Battle of the Afsluitdijk: Difference between revisions
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==The Battle== |
==The Battle== |
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Earlier in [[May]] [[1940]] two infantry sections (70 men), were sent to the end of the dike to prevent German landings on the dike beyond the direct vision of both the fortresses. The Germans soon found out about these units and sent in 7 [[fighters]] who strafed the Dutch positions. 1 |
Earlier in [[May]] [[1940]] two infantry sections (70 men), were sent to the end of the dike to prevent German landings on the dike beyond the direct vision of both the fortresses. The Germans soon found out about these units and sent in 7 [[fighters]] who strafed the Dutch positions. 1 soldier and two civilians were killed, and 10 more civilians wounded. After this they were recalled to Kornwerderzand. Until May 12th, the Germans had not made any attempt to take Fort Kornwerderzand. However on the evening of that day, a small German patrol of 3 soldiers, were sent to see if the fort had been abandoned. The soldiers were quickly spotted, and pinned down by [[machine gun]] fire. Two were killed. The third one manged to escape the fire and return to safety. The Germans then decided it was time to take the fortress. Their plan was simple; They would launch a number of [[Luftwaffe]] strikes against the fort, then an extended artillery bombardment by [[howitzers]]. After that they would send in about 500 soldiers to take out whatever remained. However, unknown to the Germans was that during the night three 2 cm anti-air guns and 4 heavy anti-aircraft machine guns arrived at Kornwerderzand. The next day the surprised pilots, who had flown over unchallenged the past few days, were suddenly under fire. The German Planes launched a massive attack on the Fortress. 62 planes were sent to bomb it. The planes launched 5 waves of bombs onto the fortresses.[[Image:DutchAA.jpg|thumb|left|One of the Dutch 2 cm anti-air guns]] During the bombing, 4 German Planes were shot down and crashed into the nearby sea. The Luftwaffe bombardment was followed by another hour of heavy bombardment from the German Howitzers. Unfortunately for the Germans, the bombing had little to no effect on the heavily protected Dutch soldiers. As soon as the bombing stopped the Germans advanced down the narrow dike. Captain Boers waited until the German soldiers approaching were within 800 meters, then ordered machine gun fire. By doing this it made it more difficult for the Germans to withdraw. For the next hour and twenty minutes the German soldiers were under constant machine gun fire. [[Image:Dutch_Fortress.jpg|thumb|300px|Aerial view of Kornwerderzand]] Most of the soldiers just tried to find objects to hide behind. Few, if any soldiers, managed to advance any further. During that time, the German soldiers were under constant machine gun fire. After the hour and twenty minutes of virtually non-stop machine-gun fire, Captain Boers ordered for their fire to cease. The remaining German soldiers, who were not dead or wounded, withdrew. The assault had been a complete failure. During the night Captain Boers ordered that the dike was light by flares and by search lights every so often, so the Fortress could not be attacked without the Dutch soldiers knowing they were under attack. |
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==Casualties== |
==Casualties== |
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Revision as of 14:50, 27 April 2008
| Battle of The Afsluitdijk | |||||||
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| Part of World War II | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Royal Dutch Army |
 1st Cavalry Division Luftwaffe | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Captain Boers |
 General Feldt | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 225 Soldiers Inside series of fortreses [1] |
500+ Soldiers 69 Planes Howitzers [1] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
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1 Killed 2 Wounded 2 civilians killed 10 civilians wounded [1] |
8 Killed 25+ Wounded 4 Planes Shot Down [1] | ||||||
The Battle of the Afsluitdijk was an attempt by the German Army to seize control of the Afsluitdijk dike in May 1940. If the Germans had successfully taken the dike, it is very likely that they could have taken North-Holland from its north. The amount of civillian casualties could have been devastating. The Dutch troops were lead by Captain Boers and the Germans by General Feldt.
Fortifications and Preperations
The German 1st Cavalry Division [later reformed to the 24th Tank Division] had taken the last Dutch defences in front of the Afsluitdijk on the 12th, and was now prepared for an assault to try and overtake the series of casemates that was Fort Kornwerderzand(named after a hamlet nearby the dike). These complex defenses were made up of two lines of casemates. The eastern line was meant for defences eastwards, the western line [just behind the first] for enemy threats from the rear. Altogether 17 casemates had been built. The casemates were designed such that they were able to withstand considerable impact of 21 cm rounds (indirect fire), and some 28 cm rounds (indirect fire). The three main casmates were made up of 3 meter reinforced concrete. The casemates provided shelter for 230 men, 21 heavy machine guns Schwarzlose (7.9 mm), three casemate guns of 5 cm and a naval gun of 5 cm. The same exact defenses had been built at the other end of the dike.
The Battle
Earlier in May 1940 two infantry sections (70 men), were sent to the end of the dike to prevent German landings on the dike beyond the direct vision of both the fortresses. The Germans soon found out about these units and sent in 7 fighters who strafed the Dutch positions. 1 soldier and two civilians were killed, and 10 more civilians wounded. After this they were recalled to Kornwerderzand. Until May 12th, the Germans had not made any attempt to take Fort Kornwerderzand. However on the evening of that day, a small German patrol of 3 soldiers, were sent to see if the fort had been abandoned. The soldiers were quickly spotted, and pinned down by machine gun fire. Two were killed. The third one manged to escape the fire and return to safety. The Germans then decided it was time to take the fortress. Their plan was simple; They would launch a number of Luftwaffe strikes against the fort, then an extended artillery bombardment by howitzers. After that they would send in about 500 soldiers to take out whatever remained. However, unknown to the Germans was that during the night three 2 cm anti-air guns and 4 heavy anti-aircraft machine guns arrived at Kornwerderzand. The next day the surprised pilots, who had flown over unchallenged the past few days, were suddenly under fire. The German Planes launched a massive attack on the Fortress. 62 planes were sent to bomb it. The planes launched 5 waves of bombs onto the fortresses.
During the bombing, 4 German Planes were shot down and crashed into the nearby sea. The Luftwaffe bombardment was followed by another hour of heavy bombardment from the German Howitzers. Unfortunately for the Germans, the bombing had little to no effect on the heavily protected Dutch soldiers. As soon as the bombing stopped the Germans advanced down the narrow dike. Captain Boers waited until the German soldiers approaching were within 800 meters, then ordered machine gun fire. By doing this it made it more difficult for the Germans to withdraw. For the next hour and twenty minutes the German soldiers were under constant machine gun fire.
Most of the soldiers just tried to find objects to hide behind. Few, if any soldiers, managed to advance any further. During that time, the German soldiers were under constant machine gun fire. After the hour and twenty minutes of virtually non-stop machine-gun fire, Captain Boers ordered for their fire to cease. The remaining German soldiers, who were not dead or wounded, withdrew. The assault had been a complete failure. During the night Captain Boers ordered that the dike was light by flares and by search lights every so often, so the Fortress could not be attacked without the Dutch soldiers knowing they were under attack.
Casualties
It would be said by local civilians that hundreds of German soldiers had been killed, and the entire dike was filled with dead bodies. The official German report states that 2 were killed on the 12th and 5 on the 13th. The German wounded is officially around 25. The Dutch suffered their one killed during the first attack by the Luftwaffe, and their two wounded during the bombing by the Luftwaffe. Two of the soldiers manning the anti-aircraft guns were hit.
Aftermath
The fortress would remain in Dutch hands until the surrender of all Dutch forces on May 15th. It is said, that when the troops were told to surrender they were flabbergasted and mistrusted the news. Captain Boers told the men that they had fought like Lions, but in other parts of the country their armies had been defeated. Captain Boers himself led the surrender.