Battle for The Hague

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Battle for The Hague
Date May 10-May 13, 1940
Location The Hague, The Netherlands, and the surrounding area
Result Dutch victory
Belligerents
Flag of the Netherlands
Royal Dutch Army
Dutch Airforce
Flag of Nazi Germany
22nd Luftlande-Division
Commanders
Flag of the Netherlands Henri Winkelman Flag of Nazi Germany Hans Graf von Sponeck
Strength
1,100 soldiers
Two squads of Armored Cars		 3,000 paratroopers
Casualties and losses
515 killed
1,000 Wounded~		 400 killed
700 wounded
1,745 taken prisoner
125 Transport aircraft destroyed, 47 damaged lost[1]
v • d • e
Western Front (World War II)

The Battle for the Hague was a battle that took place as part of the Battle of the Netherlands between the Royal Dutch Army and German paratroopers . German paratroopers dropped in and around The Hague and were assigned to capture Dutch airfields and the city. After taking the city, the plan was to force the Queen to surrender and defeat the Dutch within a single day.

Contents

[edit] The German Attack

At 6:00 AM, in the eastern part of The Hague, Ypenburg, the Dutch defences on the airfield, were bombed by German aircraft. Immediately after the bombing German paratroops were dropped, however they suffered heavy casualties from Dutch machine gun fire as they landed. During this time a few Dutch aircraft were able launch from the airport and managed to shoot down some German aircraft, before they were eventually destroyed. The Dutch defenders who were captured were given the choice to fire on their comrades or face death. The Germans were slowly reinforced by transport aircraft, many of which were on fire and often crash-landed anywhere they could. Despite heavy German casualties and a runway blocked by wrecked planes, Ypenburg finally fell to the attackers. At Ockenburg airstrip southwest of The Hague, a few paratroopers landed and found a much weaker defence than they had at Ypenburg. The airstrip was defended by a mere 96 men, mostly raw recruits. The Germans attacked with about 750 men, and even though facing overwhelming odds, the Dutch forces were able to inflict heavy casualties onto the Germans before they were pushed back. Unfortunately for the attackers, their timetable was completely disrupted and the runway blocked. Reinforced by transport aircraft, the Germans attempted to seize a third airfield, Valkenburg, which was still under construction. It was defended by two companies of infantry and a platoon of four heavy MGs. Once again the paratroopers had not secured the field when the transports began landing, but there was less defensive fire on this field which allowed the attackers to quickly disembark, organize, and overrun the Dutch positions. Unfortunately for the Germans, because the airfield was not yet finished, the transport aircraft could not take off again. Thus when the next wave of transport planes arrived they could not land, and many were forced to turn back. The attackers attempted to push out from the airfield, including an advance southward toward The Hague, but without reinforcements this group could not influence the main battle to the south.

Valkenburg Airfield
Valkenburg Airfield

[edit] The Dutch Counter-Attack

Although the German airborne assault had seized three airfields and obtained scattered footholds elsewhere in the general vicinity of The Hague, the overall plan had failed. They had been unable to take the City and force the Queen to surrender. Also, since they had failed to take the capital, the Dutch Army was still capable of launching organized counter-attacks. Later during the day, the Dutch did launch counter-attacks, on all three airfields. At Ypenburg, the counter-attack was initially led by ad hoc groups such as a few men from a training school, a platoon of Grenadiers, a military police detachment, and fifteen recruits from the cavalry depot, relying partly on captured German weapons and ammunition. Reinforced by a company of Grenadier Guards and supported by three batteries of artillery, the ragtag Dutch troops managed to take back the airfield around 3:00 PM. Shortly after capturing Ypenburg, the troops were accidentally bombed by the British who had been sent to bomb it, not knowing it was in Dutch hands. By evening all German resistance in the area had been defeated. Also around that time the Dutch counter-attack on Ockenburg, aided by Dutch Bombers, managed to recapture the airstrip. However, the German Commander Hans Graf von Sponeck, had managed to escape into a nearby woods with the remaining 360 soldiers under his command. At Valkenburg, where the Germans had been the most successful, capturing some additional territory, they were pushed back and the airfield taken later that evening. By the end of May 10th, the biggest problem was the remaining German forces who had managed to escape from the airfields. Over the next two days the Dutch soldiers would mop up the remaining German soldiers until the main German Forces broke through, eventually causing the Dutch to surrender on May 15th.

[edit] Casualties

The Dutch suffered 515 killed, however the wounded is unknown but estimated to be around 1000. The Germans aren't known in detail either but it is estimated that 400 were killed, 700 wounded, and with a surprisingly high total of 1,745 captured. They also lost 125 transport aircraft, mostly of the Ju-52 model.

[edit] Aftermath

Destroyed German Aircraft
Destroyed German Aircraft

Hitler intentionally had this battle downplayed to keep to moral up of German troops, and maintain the illusion that the German Army was invincible. It would be the one of a minority of German defeats throughout the entire Western Front Campaign in 1940.

[edit] References

  1. ^ E.R Hooton 2007 Vol. 2, p. 50.