Class: Potvis (Sperm Whale) Three-cylinder Submarine
Launched: 14 June 1965
At: Wilton-Feyenoord, Scheidam, The Netherlands
Commissioned: 24 February 1966
Length: 257 feet
Beam: 25 feet, 6 inches
Draft: 16 feet
Displacement: 1,509 tons (surfaced)
Armament: Eight 21 inch torpedo tubes, 18 Mark 8 torpedoes, 22 Mark 37 torpedoes
Address:
Dutch Naval Museum
Hoofdgracht 3
1781 AA Den Helder
The Netherlands
0223-657264
Fax: 0223-657282
http://www.defensie.nl/english/navy/culture/museums
Latitude: 52.9636320507, Longitude: 4.77136765522
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Toninj‘s unusual hull consists of three separate pressure cylinders. By using three small pressure cylinders instead of a single large one, maximum diving depth was higher than similar sized monohull boats built of the same sort of steel. The design also made for much improved stability. The top cylinder forms the living/work quarters of the crew and the bottom two cylinders house the engines, batteries and storage rooms. Due to better welding techniques and advanced materials, later Dutch boats are monohull.
This class of submarines formed the heart of the Dutch submarine fleet between 1960 and 1991. During her commissioned service, HNLMS Tonijn participated in a large number of squadron voyages and carried out several operational missions.
Tonijn opened for visiting at the Dutch Naval Museum in the summer of 1994. Two other ships on display at the museum are the ironclad ram ship HNLMS Schorpioen and the minesweeper HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen.
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