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Antwerp was where the Rhine emptied into the North Sea. This was why the city developed as the largest port in Europe. The commerce from the industrial city if the Rhine werre shipped out into world commerce through Rotterdam. This made the port city an important strategic target when the Germans invaded (May 1940). Unlike World War I, neutrality was no impediment to Hitler's war making. The Germans struck (May 10). The small Dutch air force with any early warning system was desroyed on the ground or shot down. The Germans rapidly moved forward and tge Netherlands is a very small country. The Germans as they apprioched Rotterdam issued an ultimatum to the Dutch government. If the Dutch did not surrender Rotterdam and other cities, the Luftwaffe would oblitertate Them. The Dutch decided to capitulate. The Luftwaffe's bombers were, hiwever, already airborn and not all could be called back. The attack struck the center of Rotterdam. The resultung fire destroyed much of the city center. Some 900 people were killed and 25,000 houses destroyed. The Stadhuis (City Hall) and main post office were among the few public buildings to survive. For the most part, the Netherlamds escaped the rest of the air war. We note, however, that there were small British attacks on the port of Rotterdam and docks there. We are not sure what the Brutish were atatcking, perhaps servicing of U-boats and Kriegsmarine sufrace ships. The Britsh did not have bombers that could strike the Germans in any force during the first 2 years of the War. The RAF did launch one campaign--a Christmas candy drop to Dutch children, complete with leaflets identifying Hitler as Black Peter (1941). Soon after, serious bombing of the Reich became possible when Bomber Command began receiving the Avro Lancaster (February 1942). The USAF joined the camapign (August 1942). And many of the Anerican and British bombing flights overflew the Netherlands. The Resistance helped downed airmen to get back to Britain. The country became an important link in the German Kammhuber Line air defene line. Important radar sites were set up in the Netherlands, but the fighter bases were mostly in the Reich. There were few actual stikes on Dutch targets. American bombers accidentally bombed a residential area of Rotterdam while targeting the docks area, killing hundreds of Dutch civiliians (March 31, 1943). From that point on, Allied air actions were primarily focused on deliveing aid to the dutch people with vital food drops. Mobile V-2 launchers fired the missles at Britain which attracted fighter attention, but few launchers were caught and destroyed.
Dutch military air power began with the founding of the Army Aviation Group (Luchtvaartafdeeling or LVA) at Soesterberg airfield (vliegbasis Soesterberg) (July 1913). Thgey began with four pilots. The LVA operated one aircraft, the Brik, which was supplemented with three French Farman HF.20 aircraft purchgased a few months later. Aviation was rapidly advancing. The first Dutch puchases were soon outdated. The Dutch government ordered several fighter/reconnaissance Nieuport and Caudron aircraft to replace them.
The LVA and Dutch military in general was of course was of no real importance in the country's security. The Dutch was protected by their neutrality. It worked because the direct route to France for Germany was through Belgium not the Netherlands. The Netherlands maintained their neutrality throughout World War I. The LVG did not engage in any action, instead worked on developing the force's capabilities. Pilot training was opened for ranks below officer, and technical, aerial photography, meteorological and navigation capabilities were developoed. New airfields were constructed at Arnhem, Gilze-Rijen air base, Venlo and Vlissingen. Because of the war it was difficult to obtain aircraft.
After Workd War I, military airctaft could be purchased, but the Dutch government cut the defence budget. The LVG was almost dissolved. One advatage the Dutch had was the Fokker Airraft Company, but it focused on commedrcial aviation. This is interesting because Anthony Fokker had beguin hius career in Germany buikding high boprerformsnce military aircraft. Fokker became the world's largest aircraft manufacturer by the late 1920s. The F.VIIa/3m trimotor passenger aircraft was a huge success (1925). It was was used by 54 airline companies worldwide and captured 40 Percebt of the importssnt American market. Security concerns rose after Hitler and the NAZIs seized power, the Dutch government tried to build some minimal defensive capability, imcluding air power. But there were problems even when appropriations were authorized. The coiuntry had few pilots and more importantly pilot instructors. An airforce was highly technical and building up that caoacity from scratch was a daunting challenge.
Antwerp in Belgium is just south of the Dutch border. It is where the Rhine emptied into the North Sea. This was why the city developed as the largest port in Europe. In the era before the railroads, riverine tranport was the primary ways to move goods in continental Euroope. The commerce from the industrial cuty if the Rhine werre shipped out into world commerce through Rotterdam. This made the port city an important strategic target when the Germans invaded (May 1940) and when the Allies advanced to liberate Europe (September 1944). Field Narshall montgomery failure to clear the Scheldt Estuary is the primary reason that the Netherlands was not liberated in 1944.
Unlike World War I, neutrality was no impediment to Hitler's war making. The Germans struck (May 10). The small LVG without any early warning system was destroyed on the ground or shot down.
the few Dutch G.Is and D.XXIs did score a respectable number of victories against the Luftwaffe, but many were destroyed on the ground before they could be used. And the numerical superiority of the Luftwaffe swamped the Dutch forces. The Germans rapidly moved forward and the Netherlands is a very small country. The Luftwaffe did pay a cost. They lost 350 aircraf. More were lost anti-aircraft fire than to maircombat. There were also crashes on improvised landing strips. Some 95 percent of the Dutch pilots were lost. In recognition of their heroic if quiotic action, Queen Wilhelmina conferred the highest Dutch military decoration to the Army Aviation Brigade collectively--the Militaire Willemsorde (MWO).
The Germans as they apprioched Rotterdam issued an ultimatum to the Dutch government. If the Dutch did not surrender Rotterdam and other cities, the Luftwaffe would oblitertate Them. The Dutch decided to capitulate. The Luftwaffe's bombers were, however, already airborn and not all could be called back. The attack struck the center of Rotterdam. The resultung fire destroyed much of the city center. Some 900 people were killed and 25,000 houses destroyed. The Stadhuis (City Hall) and main post office were among the few public buildings to survive.
Free Dutch fighting forces continued the fight. Some aircrews managed to escape to England. There 320 Squadron and 321 Squadron were established under RAF operational command (June 1). . Due to a shortage of personnel, 321 Squadron was absorbed by 320 Sqn in January 1941. Although their personnel were predominantly from the Navy Air Service, Army Aviation aircrew also served with 320 Sqn until the end of the war. The Royal Netherlands Military Flying-School was re-established, in the United States at Jackson Field at Jackson, Mississippi (1941). It was also known as Hawkins Field. , They used Lend Lease aircraft to train military aircrew. The Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Military Air Service) continued to function in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) for more than a year until Japan launched the Paciufic War and oiccupied the NEI (1942). Some of the personnel escaped to Australia and Ceylon. The 321 Squadron was re-formed in Ceylon by Dutch aviators (March 1942). At this time, 18 (NEI) Squadron, a joint Dutch-Australian unit was established, in Canberra. They were equipped with Lend Lease B-25 Mitchell bombers. They went into action in New Guinea and over the Dutch East Indies. The 120 (NEI) Squadron was established (1943). They were equipped with P-40 Kittyhawk fighters. They flew many missions under Australian command, including the recapturing of Dutch New Guinea. Another Dutch fighter squadron was established in England--322 (Dutch) Squadron (June 1943). They were equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire and saw action with the RAF. 322 Sqn was successfully committed against incoming V-1 flying bombs (June 1944). It then executed ground attack missions for the liberation of France and Belgium. The Directorate of Netherlands Airpower was established in London (July 1944).
The Germans seized the Fokker factories and used them to build Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann trainers and parts for the Junkers Ju 52 transport. Toward the ebnd of the War, Germans stripped the factories as they were vulnerable to allied bombing.
The Britsh did not have bombers that could strike the Germans in any force during the first 2 years of the War. The RAF did launch one campaign--a Christmas candy drop to Dutch children, complete with leaflets identifying Hitler as Black Peter (1941). During Christmas 1941, the RAF became Santa Claus to Dutch children. The principal Christmas celebration in the Netherlands is held December 6th.
Sinterklaas comes to Holland and parades through a Dutch city. He arrives the night before
with his servants, the Zwaarte Pieten, Black Peters, who keep a record of which children have been good during the previous year and which have been bad. The children leave out clogs beside the hearth on the night of the 5th and the Black Peters come down the chimney and leave presents in the clogs of the good children. The bad children are put in the Black Peter’s sack and taken to Spain for a year,
where Sinterklaas lives, to learn to behave better.
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If the children leave some hay and carrots in their clog, Sinterklaas’s horse, who
pulls his sleigh over the rooftops during the night, will leave them some sweets in
exchange.> The RAF as St. Nicholas’s Day approacged decided to give Sinterklaas a helping hand. It was Winter and Bomber Command’s activities were limited. The weather limited ooerstions. Snd they diud not yet hve the Lanc. The opertion on the proper dsay (Decemnber 5) was scatched because of the weather--zero visability. The same persusted Decemnber 6 and 7. Only on December 8 did the wether lift so the mission could proceed. Sergeant Thompson, Pilot Officer Barrett, Warrant Officer Binns, and Flight Sergeants Whittaker, Brownlow and Ollar took off at 4 am on the morning of December 9 and dropped thousands of packets of Pascall sweets over the Netherlands. Somewhat kate, but surely appreciated by the children who fiound them. The back of the packet shows a Black Peter giving Adolf Hitler a good thrashing with a birch while a terrified Mussolini, his head poking out of Black Peter’s bag, awaits his turn.
For the most part, the Netherlamds escaped the rest of the air war. We note, however, that there were small British attacks on the port of Rotterdam and docks there. We are not sure what the British were atatcking, perhaps servicing of U-boats and Kriegsmarine sufrace ships. There were some raids on the Fokker factories. Soon after, serious bombing of the Reich became possible when Bomber Command began receiving the Avro Lancaster (February 1942). The USAF joined the camapign (August 1942). And many of the Anerican and British bombing flights overflew the Netherlands. The Resistance helped downed airmen to get back to Britain. There were few actual stikes on Dutch targets. American bombers accidentally bombed a residential area of Rotterdam while targeting the docks area, killing hundreds of Dutch civiliians (March 31, 1943).
The country became an important link in the German Kammhuber Line was a sophisticated air defene systrm. As the air routes into the Reich from Britain, primarily crossed over the Netherlands and Belgium, these two occuoied countries were a vital part of the KL. As a result, important radar sites were set up in the Netherlands, but the fighter bases were mostly in the Reich. The KL initially streaching from Denmark south to Ostend, Belgium which of course included the Netherlands. Constructioin began after the successful German Western offensive (June 1940). It became a serious project after the Germans came to fully realize the effectuiveness of the British Chain Home System. The system was completed from Denmark to the Rhine River Valley in the Netherlands (March 1941). It was at this point that the Germans began withdrawing the Luftwaffe east to particioate in the Barbarossa invasion of the Soviet Union. The ststem was eventually extended into France. There were some 750 overlapping stations. There were so many that there was no real possibility of knocking out the system.
The Dutch people north of the Rhine were still occupied by the Germans after market Garden (Sepotember 1944). And they began starving. Hitler was punishiung them for supporting the Allies. They had to endure the Hunger Winter. As reports reacged the allies of people dieing in the streets, concerns about the Germans seizing relief shipments began to weaken. The Dutch Governmnt in Exile told Churchill that he would be held responibke for deaths after the War. The American food administrators in Britain released food stocks intended for the Germans. [Collingham, p. 177.] The Allies began air drops (April 29). American, British, and Canadian planes were involved in Operation Manna (RAF/RCAF) and Operation Chowhound (USAF). The Germans agreed to not fire at the planes which haf to fly at low altitudes for the mercy missions. The Allies agreed not to bomb German positions. German military authorities in the Netherlands also began to allow Allied trucks carrying food to reach the Dutch. This was Operation Faust. Food was trucked intoRhenen (May 2). Some 200 vehicles were involved. Distribution was a problem. Mass distribution was not possible until after iberation.
Mobile V-2 launchers fired the missles at Britain wehich attracted fighter attention, but few launchers were caught and destroyed.
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