Battle of the Afsluitdijk

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Battle of The Afsluitdijk

Date	12 May-13 May 1940
Location	Afsluitdijk, The Netherlands
Result	Dutch Victory

Belligerents

Royal Dutch Army

1st Cavalry Division
Luftwaffe

Commanders

Captain Boers

General Feldt

Strength

225 Soldiers Inside series of fortreses ^[1]

500+ Soldiers
69 Planes
Howitzers ^[1]

Casualties and losses

1 Killed
2 Wounded
2 civilians killed
10 civilians wounded ^[1]

8 Killed
25+ Wounded
4 Planes Shot Down ^[1]

v • d • e Western Front (World War II)

France - Maastricht - The Hague - Fort Eben-Emael - Afsluitdijk - Hannut - The Netherlands - Battle of Zeeland - Dunkirk - Britain - Dieppe - Normandy - Dragoon - Siegfried Line - Market Garden - Aintree - Scheldt - Hurtgen Forest - Aachen - Bulge - Colmar Pocket - Nordwind - Central Europe - German capitulation

The Battle of the Afsluitdijk was an unsuccessful attempt by the German Army to seize the Afsluitdijk dike in May 1940, during World War Two. If the Germans had taken the dike, they could have taken North-Holland from its north. Civilian casualties could have been devastating. The Dutch troops were led by Captain Boers and the Germans by General Feldt.

1 Fortifications and Preparations
2 The Battle
3 Casualties
4 Aftermath
5 References

[edit] Fortifications and Preparations

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 prepared for an assault to take the series of pillboxes or casemates of Fort Kornwerderzand(named after a hamlet near the dike). These were in two lines. The eastern was for defence eastwards, the western line [just behind the first] for threats from the rear. Altogether 17 casemates had been built. They were designed to withstand 21cm rounds (indirect fire), and 28cm rounds (indirect fire). The three main casmates were of 3m reinforced concrete. The casemates sheltered 230 men, 21 heavy Schwarzlose machine guns (7.9 mm), three 5cm guns and a naval gun of 5cm. There were similar defences at the other end of the dike.

[edit] The Battle

Earlier in May 1940 two infantry sections (70 men) were sent to the end of the dike to prevent German landings beyond the vision of both fortresses. The Germans soon found out about these units and seven fighters strafed Dutch positions. One soldier and two civilians were killed, 10 civilians wounded. After this they were recalled to Kornwerderzand.

Until May 12, the Germans had not tried to take Fort Kornwerderzand. However that evening, three soldiers were sent to see if the fort had been abandoned. They were pinned down by machine gun fire. Two were killed. The third escaped. The Germans decided to take the fortress. They would launch Luftwaffe strikes, then an extended artillery bombardment by howitzers. After that they would send 500 soldiers.

However, unknown to the Germans three 2cm anti-air guns and 4 heavy anti-aircraft machine guns had arrived overnight at Kornwerderzand. The next day, pilots who had flown unchallenged were under fire. The Germans sent 62 planes to bomb the fort. The planes dropped five waves of bombs.

One of the Dutch 2cm anti-air guns

Four planes were shot down and crashed into the sea. The bombardment was followed by an hour of heavy bombardment from the howitzers. It had little effect on the heavily protected Dutch. As soon as the bombing stopped the Germans advanced down the narrow dike. Captain Boers waited until they were within 800 metres, then ordered machine-gun fire, making it difficult for the Germans to withdraw.

Aerial view of Kornwerderzand

Most soldiers tried to hide. Few managed to advance. The Germans were under constant fire for an hour and 20 minutes. When Boers ordered firing to stop, the remaining Germans withdrew. The assault had failed. During the night Boers ordered the dike to be lit by flares and search lights so the fortress could not be attacked without Dutch soldiers knowing.

[edit] Casualties

Local civilians said hundreds of Germans were killed, and the dike was filled with bodies. The German report says two were killed on the 12th and five on the 13th. The German wounded were officially around 25. The Dutch suffered one killed during the first attack by the Luftwaffe, two wounded during the bombing when two soldiers manning anti-aircraft guns were hit.

[edit] Aftermath

The fortress remained in Dutch hands until the surrender of Dutch forces on May 15. Boers told the men that they had fought like lions but that in other parts of the country their armies had been defeated. Boers himself led the surrender.