HNLMS Poolster (A835)

HNLMS Poolster (Dutch: Hr.Ms. Poolster) was a replenishment ship serving with the Royal Netherlands Navy. Poolster entered service on 29 June 1964. In 1994 she was decommissioned and sold to the Pakistan Navy where the ship was renamed Moawin. A later replenishment ship Zuiderkruis was based on Poolster. In the Dutch navy she was replaced by the replenishment ship Amsterdam. She was the first ship in the Dutch navy with inbuilt protection against radioactive fallout.

HNLMS Poolster
Class overview
Name: Poolster class
Operators:

 Royal Netherlands Navy (Formerly)

 Pakistan Navy
Succeeded by: HNLMS Amsterdam
Subclasses: HNLMS Zuiderkruis
Cost: ƒ22m (1962 prices)[1]
Built: 1962–1964
In service: 1964-present
In commission: 1964-present
Planned: 1
Completed: 1
Active: 1
History
Netherlands
Name: Poolster
Namesake: Pole star
Ordered: 1961
Builder: Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij
Laid down: 19 September 1962
Launched: 16 October 1963
Commissioned: 29 June 1964
Decommissioned: 28 July 1994
Identification: A835
Motto: Uw wil geschiede (Thy will be done)
Fate: Sold to Pakistan in 1994 (Decommissioned and handed over to gadani ship braking in Apr 2019
Pakistan
Name: Moawin
Acquired: 28 July 1994
Identification:
Status: in active service
General characteristics
Type: Replenishment ship
Displacement: 16,836 t (16,570 long tons)
Length: 168.3 m (552 ft 2 in)
Beam: 20.3 m (66 ft 7 in)
Draught: 8.6 m (28 ft 3 in)
Propulsion: 22,500 hp (16,778 kW), 2 turbines
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Complement: 200
Armament: 2 × 40 mm (2 in) machine guns
Aircraft carried: 3 × Lynx helicopters

History

In 1960 the Royal Netherlands Navy noted that it needed a replenishment ship, after chartering earlier that year the turbine tanker Mijndrecht (of the shipping company Phs. van Ommeren) for a trip around the world with several Dutch navy ships.[2] The replenishment ship allowed the Royal Netherlands Navy to supply its ship during long trips to different locations in the world, as well as during lengthy exercises. For example, in the context of NATO, to check the readiness of allied navies and to see how good they complement each other. At the end of 1961 the official order was given by the Dutch navy to build a replenishment ship.[1] The design was done in-house by the Royal Netherlands Navy itself, while the Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) got the order of actually building the ship. On 17 July 1962 the navy announced that the ship would be called Poolster, the same name as Poolster (1939) of the Government Navy, which was active when the Dutch East Indies was still a colony of the Netherlands.[2] On 18 September 1962 the keel of Poolster was laid down at one of the docks of RDM. On 16 October 1963 at 4:30 pm the ship was launched. After Poolster was commissioned on 29 June 1964 extensive trial runs took place until the Dutch navy concluded in September 1964 that the ship had withstood the tests successfully.[1] The first real supply at sea of Poolster happened on 14 October 1964, when Poolster supplied the HNLMS Van Ewijck.[2]

Design

During the designing phase the Royal Netherlands Navy expressed in their requirements that Poolster should not only be a tanker, but the ship also had to serve other purposes, such as transporting food, allow the landing of helicopters and transporting warehouse items.[3] This resulted in the large water displacement of the ship (16,800 tons) and made Poolster the largest ship of the Dutch navy at the time. Another first was that Poolster had protection against radioactive fall-out.[3] To deliver supplies Poolster had seven delivery points; two in front of the bridge], two behind the bridge, two in front of the flight deck and one behind the flight deck. To move supplies around the ship, the vessel had several loading trees which were based on both the English system as well as the American system (high tensioning gear). The ship also had cranes to lift and move supplies into the hangar. Besides a hangar, Poolster had several tanks which could be used for storing fluids such as water and oil.[4] The accommodation of the ship was spacious in comparison to other Dutch navy ships, each room contained enough beds to accommodate twelve persons. Furthermore, there was room for a table and several chairs. In addition there was accommodation for women in the navy.[5] Poolster had a landing deck at the back of the ship which could accommodate two helicopters, which allowed helicopters to move supplies quickly through the air to their destination.[3]

Dutch service history

On 8 June 1977 Poolster, with the frigate Tromp and destroyers Groningen and Overijssel, visited Leningrad.[6]

In July 1978 Poolster, together with the frigates Tromp, Van Nes, Van Galen, the destroyers Holland, Zeeland and the submarine Dolfijn visited New York City in commemoration of the city's 200th anniversary.[7]

On 12 March 1979 she and the frigates Tromp and Kortenaer and the destroyer Drenthe departed for a trip to the Far East to show the flag.[8]

The frigates De Ruyter, Callenburgh, Jan van Brakel, Van Kinsbergen and Poolster departed from Den Helder on 13 January 1986 for a trip to the Far East to show the flag and promote Dutch trade. The ships returned on 19 June.[9]

She was the last ship in the Dutch navy powered by steam turbines.[10]

Pakistan service
For other ships with the same name, see PNS Moawin.

In 1988, the Pakistan Navy entered in negotiation with the Royal Netherlands Navy, and the transfer took place in April 1989.:97[11] HNLMS Poolster was decommissioned on 28 July 1994 and transferred to the Pakistan Navy which renamed her Moawin.

In 1995, while anchored in harbor at Karachi, 37 crew members aboard Moawin died when fire broke out during repair work. At the time it was the largest accident that had happened in the existence of the Pakistani Navy.[12]

As of April 2019 Poolster / Moawin was beached at Gadani, Pakistan to be broken up for scrap.

See also

References
  1. L. de Koning (1990-02-19). "Poolster kwart eeuw geleden in dienst". Digibron. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
  2. Jaime Karremann (2015-02-20). "Poolster bevoorradingsschip". Marineschepen.nl. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
  3. Woudstra, p.62
  4. Amstel, 93.
  5. Johan Journée. "Wetenswaardigheden over Hr. Ms. "Poolster"" (PDF). RDM-collectie. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
  6. "scheepvaartmuseum.nl :: Maritieme kalender 1977". Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  7. "Poolster bevoorradingsschip". www.marineschepen.nl. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  8. "scheepvaartmuseum.nl :: Maritieme kalender 1979". Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  9. "scheepvaartmuseum.nl :: Maritieme kalender 1986". Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  10. "scheepvaartmuseum.nl :: Maritieme kalender 1994". Retrieved 4 July 2015.
  11. Cheema, Pervaiz Iqbal (2002). "(Evolution of Navy)". The Armed Forces of Pakistan (google books). NYU Press. ISBN 9780814716335. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  12. "Verslag Moawin". www.hrms-poolster.nl. Retrieved 26 June 2018.

Bibliography
  • W.H.E., van Amstel (1991). De schepen van de Koninklijke Marine vanaf 1945. Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 9060139976.
  • Schoonoord, D.C.L. (2012). Pugno Pro Patria: De Koninklijke Marine tijdens de Koude Oorlog. Van Wijnen-Franeker. ISBN 978-90-5194-455-6.
  • Woudstra, F.G.A. (1982). Onze Koninklijke Marine. Alkmaar: De Alk. ISBN 9060139151.
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