The submarine was ordered on 30 August 1921 and laid down in Rotterdam at the shipyard of Fijenoord on 24 December 1922.

[2] 21 June 1926, O 11, together with O 9, Maarten Harpertszoon Tromp, Jacob van Heemskerck, Z 7 and Z 8, sailed from Den Helder to the Baltic Sea to visit the ports of Kiel, Göteborg and Trondheim.

[2] She sailed for the Baltic Sea again in 1936 with her sisters O 9, O 10, the coastal defence ship Hertog Hendrik and Z 5.

While under repair Germany invaded the Netherlands and the boat was scuttled to prevent her capture.

[2] While still under repair the boat was scuttled again in order to block the entrance of Den Helder harbor.