Description
Book SynopsisThe history of how the Luftwaffe planned to knock out Holland in a surgical, lightning campaign, but instead suffered wounds against the outnumbered but effective Dutch that would come to haunt them in the Battle of Britain.
From the perspective of the German High Command, its invasion of the Netherlands on May 10, 1940 was supposed to be a lightning fast surgical strike, aimed at shoring up the right flank of the Wehrmacht''s massive assault on France and Belgium. In a bold manoeuvre, the German Luftwaffe would launch what was at the time the largest airborne operation in history, calculating that surprise and speed would negate the need for a lengthy ground campaign or large numbers of ground troops, using paratroops and air-landing troops to capture key strategic point that would clear the path for the subsequent capitulation of main Dutch city and the government itself. The entire operation was expected to take only 24 hours. The actual campaign proved to be much l
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION The Dutch defences Fallschirmjäger and Luftlande troops ATTACKER’S CAPABILITIES Luftflotte 2 in the Holland operation Fighter cover for airborne operations Strike capabilities The transports ORDER OF BATTLE – 10 MAY 1940 DEFENDER’S CAPABILITIES The Dutch defences Dutch military aircraft in the 1930s War looms ORDER OF BATTLE – 10 MAY 1940 CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES Unternehmen F THE CAMPAIGN Five costly days Operations on 10 May 1940 Operations from 11 to 14 May 1940 ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
