The following is a list of Dutch military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels. World War II was a global war that began in 1939 and ended in 1945. On 10 May 1940, Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands, aiming to dominate Europe. The country was fully occupied by 17 May. By 12 March 1942, the Germans and Japanese controlled the Dutch mainland and all their major colonies. Dutch power was not restored until final Axis collapse in 1945. This list covers the equipment of armed elements centered on Royal Netherlands Army and Royal Netherlands East Indies Army, but not the Free Dutch Forces, which was equipped mainly by the Western Allies.
Knives and bayonets
| Model | Blade length | From: | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabre M.1912 | variable | - | officers sword |
| Klewang (sword) | 62,5 cm | 1898 | officers, NCOs |
| Fighting knife M.17 | 20,5 cm | 1917 | front units |
| M.95 bayonet | 24.5 cm | 1896 | fitted on Dutch Mannlicher rifles and carbines |
Small arms
Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)
| Type | Base model | Maker | Rounds | Cartridge | From: | Produced | Weight | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FN Model 1910#Variants | FN Model 1910 | FN and Colt Firearms | 7 | .32 ACP (7.94×25mm) | 1910 | ? | 0.59 kg | semi-automatic |
| FN Model 1922 | FN Model 1910 | FN and Colt Firearms | 8 | .380 ACP (9×17mm) | 1925 | ? | 0.7 kg | semi-automatic |
| Browning Hi-Power | P35 | FN and Browning | 10 | 7.65×21mm Parabellum | 1935 | 1.500.000 | 1 kg | semi-automatic |
| M.73 revolver | M.73 revolver | Stevens, de Beaumont | 6 | 9,4mmR No. 5 (9.4mm) | 1873 | ? | 1.04 kg | for support units |
| Mauser C96 | Mauser C96 | Mauser, Hanyang Arsenal | 10 | 7.63×25mm Mauser | 1899 | ? | 1.13 kg | Dutch East Indies only |
| Borchhardt-Luger | Luger P08 | DWM, Mauser | 8 | 9×19mm Parabellum | 1898 | 3.000.000 | 0.871 kg | Dutch East Indies only |
- 75mm guns, 40 calibers barrel length : 63 pieces (2 distinct Krupp types, 5000m range, rapid-fire)
- 120mm guns, 40 calibers barrel length : 18 pieces (2 distinct Krupp types, 12500m range, 9 RPM fire rate)
- 149.1mm or 152.4mm guns, 30 calibers barrel length: 5 (type unknown)
- 149.1mm or 152.4mm guns, 35 calibers barrel length: 6 (type unknown)
- 149.1mm or 152.4mm guns, 40 calibers barrel length: 21 (Krupp guns, 14200m range, 9 RPM fire rate)
- 240mm guns, 30 calibers barrel length: 11 (Krupp guns of the 19th century, 8000m range, 0.25 RPM fire rate)
Infantry guns
| Model | Caliber | Max. range | From | Produced | Weight, kg | fire rate, RPM | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krupp light field gun M1894 (6-veld) | 57mm | 5000 | 1894 | 210 | 700 | 5.5 | used also as anti-tank |
Anti-tank guns
| Model | Caliber | Penetration 1 | Penetration 2 | Muzzle speed | Max. range | From | Produced | Weight, kg | fire rate, RPM | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohler 47mm gun | 47mm | 58mm@100m | 43mm@500m | 630 | 7000 | 1935 | 380 | 315 | 5 | also very effective as infantry gun |
| HIH Siderius 47mm casemate gun | 47mm | 50mm@1000m | 750 | 2500 | 1931 | 8 | 1300 | 18 | semi-automatic | |
| Artillerie Inrichtingen 47mm casemate gun | 47mm | 50mm@1000m | 750 | 2500 | 1932 | 60 | 1300 | 9 | low-cost alternative to Siderius gun |
Anti-tank weapons (besides anti-tank guns)
- Solothurn S-18/1000
Anti-aircraft weapons
Light anti-aircraft guns
| Model | Caliber | Eff. alt. | From | Produced | Weight, kg | fire rate, RPM | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MG 08 Spandau heavy machine gun (M.25) | 7.92mm | 1300 | 1908 | 452 | 69 | 475 | obsolescent, also infantry heavy machine gun |
| Vickers machine gun (M.18) | 7.7mm | 1300 | 1912 | 300 | 23 | 475 | also infantry heavy machine gun |
| Bofors 40 mm gun L/60 (4 tl) | 40mm | 4100 | 1932 | 46 | 1981 | 120 | light/medium AA gun |
| 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 L/57 | 37mm | 4200 | 1936 | 3 | 2000 | 150 | no ammunition during war |
| Oerlikon 20 mm cannon L/70 (2 tl. No.1) | 20mm | 1300 | 1939 | 120 | 363 | 285 | planned main light AA gun |
| Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 (Scotti) (2 tl. No.2) | 20mm | 914 | 1939 | 35 | 227.5 | 250 | substitute for Oerlikon gun |
| Hispano-Suiza HS.404 | 20mm | 1100 | 1939 | 30 | ~400 | 700 | probably too lightly build barrel resulting in poor accuracy |
Heavy anti-aircraft guns
| Model | Caliber | Eff. alt. | From | Produced | Weight, kg | fire rate, RPM | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Krupp gun 6 tl | 57mm | 2500 | 1916 | 21 | 7180 | 3 | obsolescent |
| Krupp gun 7 tl | 75mm | 3300 | 1916 | 15 | 7980 | 5 | obsolescent |
| QF 3-inch 20 cwt (8 tl) | 76.2mm | 3750 | 1917 | 3 | 5990 | 17 | |
| Krupp gun (10 tl) | 94mm | 6800 | 1925 | 3 | ~10000 | 7.5 | may be prototypes related to QF 3.7-inch AA gun development |
| Vickers Model 1931 (7.5 tl no.1) | 75mm | 8500 | 1935 | 81 | 2825 | 12 | partially license-built, had a fire-control mechanical computer |
| Skoda AA gun (7.5 tl no.2) | 75mm | 6500 | 1940 | 9 | 4200 | 25 | model unclear |
Vehicles
Tankettes
Carden Loyd Mk IV tankette - 5 tankettes used in Battle of the Netherlands
Tanks
- Marmon-Herrington CTLS - few used against Japanese on Java. 28 used in the West Indies & Suriname
- FT17 - 1 purchased in 1927 for trials
- Marmon-Herrington CTMS - 26 used in the West Indies & Suriname
- Marmon-Herrington MTLS - 19-20 used in the West Indies & Suriname
- Carden-Lloyd Light Amphibious tank m1931- 2 delivered to the KNIL in 1937
- Carden-Lloyd m1936 - 75 ordered but only 25 delivered to the KNIL
- M3 tanks - 50 were being transported when the Dutch East Indies fell.
- Praga TIII/3 Artillery Tractor - 1 prototype delivered to the KNIL.
Engineering and command
- L180 (M-38) - 2 of 14 armored cars were built as command cars (dummy main gun made of wood).
Trucks
All numbers are for European part of Dutch armed forces.
- horses 30000
- Trucks with Trado drive:
- Chevrolet KD/DAF (4x4)
- Chevrolet VD/DAF (6x4)
- Ford type 51/DAF (6x4)
- Ford type 79/DAF (6x4)
- Ford type 81Y/DAF (4x4)
- Ford type 91Y/DAF (4x4)
- Ford type 01Y/DAF (4x4)
1200 - mostly for towing artillery and 1 motorized light infantry division
- Ford Model AA 380 - in AA units[citation needed]
- Ford GP - in Dutch East Indies cavalry units
Passenger cars
- unknown models (~70-140 total) for carrying officers
Motorcycles
- BSA G14 and various others (at least 840 in 2 motorized cavalry regiments)
Miscellaneous vehicles
- bicycles (at least 1500000)
Navy ships and war vessels
Royal Netherlands Navy
At the moment of the German attack on 10 May 1940 the Dutch European Navy consisted of 50 vessels:
- 1 light cruiser
- 3 coastal defense ships
- 10 destroyers
- 12 minelayers
- 4 minesweepers
- 6 submarines
- 14 auxiliary and light vessels
Also, 31 various vessels were under construction. Of these, 6 were eventually completed in England and 21 in Nazi Germany.
Present in the Dutch West Indies was the sloop Van Kinsbergen.
Destroyed or scuttled during Battle of the Netherlands:
- Destroyer Van Galen [Rotterdam, by a Stuka attack]
- Destroyer escort Christiaan Cornelis (scuttled after being damaged by coastal artillery)
- Destroyer escort Z3 (scuttled)
- Destroyer escort G16 (scuttled)
- Gunboat Johan Maurits van Nassau (sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft)
- Gunboat Friso (sunk by Luftwaffe aircraft)
- Gunboat Brinio (scuttled)
- Gunboat Braga (scuttled)
- Gunboat Helfring (scuttled)
- Gunboat Freyr (scuttled)
- Minelayer Hydra
- Minelyaer Bulgia
- Minesweeper Abraham van Hulst (heavily damaged by Luftwaffe aircraft attack and scuttled)
- Minesweeper Pieter Floriszoon (scuttled)
- Minesweeper M III
- Submarine HNLMS O 12 (scuttled)
- Coastal defense ship HNLMS IJmuiden (scuttled)
Escaped to England during Battle of the Netherlands:
- Light cruiser Sumatra
- Destroyer escort Z5
- Destroyer escort Z6
- Destroyer escort Z7
- Destroyer escort Z8
- Destroyer escort G13
- Destroyer escort G15
- Gunboat Flores
- Gunboat Gruno
- Minelayer Willem van der Zaan
- Minelayer Medusa
- Minelayer Van Maerlant
- Minelayer Douwe Aukes
- Minelayer Nautiles
- Minelayer Jan van Brakel
- Minesweeper Jan van Gelder
- Torpedo boat TM51
- Submarine O9
- Submarine O10
- Submarine O13
- Light-cruiser Jacob van Heemskerck (under construction at outbreak of war)
- Destroyer leader Isaac Sweers (under construction at outbreak of war)
- Submarine O21 (under construction at outbreak of war)
- Submarine O22 (under construction at outbreak of war)
- Submarine O23 (under construction at outbreak of war)
- Submarine O24 (under construction at outbreak of war)
- Many tugs, pilot boats and patrol boats
Captured by the Germans:
- Minesweepers MI (sunk and raised by Germans)
- Minesweepers MII (sunk and raised by Germans)
- Minesweepers MIV (sunk and raised by Germans)
- Gunboat Tyr
- Gunboat Balder
- Gunboat Hadda (unarmed at outbreak of war)
- Gunboat Thor (unarmed at outbreak of war)
- Minelayer Vidar
- Torpedo workship Vidar
- Submarines O 8
- Submarine O 11
- Coastal defense ship HMLMS Gelderland
- Coastal defense ship HNLMS Hertog Hendrik
- Cruiser De Zeven Provincien (under construction, not used by Germans)
- Cruiser HNLMS Eendracht (under construction, not used by Germans)
- Destroyer leader HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes (under construction, scrapped by Germans)
- Destroyer leader HNLMS Gerard Callenburgh (under construction, damaged and repaired by Germans)
- Destroyer leader HNLMS Philips van Almonde (under construction, scrapped by Germans)
- Submarine O 25 (under construction, finished by Germans)
- Submarine O 26 (under construction, finished by Germans)
- Submarine O 27 (under construction, finished by Germans)
- 6 Minesweepers (under construction, names not assigned, all used by Germans)
- Tanker (under construction, name not assigned, finished by Germans)
- 10 Fast attack craft (E-boats) (under construction, names not assigned, all finished and used by Germans in Mediterranean)
Royal Netherlands Navy in the East Indies
At the time of Japanese attack on 7 December 1941, the Dutch Navy in the East Indies comprised 78 vessels. Most of them were destroyed defending Java island:
- 3 light cruisers
- 7 destroyers
- 15 submarines
- 7 minelayers
- 11 minesweepers
- 35 auxiliary or small ships (of them 8 tankers)
Task Force One (Doorman; off Paternoster Island)
- Light cruiser De Ruyter
- Light cruiser Tromp
- Destroyer Van Ghent
- Destroyer Kortenaer
- Destroyer Piet Hein
- Destroyer Witte de With
- Destroyer Banckert
Task Force Two (Sunda Strait en route Singapore)
- Light cruiser Java
- Destroyer Evertsen
- Destroyer Van Nes
NEI Submarine Flotilla (at Surabaya)
- submarine tender Zuiderkruis
- SS K-VI
- SS K-VIII
- SS K-X
Submarine Division 1
- SS O-16 (Karimata Strait)
- SS K-XVII (north of Singapore)
- SS K-XVII
Submarine Division 2
- SS K-IX
- SS K-XI (north of Singapore)
- SS K-XII (north of Singapore)
- SS K-XIII (north of Singapore)
Submarine Division 3
- SS K-XIV (South China Sea)
- SS K-XV (South China Sea)
- SS K-XVI (South China Sea)
Submarine Division 4
- SS O-19 (South China Sea)
- SS O-20 (South China Sea)
Mine Service (at Surabaya)
- CM Gouden Leeuw (at Tarakan)
- CM Prinz Van Oranje
- CM Krakatau
- CM Pro Patria (at Palembang)
- CM Serdang
- CM Willem van der Zaan (Lingga)
- CM Rigel
Minesweeper Division 3
- AMc Alor
- AMc Aroe
- AMc Bantam
- AMc Bogor
- AMc Ceram
- AMc Cheribon
Minesweeper Division 4 (at Surabaya)
- AMc Djember
- AMc Djombang
- AMc Djampea
- AMc Enggano
- AMc Endeh
Torpedo Division (at Surabaya)
- PT TM-4 to TM-15 (12 vessels)
- Tanker AO Aldegonda
- Tanker AO Benakat (4763 tons, 10 knots)
- Tanker AO Djirak (4325 tons, 10 knots)
- Tanker AO Josefina
- Tanker AO Juno (2741 tons, 9 knots)
- Tanker AO Paula (2700 tons, 12 knots)
- Tanker AO Pendopo (7150 tons, 10 knots)
- Tanker AO Petronella
- AT Kraus
- AT Pief
- AT Gina
- AT Jules
- AT Nolly
- AT Tata
- AT Flip
- AT Rolf
- AT Hector
- AT Paul
- AT Teddy
- AR Moeara Boelian
- AH Op Ten Noort
Aircraft
The Dutch before war have an extensive aircraft industry, but most of the aircraft produced were exported and not counted here.
| Name | Place of manufacture | Primary role(s) | # used in Europe | # used in Indonesia | years in use | comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fokker D.XXI | Dutch | fighter | 36 | 0 | 1936-1940 | |
| Curtiss P-6 Hawk | Dutch (license) | fighter | 0 | 11 | 1930-1942 | also 3 P-6 were destroyed before war |
| Curtiss H-75 Hawk (export Curtiss P-36) | US | fighter | 0 | 24 | 1940-1942 | model Hawk 75A-7 |
| Brewster B339 (F2A-2 Buffalo) | US | fighter | 0 | 71 | 1941-1942 | |
| Fokker D.XXIII | Dutch | fighter | 1 | 0 | 1939-1940 | tandem engines, prototype under test at outbreak of war |
| Fokker D.XVII | Dutch | fighter/trainer | 7 | 0 | 1932-1940 | 2 of 7 destroyed on ground at beginning of war |
| Fokker G.I | Dutch | heavy fighter | 35 | 0 | 1937-1940 | also 1 Fokker G.I destroyed before war |
| Fokker G.I(export version) | Dutch | heavy fighter | 6 | 0 | 1940-1940 | 24 were produced, but refit was not finished in time |
| Fokker T.V | Dutch | bomber | 15 | 0 | 1938-1940 | also 1 Fokker T.V destroyed before war |
| Fokker C.V | Dutch | bomber/reconnaissance | 28 | 0 | 1924-1940 | only 28 of 67 were operational at start of war |
| Fokker C.VIII | Dutch | reconnaissance | 1 | 0 | 1928-1940 | land-version (prototype) of seaplane Fokker C.VIII-W) |
| Fokker C.VIII-W | Dutch | Maritime patrol | 9 | 0 | 1928-1940 | 5 of 9 fled to England and were scrapped immediately |
| Fokker C.X | Dutch | bomber/reconnaissance/trainer | 20 | 13 | 1933-1942 | |
| Koolhoven F.K.51 | Dutch | trainer/reconnaissance | 83 | 38 | 1935-1942 | |
| Koolhoven F.K.52 | Dutch | fighter/reconnaissance | 5 | 0 | 1937-1940 | also 1 aircraft lost before war |
| Koolhoven F.K.58 | Dutch | fighter | 18 | 0 | 1938-1940 | manned by Poles, fought for France (not in Dutch army) |
| Fokker S.IX | Dutch | trainer | 50 | 0 | 1935-1942 | some escaped to England and were scrapped immediately |
| Bücker Bü 131 | Germany | trainer | 0 | ? | 1935-1942 | |
| Curtiss-Wright CW-21B | US | interceptor | 0 | 24 | 1942-1942 | 17 ready at start of Japanese attack |
| Dornier Do J Wal | Dutch (license) | Maritime patrol | 1 | 5 | 1937-1942 | most were already scrapped at outbreak of war[citation needed] |
| Dornier Do 24 | Dutch (license) | maritime patrol | 0 | 37 | 1937-1942 | replacement for Dornier Wal, imported and license-produced in Netherlands. |
| Fokker T.IVa | Dutch | Maritime patrol/torpedo bomber | 0 | 33 | 1927-1942 | |
| Fokker C.XI | Dutch | scout seaplane | 4 | 10 | 1935-1942 | operated from Dutch cruisers and destroyers |
| Fokker C.VII | Dutch | seaplane trainer | 0 | 12 | 1927-1942 | 30 were produced, but 18 in Europe retired before war |
| Fokker C.XIV-W | Dutch | trainer/Maritime patrol | 13 | 11 | 1927-1942 | 12 were transferred from Europe to Dutch East Indies after war in Europe was lost |
| Fokker F.XVIII | Dutch | airliner/Maritime patrol | 0 | 5 | 1940-1942 | stop-gap ASW aircraft, later reverted to airliner |
| Fokker T.VIII | Dutch | Maritime patrol | 11 | 0 | 1938-1940 | some aircraft escaped to England and many captured by Germans |
| Consolidated PBY Catalina | US | Maritime patrol | 0 | 48 | 1935-1942 | 36 Consolidated 28-5 (export PBY-5) and 12 PBY-5A[citation needed] |
| Martin 139 (export B-10) | US | Bomber | 0 | 121 | 1938-1945 | Pre-WW2 bomber in Dutch possession |
| Fokker T.IX | Dutch | Bomber | 1 | 0 | 1939-1940 | prototype being repaired at outbreak of war |
Cartridges and shells
- .32 ACP (7.94×25mm)
- .380 ACP (9×25mm)
- 11mm French Ordnance (11.46×30mm)
- 6.5×53mmR (main rifle cartridge)
- 7.92×56R (main MG cartridge)
- .303 British (7.7×56mmR)
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