The Dutch Army at the outbreak of WW2

[[nl]Invincible]

fter Snotvod his topic I decided to make my own version,
Just like with the Belgian army, the Dutch army gets underestimated by people.


Background:
After a war, that lasted for 80 years, Belgium and Holland, both independent, were no longer one of the important countries of Europe.
They decided to become neutral, so they wouldn't be involved in any kind of major conflict.
This ment that the Dutch army was not important from now on...
The weapons became old and holland was just too small to have a big army that could match their neightbours.
But still, the Dutch goverment knew that they needed to have some kind of defense, if an enemy army ,or even more than one army, would invade.
(during the "tachtig jarige oorlog"(80 years war), Germany,france and England attacked Holland at the same time)
They also needed to choose a side, So they would have a country as support, if a war would break out .This alliance could only be made when the enemy would attack.
So their was a need of an Dutch army, that could minimally last for a couple of weeks.

Years later, the Dutch defence was build up in lines between old, fortified citys.
The main defense line was "Vesting Holland"(Upkeep Holland): this defensive line surrounded the main Dutch cities.(North-and South Holland)
This was set up between "Vesting Amsterdam"(Upkeep Amsterdam) and the Dutch "Waterlinie" (Waterfront)
From outside this fortress, Mobile Units would try to hold off the enemy for as long as possible.
Near the year 1900 most of the armies became more mobile: so did the Dutch army and also became much more effective.They also expanded their army with other divisions.
When the first world war broke out, the Dutch army stayed neutral,and the Dutch thought that the Germans were too scared to attack holland.
Between the wars, things gone bad in holland, so we couldn't afford such a huge army.
Also, the first world war had changed the face of war; all armies who had participated were technically improved: new weapons saw service, etc. etc... We, little Dutchies, didn't need all of this, for we were neutral.
until 1922, we used weapons(like the "Hembrug m.95") which were designed in 1898(and weren't improved!)!
For we had an very old and 'rusty' army, the Dutch decided to deplete the army.
Finally, in 1935, the Dutch army modernised a little bit.
The standard "Manlicher M.95" became more modern. We didn't have any tanks: we had 2 Renault Ft7s, but the order was cancelled; the goverment thought it was an old weapon.
When they realised that other countries were expanding their tank force, Holland ordered 140 of this type...Today still nobody knows if this order was really sent to France(were they ordered the tanks).
In 1939 we modernised our army again, this time the airfoce and fleet and We doubled our army.
The heart of the defense was now settled at the "grebbelinie"(grebbelfront). if this one would fail, the "Nieuwe Hollandse waterlinie"(the New Dutch Waterfront) would be the second line: When the Germans would attack, they would floot the fields (just like in the history of Holland..)
No tank would came through...at least, that was wat we hoped.

Now lets start with the standart Dutch equipent:


Let me introduce you guys to "kees",
Kees is serving the dutch army.

Kees wears a standart bleu/green field uniform

Kees wears a standart bleu/green field uniform:

Kees gots this fancy dutch Lion on his buttons.

Also he is wearing "Puties" around his legs.


kkees hade this nice helmet, but he could get others as wel:
This is the one Kees is whearing:

As you can see the dutch like puting fancy stuff on everything, so also the dutch lion is aded on the helmet in the form of a tinn plate.

The M.27,



The M.22 "'Röchlinghelm"


Ore The M.27 witch was introduced in 1927.



Intresting detail:

During the fights in 1940 there was a mythe that the tinplate would let bulits penatrate easyer...So loads of dutch soldiers removed it durring the fights.


Kees puts his ammo in his ammopouch,

He could choose ore he gets the old fasion one as you se here:


But kees could also get this one, more modern and easy to use ammopouch:


If Kees needs to dug in, Or kees runs out of ammo he just go on fighting with his Shovel!

Kees also whears his Gasmask in his bag. ( I own one myself)

Type G gasmask:

So gas is not a problem for kees.

Well mostly he wont whear all this stuff with him, when Fighting of the germans.

Kees is armed with a M.95 Hembrug model dates from 1906. (Licence Manlicher M.95.




He could also get the hembrug carbine M.95

Kees his oficers and machinegunner where mostly armed with the Browning M.25 pistol:

And As machineguns the dutch wher armed with Lewis Light machinguns capable of firing 97 rounds (normaly a M.20 would fire 49 rounds)

If kees needs some more stationary firepower kees would be armed with the Vickers M.18




Kees got loads of other fancy weapons witch you wil see later.


Tomorow we wil tell a bit more about Kees, and his Army

[snotvod]

Hehe, good job mate


I'll presume that huge round leather thing on his belt is a Lewis magazine pouch? Did every single infantryman wear this, or only assistant machinegunners?

Those "puties" are rather complicated to put around your leg i'd say, here's what the Belgian army used instead:

"Getten"

[Pornska]

Excellent post, I'll share in a bit later about what I know of the Dutch Marines.

[Unkn0wn]

And they fought for like 10 days, hooray :P

[Pornska]

5 day actually ( not counting the resistance Zeeland ).

[snotvod]

I don't think countries or their armies should be mocked because of the (meager) performances of their armies. Neither the the Dutch, nor the Belgian army stood a chance against the German war machine, like many others.
This does not mean that the men -and their equipment- of these countries didn't have a war experience just as gruesome and harsh as any others.

I'm not trying to say "my country is better then yours, nanana", but hey, there's nothing wrong with loving your country, be it Belgium, the Netherlands or Uzbekistan...

[[nl]Invincible]

Originally Posted by Unkn0wn

And they fought for like 10 days, hooray :P

You just piss me of with thoes kinds of post...
I think every country that stoot up and fought back against the germans should have a place in history... Some realy brave man died there, witch are forgotten becose if this kind of talk... realy realy sed..

Oh if it doenst intress you and you only want to make that kind of post please dont cose it pisses me of..

[snotvod]

Originally Posted by [nl]Invincible

I think every country that stoot up and fought back against the germans should have a place in history...

The German soldier -and his allies- deserve just as much credit...

[Unkn0wn]

Originally Posted by snotvod

I don't think countries or their armies should be mocked because of the (meager) performances of their armies. Neither the the Dutch, nor the Belgian army stood a chance against the German war machine, like many others.
This does not mean that the men -and their equipment- of these countries didn't have a war experience just as gruesome and harsh as any others.

I'm not trying to say "my country is better then yours, nanana", but hey, there's nothing wrong with loving your country, be it Belgium, the Netherlands or Uzbekistan...

Actually it'd be quite difficult to go "my country is better than yours" on me, you'll figure it out :P.

I'm not mocking their armies in general, nor do I disprespect the soldiers that fought and died. I'm just stating that 10 days really isn't alot for an okay sized country like the Netherlands. I'm quite sure they could've done better.

(Fact is they hardly fought and gave up due to terrorbombing, although I guess a few more days more or less wouldn't have made any difference and saved some lifes...)

None the less, all countries involved in the war indeed deserve SOME credit and a mention somewhere on a page in the history books, but I often see people from these minor countries overdoing it a tad .
(Not saying you are, just a general note)

[oscar989]

Why does't eveybody do a post like these about their home country?

I call Italy!