The Douwe Aukes class were minelayers of the Royal Netherlands Navy, named after the naval hero Douwe Aukes. The two ships were built at the Gusto shipyard in Schiedam. Construction began in 1919 and was completed in 1922. Built to serve in the Dutch territorial waters, both ships were still in service during the Second World War and they both escaped to the United Kingdom, the Douwe Aukes on 14 May and the Van Meerlant on 18 May 1940. The Van Meerlant was sunk by a mine in 1942 while in British service.