HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen

Second World War minesweeper famous for disguising itself as an island to escape Japanese forces

The HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen is one of the most remarkable vessels in the Marinemuseum's outdoor collection. This Jan van Amstel-class minesweeper was launched in 1936 and served in the Dutch East Indies at the outbreak of the Pacific War. Her extraordinary escape from Java in 1942 — disguised as a moving island using cut vegetation — made her a celebrated figure in Netherlands naval history.

Visitors can board the ship as part of a Marinemuseum ticket. The cramped interior has been preserved and interpreted, giving a vivid impression of life aboard a small warship in the tropics. The ship is moored in the dry dock at Willemsoord alongside the submarine Tonijn and the ironclad Schorpioen.

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A story
In March 1942, Abraham Crijnssen was the last Allied warship to escape from the Japanese advance in the Dutch East Indies. Her crew disguised the minesweeper as a tropical island by covering her decks and superstructure with cut foliage, then crept along the coast of Java at night and hid motionless in bays by day. She reached Australia after eight days.