Marinemuseum Den Helder, Netherlands
After a week-end stay on the nearby island of Texel in September 2023, I had the chance for a short visit to the Marinemuseum in Den Helder, Netherlands, on my way home. Den Helder is also the main current naval port of the Dutch Navy.
The museum is nicely situated, parking proved no problem. The museum traces the history of the Dutch Navy from its (formal) origins in 1815 to the present as a schwerpunkt. But, of course, also the earlier times and the "golden age" are represented to some extent, but if you want to set your focus on this period, then the National Maritime Museum in Amsterdam is a must-visit. These gadgets that provide information for visitors in various languages which you can carry through the premises are available to explain many exhibits. Besides that, the labels of the exhibits are in Dutch and English. Compared to National Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, this Dutch museum is rather overseeable in size.
What I like most in navy museums are ship models. There are plenty of them for the periods covered in the museum. Those not familiar with history might be surprised for how long the Dutch Navy was active in the East Indies. The actions of the Dutch Navy in World War 2 in the Far East are well covered. Quite a number of more recent technical equipment such as radar, sonar, etc. is on display and some easy "hands-on" games can be tried to illustrate their use, which can be of special appeal to children up from a certain age.
Alas, my time was insufficient to scrutinize all the vessels present in the museum's docks: Open to the public are the iron-clad ramming ship Schorpioen (1868), the minesweeper Abraham Crijnssen (1936), the submarine Tonijn (1966), and the bridge and radar of the frigate De Ruyter (1976). I did, however, venture into the Tonjin, a three cylinder submarine, two of which hold the propulsion system (not open to the public) and one the crew compartments and armaments. Compared to German, US and British submarines of World War 2 vintage, this submarine is large. The interior is more "spacious" than of the WW 2 submarines, but naturally still cramped. Built in 1966, it should come as no surprise, that this submarine is still from the "analog" world. But it struck me, that it seemed to be from an other era while still in service until 1991. Maybe feeling could be aptly described as if driving around in a car built in the mid-60s during the early 90s. An uneasye feeling if your life might hang on it...
The time at my disposal for the visit with merely 3 hours was definitively to short and it did not allow me to cover everything unhurriedliy if at all. Those interested in naval affairs should assign at least double the time.
Yet, even my (too) short stay was definitively worth the visit.
Lt. Bush
