24 submarines, and smaller vessels, along with 50 aircraft. The Netherlands was conquered in 1940 by
Nazi Germany in a matter of days, and two Dutch
light cruisers and one
destroyer leader and three
destroyers that were under construction were captured in their
shipyard. For the rest of the war, the Dutch navy was based in
Allied countries: the Dutch navy had its headquarters in
London, and smaller units in
Ceylon (modern day
Sri Lanka) and
Western Australia. Around the world Dutch naval units were responsible for transporting troops, for example during
Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk and on
D-Day, they escorted convoys and attacked enemy targets. Dutch submarines scored some victories, including one on a
Kriegsmarine U-boat in the
Mediterranean Sea, which was sunk by , but during the war the Dutch Navy suffered heavy losses, particularly in the
Pacific Theatre. A small force of
submarines based in Western Australia sank more Japanese ships in the first weeks after Japan joined the war than the entire British and American navies together during the same period, an exploit which earned
Admiral Helfrich the nickname "Ship-a-day Helfrich". The aggressive pace of operations against the Japanese was a contributing factor to both the heavy losses sustained and the greater number of successes scored as compared to the British and Americans in the region. But during the relentless Japanese offensive of February through April 1942 in the Dutch East Indies, the Dutch navy in Asia was virtually annihilated, particularly in the
Battle of the Java Sea (27 February 1942) in which the commander,
Karel Doorman, went down with his fleet along with 1,000 sailors. The Navy sustained losses of a total of 20 ships (including two of its three light cruisers) and 2,500 sailors killed in the course of the campaign. The Dutch navy had suffered from years of underfunding and came ill-prepared to face an enemy with more and heavier ships with better weapons, including the
Long Lance-torpedo, with which the cruiser sank the light cruiser .
Decolonization After the war, relations between the Netherlands and its colonial empire changed dramatically. The establishment of the
Republic of Indonesia, two days after the Japanese surrender, thwarted Dutch plans for restoring colonial authority. The navy made a modest contribution to the
Dutch police actions and after four years of conflict, the Netherlands
ceded sovereignty to Indonesia in 1949. Elements of the Dutch navy remained stationed in Indonesia for the
Dutch Military Mission until 1954 and in
Dutch New Guinea until the
New York Agreement came into effect in 1962. The latter had been preceded by a
combined Soviet–Indonesian military operation, which the Dutch navy successfully repulsed in the
Battle of Arafura Sea. The Dutch departure from Southeast Asia had immediate consequences for the purpose of the navy, as its focus shifted to
anti-submarine warfare and securing
shipping lanes in a joint European and North Atlantic context.
European Union cooperation The Navy has participated in joint European Union naval operations and exercises. Ten
separate Dutch vessels have contributed to the
EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta, combating Somali piracy forces in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean since 2009. The last vessel was sent in 2018; since then the Navy has only contributed staff and advisors to the mission.
NATO cooperation in 2007 with second from the right. With the creation of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the military focus was on the army and air force; it was not until the
Korean War (1950–1953) that the navy got more recognition. The government allowed the creation of a balanced fleet consisting of two naval squadrons. Apart from the
aircraft carrier the Dutch navy consisted of two
light cruisers (two ), 12
destroyers (four , eight ), eight
submarines, six
frigates (s), and a considerable number of
minesweepers. As a member of
NATO, the Netherlands developed its security policy in close cooperation with other members. The establishment of the
Warsaw Pact in 1955 intensified the arms race between West and East. Technical innovations rapidly emerged, the introduction of radar and sonar were followed by
nuclear weapon systems and long-range missiles. The geopolitical situation allowed for a fixed military strategy. Beginning in 1965, the Dutch Navy joined certain permanent NATO squadrons like the
Standing Naval Force Atlantic. ==Structure==