National Experiences - British Commission for Military History

214 ai r p o w e r in 20 t H Ce n t u ry do C t r i n e s a n d em p l o y m e n t - nat i o n a l ex p e r i e n C e s
The Military Aviation Arm was only able to deploy some 125 operational aircraft
to oppose the almost 1,000 German aircraft the Luftwaffe was able to deploy over the
Netherlands in 1940. In addition to the staggering numerical superiority of the Luftwaffe,
there was also a vast difference in quality. Most German aircraft were superior
to the Dutch aircraft in terms of speed and armament. Moreover, the German pilot
corps had gained a good deal of combat experience in operations over Spain, Poland
and Scandinavia from 1936 onwards. In the five-day battle which was unleashed on
10 May, the Luftwaffe almost completely wiped out the Dutch air fleet. A number of
Dutch fighter aircraft were destroyed on the ground during German surprise attacks,
while the Dutch aircraft also had to concede defeat in air engagements. Despite the
vast German air superiority, the personnel of the Military Aviation Arm put up a
heroic struggle. Together with the other elements of the Air Defence Command, the
Dutch air arm succeeded in eliminating an estimated 350 German aircraft, some 220
of which were Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft that had been deployed in airborne
operations in the west of the Netherlands. This remarkable success did not go unnoticed;
within a few days of the capitulation, the Commander-in-Chief of Land
and Sea Forces, General H.G. Winkelman, awarded the Military William’s Order,
the highest military honour for bravery in the Netherlands, to the Military Aviation
Arm.
Just as the Royal Family, the Council of Ministers and a large part of the flight
personnel of the Naval Air Arm, some 250 military personnel of the Military Aviation
Arm flying schools succeeded in making their way to England in May 1940.
Over time, this group of personnel, which mainly consisted of instructors, trainee
pilots and technical personnel would largely be absorbed into the Royal Air Force
(RAF). Later on in the war, they were joined by Dutchmen who had managed to
escape from occupied territory to England in order to make a contribution to the
liberation of the Netherlands from there. In addition to these so-called “Engelandvaarders”,
there were also Dutch nationals from neutral or unoccupied countries who
offered their services. In all, the RAF was to admit around 700 Dutch personnel to its
ranks, who then were assigned to various operational units in the roles of pilot, crew
member or ground personnel.
Some RAF units were even predominantly Dutch. These squadrons came under
British operational command. Dutch Naval Air Arm personnel formed the nucleus
of 320 (Dutch) Squadron, which had been set up in June 1940 and which initially
conducted convoy protection flights, later followed by high-risk bombardments of
German ships. In 1943, 320 Squadron – now equipped with Mitchell bombers and
augmented by personnel from the Military Aviation Arm – was to focus mainly
on attacking targets on the European continent. 322 (Dutch) Squadron, which had
been set up in June 1943, was equipped with Spitfires and would number more and
more Dutch pilots. This squadron distinguished itself by carrying out escort flights,
convoy patrols and so-called anti-Diver operations against V-1s after they had been
launched. The pilots from 322 Squadron succeeded in eliminating over one hundred