Mine Service
| Royal Netherlands Navy Mine Service | |
|---|---|
| Mijnendienst | |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Country | File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands |
| Branch | Royal Netherlands Navy |
| Part of | Ministry of Defence |
| Engagements | |
The Royal Netherlands Navy Mine Service (Dutch: Mijnendienst) is a department within the Royal Netherlands Navy that is responsible for keeping Dutch coastal waterways and approaches to major seaport areas mine-free.[1][2] It was established out of the Royal Netherlands Navy Torpedo Service in 1907.[3]
History
[edit | edit source]The Royal Netherlands Navy Mine Service was established in 1907 when the first Dutch naval mine, Type 1907, was taken into service.[4] The decision to introduce the naval mine was made a year earlier in 1906 and was likely influenced by the important role that mines had played during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.[5][6] The first minelayers and minesweepers that were used by the mine service consisted of ships that had been modified to be able to lay or sweep mines.[7]
World War I
[edit | edit source]During the First World War the minelayers of the mine service laid several defensive minefields to defend the neutrality of the Netherlands.[2][8] The idea behind the minefields was that it would make it harder for foreign naval ships to enter Dutch territorial waters.[9] Besides laying minefields the ships and personnel of the mine service were also involved in disabling drifting and stranded mines.[9] The important role of the mine service during this period led to an increase of new material.[10][7] As a result the mine service had at the end of the First World War 17 minelayers in service.[6]
Cold War
[edit | edit source]During the Iran–Iraq War two Alkmaar class minehunters, Hellevoetsluit and Maassluis, took part in a Western European Union mine counter measure mission in the Persian Gulf.[11]
Notes
[edit | edit source]Citations
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- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Woudstra (1982), p. 138.
- ^ Roetering (1997), p. 10.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Woudstra (1982), p. 140.
- ^ a b Roetering (1997), p. 14.
- ^ Raven (1988), p. 71.
- ^ a b Raven (1988), p. 84.
- ^ Quant (1919), p. 18.
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Bibliography
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- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Further reading
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External links
[edit | edit source]Emblem of the Royal Netherlands Navy Mine Service (in Dutch)