The submarine Hr. Ms. O 20 was completed in 1936 at the Fijenoord shipyard in Rotterdam and commissioned by the Royal Netherlands Navy the same year. As World War II was approaching, the ship sailed through the Panama Canal and reached the Dutch East Indies. Two years later, in December 1941, Japan had invaded the colony and the O 20 had been stationed at the Singapore Submarine Base where it fell under the command of the British Eastern Fleet.

Prey

On the 19th of that month, the O 20 was under orders to patrol the South China Sea, when it sighted two Japanese transports joined by the destroyers Ayanami, Uranami and Yugiri.

After several hours of observing, the O 20 was spotted by enemy planes which dropped two bombs on the submarine and alerted the destroyers to her presence. Several depth charges were dropped, causing minor damage to the Dutch vessel.

Escape thwarted

The submarine tried to escape but was stuck on the seabed in a shallow place. A ballast tank was emptied to loosen her and at night, several more ballast tanks were emptied to make her rise and and escape on the surface and the O 20 turned out to be leaking.

Sinking

After this, they were detected by the Japanese and one of the destroyers closed in. Following a short exchange of fire the submarine had been heavily damaged and the commander decided there was no hope for escape. The vessel was scuttled and the crew ended up in the water. Throughout the night, Uranami dropped depth charges in order to keep sharks away, and was able to rescue 32 survivors the following morning. Seven men, including the commander, were never found. It is possible that the six crew men were stuck in the engine room when the submarine went down.

Yard: Feijenoord Shipyard, Rotterdam

Wikimedia Commons

Hr.Ms. O 20 sometime between 1939 and 1941.

Research in 2024

The Netherlands and Malaysia have conducted a joint maritime archaeological research on the locations of the wrecks of the K XVI and the O 20. This happened in close co-operation with the Ministries of Defense, Culture and Foreign Affairs of both countries.

RCE

Divers of the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands and the Malaysian Navy diving on the wreck of submarine O 20.

The O 20 was found in the expected location, but it appears that the K XVII was illegally salvaged. On this location, no wreck was found, just dug up seabed and iron plating that was left behind, as well as objects connected to the salvage and the submarine. The steel of this type of ships is very valuable and sought after. It is of an unusual quality since it has been made before nuclear weapons were detonated in the atmosphere. thus, the steel has not been subjected to radioactivity during its production and it has a low background radiation - making it useful for specialist measuring equipment amongst other things.

Earlier, other submarines had been illegally salvaged in this area (K XVII and O 16), so the worst was feared for the O 20. The fact that the ship was still there was received with joy.

Earlier research

In June 2002, Dutch divers associated with the International Association for Handicapped Divers participated in a dive expedition to search for the wreck of the O 20. Research done by Hans Besançon, son of the commanding officer of the K-XVII , pointed them to a possible location, a wreck located approximately 35 NM North-East of Kota Bharu, Mayalsia, at a depth of 44 m. The submarine appeared to be heavily damaged by shells. In order to identify the wreck the team has took photo and video material of the wreck and recovered a deck phone from the submarine. Analysis of the evidence by experts of the Royal Netherlands Navy definitively identified the wreck as the O 20.

Dutchsubmarines.com

The deck phone of the O 20 after conservation, photo Roy Leenderts.

Dutchsubmarines.com

Deck gun of the O 20, photo Roy Leenderts.

Even though the wreck of the O 20 is a designated war grave, World War II wrecks such as this one are under constant threat of being commercially salvaged.

Dutchsubmarines.com

Starboard navigation light of the O 20, photo Roy Leenderts.

• Dutch Submarine.
• Wikipedia article on O-20.
• Comité Nabestaanden Onderzeeboten 1940-1945.
• Ministerie van Defensie.
  Onderzoek naar gezonken Nederlandse onderzeeboten in Maleisië.
• RCE.
  Onderzoek gezonken onderzeeboten in Maleisische wateren.