The Harad class were to be the Zealandian Navies 'offensive' minelayers. Originally designed 1931/32 when 32 knots was a fast speed for a cruiser sized vessel. However it is not the other navies ships that make a minelayer obsolescent, it is the enemies aircraft evolution that makes the difference. As the speed of aircraft increased the time that a minelayer had to reach its destination, lay the field and then get away unsighted decreased. Thus the minelayers speed needed to increase appropriately. What was a good speed in 1935 was woefully inadequate by 1939. Reconnaissance aircraft were still between 200-250 mph speed, 1939 and they were over 300 mph. If a reconnaissance aircraft spotted a minelayer, off the enemies coast, then the whole operation became a waste of time and resources as the enemy would know a minefield had been laid and would dispatch minesweepers to clear it. It would be better if an enemy merchantmen, warship, found the field by detonating a couple of mines and sinking.
The Harad class had to be a multi-role combat craft as there is little need for an offensive minelayer in peacetime. The Harad class could also be used to carry troops and supplies on the big mine deck and be used for disaster relief missions, to put down insurrections in the dependent islands. Plenty of roles were discovered beside their primary role.
The armament certainly showed where the expected threat would mainly be from - the air. The twin 4" were also good enough to fight off enemy destroyers, anything bigger and their speed was supposed to allow them to be able to outrun the chaser.
