HNLMS Van Galen was an Admiralen-class destroyer constructed for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the late 1920s. Built at the Fijenoord shipyard in Rotterdam, she was laid down on May 28, 1927, launched on June 28, 1928, and commissioned on October 22, 1929. As an Admiralen-class vessel, Van Galen was derived from the British-designed destroyer Ambuscade, featuring a length of 98.15 meters (322 feet), a beam of 9.53 meters (31 feet 3 inches), and a draft of 2.97 meters (9 feet 9 inches). Her standard displacement was 1,310 metric tons, with a full load displacement of approximately 1,640 metric tons, and she was crewed by 143 men. Powered by two geared Parsons steam turbines supplied steam from three Yarrow boilers, Van Galen was designed to reach speeds up to 36 knots (67 km/h). Her fuel capacity included additional oil for an extended range of 3,300 nautical miles at 15 knots, thanks to modifications in her second batch design. The vessel’s armament comprised four 120mm Mk 5 guns in single mounts, with 'A' and 'Y' guns equipped with shields. She was also armed with a single 75mm anti-aircraft gun and four 40mm AA guns, along with two triple 533mm torpedo tube mounts. The ship had the capability to carry a floatplane, such as the Fokker C.VII-W, and could be fitted for minesweeping operations. During her service, Van Galen played a minor role in World War II. When Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, she was the only Dutch destroyer in home waters. She was tasked with bombarding the German-occupied airfield at Waalhaven but was attacked by German aircraft while underway in the Nieuwe Waterweg and sank near Merwehaven. Her wreck was raised by German forces on October 24, 1941, but was found to be in such poor condition that she was subsequently scrapped. Her brief wartime service and her sinking highlight her as a symbol of the Netherlands’ naval efforts during the early stages of the war.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.