alternatehistory.com

This timeline is placed in the same world as the previous
thread :Dutch submarines stop Japanese Invasion fleet in 1942
It is not my intention to create an ASB time line as I had with the timeline mentioned above, just an exploration of the possibilities if things were at that time decided different.

1.1

The treaty of Versailles forbade Germany to produce trade or develop weapons. In order to evade the ban many German arms manufacturers setup foreign subsidiaries in neighboring countries who were neutral in the Great War, Sweden, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. One of this subsidiaries was HIH (Hollandse Industrie and Handels maatschappij / Dutch Industry and trading Company) by Rheinmetall. Later named HIH Siderius. The main office was in the Hague while the workshops were near Rotterdam, on the terrain of Shipyard Smit. The later also invested in the firm and bought and installed a number of machinery from Krupp, in depot in the Netherlands since 1919, on its premises.
During the twenties its activities were to sell Rheinmetall products world wide and conduct research and development, manly by German personnel who lived in the Netherlands.
A significant order of the Dutch government was to modernise 280 of the 304 field guns of 7.5cm.
Although HIH developed a 10.5 cm howitzer, which was tested by the Dutch army the range of 9000 meter was considered too short. Strangely the government ordered out of the stored surplus of German guns, 110 howitzers 15cmL17, German "Schwere Feldhaubitze 150 mm sFH13" which had a reach of 8675 meter with German propellant. The Dutch army had already 44 pieces, confiscated in 1918 from retreating German units after the armistice. Nearly all guns were stored in mobilisation depots. ( From a Rheinmetal depot near Rotterdam there was a large number of original German guns of various calibers, in OTL, however no guns were purchased form this depot)
A second large order was the manufacturing of 200 pieces of 81mm Brandt-Stokes mortars as part of a larger order of mortars.
It developed in 1931 a 4.7 cm half automatic AT gun which was purchased in small numbers as armament of bunkers who protected the bridges.

The Dutch navy however was a better client than the Dutch army and HIH was a major supplier of guns to the various vessels and submarines of the Dutch navy.
In 1930 Rheinmetall sold nearly all its shares in the company, and with this all German technicians moved back to Germany. Several Dutch industrialist and investors took over the shares. Due to the economic crises it came if financial heavy weather, but possibly due too several orders from Nationalist China and Turkey it survived. (in OTL is went bankrupt in 1934)

A.Q.H Dijxhoorn, was a promising officer in the Dutch army. In 1927 he was granted to follow the
École Supérieure de Guerre in Parijs. Unfortunate in he died in 1928 in this city due to a traffic accident.

In OTL he successfully ended this education in 1929. He become lecturer at the Dutch Higher military academy. Up to 1938 he was repeatably placed at the General Staff of the Field army or at the Department of Defense in which role he had a relative large role in the purchase policy of the army. As example he thought the tank was a dead end development as he learned in Paris and as he saw during the civil war in Spain, there for he advised not to buy this type of vehicles, despite his superiors made multiple request to purchase armored cars and armored fighting vehicles. In 1939 he become Minister of Defence, in which he came in conflict whit his previous superior General Reijnders which lead to the dismissal of General Reijnders after the mobilisation of the army. Dijxhoorn was a conceited man, priding him self of his education, but also indecisive and when finally he made a decision it was often opposite of the advice he was given.

Due to the crash on the New York stock exchange of 1929 the economic crises hit extremely hard in the Netherlands, more since the early 1930ties. The Dutch economy and even more that of her colonies was completely depended on export and with that a free marked. The value of the Guilder, was as nearly all currencies locked in the Gold standard.
And as in many countries, no one knew a proper solution to the massive unemployment the crises caused. One of the possible solutions was to de-evaluate the national currency. Something the British did as first, soon, reluctantly followed by other nations. In the Netherlands there was much resistance against this method, since it was considered as destruction of capital. The only other option, in order to stay competitive, was to lower the production cost, ie. lower the wages of the people. By 1934 it was clear this policy did not work, people were impoverishing, the state had to spend huge amount of money to support people from starvation and to support parts of the economy from collapsing.
Dutch cabinet since elections of 1933 was formed under PM Colijn of the following parties: RSKP ( Catholics) ARP ( Protestant) and minor members. CHU ( Protestant) LSP ( Liberal conservative) VDB ( Liberal progressive)
In 1935 Belgium decided to devaluated their Frank. This prompted a heated debate in the Dutch Cabinet and Parliament, started by the front man of the RSKP, to do finally the same since the methods used up to now did not work. Prime Minister Colijn and his party ARP, was firm against it. How ever in July PM Colijn suddenly turned an agreed to devaluate the Guilder. This caused certain turmoil not only in his own party but also between him and one the coalition parties VDB who's Secretary of Finance just guided a package of austerity measures through parliament.
Colijn had to resign, but manage to form a new cabinet in a very short time. Essentially it is the same as the previous one with the same persons on the positions as prior to the political crises of July. Major difference is Colijn is not only PM and Secretary of Colonies but also Secretary of Defense.

At the end of 1935 it became clear that the devaluation of the Guilder had a positive effect on the economy especially the export and above expectations on the economy of the colonies. The economy of East Indie, was hit extra hard due to the economic crises. The devaluation made the export of commodity products and raw materials, which forms the bulk of the economy, drastically increase again.

The growing economy and reducing of the crises measurements, had a positive effect on the State balance of the Netherlands and the East Indie. This made it possible to finally increase, much needed, spending on defense. Since the advent of the NAZI's in Germany and the aggressive policies of Japan in China made it clear that there need to be urgently invested in the Army, Navy and the build up of an Air force. The pacifistic stance which was widely felt until 1933 was by 1935 gone and in 1936 changed in an attitude of urgent modernisation of the arms in order to save guard Dutch neutrality.
Colijn took matters in his hand by increasing the budget for defense first an emergency investment fund and later drastic increase of the defense budget. As a sign on the wall of the changed mood, were the questions from parliament to increase the size of the emergency fund and make haste with the purchase of desired weapons. After the re-militarisation of the Rhineland in March 1936, by the NAZI's, a demand from parliament, whit broad support, to increase the number of draftees and increase their military service.

The brighter economic outlook from 1936 and the key positions of PM Colijn had a very positive effect not only on army, air branch but also navy.

Dutch Army Air branch, LVA
Although there was an army air branch just prior to the outbreak of WW1 the LVA was one of the most neglected parts of an already severely neglected army. Up to 1935 the LVA was not in any capacity to perform not one of its tasks.
The position of Colijn and the international developments was the start of LVA whihc was capable of its tasks.
In order of Colijn a ten year construction program was made, which he soon ordered to shorten in to a four year plan.
The plan consisted of 3 air regiments. 1st Regiment would proved the air force for the stationary army. The 2nd regiment would provide the air defense of the Field army and the 3rd would be support and training.
The general idea of air war in a future conflict was that he conflict would start with massive bombardments by bombers, more or less similar as artillery bombardments prior to an assault. dxUntill the late thirties, fighter or interceptors like the Hawker Hurricane of BF109 were not existent, or only paper projects. Therefor the deference had to be taken care whit a so called air cruiser, a heavy dual engine aircraft, cruising the airspace hunting for enemy bombers. This theory came from France, by advocates of Giulio Douhet's theories on air power. But it was only adopted by France and the Netherlands.In order to provide this kind of aircraft Fokker draw the T-V (T-5). However this design, made after a unreal large list of specifications had numerous lose ends. The idea was that the airplane would be ordered from the drawing board while there was no prototype and the type of armament and equipment was not clear at all.
During the ridiculous numbers of meetings between Fokker, people of the defense department and LVA officers, serous doubts arise among some of the young LVA officers. Colonel Best expressed his doubt of the design and whole concept of this type of airplane and more over the cost of this. General Reijnders also had growing concerns about the whole venture and expressed his concern to Colijn. Due to this growing doubt if the cost and effectiveness of this type of plane and the awarnes of much more advanced bombers like the MArtin B10, Colijn stopped the development and purchase of this Fokker T-V aircruiser in 1936. ( In OTL he agreed to go a head with the T-V project, he successor Van Dijk however was forced to cut back the order from 36 planes to 16 due to exploded development cost, In 1940 the airplane was still not proper developed, only a few were capable of caring bombs, and they were armed not only with MG's but also with a 20 mm gun, not a rapid belt fed AA gun but a magazine fed single shot anti tank gun. The Bristol engines were not achieving the desired power and had huge oil consumption)

The halt of the Fokker T-V program caused a crises within the LVA which was dealt by Colijn in a remarkable thorough manner, and which led to the dismissal of some senior officers and the raise of some young officers. Sofar no airplanes were orderd Only five advanced trainers from the UK, much to the chagrin of Fokker.
In 1936 Fokker presented the private developed G-1. Called a fighter cruiser smaller than the T-V. The prototype flew in March 1937. On initiative of Colonel Best and General Reijnder, Colijn placed the order for 36 of this aircraft, in May 1937 just before the new election. Earlier Colijn forced the technical bureau of the LVA to search cooperation with the KLM as the MLD ( Navy air branch) did regarding engine selection and engine maintenance. There for the the new aircraft would be provided with American made engines like the KLM and the MLD used.
The air-cooled USA engines turned out to be more reliable but as well cheaper in purchase than the UK engines.
After the elections of 1937 Colijn could form a new cabinet, nearly the same as the previous one. Minister of Defence become Mr. Van Dijk.
Under his ministry the LVA the reorganization of the LVA as started under Colijn was continued. Urged by parliament and his Prime Minister he continued with the purchase of aircraft and build up of the LVA according to the four year plan, despite some changes in the plan. ( In OTL Mr. Van Dijk was a very capable minister how ever he tended to wait long with decisions, which resulted in missing several windows of opportunities to acquire much needed airplanes and other military equipment)




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