HNLMS Cerberus, was a Heiligerlee-class monitor built in Amsterdam for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the 1860s.

Cerberus was a true monitor: a ship with shallow draught, only a few (heavy) guns and decent armor.

The machinery and boilers for Cerberus were made by the Nederlandsche Stoombootmaatschappij in Feyenoord (Rotterdam).

The criticism about Cerberus was more specific and rather serious: All armored ships built abroad were said to have been carefully and well constructed.

To the contrary Cerberus was said not to suffice at all: Not one of the tower's armor plates fitted well, and in many places, 2–3 cm of cement had been applied to stop the gaps.

[8] An engineer downplayed the defects of all the monitors, but noted that one could not expect a shipyard that was used to work in wood to deliver the 'same neatness in ironwork' as a company that had 25 years of experience.

On board, the conscripts stationed nearby would exercise the handling of heavy artillery.

[12] Her commander was Lieutenant von Schmidt auf Altenstadt, and in Willemsoord she would be manned with conscripts, who would be trained in naval affairs.

On 2 November the Guinea left the Rijkswerf to be towed to Nieuwediep along the Noordhollandsch Kanaal.

[14] In 1882 Cerberus was mentioned in the naval budget as destined for the defense of the Zuiderzee together with Draak, Matador, Wesp and Bloedhond.

She would be part of a squadron together with Stier and Buffel and the gunboats Ulfr, Hefring, Bulgia and Das.

In the second week of September, she took part in the planned joint exercises with the army near Den Helder.

In January 1889 the naval department ordered electrical lighting for Cerberus at the company Smit & Co in Slikkerveer.

In late June Cerberus steamed to the Zuiderzee with the gunboats Bulgia and Geep.

In mid July the designed squadron was formed, and on 20 August it left Nieuwediep.

[21] While Cerberus was in Amsterdam Captain-Lt de Wal became harbor-master of Den Helder on 1 January 1890.

In early April Cerberus left the dock in order to be inspected.

After some shooting exercises near Texel Cerberus left Nieuwediep for the Zuiderzee on 6 May.

In late June 1890 Cerberus, Bloedhond and Panter and 5 gunboats left Amsterdam for the Zuiderzee.

[23] In mid-December Cerberus was tasked with helping to keep the North Sea Canal ice-free.

In July 1891 a squadron was formed, consisting of Guinea and Buffel, the monitors Draak, Panter and Cerberus, the gunboats Heimdal, Balder, Bulgia, Hydra and Idjen, and some torpedo boats.

[26] On 14 July the ram turrets, monitors and torpedo boat Idjen arrived in Hellevoetsluis from IJmuiden.

[27] On 31 July the Buffel, Panter, Cerberus, Heimdall, Braga and Balder arrived in Schiedam.

On 2 September 1891 the large naval and army exercises near the entrance to the Haringvliet started.

[31] On 19 April she left Amsterdam for Nieuwediep in order to visit the dry dock there.

[34] In the end the NSBM in Rotterdam got the order to repair the steam engines and to replace the boilers of Cerberus.

[35] On 5 October Cerberus left IJmuiden for Rotterdam in company of the tugboat Zuid-Holland.

[36] On 5 May Cerberus and the accompanying tugboat Zuid-Holland arrived back in IJmuiden from Rotterdam.

She managed to return to Amsterdam after temporary repairs, but had to be towed into the harbor by two tugboats.

[40] On 30 July the Cerberus left Nieuwediep, and the next day she passed Vlieland, and sailed to Harlingen.