U.S. naval guns to Dutch

My thinking is this:

Although it may be difficult to believe that the only LEND-LEASE naval guns provided the Dutch were four obsolescent 6-inch pieces, for the purpose of this discussion, let us assume it’s true. That would mean that the other caliber U.S. naval guns in Dutch hands came from the sale negotiated in 1940-early 1941. Of that sale, we have ample evidence that the Mark II 7-inch guns arrived in the NEI (and we must assume elsewhere, if 20 such guns were transferred). Of the remaining 140 guns—sixty 4-inch and eighty 3-inch—there remain but meager traces: a total of three Mark IX 4-inch guns in Batterij Purmerend and PERHAPS some of the 3-inch guns on ex-KPM vessels in the SWPA merchant fleet (trouble is we do not possess information on the 3-inch marks). Three guns out of 140 isn’t much evidence. One would think there would be more traces, either on merchant vessels or in harbor defense batteries. For one thing, I would want to take a second look at Aruba and Curaçao. Because American guns were mounted at Suriname, then these two islands would be natural candidates, too. I know, however, that the U.S. Army was there with 155mm GPFs.

In addition to the photographic leaning, my thinking on one or two postulated 7-inch guns at Suriname is simply this: because the 7-inch guns were an earlier acquisition and IF emplaced at Suriname, what would be the need for an additional FOUR 6-inch guns there? A lot of guns for one river and of a very similar caliber to any previously existing 7-inch gun or guns. Doesn’t make sense...unless the 6-inch guns replaced the 7-inch guns, because the larger pieces were required elsewhere. But where did THEY go? Okay, there is one other possibility: one or two 7-inch guns from the 1940-41 sale were mounted but later considered to be inadequate in number. So four 6-inch guns were acquired from the U.S. Navy and to simplify the ammunition supply—four guns of same size—they supplanted entirely the 7-inch gun(s). But that, of course, would mean a sacrifice in gun range—not a great trade-off when the 6-inch guns could barely reach the mouth of the river. Thus I continue to doubt 7-inch gun(s) at Fort Nieuw Amsterdam.

Question 1: HOW NEAR is that larger but empty concrete gun emplacement to the four 6-inch guns at Fort Nieuw Amsterdam? Pretty much the same field of fire? You’ve been there, after all. In the development of a historical park, such as you reported, one of the essentials is in the INTERPRETATION of historic remnants. Is there any chance that the large concrete emplacement you found is from an earlier era, World War I or before?

Question 2: On 2 Feb 2008 (“KNIL Coastal”) you wrote “IJA found 11 guns on Java, makes at least 16 in NEI.” How do you come up with that many 7-inch guns? If Java 11 and Ambon 3, that makes 14. I cannot account for the remaining two. Where were they?

Question 3: Did your acquaintance identify the site of that monument 4-inch gun photographed (color) in the States?

Nelson