Battle of the Afsluitdijk
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Afsluitdijk
was an unsuccessful attempt by the German
Heer
(Army) to seize the Afsluitdijk in May 1940, during World War II
. If the Germans had taken the dyke, they could have taken North-Holland from its north. The Dutch troops were led by Kapitein Christiaan Boers and the Germans by Generalmajor Kurt Feldt
.
The German 1. Kavalleriedivision—later reformed to the 24. Panzerdivision
—had taken the last Dutch defences in front of the Afsluitdijk (Wonsline) on 12 May and was prepared for an assault to take the two lines of pillboxes or casemate
s of Fort Kornwerderzand
(named after a hamlet near the dyke). The eastern line was for defence eastward, while the western line was just behind the first for threats from the rear. Altogether, 17 casemates had been built. They were designed to withstand 210 mm (8 in) rounds (indirect fire), and 280 mm (11 in) rounds (indirect fire). The three main casemates were made of 3 m (9.8 ft) of reinforced concrete. The casemates sheltered 230 men, twenty-one 7.9 mm (0.311023622047244 in) Schwazlose machine gun
s, three 50 mm (1.97 in) guns and a 50 mm shore-based naval gun. There were similar defences at the other end of the dyke.
fighter
s strafed Dutch positions. One soldier and two civilians were killed, 10 civilians wounded. After this, they were recalled to Kornwerderzand.
Until 12 May, 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, while the third escaped. The Germans decided to take the fortress. They planned to launch Luftwaffe strikes, then an extended artillery bombardment by howitzer
s, after which they would send 500 soldiers.
However, unknown to the Germans three 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) anti-aircraft
cannon
s and four heavy anti-aircraft machine guns had arrived overnight at Kornwerderzand. The next day, pilots who had previously flown unchallenged were under fire. The Germans sent 62 planes to bomb the fort. The planes dropped five waves of bombs. Four planes were shot down and crashed into the sea. The bombardment was followed by an hour of heavy bombardment from the howitzers, but it had little effect on the heavily protected Dutch.
As soon as the bombing stopped the Germans advanced down the narrow dyke. Kapitein Boers waited until they were within 800 m (874.9 yd), then ordered machine-gun fire, making it difficult for the Germans to withdraw. Most soldiers tried to hide, while a 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 dyke to be lit by flares and search lights so the fortress could not be attacked without Dutch soldiers knowing.
On the early morning of the 14th, the Germans once again fired their artillery at the fortress; however, during the night the Dutch had called in the sloop , which returned fire with her three heavy 150 mm (5.9 in) guns from her position in the Wadden Sea
approximately 18 km (11 mi) from the German positions. Fire directions came in from the fortress by telephone to Dutch Navy Command in Den Helder
who forwarded them by radiotelegraph to the gunboat. This barrage silenced the German guns in less than an hour and dumbfounded the German commander, Generalmajor Kurt Feldt
, who was unaware of the presence of any Dutch artillery in the area, let alone this heavy caliber.
Afsluitdijk
The Afsluitdijk is a major causeway in the Netherlands, constructed between 1927 and 1933 and running from Den Oever on Wieringen in North Holland province, to the village of Zurich in Friesland province, over a length of and a width of 90 m, at an initial height of 7.25 m above sea-level.It is...
was an unsuccessful attempt by the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Heer
Heer (1935-1945)
The Heer was the Army land forces component of the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945, the latter also included the Navy and the Air Force...
(Army) to seize the Afsluitdijk in May 1940, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. If the Germans had taken the dyke, they could have taken North-Holland from its north. The Dutch troops were led by Kapitein Christiaan Boers and the Germans by Generalmajor Kurt Feldt
Kurt Feldt
Kurt Feldt was a highly decorated General der Kavallerie in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
.
Fortifications and preparations
Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May as part of plan Fall Gelb. They rapidly crossed two thin defence lines, the O-line and the Q-line which the Dutch had built to defend their three northern provinces.The German 1. Kavalleriedivision—later reformed to the 24. Panzerdivision
24th Panzer Division (Germany)
The 24th Panzer Division was formed in 1942 from the 1st Cavalry Division based at Königsberg.-Service:It served under the Fourth Panzer Army in Army Group South of the Eastern Front. In late December 1942 it was encircled in the Battle of Stalingrad and destroyed...
—had taken the last Dutch defences in front of the Afsluitdijk (Wonsline) on 12 May and was prepared for an assault to take the two lines of pillboxes or casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s of Fort Kornwerderzand
Kornwerderzand
Kornwerderzand is a settlement on the Afsluitdijk, a major dam in the Netherlands that links Frisia with North Holland. Kornwerderzand is located approximately 4 kilometers from the coast of Frisia, on a former artificial island which was created during the construction of the dam. The settlement...
(named after a hamlet near the dyke). The eastern line was for defence eastward, while the western line was just behind the first for threats from the rear. Altogether, 17 casemates had been built. They were designed to withstand 210 mm (8 in) rounds (indirect fire), and 280 mm (11 in) rounds (indirect fire). The three main casemates were made of 3 m (9.8 ft) of reinforced concrete. The casemates sheltered 230 men, twenty-one 7.9 mm (0.311023622047244 in) Schwazlose machine gun
Schwarzlose MG M.07/12
The Maschinengewehr Patent Schwarzlose M.07/12 was a medium machine-gun, and was used as a standard issue firearm in the Austro-Hungarian Army throughout World War I. It was also used by the Dutch, Greek and Hungarian armies during World War II...
s, three 50 mm (1.97 in) guns and a 50 mm shore-based naval gun. There were similar defences at the other end of the dyke.
The battle
Earlier in May 1940, two infantry sections—70 men in all—were sent to the end of the dyke to prevent German landings beyond the vision of both fortresses. The Germans soon found out about these units, and seven LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
s strafed Dutch positions. One soldier and two civilians were killed, 10 civilians wounded. After this, they were recalled to Kornwerderzand.
Until 12 May, 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
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
fire. Two were killed, while the third escaped. The Germans decided to take the fortress. They planned to launch Luftwaffe strikes, then an extended artillery bombardment by howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s, after which they would send 500 soldiers.
However, unknown to the Germans three 20 mm (0.78740157480315 in) anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
cannon
Autocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
s and four heavy anti-aircraft machine guns had arrived overnight at Kornwerderzand. The next day, pilots who had previously flown unchallenged were under fire. The Germans sent 62 planes to bomb the fort. The planes dropped five waves of bombs. Four planes were shot down and crashed into the sea. The bombardment was followed by an hour of heavy bombardment from the howitzers, but it had little effect on the heavily protected Dutch.
On the early morning of the 14th, the Germans once again fired their artillery at the fortress; however, during the night the Dutch had called in the sloop , which returned fire with her three heavy 150 mm (5.9 in) guns from her position in the Wadden Sea
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It is rich in biological diversity...
approximately 18 km (11 mi) from the German positions. Fire directions came in from the fortress by telephone to Dutch Navy Command in Den Helder
Den Helder
Den Helder is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Den Helder occupies the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula...
who forwarded them by radiotelegraph to the gunboat. This barrage silenced the German guns in less than an hour and dumbfounded the German commander, Generalmajor Kurt Feldt
Kurt Feldt
Kurt Feldt was a highly decorated General der Kavallerie in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, who was unaware of the presence of any Dutch artillery in the area, let alone this heavy caliber.