Dutch News 3Q1901

[Borys]

 Netherlands News 3Q01

1 July ,1901
Brussels
Queen Wilhemenia has named Andries de Vos to the post Minster of Foriegn Affairs. He will replace Teunis Dircksz van Vechten,Duke of Limburg who has been serving in that post since the attempted coup over a year ago. Minister de Vos is 56 years and married He has served in the Foriegn Office for over 30 years in mostly minor capacities until 1899 when he was made an 2nd Assistant-Minister in the Congo.
Peter Andriessen has named Prime Minister of the Emipre. Previously Andriessen has served as an Assistant-Minister in the Defense Ministry. Minister Andriessen is 51 years old and is married to the 3rd daughter of the Duke of Flanders and they have 2 sons and 2 daughters.

5 July,1901
Singapore
Fleet headquater to day announced that the Sloop of War, HMS Flevoland is over due at rendezvous with a collier 100 miles northeast of the NEI(Malay)- Siam border. The Flevoland , a Provence Class Sloop, was patroling off the coast of siam looking for signs of pirate activity. Several fishing vessels and coastal freighters have gone missing in the last 3 months, including that of Malay businessman Tono Suratman.

8 July 1901
Singapore
The SoW HMS Gelderland has found the HMS Flevoland 70 miles southeast of Songkhla, Siam. The Flevoland was heading east at around 6 knots under power from sails rigged from her foremast. The Gelderland has the Flevoland under tow.
Her CO Kapt-Lt. Jonas Bronck reported on the late on the 3rd his ship was approximately 15 miles off the coast south of Songhkla cruising at 10 knots on a nothern course at dusk. A flash was seen off the starboard quarter followed by a second a few seconds later. Then an explosions aft and a loss of headway and steering. Search lights revealed a small torpedoboat to starboard moving away at high speed, only a few rounds were fired at the feeing boat. Twice during the night it or another approached but turned away when fired upon.
His engineer was able to get the ship moving a speed of 5 knots, but just before dawn the shaft seized. When the sun was up a diver was put over the side to get a damage report. It wasn't good the rudder was half gone and the starboard propeller was gone and the port shaft was warped. Kapt-Lt Bronck ordered the crew to rig the emergency sailing gear which provided only a minimum of headway.
On several occasions smoke was sighted but none came close enough to indentify. Kapt.-Lt. Bronck believes the attacker was an older French designed torpedoboat similar to others built for small navies.

16 July 1901
Kota Baharu,MalayNEI
The HMS Flevoland was towed into the port here to day by contracted civil tugs. It is the hope of the Navy that she can be repaired enough to sail to Singapore under her own power. With the limited facilities available it may be 2 weeks or more to complete the repairs.
   
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