HNLMS Potvis (S804)

Potvis (Dutch: Sperm whale) was a Potvis class (modified Dolfijn-class submarine) of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

Potvis
History
Netherlands
Name	Potvis
Namesake	Sperm whale
Builder	Wilton-Fijenoord, Schiedam
Laid down	17 September 1962
Launched	12 January 1965
Commissioned	2 November 1965
Decommissioned	18 June 1992
Identification	S 804
Motto	Fearsome in battle
Fate	Broken up and scrapped in 1994
General characteristics
Class and type	Dolfijn-class submarine
Displacement	1140 tons standard 1509 tons surfaced 1831 tons submerged
Length	78.3 m (256 ft 11 in)
Beam	7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)
Draught	5 m (16 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	2 × 1,250 bhp (932 kW) diesel engines 2 × 2,200 bhp (1,641 kW) electric motors
Speed	14.5 kn (26.9 km/h; 16.7 mph) surfaced 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph) submerged
Complement	67
Armament	4 × 21 in (533 mm) bow torpedo tubes 4 × 21 in stern torpedo tubes

Ship history

Potvis being commissioned in 1965

The submarine was laid down on 17 September 1962 at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard in Schiedam and launched on 12 January 1965. 2 November 1965 she was commissioned in the Dutch navy.

In January 1968 Potvis and Dolfijn left the port of Den Helder for a war simulation in the northern Atlantic Ocean that would last 5 weeks. The boat was overhauled in 1970 at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard. From October until November 1976 Potvis and the tender Mercuur perform torpedo system trials at Andros, Bahamas. From 2 to 21 July 1978 Potvis, Dolfijn, Zeehond and Zwaardvis practiced firing exercises.

On 19 November 1982 a refit of the boat started at the Naval Yard in Den Helder. This lasts until 8 August 1983. In 1984 she made a visit to Willemstad Curaçao. The following years she made several visits to Norway and Scotland.

On 18 June 1992 she was finally decommissioned and broken up 1994, wearing a special ceremony painting of a Sperm whale.