I posted this earlier re IJN destroyer use of active/passive submarine detection during the campaign for the Malay Barrier, as observed by RNethN submarines:
On Feb. 12th 1942 Vice-Admiral Helfrich, C-in-C of the Royal Netherlands Navy in the NEI, sent a telegram to Vice-Admiral Furstner, Chief of the Netherlands Naval Staff in London detailing some of the Dutch experiences with IJN A/S warfare:
"According to intelligence supplied by "K.XV" it appeared during action off Sarawak that Japanese "Amagiri" class destroyers are equipped with sound receivers and not with periphones (?) or Asdic. To track submarines several destroyers searched the area at 12 knots, stopped similtaneously, listened and then proceeded. Destroyers passing directly over the submarine on several occasions showed that they did hear something but the absence of depth charges indicated that they did not know exactly where the submarine was. Later on five depth charges were dropped at random. According to information supplied by "K.XVIII" the Japanese probably use sound locators and echo receivers whereby use is made of small echo-bombs which are heard as hammer blows on the pressure hull. According to received intelligence Japanese submarines are equipped with Asdic with a constant frequency of 17.5 kilocycles. Scale goes to 6000 metres though usable up to 3000 to 4000 metres. Furthermore they are equipped with an acoustic device with which only direction is determined and with which warships can be detected at 20000 metres, merchant ships at 10000 metres. These latter distances are uncertain."
Although the RNethN had lost four submarines in December 1941, only one, O.20, can be attributed to Japanese destroyers. "O.16" and "K.XVII" had both been lost to a Japanese minefield, laid off Poelau Tioman before the outbreak of hostilities (though this was not known at the time) and "K.XVI" had been torpedoed by the submarine "I 166". Furthermore, "O.20" may well have survived had her skipper not ordered "Abandon ship" but submerged.
When Helfrich wrote this, he was only certain that "O.16" had been sunk by a mine (which was thought to be e British mine at the time, as they had laid a field in the general area where "O.16" had been lost) as her sole survivor had returned to Singapore. "K.XII" and "K.XVI" had been lost with all hands, and O.20's survivors had been picked up by the Japanese.
Hope this info helps.
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