laststandonzombieisland

The Dutch Ministry of Defense has announced that one of theier submarines, lost for sixty years with more than 30 souls aboard, has been found.
The K 16 (Hr.Ms. KXVI) was a Dutch submarine of 771 tons displacement launched in 1933. She was had a top speed of 17 knots surfaced and 9 knots submerged and a range of 5600 km surfaced at 11 knots. She carried a complement of 38 and was armed with one 3.5 inch gun; two 40 mm anti-aircraft guns; four 21 inch bow torpedo tubes; two 21 inch stern torpedo tubes and two deck mounted torpedo tubes. Her war began in December 7th when the Japanese attacked the Dutch East Indies.

(Dutch K-type sub on the cover of Newsweek 1942)
Her war turned hot on Christmas Eve. At 0310Z/24, 10 transports, 2 destroyers, and one seaplane carrier were reported off Tanjong Sipang, and Sarawak. Dutch submarine K 16 was ordered to attack after sunset.  At 1220Z/24, she saw what appeared to be a Japanese destroyer being sunk by gunfire from an unseen opponent.  This incident has not been explained, but Japanese may well have sunk one of their own ships.  At 1600Z/24, she herself sank another destroyer of the AMAGIRI class near Tanjong Sipang. She is also reported to have sank the 1000-ton Japanese destroyer SAGIRI near Sarawak itself time unknown.

She then left patrol off North West Borneo for Sourabaya.

Her victory record was short-lived as the K 16 was sunk by Japanese submarine I-166, in the sea near Borneo on December 25, 1941 (Christmas Day).

Her location is finally known as she was just found. Sport divers found the wreck in deep water near Borneo in October 2011

Rest in Peace K16, Rust in vrede Matrozen

I. De onderzeeboot die na 70 jaar is teruggevonden