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Tuesday 26 September 2017

The dry docks at Surabaya, Dutch East Indies 1 August 1946

In 1946 ordered the Dutch supreme commanding officer in the Far East by order no. 62 to investigate the harbours including shipyards in the Dutch East Indies and Netherlands New Guinea. In those so-called Sitraps (Situation reports) was information collected dealing with the available facilities, personnel and vessels/boats. The Dutch East Indies fell in Japanese hands in the Second World War when the Dutch forces surrendered on 8 March 1942 until Japan surrendered on her turn on 15 August 1945. On 17 August 1945 declared nationalistic leaders like Soekarno and Hadda the independence of what was called the Republik Indonesia. The result was a struggle for years before the Netherlands forced by international pressure accepted the Indonesian independence on 29 December 1949.

The 3.000 tons of the naval establishment was available for ships with a length of 100 metres and maximum 2.500 tons.
The 2.500 tons of the naval establishment was available for ships with a length of 100 metres and maximum 2.000 tons.
The submarine dock East was in good condition, length 80 metres, width 8 metres, draught 5 metres and mast height above water 17,5 metres.
The submarine dock West could not be used an was being repaired, length 80 metres, width 8 metres, draught 5 metres and mast height above water 17,5 metres.
The 15.000 tons was floating again but was nog being examined which would take a lot of time. Before it could be used again it needed to be docked itself. For this purpose was a dock to be excavate or it became possible to dock it at Singapore, Pearl Harbour, USA or in Australia.
The 3.500 tons dock of the Soerabaia Dok Maatschappij was available for docking ships with a maximum of 2.000 tons.
There were 2 aircraft docks with a lifting capacity of respectively 35 and 40 tons, but which were not tested at the moment
The 3 excavated docks of the dredging department were being repaired.

Source
Archive Dutch Marinestaf (1942) 1945-1948 inventory number 196, National Archive, The Hague.