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 was under way by 1939 and ended in 1945. On 10 May 1940, Nazi Germany, which aimed to dominate Europe, attacked the Dutch as part of their war with France. By 12 March 1942 the Dutch mainland and all their major colonies were controlled by Germans and Japanese. 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 Army", which was equipped completely by foreign (Allied) powers.
Pistols (manual and semi-automatic)
Borchardt-Luger pistol (Dutch East Indies only)
M30 Luftwaffe drilling shotgun (usage unclear)
Grenades and grenade launchers
See also: Dutch hand grenades
Infantry and dual-purpose machine guns
The Dutch army in 1940 was in the process of converting their machine guns to standard 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge. Exact numbers of machine guns converted is unknown.
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 19th century, 8000m range, 0.25 RPM fire rate)
Solothurn S-18/1000
Carden Loyd Mk IV tankette - 5 tankettes used in Battle of the Netherlands
Marmon-Herrington CTLS - few used against Japanese on Java.
Engineering and command
L180 (M-38) - 2 of 14 armored cars are built as command cars (dummy main gun made of wood)
All numbers are for European part of Dutch armed forces.
horses 30000
Trado 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
unknown models (~70-140 total) for carrying officers
unknown model (at least 840 in 2 motorized cavalry regiments)
bicycles (at least 15000)
Royal Netherlands Navy
At moment of German attack 10 May 1940 the Dutch European Navy comprise a 50 vessels:
1 light cruiser
3 coastal defense ships
10 destroyers
12 minelayers
4 minesweepers
6 submarines
14 auxiliary and light vessels
Also, the 31 various vessels were under construction. Of these, 6 there eventually completed in England and 21 in Nazi Germany.
Destroyed or scuttled during Battle of the Netherlands:
Destroyer Van Galen [Rotterdam, by a Stuka attack] - contradictory data!
Destroyer escort Christiaan Cornelis (scuttled after being damaged by coastal artillery)
Destroyer escort Z3 (scuttled)
Destroyer escort G16 (scuttled)
Gunboat Johan Maurits (sank by Luftwaffe aircraft)
Gunboat Friso (sank 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 O 12 (scuttled)
Coastal defense ship 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 O8
Submarine O11
Coastal defense ship Gelderland
Coastal defense ship Hertog Hendrik
Cruiser De Zeven Provincien (under construction, not used by Germans)
Cruiser Eendracht (under construction, not used by Germans)
Destroyer leader Tjerk Hiddes (under construction, scrapped by Germans)
Destroyer leader Gerard Callenburgh (under construction, damaged and repaired by Germans)
Destroyer leader Philips van Almonde (under construction, scrapped by Germans)
Submarine O25 (under construction, finished by Germans)
Submarine O26 (under construction, finished by Germans)
Submarine O27 (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 East Indies Navy
At moment of Japanese attack 7 December 1941 the Dutch East Indies Navy comprise a 78 vessels, most of them were destroyed during defense of 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, 10knots)
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
The Dutch before war have an extensive aircraft industry, but most of the aircraft produced were exported and not counted here.
Cartridges and shells
.32 ACP (7.94×25mm)
.380 ACP (9×25mm)
11mm French Ordnance (11.46×30mm)
6.5×53mmR (main rifle cartridge)
7.92×57mm Mauser (main MG cartridge)
.303 British (7.7×56mmR)
Recoilless rifles
Flamethrowers
Heavy mortars & rocket launchers
Amphibious tanks
Land tanks and derivatives (with exception of Java island)
Self-propelled guns
Armored carriers
Railroad vehicles
Tractors & prime movers
Radars
High explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shells
