Dutch Naval Aviation
Encyclopedia
The Netherlands Naval Aviation Service is the naval aviation
branch of the Royal Netherlands Navy
.
, it developed slowly in the inter-war years due to limited budget. After the graduation of the first pilot group in 1915, on August 18, 1917, the MLD was founded under official decree and the De Mok became the main base. At this time, the emphasis was on seaplane operations in the Dutch East Indies
where Dornier Wal
aircraft enabled patrols of the large archipelago in 1926. The perceived threat from Nazi Germany in the 1930s accelerated the development of air capability and the purchase of new equipment.
on May 10, 1940 rapidly overwhelmed Dutch resistance and the MLD aircraft were redeployed to France before the Dutch formally surrendered on 15 May. Shortly after, the MLD was ordered to Britain, where Dutch personnel formed No. 320 Squadron RAF
, in Coastal Command, in June 1940. A second squadron, 321 Squadron
, was also formed, but later merged with 320 Squadron. Other MLD personnel served on MAC
ships as Fleet Air Arm
860 and 861 squadrons, flying Fairey Swordfish
.
At this time efforts were made to strengthen the MLD in the Dutch East Indies
. When the war started in December 1941, the MLD numbered 130 airplanes. The main types were 37 each Dornier Do 24
K-1 flying boats and 36 each Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina flying boats. The major base was at Naval Air Station Morokrembangan near Soerabaja on eastern Java Island. The MLD had secondary bases as well as seaplane tenders that enabled it to spread out and cover the entire Netherlands East Indies. It was organized into 18 squadrons (GVT, Groep Vliegtuigen) of about three airplanes each to provide reconnaissance, anti-submarine patrols, convoy escort in support of Dutch forces. The MLD did not have radar. The MLD fought about 95 combat actions, sank one Japanese ship (destroyer Shinonome), damaged some others, shot down a few Japanese airplanes and inflicted some casualties on Japanese personnel on the ground. That was not enough to stop the Japanese, and eventually the MLD was forced to evacuate to Ceylon and Australia. They lost 95% of their aircraft and 50% of their personnel.
On March 3, 1942, nine MLD Dornier and Catalina
flying boat
s were destroyed in the Japanese air attack on Broome
, in Australia. About 58 MLD personnel were killed, wounded, or missing. Later that year, on July 1 in Ceylon, 321 Squadron
was re-formed under the command of Willem van Prooijen, with MLD Catalinas. The PBYs in Australia were transferred to Ceylon, and the surviving Dorniers were sold to the Australian government. The flight school was relocated to the US.
The Royal Netherlands Military Flying School was established in the United States
, at Jackson Field
(also known as Hawkins Field), Jackson, Mississippi
, operating lend-lease aircraft, training all military aircrew for the Netherlands. The intention was to return to the Netherlands and to participate in the war against Japan. After liberation, the main MLD base was established at Valkenburg
, with De Kooy
as the overhaul and repair base.
was obtained on a two year loan from the Royal Navy and renamed . In March 1948 a light fleet carrier, , was purchased from the Royal Navy to replace the loaned one, and also renamed Karel Doorman. Aircraft carried aboard included the fighter-reconnaissance and anti-submarine Fairey Firefly
.
The main roles of the MLD were maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue. From 1953, with the creation of NATO, the MLD received substantial aid from the USA, including PV-2 Harpoon
, P2V Neptune
and TBF Avenger
aircraft.
Squadron 320 and 321 were stationed at NAS Valkenburg
and was known as the group airplanes.
Helicopters were stationed in NAS de Kooy and on ships and were known as the group helicopters. Squadron 860 will remain in service and operate the remaining NH-90 helicopters, but as part of the DHC.
In the late 1960s, the aircraft carrier was replaced in the anti-submarine role by a squadron of Westland Wasp
helicopter
s operated from anti-submarine frigates. These helicopters were replaced by Westland Lynx
s and these will be replaced themselves by NH-90 helicopters.
Squadrons 320 and 321 operated Neptunes and the Breguet Atlantic, which were later replaced by the Lockheed P-3 Orion, the CUP variant.
In 2003, it was announced that NAS Valkenburg
would close in 2006. All Orions were sold to the German and Portuguese Navies. Naval squadrons 320 and 321 were disbanded.
In 2008, the navy helicopters (Westland Lynx) and crew of naval squadrons 7 and 860 based at NAS de Kooy were transferred to the defence helicopter command (DHC) as were the Dutch air force helicopters. All Dutch military helicopters are now under one single command which is neither navy nor air force. Squadron 7 is to become a small training squadron, squadron 860 will become much larger and is designated DHC's maritime squadron with a large navy component. NAS de Kooy was renamed Maritime Airstation de Kooy.
Naval aviation
Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies, including ships that embark fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters. In contrast, maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of non-naval forces such as the former RAF Coastal Command or a...
branch of the Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
.
World War I
Although the MLD was formed in 1914, with the building of a seaplane base at De Mok, TexelTexel
Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...
, it developed slowly in the inter-war years due to limited budget. After the graduation of the first pilot group in 1915, on August 18, 1917, the MLD was founded under official decree and the De Mok became the main base. At this time, the emphasis was on seaplane operations in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
where Dornier Wal
Dornier Do J
The Dornier Do J Wal was a twin-engine German flying boat of the 1920s designed by Dornier Flugzeugwerke. The Do J was designated the Do 16 by the Reich Air Ministry under its aircraft designation system of 1933....
aircraft enabled patrols of the large archipelago in 1926. The perceived threat from Nazi Germany in the 1930s accelerated the development of air capability and the purchase of new equipment.
World War II
The German invasion of the NetherlandsBattle of the Netherlands
The Battle of the Netherlands was part of Case Yellow , the German invasion of the Low Countries and France during World War II. The battle lasted from 10 May 1940 until 14 May 1940 when the main Dutch forces surrendered...
on May 10, 1940 rapidly overwhelmed Dutch resistance and the MLD aircraft were redeployed to France before the Dutch formally surrendered on 15 May. Shortly after, the MLD was ordered to Britain, where Dutch personnel formed No. 320 Squadron RAF
No. 320 Squadron RAF
No. 320 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during World War II formed from the personnel of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service.-Formation:...
, in Coastal Command, in June 1940. A second squadron, 321 Squadron
No. 321 Squadron RAF
No. 321 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during World War II formed from the personnel of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service.-Formation:...
, was also formed, but later merged with 320 Squadron. Other MLD personnel served on MAC
Merchant aircraft carrier
Merchant aircraft carriers were bulk cargo ships with minimal aircraft handling facilities, used during World War II by Britain and the Netherlands as an interim measure to supplement British and United States-built escort carriers in providing an anti-submarine function for convoys...
ships as Fleet Air Arm
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
860 and 861 squadrons, flying Fairey Swordfish
Fairey Swordfish
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War...
.
At this time efforts were made to strengthen the MLD in the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....
. When the war started in December 1941, the MLD numbered 130 airplanes. The main types were 37 each Dornier Do 24
Dornier Do 24
-See also:-References:* -External links:* * * * * * * * *...
K-1 flying boats and 36 each Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina flying boats. The major base was at Naval Air Station Morokrembangan near Soerabaja on eastern Java Island. The MLD had secondary bases as well as seaplane tenders that enabled it to spread out and cover the entire Netherlands East Indies. It was organized into 18 squadrons (GVT, Groep Vliegtuigen) of about three airplanes each to provide reconnaissance, anti-submarine patrols, convoy escort in support of Dutch forces. The MLD did not have radar. The MLD fought about 95 combat actions, sank one Japanese ship (destroyer Shinonome), damaged some others, shot down a few Japanese airplanes and inflicted some casualties on Japanese personnel on the ground. That was not enough to stop the Japanese, and eventually the MLD was forced to evacuate to Ceylon and Australia. They lost 95% of their aircraft and 50% of their personnel.
On March 3, 1942, nine MLD Dornier and Catalina
PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other...
flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s were destroyed in the Japanese air attack on Broome
Attack on Broome
The town of Broome, Western Australia was attacked by Japanese fighter planes on 3 March 1942, during World War II. At least 88 people were killed....
, in Australia. About 58 MLD personnel were killed, wounded, or missing. Later that year, on July 1 in Ceylon, 321 Squadron
No. 321 Squadron RAF
No. 321 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during World War II formed from the personnel of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service.-Formation:...
was re-formed under the command of Willem van Prooijen, with MLD Catalinas. The PBYs in Australia were transferred to Ceylon, and the surviving Dorniers were sold to the Australian government. The flight school was relocated to the US.
The Royal Netherlands Military Flying School was established in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at Jackson Field
Hawkins Field (airport)
Hawkins Field is a city-owned public-use airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Jackson, a city in Hinds County, Mississippi, United States.-Facilities and aircraft:...
(also known as Hawkins Field), Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, operating lend-lease aircraft, training all military aircrew for the Netherlands. The intention was to return to the Netherlands and to participate in the war against Japan. After liberation, the main MLD base was established at Valkenburg
Valkenburg Naval Air Base
Valkenburg Naval Air Base is a former air base located just south of Valkenburg, which is part of Katwijk and close to the city of Leiden, that was used by the Royal Netherlands Navy up until 2006, being their base for the Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft, which were sold to Germany and Portugal,...
, with De Kooy
De Kooy
De Kooy Airfield is an airfield south of Den Helder, the Netherlands, named after the nearby hamlet De Kooy. It serves as both a civilian airport under the name Den Helder Airport and a naval airport under the name Maritiem Vliegkamp De Kooy .Most movements on the De Kooy are made by...
as the overhaul and repair base.
Post-war
The British escort aircraft carrierEscort aircraft carrier
The escort aircraft carrier or escort carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the USN or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft carrier used by the British Royal Navy , the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force, and the...
was obtained on a two year loan from the Royal Navy and renamed . In March 1948 a light fleet carrier, , was purchased from the Royal Navy to replace the loaned one, and also renamed Karel Doorman. Aircraft carried aboard included the fighter-reconnaissance and anti-submarine Fairey Firefly
Fairey Firefly
The Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War-era carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm ....
.
The main roles of the MLD were maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare and search and rescue. From 1953, with the creation of NATO, the MLD received substantial aid from the USA, including PV-2 Harpoon
Lockheed Ventura
The Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by United States and British Commonwealth forces in several guises...
, P2V Neptune
P-2 Neptune
The Lockheed P-2 Neptune was a Maritime patrol and ASW aircraft. It was developed for the United States Navy by Lockheed to replace the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon, and being replaced in turn with the Lockheed P-3 Orion...
and TBF Avenger
TBF Avenger
The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world....
aircraft.
Squadron 320 and 321 were stationed at NAS Valkenburg
Valkenburg Naval Air Base
Valkenburg Naval Air Base is a former air base located just south of Valkenburg, which is part of Katwijk and close to the city of Leiden, that was used by the Royal Netherlands Navy up until 2006, being their base for the Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft, which were sold to Germany and Portugal,...
and was known as the group airplanes.
Helicopters were stationed in NAS de Kooy and on ships and were known as the group helicopters. Squadron 860 will remain in service and operate the remaining NH-90 helicopters, but as part of the DHC.
In the late 1960s, the aircraft carrier was replaced in the anti-submarine role by a squadron of Westland Wasp
Westland Wasp
The Westland Wasp was a British small first-generation, gas-turbine powered, shipboard anti-submarine helicopter. Produced by Westland Helicopters, it came from the same P.531 programme as the British Army Westland Scout, and was based on the earlier piston-engined Saunders-Roe Skeeter...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s operated from anti-submarine frigates. These helicopters were replaced by Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
s and these will be replaced themselves by NH-90 helicopters.
Squadrons 320 and 321 operated Neptunes and the Breguet Atlantic, which were later replaced by the Lockheed P-3 Orion, the CUP variant.
In 2003, it was announced that NAS Valkenburg
Valkenburg Naval Air Base
Valkenburg Naval Air Base is a former air base located just south of Valkenburg, which is part of Katwijk and close to the city of Leiden, that was used by the Royal Netherlands Navy up until 2006, being their base for the Lockheed P-3 Orion aircraft, which were sold to Germany and Portugal,...
would close in 2006. All Orions were sold to the German and Portuguese Navies. Naval squadrons 320 and 321 were disbanded.
In 2008, the navy helicopters (Westland Lynx) and crew of naval squadrons 7 and 860 based at NAS de Kooy were transferred to the defence helicopter command (DHC) as were the Dutch air force helicopters. All Dutch military helicopters are now under one single command which is neither navy nor air force. Squadron 7 is to become a small training squadron, squadron 860 will become much larger and is designated DHC's maritime squadron with a large navy component. NAS de Kooy was renamed Maritime Airstation de Kooy.