Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
NV Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij

Former type	Naamloze vennootschap
Industry	Passenger, mail and cargo shipping within the Dutch East Indies, and to and from neighbouring countries
Fate	Merged
Successors	Nedlloyd (1970–1997) P&O Nedlloyd (1997–2006) Maersk Line (2006–present)
Founded	1888
Founder	Rotterdamsche Lloyd Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland
Defunct	1966
Headquarters	Amsterdam , Netherlands

The Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij (KPM), which means Royal Packet Navigation Company in Dutch, was a shipping company from the Netherlands. It operated in the Dutch East Indies (which is now Indonesia) from 1888 to 1966. KPM was the main shipping company connecting islands in the Dutch East Indies during the last 50 years of the colonial period.

How KPM Started

A KPM advertisement from 1910

The KPM headquarters in Koningsplein, Batavia. Today, it's the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation building.

Before KPM, a British company handled most shipping in the Dutch East Indies. This meant that trade between the islands often went through Singapore. Dutch leaders and business people wanted to change this. They planned a new "national" shipping company.

In 1888, a law was created to set up the Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij (KPM). This law said that KPM had to have its offices in the Netherlands or the Dutch East Indies. The government also had to approve its leaders. Half of KPM's ships had to be built in the Netherlands. Also, only Dutch captains and engineers could work on the ships. The Dutch government would help KPM by paying for some of its shipping routes.

KPM helped to connect the Dutch colonial economy. It brought inter-island trade back to Batavia (now Jakarta), the capital. This helped the economy of Java and provided more goods for ships traveling between Batavia and the Netherlands.

Troops getting off a KPM steamship, likely the Both, at Sanoer near Denpasar. This happened during a military expedition in Bali.

The paddle steamer Negara from KPM on the Barito River.

Early Ships and Routes

KPM's start was also good for the Dutch shipbuilding industry. KPM ordered all its ships from the Netherlands. This helped Dutch shipyards learn to build faster ships and catch up with other countries. Many ships were ordered in the early 1890s.

KPM's ships traveled to many places. Beyond the islands of the Dutch East Indies, they went to ports like Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Manila, and Saigon. They also sailed to Australian cities like Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. Some routes even reached African ports such as Durban and Cape Town, and Indian Ocean islands like Réunion and Mauritius.

KPM During World War I

The Netherlands stayed neutral during the First World War. However, in 1918, the United Kingdom took control of many Dutch ships in its ports. This included several KPM ships.

In September 1918, a German submarine sank the KPM ship Tasman in the North Atlantic. Fourteen crew members died. The UK returned the other KPM ships in 1919 after the war ended.

Between the World Wars

The motor ship Ruys in early 1938, around the time it was finished being built.

Before the 1920s, KPM ships were usually smaller than 5,000 tons. They were built to be efficient, not fast. Between the two World Wars, KPM still focused on small ships. But they also added some larger ships for their main routes.

In 1927 and 1928, two large turbine ships, Nieuw Holland and Nieuw Zeeland, were launched. Each was about 11,000 tons and could travel at 15 knots (about 28 km/h). In 1937, three even larger motor ships were launched. They were named Boissevain, Tegelberg, and Ruys after KPM's founders. Each was about 14,000 tons and could go 17 knots (about 31 km/h).

To help tourism in Indonesia, KPM built a hotel on Bali in 1928. This helped start a tourist industry in the area.

KPM During World War II

The turbine ship Nieuw Zeeland

In May 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands. In August 1940, the UK took control of Nieuw Zeeland and Nieuw Holland to turn them into troop ships.

KPM ships mostly avoided war losses until February 1941. Then, a German warship attacked the cargo ship Rantaupandjang in the Indian Ocean. The ship was sunk, and two of its crew died from their injuries.

In December 1941, Japan invaded the Dutch East Indies. KPM ships helped the Dutch, British, and Australian navies defend Singapore. KPM ships carried ammunition during the Battle of the Java Sea. The Royal Netherlands Navy also used several KPM ships to help defend against the Japanese invasion.

KPM ships helped move supplies and troops in the Pacific War. For example, in January 1942, KPM ships helped transport troops from a large British ship, Aquitania, to Singapore.

By March 1942, Japan had taken over Java and most of the Dutch East Indies. Twenty-one KPM ships, full of refugees, reached ports in Australia. These ships were then used by the United States Army to help defend Australia and fight Japan in the South West Pacific Area. The US Army chartered these KPM ships, which became very important for moving supplies.

The wreck of the cargo ship Bantam at Oro Bay, New Guinea.

In December 1942, the KPM ship Karsik was the first large ship to arrive at Oro Bay in New Guinea. It delivered four Stuart light tanks. These tanks were then taken close to the battlefront at Buna. KPM ships continued to make important supply runs, even though some were damaged or lost.

Maetsuycker became a hospital ship in the Southwest Pacific Area.

Two KPM ships, Maetsuycker and Tasman, were turned into hospital ships. They helped transport injured soldiers during the New Guinea campaign. Even though the US Army used them, they were still Dutch ships.

Ships Lost in the War

Nearly 100 KPM ships were sunk by enemy attacks, and more than a thousand people died. Most of these losses happened in 1942. In January, the Van Imhoff was sunk by Japanese aircraft, killing 413 people. In March, the Rooseboom was sunk by a Japanese submarine, and about 500 people died. Only six people survived this attack.

The largest KPM ship lost was Nieuw Zeeland. In November 1942, it carried troops for Operation Torch, the Allied invasion of North Africa. After dropping off troops, it was sunk by a German submarine near the Strait of Gibraltar. Fourteen crew members were killed.

After the War

After Indonesia became an independent nation in 1945, KPM remained a Dutch company. This made KPM a target for Indonesian activists who wanted to reduce Dutch influence in their country's economy.

Because of protests and the rise of Indonesia's own shipping line, KPM decided to move its main office and international ships to Singapore in 1958. From Singapore, KPM tried to expand into European shipping routes, but this was not successful. KPM then sold its new holdings.

KPM continued to operate until January 1, 1967. At that time, it merged with another Dutch shipping company. Later, all parts of KPM were taken over by Nedlloyd in 1977. Nedlloyd then merged into P&O Nedlloyd, which eventually became part of Maersk Line.

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