HNLMS Isaac Sweers (1940)

The HNLMS Isaac Sweers was a Dutch light cruiser built during World War II. The ship was named after Isaac Sweers, a 17th-century Dutch admiral. She was originally intended to be a part of a larger flotilla leader class, but due to the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1940, only one ship of the class was completed.

Construction of the Isaac Sweers began in 1938 at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard in Schiedam. When the Germans invaded in May 1940, the ship was launched in an incomplete state to prevent her capture. She was then towed to the United Kingdom for completion and further modifications.

The ship was heavily armed for her size and role. She was equipped with six 150 mm (5.9 inch) guns in twin turrets, anti-aircraft guns, and torpedo tubes.

After her completion, the Isaac Sweers served with the Royal Navy. She participated in operations in the Mediterranean Sea, including convoy escort duty and bombardment missions against Axis forces. She was notably involved in the sinking of the Italian submarines Ambra and Guglielmo Marconi in 1942.

The Isaac Sweers was sunk on November 13, 1942, by a German submarine, U-431, off the coast of Algeria, while escorting a convoy. The sinking resulted in significant loss of life.