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-automaticBrowning Hi-PowerP35FN and Browning107.65×21mm Parabellum19351.500.0001 kgsemi-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 onlyBorchhardt-LugerLuger P08DWM, Mauser89×19mm Parabellum18983.000.0000.871 kgDutch East Indies only
Automatic pistols and submachine guns Type Base model Maker Rounds Cartridge From: Produced Weight Comment MP 28 II MP 18 Haenel 50 7.63×25mm Mauser 1939 2420 4.18 kg sergeant weapon in single cavalry regiment in Dutch East Indies Thompson submachine gun M1928 Thompson submachine gun Savage Arms and others 50(extended mags) .45 ACP (11.43×23mm) 1942 2000 4.9 kg Only in Dutch colonies, some may have not been delivered
Rifles Type Base model Maker Rounds Cartridge From: Produced Weight Comment Rifle M.95 Mannlicher M1895 Steyr-Mannlicher 5 6,5x53,5R 1896 470000 3.95 kg also 8 derived carbine models M1941 Johnson rifle M1941 Johnson rifle Iver Johnson, FMA 10 .30-06 Springfield 1941 ~1000 4.31 kg only in Dutch East Indies
Grenades and grenade launchers See also: Grenade Introduced Type Weight, g comments Eihandgranaat No.1 ? fragmentation 600 used by Germans as "handgranate 312 (h)" Eihandgranaat No.2 ? fragmentation 765 imported Mills No. 23, rod-type rifle launcher Eihandgranaat No.3 ? concussion 215 used by Germans Hexiet Rookhandgranaat ? smoke 500 used by Germans as "333(h)" Gashandgranaat ? tear gas ~800 Ronde handgranaat 1906 fragmentation 1065 colonial army only Geweergranaat 1915 concussion ~420 colonial army only, hand-thrown version of Veldhandgranaat Veldhandgranaat 1917 fragmentation 650 long handle, colonial army only Offensieve handgranaat No.2 1928 concussion 650 paper&wood body, colonial army only, imported from USA Offensieve handgranaat No.3 (US Mk.3) 1941 concussion 310 paper&steel body, colonial army only
Machine guns
Infantry and dual-purpose machine guns The Dutch army in 1940 was in the process of converting their machine guns to the unique 7.92×57mm rimmed cartridge. Exact numbers of machine guns converted is unknown. Gun Fire rate, RPM Effective rangeCartridge From: Produced Weight Comment Lewis gun M.20 550 800 6.5×53mmR and 7.92×57mmR 1917 9500 13 kg occasional AA gun Vickers machine gun 475 2000 .303 British (7.7×56mmR) and 7.92×57mmR 1912 300 23 kg occasional AA gun, basis for aircraft guns MG 08 Spandau heavy machine gun (M.25) 475 2000 7.92×57mm Mauser 1908 452 69 kg occasional AA gun, obsolescent Schwarzlose MG M.07/12 heavy machine gun (M.8) 490 1300 7.92×57mm Mauser 1905 2248 41.4 kg Madsen machine gun Geweermitrailleur 450 6.5×53mmR 1915 9.2 kg Only in the Dutch East Indies. Madsen machine gun Karabijnmitrailleur 450 6.5×53mmR 1926 8.4 kg Only in the Dutch East Indies, shortened variant.
Vehicle and aircraft machine guns
Artillery
Infantry mortars Model Caliber Max. range From Produced Weight, kg fire rate, RPM Comment Stokes mortar 81mm 800 1915 360 47.17 25 heavy recoil, therefore difficult to fire from improvised positions
Field artillery Model Caliber Max. range From Produced Weight, kg fire rate, RPM Comment Krupp 7.5 cm Model 1903 (7-veld) 75mm 6000 1904 304 1079 8 partly license-built or upgraded to Siderius Model 02/04 8 cm staal 84mm 3500 1878 108 1517 2.5 12 cm Lang staal 120mm 8500 1878 158 3450 1.5 former fortress gun, upgraded in the 1920s 15cm Krupp heavy field gun 150mm 8800 1878 72 4700 1 former fortress gun, upgraded in the 1920s 10.5 cm Cannon Model 1927 (10-veld) 105mm 16500 1926 52 3650 7 Krupp 105mm field gun L30 M1905 105mm 9250 1912 2 2835 6 120 mm Krupp howitzer M1905 (12 lang 12) 120mm 5800 1912 50 1125 2 10.5 cm leFH 18 105mm 10675 1939 8 1985 5 imported, training-only Bofors 12 cm M. 14 (12 lang 14) 120mm 6050 1918 10 1610 3 BL 6-inch 26 cwt howitzer (15 lang 15) 152.4mm 8400 1918 30 3690 2 only extended-range version 15 cm sFH 13 (15 lang 17) 149.1mm 8600 1918 44 2250 3 World War I war reparations from Germany
Fortress and siege guns See for geographic distribution of coastal defenses and fortresses in continental Netherlands. The listing below do include both army and land-based Navy weapons, but do not include 47mm guns, which are counted as anti-tank guns. Bofors 37 mm, 45 or 50 calibers barrel length : 23 pieces, of them 12 imported and 11 license-produced 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@100m43mm@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 Vickers Mark IIIB light tank - 75 ordered but only 25 delivered to the KNIL M3 tanks - 50 were being transported when the Dutch East Indies fell.
Armored cars Vehicle Year Num. Armament Notes Pantserwagen M36(L181) 1936 12 37 mm Bofors cannon3× 7.92 mm Lewis machine gun Pantserwagen M38(L180) 1938 14 37mm Bofors cannon3× 7.92mm Lewis machine gun Pantserwagen M39 1939 12 37mm Bofors cannon3× 7.92mm Lewis machine gun Ehrhardt Potkachel 1918 1 57mm Krupp gun 6tl Alvis StrausserAC3D193812Turret: 12.7 mm Colt-Browning MGDriver's left: 6.5 mm Vickers machine gunM3A1 Scout Car1941401× .50-caliber M2 Browning machine gun2× .30-caliber M1919 Browning machine gun GMC 'Kippenhok'193133× 6.5mm Lewis machine gun Morris Wijnman'Koekblik'19323Up to 4× 6.5mm Lewis machine gunWilton-Fijenoord193333× 6.5mm Lewis machine gunOvervalwagen194090different versions had different armament
Utility tractor VCL Utility Tractor - 50 ordered for the KNIL 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
DAF-139 amphibious truck (prototype testing at outbreak of war) Ford Model AA 380 - in AA units 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 Minelayer 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 Batterijschip 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