Belgian Minerva M-14

This armored version of a Belgian car design was the first armored car of the Netherlands army. It was interned in October 1914 after it crossed the border and was given back to Belgium after the war.

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German Ehrhardt

Originaly this was a truck armed with an AA-gun. It was left behind by it's German crew in 1918. It was given a full armoured body and in 1932 it's 6 cm gun was replaced by a 3,7 cm gun.

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Improvised armored car on a GMC chassis

One of these were built in 1929 and used for war games. On the left was the first produced. The armor consisted of sheetmetal and wood. The unit on the right was a serious model made with thin metal plate steel.

Morris

An armored car of similar design as the one mentioned above was built on a 6-wheel Morris chassis in 1932. Three were built and received the names Buffel, Bison and Wisent.

Landsverk 180/1

Renault FT-17

In 1927 one Ft tank was ordered by Greve & Co. in The Netherlands. This tank was only used for demonstrations to soldiers and for practice. The original Hotchkiss machine-gun was not purchased, so with a great deal of effort, a Schwarzlose M.08 machinegun was built in. There were many problems concerning transport. On the 12 of May a small test was undertaken in The Hague, the tank got stuck totally in the soft soil. The Netherlands did not purchase this tank for use by their soldiers.

Vickers-Carden-Loyd tankette

V-CL Mk VI(b): first produced in 1927, the Carden Lloyd Tankette Mk VI inspired comparable developments in Czechoslovakia (the MU4), France (the EU), Italy (the CV33 and CV35), Poland (the TK3), and Russia (the T27). Six were ordered, but only five were delivered to the Netherlands, each one were named: Poema, Jaguar, Panter, Luipaard, and Lynx.

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The M-36

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The Landsverk M-38

Shown on the right is a command version. 2 special turrets were ordered to equip command vehicles for each of the two armored squadrons.

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The Dutch Daf M39

Also known as the Dutch Van Doorne and Pz Sp Wg DAF 210 (h)

This is the Dutch Daf M 39. 12 copies were made by the time of the German invasion. It was quite advanced for its time. During the 5 day campaign of May 1940, seven cars (out of 12) were delivered to the Cavalry Depot Squadron. Of those, 1 did take part in the fighting. Registration number III-2203 fought at Overschie on the 14th of May 1940. The vehicles were taken over by the Germans and used for Police duties. They were destroyed somewhere on the eastern front as the picture in the upper right shows. What happened with the remaining five vehicles is unknown but it is possible they were finished for the Germans at a later date.

The following information was received by an email from Steven Guy and largely left intact:

"I have a little more than you have posted on the Dutch DAF M39. I will let you have what I know. The UK was recognized as the world leader in all types of AFV and the Dutch Army felt obliged to adapt one of these British designs. The army asked if DAF would be willing to license produce one of these designs. To which DAF stated that they would be able to produce a vehicle better suited to Dutch needs than adapt from a British design. The Army had to wait only eight months for the appearance of the first prototype of its new armored car. The resulting M39 vehicle had all welded hull, which in section with the turret was hexagonal in shape and was armored to 12mm maximum thickness and had well sloped glacis plate for extra protection. It was powered by a Ford Mercury V8 engine which developed 95bhp at 3600 rpm and gave a road speed of 75km/h. The engine was mounted at the rear of the hull and offset to the right hand side. The rear cover of the engine was also well sloped and was fitted with large louver covers to assist cooling. The vehicle weighed 5,800kg and was 4.75m in length, 2.08m in width, and 2.16m in height to the top of the turret. In this compact vehicle were six crewmen; commander, driver, bow machine gunner, gunner and loader for the main armament and the rear machine gunner. This last crewmember sat to the left-hand side of the vehicle rear, in the rather noisy position along side the engine, and could drive the vehicle in reverse through a set of controls. This facility was quite common in this type of vehicle and allowed it to be driven away in an emergency with out having to turn around. For this purpose both the proper driver, who was seated in the left hand side of the front, and the rear gunners position were equipped with vision blocks which had armored covers which could be lowered when under fire. The bow machine gunner sat to the right of the driver and his 7.92mm machine gun, in common with the rear facing one was fitted with a armored sleeve. The turret was mounted in the center of the hull, which gave it a good center point of balance and had full 360 degree traverse. It was fitted with a one piece hatch cover and mounted a Bofors 37mm gun as the main armament with a 7.92mm co-axial machine gun. These weapons could be depressed to -9.5 degrees and elevated to +23 degrees. Doors in either side of the hull allowed ease of access and exit for the crew. The small wheels on the front of the hull were to prevent the vehicle from bogging down during cross-country operations. The rear wheels were linked together in articulating fashion so that they acted in unison when covering rough ground, today this system is quite common and is known as "walking beam" system. A unusual idea for fitting circular saws to the rear of the vehicle in stead of the wheels to cut through ice on the Dutch canals was also proposed, as Holland has many canals these were to act as a defensive system in time of war and keeping them free of ice meant that they could be relied on as such. Before the Second World War broke out only twelve M39 had been built and these went into service with the 3rd Armored car Squadron (cavalry) stationed at the Hague. When the Germans attacked Holland in May 1940, the M39s were not deployed to the front line. Presumably because there were so few of them, and in the face of heavier AFVs they would not have lasted long. Due to this inaction the Germans captured the entire fleet of M39 intact. Who pressed them into service as Pz. SpWg L202 (h), and used them in the internal security role. For this purpose they were well suited, carrying a fuel load of 100 liters to give a operational range of 300km. It is interesting to note that the British had approached DAF prior to the outbreak of war to ask if they were prepared to build M39s in Holland for the BEF."

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The British Humber

Photo by Olaf Schiltmans

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The Canadian RAM

Photo by Olaf Schiltmans

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The United States M4 (Sherman)

Photo by Olaf Schiltmans

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The United States M24 (Chaffee)

Photo by Olaf Schiltmans

Warposters

Royal Netherlands Indies Army

The Bantam Blitzbuggy

The American Bantam Car Company of Butler, Pennsylvania U.S.A. developed a design of a general purpose (GP) army vehicle with consulting engineer Karl K, Probst, based on the Willys Overland Americar, the lightest full-sized car then on the road. The design was perfected by Willys engineer Delmar G. "Barney" Roos, and in 1941 was standardized by the US Army. Military contracts were awarded to Bantam (Bantam BRC), Willys and Ford. The GP designation led servicemen to call it the "Jeep", but they also called it the Peep, Blitzbuggy, Jitterbug, Bettlebug, Iron Pony, Leaping Lena, and Panzer Killer. The Jeep, like the Universal Carrier, was very popular with soldiers throughout the world.

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The Marmon Harrington Light Tank

600 (various types) of these were ordered in 1940 in America, of which only 7 arrived unarmed in Java before the Japanese attack. Part of the rest of the order was send directly to Suriname, while the U.S. Marines and Army took some as well. The U.S. Army used them in Alaska. Another portion of the order went to China.

Three types were ordered, of which in total only 25 had been delivered by the time of the Japanese attack:

• CTLS 4TA (Y) and 4TAC: armed with 2 to 3 machine-guns only. 4TA(Y) had its turret at the left, the 4TAC had it at the right. Of these types 7 were delivered in time to participate in the fighting. These were the only Marmon Herrington tanks to see action.
• CTMS 1TBI three man tank: armed with a 37 mm gun and 2 to 3 mg’s.
• MTLS 1GI4 four man tank: armed with 2 37 mm guns and 4 mg’s.

The seven CTLS tanks were issued to the Mobiele Eenheid ("mobile unit") on western Java.

This unit was made up as follows:

• Eskadron Vechtwagens ("squadron combat cars"): 17 Vickers Carden Lloyd light tanks and 4 Marmon Herrington CTLS 4TA
• Compagnie Pantser Infanterie (company armoured infantry): 3 sections of 50 men each, 16 Overvalwagens type B (B for Braat?)
• Scoutunit: 3 Marmon Herrington MK. III MFF 4x4 and 1 White Scoutcar
• Section motorised AT-guns: and unknown number of Böhler M35 47 mm guns, probably towed by Vickers Utility tractors
• Section artillery: 4 Bofors 7,5 cm L30 Berg guns

After the capitulation of the the Netherlands East Indies more Marmon Herrington tanks were delivered to Suriname and the Antilles where they were used by the Korps Mariniers (the Netherlands Marine Corps). No evidence of use on the Antilles has been located but there are rumors that some tanks were in fact issued to US troops on Curacao.

The following tanks were delivered:

• 26 CTLS 4TA
• 28 CTMS 1TBI
• 20 MTLS 1GI4

On February 14th 1945 it was decided to scrap the tanks. Still, in 1946 some CTLS 4TA tanks were shipped to the East Indies but were never used again, and apparantly some tanks were still in use in the 1950’s.

In total 99 tanks seem to have been delivered. Of the remaining 501 tanks 240 CTLS 4TA’s went to the US army as the T-14 and T-16 light tanks. Of the CTMS 1TBI some went to Ecuador )12), Cuba (8), Guatemala (6) and Mexico (4). The fate of the remaining MTLS 1GI4 tanks is unknown.

More on the Netherlands Marine Corp: During WW2 a brigade was formed in the US called the Mariniers Brigade, also called Marbrig. This unit was used intensively in the fighting in Indonesia from 1945-1949. Little is published about them, except that they had 18 tanks, one of which was an ARV, the others being HVSS Shermans armed with a 105 mm howitzer. After the wars in Indonesia the unit was disbanded.

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Krupp Gepanzerte Radfahrzeug

Starting in 1936, Krupp designed an armored car body which could be fitted on their 6 x 4 light truck type L2H 143. Several were sold to the Dutch East Indies Army. The orginal version had a single MG in a small, high turret. The production vechicles had an MG in the front and rear of the hull and a third MG in a broad, low turret. The picture on the right is the 6 x 4 in German service.

- Contention -

It has been suggested, by a credable source, that the KNIL never had these vehicles. Do you have any data?

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The Wilton-Fijenoord

An experimental type. After satisfying trials two of these cars were shipped to the East Indies in 1934. Results there were less satisfactory, the vehicles being too heavy for the roads and the aircooled engines suffereing from overheating, forcing the use of airplane gas rather than the normal gasoline. The 2 cars thus were sold back to the firm and returned to the Netherlands.

In February 1935 two vehicles were sold to Brazil. The third remained at the firm untill they managed to sell it to the army in return of a tax-reduction. June 1st 1938 the vehicle was issued to the Korps Rijdende Artillerie (Corps mobile Artillery), that already had the five Carden Lloyd tankettes and the three Morris armored cars.

It however was never armed because of lack of money. Of course it wasn’t used in May 1940. The Germans re-activated it in April 1945 for the defence of Berlin, still unarmed.

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Vickers Light Amphibian Tank

No data.

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Vickers Light Tank

A close up of the Vickers light tank. 20-24 were delivered and used with some success against the Japanese in March 1942. Compare this picture with the miltary parade and notice the difference in armament, each tank having two aircooled MG's in the miltary parade picture and only one watercooled MG in this photo.

Vickers Utility Tractor

Used for the training of tankcrews and for towing antitank guns. In October 1939, the KNIL ordered 50 of these from the Familleureux-factory in Belgium. The first 20 vehicles were to be delivered mid April 1940, the rest in May 1940. In December 1939 a further 30 were ordered. Only the first 20 vehicles were delivered (3 weeks later war broke out), the remaing 60 vehicles falling into German hands.

(no picture)
CKD Praga TIII/3

The Czech firm of CKD was contracted to produce artillery tractors for the Dutch Each Indies Army (KNIL). 40 + 1 prototype produced between 1939 and 1941. All units (except the prototype) were seized by the Germans. The German designation was Mittlerer Raupenschlepper TIII/3.

White Scoutcar

Used in conjunction with the Alvis Straussler. Further details unknown.

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Alvis Straussler

12 were ordered and delivered. Used in squadrons of 3 vehicles, together with White Scoutcars and jeeps.

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Overvalwagen

On the left, a Krupp chassis version. The far right shows a Braat chassis version. A locally produced armored truck. Cars like these were used by the so-called Stadswachten (cityguards) and this is the type used by the guard of Batavia, the current Jakarta. In this instance these vehicles were called overvalwagens (raidvehicles). A product of the firm Braat in Soerabaja, which was known to have produced this sort of vehicle. They even produced an AA version. Even more mysterious than it's counterpart in the left picture. Based on a Krupp chassis, it is the only picture of this type found, and according to the caption it was used in Bandoeng in 1941. Whether it was used by the Stadswacht is unknown, nor is it known if it was referred to as Overvalwagen. The Braat chassis version was later used for railway protection by the Indonesians.

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South African Marmon Herrington Armored Car

Shortly before the Japanese invasion of the island of Java in 1942 a several South African-built Marmon Herrington armored cars arrived. These second-hand vehicles had previously been used on the African front and arrived unarmed. After KNIL capitulation, many were used as captured equipment by the Japanese.

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The U.S. M3 Light Tank

The M3 light tank of various types were taken over from the British Indian army in 1946 and formed 4 tank squadrons. Of these 38 were M3A1’s , 4 M3A3’s and 12 M3A3’s without turret, so called "recce tanks". With these tanks 4 squadrons were formed, each having 1 M3A3 (the tank for the squadron’s commander), 9 M3A1’s (3 platoons of 3 tanks each), 3 recce tanks (4th platoon) and a Valentine bridgelayer. The Stuarts were used in the fighting against Indonesian nationalists and handed over to Indonesia after the war of independence. Shown in the picture above is a model M3. The M3 was the early version. The later version was the M5 and had a less "boxey" more streamlined look. The tank was popular with it's crews and was named the Stuart by the British. The Americans simply called them either M3 or M5.

GMC 15CWT

Used after WW2 , a Canadian variant of the Otter armored car.

Universal Carrier

Used after WW2, the Universal Carrier. Shown here in it's basic form.

The U.S. Amtrac

Shown here in use by Marines in the Netherlands West Indies.

The U.S. Greyhound

Shown here in use by Marines in the Netherlands West Indies.

U.S. M3A2 Halftrack

Shown here in use by Marines in the Netherlands West Indies.

U.S. M4 Tank

Shown here in use by Marines in the Netherlands West Indies.

U.S. Staghound

Shown here just after WW2.

Ralph Norton

Pat Callahan

Henry Carey

Steven Guy
author of
Thunder and Steel

Olaf Schiltmans

David Edgington

John Spellman

Katya Kuersteiner

Auke Smit

Last Update: Thursday, February 13, 2003