K VIII class submarine (1922)

K VIII, IX, X: Patrol submarines (1922-1944)

The next Dutch submarine class to see action in WW2, also fairly old, were the K.VIII class. They varied from the K.V-class for the removal of their two external torpedo tubes to reduce their vulnerability to depth charging. The British did the same but for the drag they caused underwater. The K.V were reinforced for a diving depth of 50 metres (160 ft). Also, they still followed a John Philip Holland design in the great lines, but with a longer outer hull, larger conning tower for taller periscopes, and other perks. The three boats were built at De Schelde from 1917 to 1923, delayed because of the war causing bottlenecks in deliveries. Assigned to the KNIL early on, they still served actively in 1942, with K.X decommissioned in March after an accident, K.VIII scuttled in July and K.IX taking refuge in Australia after the East Indies fell to the Japanese. She became there the Australian HMAS K9 from 1944 and was converted into a TS and later an oiler, beached in June 1945.

Development of the K VIII class

If the last K.V as a design evolved from the K.II built at Fijenoord rather than De Schelde, like all planned submarines in 1914, she not delivered before the end of the war. This was a medium-sized diesel-electric patrol submarine optimised and “tropicalized” for extended colonial service in the East Indies with the KNIL. As a repeat of the K.II (same hull basically) but less powerful, top speed was limited to 15 knots and range was decreased from 5,500 to 3,500 at 11 knots. Armament remained the same.

The next K VIII constructed under a 1916 program were planned were to be assigned next to De Schelde starting in 1917. The basic concept was the same, they were tropicalized for KNIL operations, but a bit larger and with significant differences. Recall here: The ‘O-names’ were destined to home waters in the Netherlands, and generally smaller, better suited for North European waters. “K” boats referred not exactly to the KNIL but for the “colonies” (Koloniën). They were generally larger, with better range, and tropicalized, ie. having internal air climatizer, which was rare at the time, and only adopted by the US in WW2 for Pacific service for example. The Dutch submarine arm innovated in many ways, not only with the snorkel…

The K.VIII class were likely planned in 1914 but only designed from 1916, with some experience return from K.II and the earliest K class boats. They were essentially large patrol submarine for the Dutch colonies, derived officially from a Holland design, adopted early on by Dutch shipyards, and offering the traditional trademarks of these designs, excellent handling and performances underwater, but limited range, handling or seaworthiness while surfaced. That’s the point the Dutch Admiralty wanted to improve as range was everything in the Pacific unlike the constricted waterways of Northern Europe. Albeit a licence was acquired in the Netherlands from Electric Boats, the K VIII followed loosely the 105 H design in the Holland’s “catalog”.

However if they derived from the K V class for their great lines they showed significant differences, see below. The design was finalized in early 1917 and approved, financed, with the three boats ordered at the same time on 27 June 1917 at Koninklijke Maatschappij De Schelde in Vlissingen and laid down under the yard numbers 167, 168, 169 respectively. K VIII was laid down on 31 October, but given the lack of space and shortages, the next K IX and K X were not laid down respectively before March and November 1919, so two full years after the lead boat. K VIII was not launched before 1922, so five years afterwards, her sisters in December 1922 and May 1923 then completed from September 1922 to September 1923. A lot happened in between, and the Holland design had been put into question, especially after all the experience gained by studying the German wartime submarines, that the Dutch perceived through their naval attachés in France and Britain.

Design of the K.VIII class

The K VIII were essentially longer submarines compared to the K V, to try to reach better speeds, however, a complicated wartime delivery of diesels meant the only boat with MAN diesels could reach the designed speed of 16 knots, her sisters with Sulzers were only capable of 15 knots. It was also realized their traversing surfaced tubes were an issue in case of depth charge attacks, and never installed. Also, if fundamentally they remained the same Double-hull type with 5 ballast tanks, the pressure hull was made thicker so they could dive deeper. The larger conning tower also allowed to have two periscopes with a larger stroke than her predecessors at 4 meters, enabling to stay submerged deeper, making aircraft detection more difficult when at periscope depth. The replacement of the 7.5 cm by a “dual purpose” 8.8 cm was also to give them extra range in a surface engagement and limited AA defence as well.

Hull and general design

The K VIII, under drawings of ELCO, displaced more surfaced than the K V, at 520 long tons (528 t) standard, 583 long tons (592 t) full load and submerged 715 long tons (726 t) standard and 810 long tons (823 t) full load (versus 569 tons surfaced, 649 tons submerged). They were also much longer at 64.41 m (211 ft 4 in) overall (vs 57.31m), but no beamier at 5.6 m (18 ft 4 in), and in fact had a slightly smaller average draught of 3.55 m (11 ft 8 in) on light load. Note that in other sources, surface displacement was 521t and submerged displacement was 712t.

However, they still shared many common traits: A flush deck hull with two recesses anchors forward, a high freeboard for better surface seaworthiness, blister ballast with a gradual curve. They had a classic Holland extended conning tower with an open helmsman post, observation platform and free aft deck for AA. However it was made larger and accomodations for the two periscopes, attack and watch, were modified. They also had two snorkel masts behind, and still the same wireless radio cables anchored on a telescopic portico amidship, braced on two poles fore and aft. The stem was nearly straight, but a buoyant prow, narrow deck, relatively few water scoops above the ballast line. The tail was narrowing up to a fin in pure Holland fashion, which were essentially well shaped needle-like hulls with a “spine” deck on top almost as an afterthought. The cross tail aft was still typical Holland style with side guards acting as tails and stabilizer planes, wrapping the two propellers.

Powerplant

Given the time they took to be completed, progresses made in marine diesels, meant it was tempting to alter the design on this sensitive area: Thus the boats diverged between themselves. K VIII obtained two 900 hp (671 kW) 8-cylinder MAN 2-stroke diesel engines, same as for the K V class initially, but delivered postwar. In wartime, the need to complete the K V class when germany requisitioned MAN diesels for its own needs meant instead Sulzer engines were improrted from neutral Switzerland. But they were inferior and this immediately impacted the K V preformances compared to K.II. The Sulzer were 6-cylinder, 2-stroke diesels for a combined ouput of 1,200 hp (890 kW) surfaced, two times 600 hp instead of 1800 hp with the MAN.

For the next K VIII started in 1917 it was decided to equip the first boat with the only pair of MAN diesels delivered as intended, but the next K IX and K X were given instead the later and more powerful 775 hp (578 kW) 6-cylinder Sulzer 2-stroke diesel engines, easier to obtain than MAN diesels postwar. They were indeed in very high demand, widely regarded as the best Marine diesels by everybody. The increase in output, from 600 to 775 hp was appreciable, but still not on par with the MAN diesels. Thus, performances also diverged between boats.

In common however they all had the same 200 hp (149 kW) electric motors mater on their 3-bladed bronze fixed pith propeller aft. In total this was an output of 400 hp (300 kW) for submerged running. They draw power from 132 battery cells (120 on the K V), to supply 4,350 Ah during 3 hours. This resulted in a top speed of 16 knots surfaced for K VIII, 15 kts for the other two, and the same 8 knots submerged. The class could cruise over 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 11 knots surfaced (20 km/h), 25 nmi (46 km) at 8 knots (15 km/h), submerged however, like the K V class. They could dive deeper thanks to a slightly increased pressure hull however to 50m instead of 40 m (130 ft) in service, with a crushing depth probably around double that.

Armament

This was the same as the K.II and K V, six 450 mm (17.7 in) torpedo tubes, including two in the bow, two in the stern, and two in a twin-tube mount amidships that could traverse both sides as planned. However experience with the K V meant they were eliminated as completed. Instead, they kept only their fore and aft pressure hull tubes for a total of ten Type III torpedoes in storage, so an extra six in addition to the four in tubes. The deck gun was changed also. Originally, it was planned to be a single 75 mm (3 in) gun, but it was changed for a more potent 88 mm (3.5 in) deck gun based on German wartime experience, for surface engagements. There was no AA machine gun aft of the CT initially, it was installed later in 1928-29 and this was a marine, liquid-cooled 12.7 mm/90 or 0.5 in. M1920 Colt-Browning Navy type. The USN also made it standard over the air-cooled Browning due to obvious seawater spray rust concerns.

450mm Whitehead Torpedoes

Whatever the launch mode, these were of the British class 18-inches type Mark III (In Dutch service called the “Type III”). The latter model was developed from the Holland type submarines and was mass-produced both in the US and Britain for them. It weighted 845 pounds for 140 inches (3.55 meters) in length, 17.7 inches (45 centimeters) diameter, and an effective firing range of 800 yards.

The Warhead carried 118 Ibs of wet guncotton, activated by a Mk 1 contact exploder. It was powered by a 3-cylinder reciprocating engine to 27 knots with a depth control system and gyroscope to remain on course. In all, these submarines carried 12 of them. The Mark III or in Dutch “Typ III45” was manufactured at the torpedo factories in Weymouth and Saint Tropez and used from 1922 to 1946 with 129 purchased. It weighted 785 kilograms for 5.43 meters and carried 165 kilograms of TNT for a range of 2,000 meters at 40 knots and 6,000 meters at 26 knots
based on its 4-cylinder pneumatic radial engine. This was later likely upgraded to new models in the late interwar.

88 mm deck gun

This gun is sometimes described as being the German 8,8cm, but some sources instead points out the Bofors No. 2 L/45 gun which seems more coherent due to the links between the Netherlands and Sweden for their AA and armament in general. The Bofors No. 2 L/45. Unfortunately, no data available. Both the photos and barrel length seems to point out to a Krupp 8.8 cm marine design produced by Bofors under licence. In research.

Sensors

Hydrophones seems to be in 1919 German ones from Atlas Werke, C type, to identify enemy convoys 10 miles away. It was perfect to use the rüdel tactics, submerged approach of a convoy (presumably Japanese here) over long distances, to a launching position, most preferable at 90 feet deep. 1

⚙ K VIII specifications
Displacement	520 tons surfaced light, 810 tons submerged FL
Dimensions	64.41 x 5.60 x 3.55m (211 ft 4 in x 18 ft 4 in x 11 ft 8 in)
Propulsion	2x MAN/Sulzer diesels 1,800/1,200 hp, 2 EM 400 hp (300 Kw).
Speed	16/15 knots surfaced and 8 knots submerged
Range	3,500 nmi (6,500 km)/11 kts surfaced, 25 nmi (46 km)/8 knots sub
Armament	4x 450 mm (18 in), 6 spares), 88 mm (3.5 in) Bofors deck gun, later 0.5 in AA HMG
Sensors	Atlas Hydrophones
Max depth	50 m (160 ft)
Crew	31

About the Dutch Underwater Service

The Submarine Service is the part of the Netherlands Royal Navy, responsible for submarines and their crew training. Like the Mines Service, it emerged from the former Navy Torpedo Service and originally called HNLMS. Submarine Torpedo Boat O1 when founded on December 21, 1906. From December 1941, the Submarine Service in the Dutch East Indies saw plently of action and wrote remarkable history pages. The ball was open early on when on December 12, SS Toro Maru was sunk by Hr.Ms. K XII near Kota Baru and the sam day Tosan Maru, Asosan Maru, Sakuru Maru, and Ayata Maru by Hr.Ms. O 16 at the roadstead of Patani, Gulf of Siam, but on the 15th was the first loss, O 16 to a mine line near Singapore. Shee the Dutch submarine pages for more.

All three departed for the Dutch East Indies as soon as they were ready after their initial training. K VIII was damaged by a battery explosion in Singapore on December 21, 1941, and was subsequently stricken from the naval register on July 15, 1942. On August 27 she was scrapped in Australia. After the defeat of ABDA forces in the Dutch East Indies, K IX was redeployed to Australia. On June 22, 1943, she was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy, used however with her Dutch crew under RAN supervision and from May 31, 1944 became the training vessel HMAS K9 and postwar a floating fuel storage vessel, but lost on June 9, 1945, after running aground. K X was damaged by depth charges from Japanese patrol vessels north of Java on March 1, 1942. She managed to reach Surabaya but was scuttled a day later to avoid capture.

Career of the K.VIII class

K.VIII (1921)

Ordered in 27 June 1917, she is ordered, laid down on 31 Oct at K.M. De Schelde Vlissingen, launched on 28 March 1922 and commissioned on 15 Sept. 1922. From 15 Sept. to 13 Nov. 1922 she isunder command of her first skipper with a change in March 1924. In between she reached the East Indies on 24 Dec 1923 accompanied by the submarine tender Pelikaan as wlel as K II and K VII, under command of Kapt.ltz. E. M. Wissmann. The group befire departure was inspected by Sbn. C. Fock. The voyahe went via Gibraltar from Rotterdam or Vlissingen (depending on sources, perhaps she was armed there before departure), Tunis, Alexandria, Suez Canal, Aden, Colombo and Sabang. The “Pelikaan division” had to time to do some exercises well before arriving. For example on 25 Sept. 1923 they all test-dived off Cape Rocca K II. Due to the helmsman’s mistake Pelikaan ran aground also during the tip, freed by K II and then a French tugboat. During their trip in the Red Sea temperature in their engine room rose very high (uo to 100ºF) even more when test-submerging. All used their ijsmachine (ice machine) to cool air down during the final trip, marred by Pelikaan engine issues so they ended their trip two days late.

On 25 Mar 1926: K VIII, K II, K VII, and K IX sailed from Tarakan to Manila in the Philippines for a courtesy visit, and back. In 1933 K VIII was likely under the command of Ltz. J.N. Sluyter.
On 10 May 1940 their unit learned about the German invasion and the KNIL is put under high alert for possible German commerce raiders in the area. On 7 Dec 1941, 7 hours after the Pearl Harbour attack, the Netherlands also declares war on Japan. K VIII by then is kept in reserve at Soerabaja. On 21 Dec. K XIII is damaged due to a battery explosion and is Escorted by the destroyer Van Nes to Soerabaja for repairs with most of her crew transferred to the K VIII to return to full commission on 6 January 1942. Until 11 April she is used as an ASDIC piggy boat. In March 1942 she patrolled the Java Sea between Bawean island and the north coast of Java as the Madura Strait in her first war patrol, but saw no target. On 2 March she was refuelled in Soerabaja and a day later departed for Fremantle in Australia as none was in illusion after what will follow the invasion of Java. She arrives on 12 Mar 1942 in Geraldton and on 17 March in Fremantle.

The Commander Dutch Naval Forces and Commander Forces East also wanted to send 50 submarine service personnel to the UK for the new subs being built there for the Free Dutch Navy. Therefore it was proposed to decommission a submarine and this fell on the old K VIII. Her battery was still workable, but her diesels worn out. In fact, there were doubts she could even reach Sydney. She was thus decommissioned on 18 May 1942 at Fremantle, placed under U.S. operational control. Final decommission was completed on 15 July. In late 1942 her main battery was removed, kept replacing units in other Dutch submarines in service there. On 17 July 1942 K VIII was likely sold for scrap, confirmed on 17 August by the Queen (as K IX) so ten days later she was stricken and sold. Cannibalized for the K IX she also had both electric motors used by the USN for a submarine slipway built in Fremantle, used untiol the 1970 to provide DC power. During a blackout in Perth after the war, K VIII was towed up river the to put to good use her diesel generators for emergency power, her conning tower removed to pass under bridges on the Swan River. The CT was recycled on the Fremantle pilot boat Lady Forrest, now at the Maritime Museum in Fremantle. It seems her hull awaiting scrapping in Jervoise Bay was to be beached to be broken up but foundered 100 yards offshore; still partially stripped and remained until 1957 and completely BU.

K.IX (1922)

K IX in Vlissingen 1925 http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/boats/boat_kix.htm

K IX is ordered on 27 June 1917 like her sisters, laid down on 1 Mar 1919 at KM De Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen, launched on 23 Dec. 1922, completed on 21 June 1923. After initial training she departs Vlissingen on 28 Feb. and until 13 May 1924 sailed to unescorted under her own powered to the East Indies, via Portland, Plymouth, Sevilla, Tunis, Alexandria, Port Said, Suez, Aden and Colombo to Sabang. From 2 June 1924 to 10 July 1925 she had a new CO, based in Soerabaja. On 25 March 1926 she sailed with K IX, K II, K VII and K VIII from Tarakan to Manila and back. From March to May 1941 she starts patrolling the Dutch East Indies water and at some point with K IX, K X and K XVII she is sent to Sunda Strait after Admiral Scheer has been spotted in the Indian Ocean, attacked several merchant vessels. By December 1941 and until January 1942, K IX is under repair at Soerabaja.

She is then stricken from the active list in the meantime with her crew transferred on 8 Dec. 1941 to her sister K X to remain in active service. Bteween 6 January and 1st March 1942 she is recommissioned, manned with reserve personnel of the Soerabaja submarine base, later fully operational by late March and conducts a war patrol to the Gulf of Siam, but forced back due to engine issues. She is then ordered to Fremantle as her base fell to the Japanese.
On 2 March 1942 she sailed to Fremantle via Street Alas to take 7 important officers and arrived on 13 March, soon under U.S. operational control.
On 1-2 April she is used as piggy boat during ASW exercises at Gage-Roads, Fremantle. She was judged able to reach Sydney to assist in asdic exercises but her aging battery was an issue. On 15 April the Dutch offer two submarines, complete with crews to the Royal Australian Navy. K XII for operational service, K IX for training at the ASW school. She is recommissioned as HMAS K9.

On 20 April with K XII and the minesweeper Abraham Crijnssen, she sails via Adelaide and Melbourne to Sydney for maintenance and examination, fixes, and on 30 April is officially commissioned in the RAN. She was docked at the East side of Garden Island Naval Base close to HMAS Kuttabul. She was transferred to the ASW school in August and after a new inspection, the hull was found to require more work as for the machinery, in poor state. She received a Mark VIII revolving directional hydrophone and underwater smoke candle gun at the Garden Island Yard.
From 31 May to 1 June she was heavily damaged during a Japanese midget submarine attack in Sydney. When it happened there were on board the CO, 2 Sub-Officers, 6 Corporals and several watch men.
It’s about 22:30 hrs that they saw USS Chicago firing several shots. However no alarm was sounded yet. However hours later on 1st June at 00:30 hrs a torpedo detonated between the dock’s wall and HMS Kuttabul, intended for USS Chicago, but passing instead under K IX moored alongside HMAS Kuttabul. The concussion against the sea wall was sufficient to blast underwater plating and slowly sinking the accommodation ferry. The shock waves rolled the submarine, lifting her diesel engines off its fixings, damaging here aft batteries, and her forward part tied up alongside the Kuttabul is crushed when the latter sank on her. One sub-officer on watch was wounded with the explosion and immediately after all men were on search for leaks, hatches were closed, lines cut between K IX and HMAS Kuttabul. Later her damaged battery was removed and sold a for scrap.

After an assessemnt it was deemed uneconomical to repaired K IX. It was decided to have her decommissioned, granted from London on 26 June, effective on 23 August. The crew was send to the U.K. What left of her was manned by RN and USN volunteer officers, completed with RAN volunteers and she received the electric motors from K VIII. By Nov. 1942 she was donated to the RAN, expected to be recommissioned in March 1943. Meanwhile her main battery was replaced (also from K VIII) and her diesels overhauled. On 22 June 1943 she was renamed HMAS K9, recommissioned under Lt. F.M. Piggott RNR. By early july 1943 she is expected for a complete refit on 5 July, However more issues were detected and this was delaye duntil November. By January 1944 it was found she needed a new starboard main engine, which could not be done due to the dockyard workload. Lt. Piggott still completed a week of exercises with the port engine.

On 22 January at 08:32 hrs, poor energy supply added to poorly ventilated and maintained batteries resulted in a major battery explosion but none is injured. 35 Battery cells are damaged, 29 more cracked and the fittings and plates are buckled. By Feb. 1944 her decommissioning is approved and she is paid off on 31 March, to be returned to the Royal Netherlands Navy. Instead she is later converted to an oil lighter, completed about May 1945 and by June towed out of Sydney for Darwin by the Dutch minesweeper Abraham Crijnssen. However her tow breaks, she is driven ashore on 7/8 June; not noticed before the next sunrise on June 8. A plane spotted her at 15:00 hrs and again on June 9; wrecked on Fiona Beach, Seal Rocks, central coast, New South Wales, 3 miles WSW of Sugar Loaf Point. She could not pulled free due to a storm and her wreck is left here until she rusted away postwar. Her last remains were still there by 2001 when a plaque was apposed.

K.X (1923)

K X at Surabaya, date unknown.

On 27 June 1917: K X is ordered, laid down on 1st Nov. 1919 at K.M. De Schelde Vlissingen, launched 2 May 1923, commissioned last, on 24 Sept. 1923 to the RNN. On 25 Sept. 1924 she departs Nieuwediep for the Dutch East Indies, alone and unescorted under her own power via Sevilla, Tunis, Alexandria, Port Said, Suez, Aden and Colombo. She arrived on 7 Dec 1924 in Sabang. Like her sister, no logs for the interwar.
It seems however she returned home on 15 Jul 1932 for some sources. On 22 August 1940 she was under repair due to failing air pump, over 6 weeks to get it fixed. From 6 Nov. 1940 until 1st Jan. 1941 she remains in maintenance and overhaul. However by 11 Feb. the local naval command decides to put her back in full commissioned service. On 24 Feb. she departs with K XVII and K XIX to monitor the Sunda Strait.
On 28 Feb. she drops anchor at Tandjong Priok, Java. On 15 March she ventures between Tandjong Priok and the Sunda Strait, under high alert due to the possible incursion of the cruiser Scheer. On 27 March she is moved to Soerabaja and undewent maintenance from April, until December, recommissioned on the 8th even though she is not ready. Her crew arrived from K.IX albeit she is assigned to local defense of Soerabaja, arriving on the 11th. On the 14th news are coming of the Japanese bombing Tarempah, Anambas and fouir days later she departs through the Eastern channel for a line between Sapoedi and a mine field.
On 25 Dec. she is ordered to sail to the Celebes Sea via Ambon to attack the Japanese fleet off Davao, Philippines. Two days later the Tambelan Islands are occupied and on the 30th she is ordered to Tarakan, Borneo after refuelling at Ambon. On 1st. January she is en route towards Tarakan with her troublesome diesels that needs several shutdowns for repairs underway. Also her bow dive plane fails and steering is done manually from then on.

On 8 January she arrices at noon at Tarakan with onely one engine running. There, she needs repairs and is soon trapped by the Japanese invasion fleet. The escape route is through a minefield, but the CO decide to take it anway. She goes trhough it, only to be spotted by Japanese aviation and attacked, but missed. At 12:00 hrs she moors alongside the gunboat/minelayer Prins van Oranje. and her CO reports to Kapt.ltz. F.H. Vermeulen she is now under prolongated repairs. Her CO, Ltz. I.P.G. de Back also reports to the KNIL Commander and Squadron Commander about her inoperative bow dive plane control. Her batteries are topped of with distilled water, general supplies, the fuel and oil are loaded in the old dock. On January 9 at 09:00 hrs the air raid alarm sound, as she just finished loading departed and submerges at some distance of the dock, laying down on the seabed at periscope depth. Eight Japanese bombers attacks and hit Prins van Oranje. She later surfaced and dropped anchor to assist the minelayer.
Radio messages soon informed her to take positions and attack the Japanese at the Soeloe Archipel, and off Holo until counter-manded. She is then tasked to be kept for the local defence of Tarakan on the line Mangkalihat at the North Eastern tip of Borneo. She departed at 16:00 hrs. but while in the minefield on the harbour entrance, her starboard diesel’s compressors fails and repairs will take three hours. She returns to Tarakan, moors alongside Prins van Oranje, her compressor removed and repaired ashore at the Bataafse Petroleum Maatschappij. She is ordered to Kali to take shelter for more air-raids. While there she indeed submerge at the first air raid alarm. A day later on the 10th Prins van Oranje sails along the Kali inlet as well.

K. X sailed further but at 07:00 hrs there is another air-raid alarm so she dove to the bottom. Next she spots USS Langley taking shelter at Tarakan, having on board some 90+ crated P-40Bs with her initial mission to deliver them to Soerabaja in dire straits. At 14:00 hrs A sloop arrived to K X with the repaired compressor and once installed and repairs, K X CO contects Tarakan Naval Commander. He learns that a Japanese fleet of 30 ships with cruisers, destroyers and transports had been spotted and the Dutch lightship destroyed. Japanese scout planes flew over Tarakan. Later K X lost contact with the command. Meanwhile, Prins van Oranje is returning from laying her last minefield completely blocking the harbour entrance but a a map of the mine chart delovered to the submarine shows a narrow 500 m path on the East side albeit markings are poor. Her CO is instructed by the command to go through after dark, via the Kali inlet North of Tarakan, what she does at 16:30 hrs on one diesel, not waiting the night due to low water. While underway she is spotted and bombed by an IJN seaplane. One misses and explodes off her bow. Her browning HMG jams after a single burst. A second near-miss at her stern is even closer. The third run she is strafed by the seaplane. The CO order her to move broadside in order shelter the deck crew behind the conning tower however the mine chart is lost. No casualties and the seaplane leves to the east. K X continued her course and submerged as soon as water is deep enough. By periscopes, she sees AA fire in the East, a Dutch attack of Glenn Martins from Sarimanda II airfield. Her CO had to fight the strong current with her electric motor at half power but soon depletes the batteries by 75%.

At 20:30 hrs dark had fallen so she surfaced to spot many silhouettes and her CO decides to cross the bank south of these passing ships, then to attack them and try to get away. She close to 2000-2500 m in order to stay clear of the shallows of the bank and at some point estimates she is at the Eastern end of the bank when spotting a small Japanese destroyer 1500 m away on a Westerly course. The latter suspects her presence and open her searchlight, so she crash dives down to 30 m and turns on silent running. No attack follows. A midnight she surfaces again, saw nothing at first and later small cruiser and three destroyers are spotted arriving from the North at just 3,000 m, plus two destroyers from the South at just 2,500 m. She is cornered, batteries depleted so the CO decides to break away out of sight and recharge batteries before daylight. Which is tricky with her only diesel working. Worst still, when started, the diesel exhausted thick clouds of black smoke. despite this she sailed over 30 min. SE and the next day at 00:50 hrs soe stopped reloading the batteries at 50%. At 01:00 she spots the smoke and flames resulting of the destruction of the oil tanks at Tarakan. He CO decided not to return attacking the convoy, submerged at daylight and try to return to Soerabaja via the Makassar Strait and Java Sea, at slow speed by night on the single diesel trying to both propel her and reload batteries, and by day at half power.

Her remaining diesel is so worn out it starts to break down in turn, obligina full stop and repair for most of the day while submerged. Chief mechanic C.G.L. Pillen managed to get the port side diesel running, connected to a refuelling hose at the oil pump and using it as compressor to reload the batteries at night, sparing the other diesel. On the 12th at 20:30 hrs she spots the “Noordwachter” and radioed her position to the naval command. On 19 Feb. she arrives in Soerabaja for full repairs but is ordered to stand still to defend the West coats of Madoera. Until 1st March she patrols the Java Sea after the Pantai Barat and further days of repairs at Soerabaja. She is later ordered North of Lasem, but had to dive several times due to constant IJN patrol presence, harrassed by depth charges on several occasions. While North of Lasem depth-charges from destroyers detached from the landing fleet for Java hammered her then went away and she surfaced after 17:00 and returned to Soerabaja. Her mechanical situation is untenable, and on 2 March it is decided she could not reach Australia by a loing stretch, so it is decided to scuttle her at Soerabaja in the middle of the submarine basin to block it. Her crew is evacuated.
In 1943 she would be raised by the IJN and ised as a local floating oil hulk, scuttled again in August 1945, rediscovered and raised, scrapped in 1946 at Soerabaja.

Technical Drawings K.VIII classes

(No found yet, in research)