The bomber's commander, 2nd Lieutenant Ben Swagerman, was shot down on the first day of the German invasion, flying a T.V bomber. For the desperate last mission, originally Lieutenant Ruygrok had been selected but Lieutenant Swagerman volunteered to take his place, saying Ruygrok was a married man and Swagerman had already been shot down earlier that week. He jovially stated that it would surprise him if he got shot down twice in the same week and with that, Ben Swagerman took the role as commander for this ill-fated mission. For his heroic deeds, 2nd Lieutenant Bernardus (Ben) Swagerman was posthumously awarded the Militaire Willemsorde, 4th Class. He was 23 years old.
Bombadier: "Such a near miss, they'd never expect us to come back, nobody would go through that again" PIlot: "Ill tell you what, i came here to bomb" Bombadier: "hehehehehehe"
@@dragonbutt "Hans, that's ridiculous. The only bomber they have left just tried and missed. There's no way they'd risk coming around for another ru..."
If I can recall it correctly, Dutch government had some investigations going on after WW2 regarding possible German agents influencing Dutch politics just before war and yes,they found some agents but more worrying was amount of German sympathetic Dutch politicians and their connections with French and Belgian counterparts. It was pretty big scandal back in late 50s.
Don't you mean the NSB? The Dutch national-socialist party? They were not very big before the war, especially popular in rural areas. But all in all, they provided a large number of collaborators. And it also provided a pool of which the Germans could fill important governmental positions. And if you are talking about people sympathetic to the German occupiers, there is a good chance that the German husband of the Dutch Queen, while in exile in London, tried to make a deal with Hitler to become a regent of occupied Holland. Much speculation on whether the 'Stadhoudersbrief' exists, but it is certainly possible. If it existed, the post-war government would have covered it up, like they covered up many of his opportunistic shenanigans.
@@stan4242The husband of the dutch queen (Wilhelmina) was prins Hendrik, who died in 1934. Her son in law, prins Bernard, who was married to prinses Juliana, was a shady bastard if there ever was one. It is unclear if he wrote the stadhoudersbrief. But he was a real opportunistic crook who woukd collaborat3 with anyone and who tried to whiggle his way into allied command. He was later convicted of bribing Lockheed and stripped of all his public functions, including the title prins.
Wilhelmina was a widow since 1934. Or were you referring to Princess Royal Juliana? Yes, Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld was a bit of a scoundrel, but the Nazis weren't exactly big on the former German Royal houses. As far as NSB: their goals did not quite align with those of the Nazis considering they wanted to unite the Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium into a new nation (along similar lines but preferable separate and not as part of the Reich). The original poster is correct in assessing that there were German-sympathetic politicians. Then again, not a unique situation considering the entire Interbellum - need we remind that almost every country in Europe including Britain had it's Quislings, Musserts, Mosleys and Rothermeres.
That’s far fetched, it’s just that our governments are incompetent at the best, in the past till these days. The golden age was because a company ran their own private army and didn’t care about the government, although a lot of the government was also involved in the VOC.
Thanks, Ed. The Dutch airforce tends to be one of those which ends up in the sort of reference book which is a follow on to the one which covers all the main protagonists. As it includes all the 'also rans' it means they do not get the same attention as the main contenders. So it is good to learn a bit more about them.
I was aware of this aircraft. There's even a 1/48 model of it! (Resin and in need of much extra detail), Online there is a great account of the Bridge attack mission, and IIRR the T.5 was escorted by at least two Fokker G.1's. I don't have the URL but it's worth a search! Keep it up with these obscure but interesting subjects!
The lack of funding was a problem for many countries. Poland sold the more advanced PZL P.24 while keeping the PZL P.11 to acquire funds for the more advanced PZL P.50 as well as purchasing Hurricanes (one did reach Gdańsk just as the bombs fell) and Morane MS 406’s.
Nice one, Ed. Thanks. And I wouldn't be too harsh on the Dutch when it comes to military procurement during the Depression years. For a small country they acquitted themselves pretty well.
I verry proud of our boys and girls in the military, in ww2 pretty much every branch held their own the dutch national reserves put a hold to the blitz krieg at the kazenmatten at the afsluit dijk, the only reason the couldn't hold the line was that the ran out of ammo, our royal marines at maasbruggen, before the order to surrender prevented German fallshirmtruppe to regroup with other German forces. And our army boys at the grebberlinie give it all and we're forced to retreat because they run out of every single bullet they had our surface to air artillery was also pretty effective together with the airforce. Shot down most German airplanes, it's even said that was the reason why Germany withdrew the plan to invade the uk but I'm not sure this I true. And then I'm not talking aboute the dutch indies.
The twin tale design looks very much like the Howard Huges design. It could be interesting if the twin tail Huges fighter inspired other manufactures, or if he was onlu riding along with the wave.
Thanks for covering this! I studied the T.5 for my flight sim model in great detail, and still keep studying. Besides, I'm chairman of a yearly commemoration of the last T.5 bombing.
Here's a video I helped make, of the event. The T.5 model shown was still quite unfinished then. th-cam.com/video/SihtzhCiVIU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=G5Rt4iD8kGIXvJPv
Great that you deal with the Dutch air arm up to 1940. Alas Ed, here your sources are mostly wrong on the T5. A quick side note one picture is not the T5 but a simular looking plane. The T 10 is the T9 all metal bomber for the Dutch East Indies to replace the Glenn Martin bombers. That was what the T 5 was (of course) specified and built for. The KNIL chose the Glenn Martin. The air cruiser concept was (of course) a political ruse by Fokker and the military to get a bomber in a way that would be politically acceptible. Alas the defence minister botched it. He should have immediately bought bomb racks in Germany. All 16 T5's were deliverd. Not all were servicible which is normal. The C10 btw was indeed a light bomber and was used to great effect by the Dutch in 1940. The Fins also used the C10 and even built one in 1944 to replace some atrrician losses. None were as far as I know shot down by fighters. Using the correct tacktics. When an enemy fighter pops up you at 300 meters, cross the T and also the rudders. At the moment you guess the fighter wants to shoot flick roll straight down and towards the enemy. Who if they don't want to auger in must abort the attack. And, recieve fire from the rear gunner. It was used to great effect as a scout untill the end of WW2 into the 1950ies. So, no it wasn,t obsolete. The Apache helicopter when used correctly. Derived from the export success of the C5 that also fought in 1940 in an updated form. The BTW correct analysis of the success of the Bristol Fighter from WW1. The C10 had three wings on offer. Bomber, scout and fighter. Even as a bomber used as a scout it was the most dangerious enemy of spotter planes being able to turn with them and despatch them using the rear gunner. The G1 was the correct answer the French came up with and Fokker built. The wrong answer were the Defiant and Roc. BTW the lat attack on the bridges was done by a volonteer who had already been shot down into the sea swimming back. Telling the guy he wasn't married knowing the chances. In two bombruns one hit and didn't explode. And the other missed but exploded. The two G1 escorts one or two also got shot down by Me 109. The latter straffing and killing the downed crew.
To add to the way Fokker did say D21 or DXXI and T9 or TX I've copy's of original rapport on a csah landing in which T9 is typed. I also have original copy's of marketing folders on the D23 and not DXXIII which is around the same time. I know others have noticedvthe descreppency. I guess after the war someone got it wrong and everyone subsequently starting numbering Fokkers in Roman numerals.
As a Dutchman i can tell you the Netherlands is one big quagmire. That's why we are worldleader in watermanagement. Even our king worked in watermanagement when he was a prince. (No joke) Just google "Willem Alexander watermanagement".
The Dutch acctually already HAD surrendered, when Rotterdam was bombed. But the recall order didn´t come through to the bombers, before it was to late.
G'day, Ah, well, stuff does happen. Perhaps it was a case of the Dutch National Gestaltic Karma kicking in, via a Feedback Loop - composed of Kosmic Scoreboard Effect. We're squeaking of the Descendants of the people who ate The very last Dodo...; while they were en-route to Steal Indonesia - while trying to Piratise the World's supply of Nutmeg. 400 years of Dutch Colon-isation was So Bad..., that the Indonesians Welcomed the Japanese with open arms - in 1941.. But, they learned, to know better. French Indochina was a parallel example. So, France & Holland and Belgium didn't enjoy being Colon-ised by Germany, Eh ? There there, nivertheemoind ; Such is life. Have a good one.. ;-p Ciao !
There were 2 formations that bombed Rotterdam. It was the force that came in from the north that did all the damage as they never saw the signal flares aborting the mission as the radio antenna had already been wound in by the time the abort message was sent out by radio.
@@neiloflongbeck5705The signal flares were not fired because the Dutch had already surrendered. The German forward ground force's commander feared that the bombs would hit his own troops, that is the sole reason he fired those flares.
@@AudieHolland that's only true for the northern part of the city, in the southern part, already captured by the Germans, the red abort flares were fired. The city had not surrendered at this point as negotiations were still on going. The 36 bombers attacking from the south saw these flares and the 54 attacking from a northerly direction never saw any flares due to low cloud. The city surrendered shortly after the bombing.
@@neiloflongbeck5705 Funny thing is that German High Command never seriously though about the possibility of the Dutch surrendering before the bombing took place. Apart from firing flares, which is a questionable method knowing the Dutch cloudy skies, there was no way for the bombers to be recalled. The bombers' radios could only receive messages from their homebase and after taking off, they had retracted their long distance antennas. I guess the bombers were ordered not to listen to any other incoming messages as these might be coming from the Dutch instead. So in short, the Germans were determined to bomb Rotterdam no matter what the surrender negotiations would result into. Sure our German troops have flares but *unfortunately* these may not be noticed by the bombers.
This apply to countries where women are as willing to defend their homeland as men, like Great Britain and Finland. Thousands of young, excellent eyesight, and glad for highly responsible work, women were great personnel for aerial warning network. Usual caveats apply. Weather and limited warning time. Weather goes 2 ways. Attacker had enough trouble finding back to home early war in bad weather, forget hitting anything. Passable aerial warning network could be built that way. Like in Britain, our Finnish women worked during wars in all areas where able hands or eyes were needed. We Finns started to get gunlaying and warning radars in 1943.
A Solothurn anti-tank gun is an... interesting choice of armament for an airplane. The rate of fire wouldn't be much good against any era of warplanes, but one hit would devastate most aircraft that were flying when the design choice was made.
Thanks Ed. When you look back at this period . The constant interference of those who thought they new better .....it continued with the E.E Lightning and worse theTSR2 .
@justcarcrazy Threaten Finns and our communists applaud "Thank god the old white butcher is still at the helm". We turn to one living organism against foreign threath. Turned from 80% against NATO to 80% for in half a year. Finns have bought lot of equipment from Dutch. Like D.XXI fighters, and all Dutch Leopard 2 tanks just before Russia started attacking its neighbours.
Thank you for shinning a little light on the netherlands and their companies. Its far to say its get overlooked most of the time. Just like the dytch military was weak in ww2, wich was definitely not the case. They where under funded. But not weak. In many occasions the dutch military was effective, but not well enough equipt to keep it up. We always had dumb and ignorend leaders ( case of history repeating itself time after time) but im verry proud of our boys and girls in the military.
The idea of a heavy patrolling bomber interceptor had some legs, though. Lots of night fighters would fit in there, and maybe the Tornado ADV? BTW: 3:00 "The Supermarine Nighthawk being a great example": a set of words I never expected to hear.
Despite being Dutch, I'd never heard of the Fokker TV (or the T.IX for that matter) till I started playing Hearts of Iron IV so thank-you for filling us in. 👍
They seem to have aquited themselves quite well for shooting down fighters a fairly rare thing for bombers which usually came off worse in such encounters.
All of the Dutch armed forces performed well, far better than anyone, friend or foe, had expected. The Netherlands being a small country with no natural defenses like hilly terrain or mountains, five days was much longer than the 24 hours the German High Command had expected it would take to conquer the country. Following the end of the war, no one, not even the Dutch themselves, gave much attention to what actually happened during the 'May Days.' Especially the Dutch anti air artillery performed well. "The majority of the 525 planes that were damaged or destroyed during the May War, over and in Holland, were Ju-52. Estimates say that between 275 and 350 of these planes were destroyed or heavily damaged and another batch damaged within repair range" *War over Holland website* The German airborne landings over The Hague proved to be a costly failure. The objective to capture the Dutch government and royal family were not met as the German parachutists were dropped and dispersed over a large area after their transport planes were shot at by the Dutch anti air artillery. Many transports had to make emergency landings in the fields and the planes carrying airborne troops that attempted to land on the presumably captured Dutch airfields were shot up and were destroyed, killing most of the troops they were carrying. The very reason the Germans decided to terror bomb Rotterdam was because the stubborn Dutch resistance had not been broken after almost five days.
3:08 not just then: the Netherlands has, since late 19th century, always underestimated the chances of war when no-one was pushing them to prepare for one. Hence the sorry state in 1940, and again after 1992…
The Fokker G1 was much better than the Messerschmitt BF110. Not just saying that because I'm Dutch, but most critics know that the BF110 was a failed concept (long distance escort fighter). The G1 performed well on the fateful, last T5 bombing mission, consisting of a single T5 escorted by only two G1s. On their way back from bombing the bridges over the Moerdijk they were intercepted by at least six BF109s. The T5 was shot down after completing its bombing mission, together with one of the escorting G1s.
This great homely lump looked like it was attempting to evolve into the Wellington's even more portly brother. Certainly there were far uglier aircraft in service. This just might have evolved into a useful medium bomber, given a development free from Government idiocy and interference. As a fighter though, IDIOTIC notion (unless as a night fighter and even then it needed armament suitable to that purpose). In a pre-radar scenario, It might have served as a late1930's precursor to todays Awacs aircraft but with such a small, weak, largely obsolete airforce, once you warn your military that the invasion has begun, what can you do in response? Truthfully, it was a horrendous waste of time and resources yet not the fault of the aircraft itself.
Correction: Fokker followed with the T.IX, not T.X as I say in the video.
Bonkers.These type markings I mean.
Brave crew in that final plane. Not only did they face those horrible odds, they also made the bombing run twice.
The bomber's commander, 2nd Lieutenant Ben Swagerman, was shot down on the first day of the German invasion, flying a T.V bomber.
For the desperate last mission, originally Lieutenant Ruygrok had been selected but Lieutenant Swagerman volunteered to take his place, saying Ruygrok was a married man and Swagerman had already been shot down earlier that week.
He jovially stated that it would surprise him if he got shot down twice in the same week and with that, Ben Swagerman took the role as commander for this ill-fated mission. For his heroic deeds, 2nd Lieutenant Bernardus (Ben) Swagerman was posthumously awarded the Militaire Willemsorde, 4th Class. He was 23 years old.
@@AudieHollandunfortunately it was the type of story that played out all too often among the allied forces that summer.
Bombadier: "Such a near miss, they'd never expect us to come back, nobody would go through that again"
PIlot: "Ill tell you what, i came here to bomb"
Bombadier: "hehehehehehe"
@@dragonbutt "Hans, that's ridiculous. The only bomber they have left just tried and missed. There's no way they'd risk coming around for another ru..."
If I can recall it correctly, Dutch government had some investigations going on after WW2 regarding possible German agents influencing Dutch politics just before war and yes,they found some agents but more worrying was amount of German sympathetic Dutch politicians and their connections with French and Belgian counterparts. It was pretty big scandal back in late 50s.
Don't you mean the NSB? The Dutch national-socialist party? They were not very big before the war, especially popular in rural areas. But all in all, they provided a large number of collaborators. And it also provided a pool of which the Germans could fill important governmental positions. And if you are talking about people sympathetic to the German occupiers, there is a good chance that the German husband of the Dutch Queen, while in exile in London, tried to make a deal with Hitler to become a regent of occupied Holland. Much speculation on whether the 'Stadhoudersbrief' exists, but it is certainly possible. If it existed, the post-war government would have covered it up, like they covered up many of his opportunistic shenanigans.
True, The Dutch also build secretly U-boats for the Germans before 1940 , however the Dutch politicians still suck.😆
@@stan4242The husband of the dutch queen (Wilhelmina) was prins Hendrik, who died in 1934. Her son in law, prins Bernard, who was married to prinses Juliana, was a shady bastard if there ever was one. It is unclear if he wrote the stadhoudersbrief. But he was a real opportunistic crook who woukd collaborat3 with anyone and who tried to whiggle his way into allied command. He was later convicted of bribing Lockheed and stripped of all his public functions, including the title prins.
Wilhelmina was a widow since 1934.
Or were you referring to Princess Royal Juliana? Yes, Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld was a bit of a scoundrel, but the Nazis weren't exactly big on the former German Royal houses.
As far as NSB: their goals did not quite align with those of the Nazis considering they wanted to unite the Dutch-speaking parts of Belgium into a new nation (along similar lines but preferable separate and not as part of the Reich).
The original poster is correct in assessing that there were German-sympathetic politicians. Then again, not a unique situation considering the entire Interbellum - need we remind that almost every country in Europe including Britain had it's Quislings, Musserts, Mosleys and Rothermeres.
That’s far fetched, it’s just that our governments are incompetent at the best, in the past till these days.
The golden age was because a company ran their own private army and didn’t care about the government, although a lot of the government was also involved in the VOC.
Thanks, Ed. The Dutch airforce tends to be one of those which ends up in the sort of reference book which is a follow on to the one which covers all the main protagonists. As it includes all the 'also rans' it means they do not get the same attention as the main contenders. So it is good to learn a bit more about them.
Why u doity fokker u! 😂
Air Enthusiast magazine had some great articles on Dutch aircraft and its air arms.
Fokker T.V looks like love child of B-24 Liberator and Vickers Wellington bombers
🤣😂i think the fok?
Surprisingly the Dutch did not try to tow a Trailer, i mean glider behind the plane, to provide crew quarters.
Sounds like they should have towed a glider full of oil!
@@henryturnerjr3857 i wouldn't be suprised if they did..
Flying sleurhutten weren't in vogue until the late 1970s/1980s, only once we held races with them did we add the wings to caravans.
I was aware of this aircraft. There's even a 1/48 model of it! (Resin and in need of much extra detail), Online there is a great account of the Bridge attack mission, and IIRR the T.5 was escorted by at least two Fokker G.1's. I don't have the URL but it's worth a search! Keep it up with these obscure but interesting subjects!
There is also a decent 1:72 model. Which I still need to build.
th-cam.com/video/SihtzhCiVIU/w-d-xo.html
Above the link to the video
The lack of funding was a problem for many countries. Poland sold the more advanced PZL P.24 while keeping the PZL P.11 to acquire funds for the more advanced PZL P.50 as well as purchasing Hurricanes (one did reach Gdańsk just as the bombs fell) and Morane MS 406’s.
Much awaited, much appreciated looking forward to excellent insights as always from you.
*salute*
Imagine the inevitable, but brief, _"Blamestorming"_ meetings the Dutch army held just prior to their surrender to the Nazis.
Nice one, Ed. Thanks. And I wouldn't be too harsh on the Dutch when it comes to military procurement during the Depression years. For a small country they acquitted themselves pretty well.
I verry proud of our boys and girls in the military, in ww2 pretty much every branch held their own the dutch national reserves put a hold to the blitz krieg at the kazenmatten at the afsluit dijk, the only reason the couldn't hold the line was that the ran out of ammo, our royal marines at maasbruggen, before the order to surrender prevented German fallshirmtruppe to regroup with other German forces. And our army boys at the grebberlinie give it all and we're forced to retreat because they run out of every single bullet they had our surface to air artillery was also pretty effective together with the airforce. Shot down most German airplanes, it's even said that was the reason why Germany withdrew the plan to invade the uk but I'm not sure this I true. And then I'm not talking aboute the dutch indies.
These bombers were quite advanced for their day. Problem was that designs were advancing rapidly. They just couldn’t get anything done in time.
As a Dutchman I appreciate your documentary.
The twin tale design looks very much like the Howard Huges design. It could be interesting if the twin tail Huges fighter inspired other manufactures, or if he was onlu riding along with the wave.
Fokker also build another one with a pull / pusher engine combination, however the Germans ruined everything...
1:40 Just to say, you can notice that Douhet was also theorist of systemic moustachism
Could you do a video on the YB-40 and the XB-41? These were heavily armed escort gunship modifications of the B-17 and the B-24 respectively.
Those two guys thinking, bloody hell I wish it would stop raining this runway is getting a bit wet.
Interesting aircraft. The potential was there to be a decent, maybe even good, medium bomber for the time period.
Funnny, seems nothing has changed in Dutch politics.
Another great vid Ed!
Thanks for covering this! I studied the T.5 for my flight sim model in great detail, and still keep studying. Besides, I'm chairman of a yearly commemoration of the last T.5 bombing.
Here's a video I helped make, of the event. The T.5 model shown was still quite unfinished then.
th-cam.com/video/SihtzhCiVIU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=G5Rt4iD8kGIXvJPv
Great that you deal with the Dutch air arm up to 1940.
Alas Ed, here your sources are mostly wrong on the T5.
A quick side note one picture is not the T5 but a simular looking plane. The T 10 is the T9 all metal bomber for the Dutch East Indies to replace the Glenn Martin bombers. That was what the T 5 was (of course) specified and built for. The KNIL chose the Glenn Martin.
The air cruiser concept was (of course) a political ruse by Fokker and the military to get a bomber in a way that would be politically acceptible. Alas the defence minister botched it. He should have immediately bought bomb racks in Germany. All 16 T5's were deliverd. Not all were servicible which is normal.
The C10 btw was indeed a light bomber and was used to great effect by the Dutch in 1940.
The Fins also used the C10 and even built one in 1944 to replace some atrrician losses. None were as far as I know shot down by fighters. Using the correct tacktics.
When an enemy fighter pops up you at 300 meters, cross the T and also the rudders. At the moment you guess the fighter wants to shoot flick roll straight down and towards the enemy. Who if they don't want to auger in must abort the attack. And, recieve fire from the rear gunner.
It was used to great effect as a scout untill the end of WW2 into the 1950ies. So, no it wasn,t obsolete. The Apache helicopter when used correctly. Derived from the export success of the C5 that also fought in 1940 in an updated form.
The BTW correct analysis of the success of the Bristol Fighter from WW1. The C10 had three wings on offer. Bomber, scout and fighter.
Even as a bomber used as a scout it was the most dangerious enemy of spotter planes being able to turn with them and despatch them using the rear gunner.
The G1 was the correct answer the French came up with and Fokker built.
The wrong answer were the Defiant and Roc.
BTW the lat attack on the bridges was done by a volonteer who had already been shot down into the sea swimming back. Telling the guy he wasn't married knowing the chances.
In two bombruns one hit and didn't explode. And the other missed but exploded. The two G1 escorts one or two also got shot down by Me 109. The latter straffing and killing the downed crew.
To add to the way Fokker did say D21 or DXXI and T9 or TX I've copy's of original rapport on a csah landing in which T9 is typed. I also have original copy's of marketing folders on the D23 and not DXXIII which is around the same time. I know others have noticedvthe descreppency. I guess after the war someone got it wrong and everyone subsequently starting numbering Fokkers in Roman numerals.
Great stuff, thanks
Will you be doing a follow up video for the follow up T10 please?
nice one Ed! I did a tiwtter threat on the last crew that fought to the death. heroic.
A great very interesting video and airplane Mr.Ed as always.1The 920s-1930s aircraft were nuts groovy orbital etc.Have a good one.
Ok, I'll bite, why were those two nice young men standing in a lake? Thanks for the content
As a Dutchman i can tell you the Netherlands is one big quagmire.
That's why we are worldleader in watermanagement.
Even our king worked in watermanagement when he was a prince. (No joke)
Just google "Willem Alexander watermanagement".
Dutch border post after flooding a part of the countryside.
“Waiting for orders, Sir”
@@SkinPeeleR Dutch are likely worldleaders in rubber waders😃
@@VersusARCH this is why I love the gestalt of the comments. Thankyou, makes sense.
The Dutch acctually already HAD surrendered, when Rotterdam was bombed. But the recall order didn´t come through to the bombers, before it was to late.
G'day,
Ah, well, stuff does happen.
Perhaps it was a case of the
Dutch
National Gestaltic
Karma kicking in, via a
Feedback Loop - composed of
Kosmic Scoreboard Effect.
We're squeaking of the
Descendants of the people who ate
The very last Dodo...; while they were en-route to
Steal
Indonesia - while trying to
Piratise the World's supply of
Nutmeg.
400 years of
Dutch Colon-isation was
So
Bad..., that the Indonesians
Welcomed the
Japanese with open arms - in 1941..
But, they learned, to know better.
French Indochina was a parallel example.
So, France & Holland and Belgium didn't enjoy being
Colon-ised by Germany,
Eh ?
There there, nivertheemoind ;
Such is life.
Have a good one..
;-p
Ciao !
There were 2 formations that bombed Rotterdam. It was the force that came in from the north that did all the damage as they never saw the signal flares aborting the mission as the radio antenna had already been wound in by the time the abort message was sent out by radio.
@@neiloflongbeck5705The signal flares were not fired because the Dutch had already surrendered. The German forward ground force's commander feared that the bombs would hit his own troops, that is the sole reason he fired those flares.
@@AudieHolland that's only true for the northern part of the city, in the southern part, already captured by the Germans, the red abort flares were fired. The city had not surrendered at this point as negotiations were still on going. The 36 bombers attacking from the south saw these flares and the 54 attacking from a northerly direction never saw any flares due to low cloud. The city surrendered shortly after the bombing.
@@neiloflongbeck5705 Funny thing is that German High Command never seriously though about the possibility of the Dutch surrendering before the bombing took place.
Apart from firing flares, which is a questionable method knowing the Dutch cloudy skies, there was no way for the bombers to be recalled. The bombers' radios could only receive messages from their homebase and after taking off, they had retracted their long distance antennas.
I guess the bombers were ordered not to listen to any other incoming messages as these might be coming from the Dutch instead.
So in short, the Germans were determined to bomb Rotterdam no matter what the surrender negotiations would result into.
Sure our German troops have flares but *unfortunately* these may not be noticed by the bombers.
This apply to countries where women are as willing to defend their homeland as men, like Great Britain and Finland. Thousands of young, excellent eyesight, and glad for highly responsible work, women were great personnel for aerial warning network. Usual caveats apply. Weather and limited warning time. Weather goes 2 ways. Attacker had enough trouble finding back to home early war in bad weather, forget hitting anything.
Passable aerial warning network could be built that way.
Like in Britain, our Finnish women worked during wars in all areas where able hands or eyes were needed.
We Finns started to get gunlaying and warning radars in 1943.
Excellent.
A Solothurn anti-tank gun is an... interesting choice of armament for an airplane. The rate of fire wouldn't be much good against any era of warplanes, but one hit would devastate most aircraft that were flying when the design choice was made.
Interesting, as always. Thanks.
Oh yes! wanting someone to do a video on this aircraft!
0:04 Hey! You try playing percussion whilst *you're* riding a bicycle!
thanks Ed, seeing my humble homecountry get this representation is very nice, like you say in the intro! love to see more!
When a Wellington and a liberator really love eachother
🥱
@@kiereluurs1243 oh I'm sorry I didn't meet your expectations
Cheers edd nash that was fokking great .
Thanks Ed. When you look back at this period . The constant interference of those who thought they new better .....it continued with the E.E Lightning and worse theTSR2 .
Leave two Dutchmen on an island for a year, and when you come back they will have founded 3 religions and 5 political parties.
@justcarcrazy Threaten Finns and our communists applaud "Thank god the old white butcher is still at the helm". We turn to one living organism against foreign threath. Turned from 80% against NATO to 80% for in half a year.
Finns have bought lot of equipment from Dutch. Like D.XXI fighters, and all Dutch Leopard 2 tanks just before Russia started attacking its neighbours.
TY 🙏🙏
Thank you for shinning a little light on the netherlands and their companies. Its far to say its get overlooked most of the time. Just like the dytch military was weak in ww2, wich was definitely not the case. They where under funded. But not weak. In many occasions the dutch military was effective, but not well enough equipt to keep it up. We always had dumb and ignorend leaders ( case of history repeating itself time after time) but im verry proud of our boys and girls in the military.
Well done ed Nash always interesting stuff to mull on.kind regards roy Bennett from Wollongong Australia
The idea of a heavy patrolling bomber interceptor had some legs, though. Lots of night fighters would fit in there, and maybe the Tornado ADV?
BTW: 3:00 "The Supermarine Nighthawk being a great example": a set of words I never expected to hear.
LOL of the theory but not the practice 😁
Despite being Dutch, I'd never heard of the Fokker TV (or the T.IX for that matter) till I started playing Hearts of Iron IV so thank-you for filling us in. 👍
You do these vids best
They seem to have aquited themselves quite well for shooting down fighters a fairly rare thing for bombers which usually came off worse in such encounters.
All of the Dutch armed forces performed well, far better than anyone, friend or foe, had expected.
The Netherlands being a small country with no natural defenses like hilly terrain or mountains, five days was much longer than the 24 hours the German High Command had expected it would take to conquer the country.
Following the end of the war, no one, not even the Dutch themselves, gave much attention to what actually happened during the 'May Days.'
Especially the Dutch anti air artillery performed well.
"The majority of the 525 planes that were damaged or destroyed during the May War, over and in Holland, were Ju-52. Estimates say that between 275 and 350 of these planes were destroyed or heavily damaged and another batch damaged within repair range"
*War over Holland website*
The German airborne landings over The Hague proved to be a costly failure. The objective to capture the Dutch government and royal family were not met as the German parachutists were dropped and dispersed over a large area after their transport planes were shot at by the Dutch anti air artillery. Many transports had to make emergency landings in the fields and the planes carrying airborne troops that attempted to land on the presumably captured Dutch airfields were shot up and were destroyed, killing most of the troops they were carrying.
The very reason the Germans decided to terror bomb Rotterdam was because the stubborn Dutch resistance had not been broken after almost five days.
At least they did better than the Belgians (see the Stampe SV-10 and LACAB GR.8).
they nicknamed the Fokker G1 "maaier" wich means "mower"
Just "Maaier", actuallly
@@edwinhoogschagen2695 yes, i change my comment. thank you. ofcourse it doesn't mowing only the grass 😆
3:08 not just then: the Netherlands has, since late 19th century, always underestimated the chances of war when no-one was pushing them to prepare for one. Hence the sorry state in 1940, and again after 1992…
The Mozzie is the ultimate schnellbomber and cruiser.
The Fokker G1 was much better than the Messerschmitt BF110.
Not just saying that because I'm Dutch, but most critics know that the BF110 was a failed concept (long distance escort fighter).
The G1 performed well on the fateful, last T5 bombing mission, consisting of a single T5 escorted by only two G1s.
On their way back from bombing the bridges over the Moerdijk they were intercepted by at least six BF109s. The T5 was shot down after completing its bombing mission, together with one of the escorting G1s.
The Dutch seams to have be the leaders of military bands on push bikes lol
If a Liberator and Halifax had a baby.
🥱
More the grandfather of each of those as it preceded them
*He who prevaricates is lost*
Pity that lesson's been forgotten by the UK's present government which has emasculated our air defences
Hadn’t seen it before but the plane looks similar to the B-24 Liberator.
09:25 Believe that's a T.IX not a T.X.
Fokker? I hardly knew her!
Hi Ed. Could we have a video about the navalized version project for the P51, the 'Seahorse'?
Great suggestion 😁
I'm seeing a lot of Fiat BR20 here, at least visually.
waarom sta je met je laarzen, ergens in de vijver. het wachthokje lijkt me beter als accommodatie :)
Waterlinie zou ik denken.
The best War Thunder pilot is Dutch (that I know of)
Thats gotta count for something right?
He was a right fokker tho
Dizhaster.
30th like for the algorithm
28th!!
399th
This great homely lump looked like it was attempting to evolve into the Wellington's even more portly brother. Certainly there were far uglier aircraft in service. This just might have evolved into a useful medium bomber, given a development free from Government idiocy and interference. As a fighter though, IDIOTIC notion (unless as a night fighter and even then it needed armament suitable to that purpose). In a pre-radar scenario, It might have served as a late1930's precursor to todays Awacs aircraft but with such a small, weak, largely obsolete airforce, once you warn your military that the invasion has begun, what can you do in response? Truthfully, it was a horrendous waste of time and resources yet not the fault of the aircraft itself.
1st 😎
28th!!
I think it was always a Good looking Aircraft , but a little to far behind to keep up.