The Netherlands

During 1938, the government of the Netherlands began a study on the current state of their armed forces. This study concluded that the Koninklijke Marine needed reinforcement to defend the Dutch East Indies from possible Japanese attack. It was rightly concluded that the Japanese capital ships would be deployed against the British and American battle fleets, and that the Dutch need only face the substantial Japanese cruiser force.
In late1939 the government ordered the development of a new battlecruiser design, specifying protection against 8" gunfire at normal battle ranges, sustained speed of 33 knots, and a range of 4,500 nautical miles at 20 knots. Armament was to be 9 11.1" guns in triple turrets, as it was felt that this caliber gun was more than sufficient to defeat any heavy cruiser. Their decision was reinforced in December, 1939, when the 11.1" guns of the Admiral Graf Spee easily outranged the 8" guns of the HMS Exeter and inflicted heavy damage on that vessel.
The data in the table below is the specifications for the finalized design, developed with much assistance from the German, and some additional help from the Italians. Three ships were ordered, and extended building slips and new drydocks were constructed in anticipation of their construction. Germany was to provide armor plate, and the 11.1" guns would have been built by Krupp. The first ship was to be delivered in 1944, but the German invasion of the Netherlands in May, 1940, put an end to all development work.
The ships would have been similar in appearance to the German Scharnhorst Class, but with improvements like a dual-purpose secondary, four shafts, and better torpedo defense. Armor would have been thinner than the German ships, reflecting their 'cruiser-killer' role.

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