Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
Encyclopedia
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was the military force maintained by the Netherlands in its colony of the Netherlands East Indies . The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force...
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....
(now Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
) from 1939 until 1950. It was an entirely separate organization from the Dutch Air Force.
The unit was founded in 1915 as the "Test Flight Service" (Proefvliegafdeling-KNIL, PVA-KNIL). In 1921 it became the "Aviation Service" (Luchtvaartafdeling-KNIL, LA-KNIL), before finally receiving the designation of ML-KNIL on 30 March 1939. In 1950, following Dutch recognition of Indonesian independence, its bases and facilities were handed over to the Indonesian Air Force
Indonesian Air Force
The Indonesian Air Force is the air force branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.The Indonesian Air Force has 34,930 personnel equipped with 110 combat aircraft including Su-27 and Su-30.-Before Indonesian independence :...
(TNI-AU).
World War II
American-British-Dutch-Australian Command
The American-British-Dutch-Australian Command, or ABDACOM, was a short-lived, supreme command for all Allied forces in South East Asia, in early 1942, during the Pacific War in World War II...
, but at the onset of the Japanese assault the ML-KNIL was not up to full combat strength. Of the aircraft that had been ordered, only a small number had been delivered, and many were obsolete models. There were five groups, three of bombers and two of fighters, each of three to four squadrons. A sixth depot group provided support, transport and training. Reconnaissance aircraft were placed directly under command of the Army to give support to ground troops. Despite stubborn resistance the Japanese occupied the Dutch colonies
Japanese Occupation of Indonesia
The Japanese Empire occupied Indonesia, known then as the Dutch East Indies, during World War II from March 1942 until after the end of War in 1945...
, though numbers of aircraft found their way to northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in order to continue the fight.
Following the fall of the NEI three joint Australian-NEI squadrons were formed. The first of these, No. 18 (NEI) Squadron RAAF
No. 18 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF
No. 18 Squadron was a joint Dutch and Australian bomber squadron of World War II.-History:No. 18 Squadron was formed at Canberra on 4 April 1942. Like the other two joint Australian-Dutch squadrons the Dutch authorities provided No. 18 Squadron's pilots and aircraft...
, was formed in April 1942 as a medium bomber
Medium bomber
A medium bomber is a bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium bombloads over medium distances; the name serves to distinguish them from the larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers...
squadron equipped with B-25 Mitchell
B-25 Mitchell
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
aircraft. The second joint Australian-NEI squadron, No. 119 (NEI) Squadron RAAF
No. 119 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF
No. 119 Squadron was a joint Dutch and Australian squadron of World War II which formed part of the Royal Australian Air Force . The squadron was formed in September 1943 but could not be made operational due to a shortage of Dutch personnel. As a result it was disbanded in December 1943.-History:No...
, was also to be a medium bomber squadron. No. 119 NEI Squadron was only active between September and December 1943 when it was disbanded to form No. 120 (NEI) Squadron RAAF
No. 120 (Netherlands East Indies) Squadron RAAF
No. 120 Squadron was a joint Dutch and Australian squadron of World War II. The squadron was first formed in December 1943 as part of the Royal Australian Air Force , and saw combat in and around New Guinea during 1944 and 1945 equipped with P-40 Kittyhawk fighters. Following the war, No...
which was a fighter squadron. Both No. 18 and No. 120 Squadrons saw action against the Japanese during World War II and against Indonesian nationalists during the Indonesian National Revolution
Indonesian National Revolution
The Indonesian National Revolution or Indonesian War of Independence was an armed conflict and diplomatic struggle between Indonesia and the Dutch Empire, and an internal social revolution...
before being disbanded in 1950.
1915-1918
- Deperdussin-Léon de Brouckère Monoplane (never flown)
- Farman F.22
- Léon de Brouckère No.1 & No.2 (type reconnaissance & trainer, Farman copies)
- Glenn L. Martin Model TT
- Glenn L. Martin Model TA
- Glenn L. Martin Model TE
- Glenn L. Martin Model R
1919-1935
- Avro 504Avro 504The Avro 504 was a World War I biplane aircraft made by the Avro aircraft company and under licence by others. Production during the War totalled 8,970 and continued for almost 20 years, making it the most-produced aircraft of any kind that served in World War I, in any military capacity, during...
K - Curtiss P-6Curtiss P-6|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bowers, Peter M. "The Great Fighter Fly-Offs: Curtiss vs. Boeing". Wings, Volume 31, Number 1, February 2001....
E Hawk - De Havilland DH-9
- Fokker C.IVFokker C.IV-See also:-Bibliography:* John Andrade, U.S.Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909, Midland Counties Publications, 1979, ISBN 0 904597 22 9...
- Fokker C.VFokker C.VFokker C.V was a Dutch light reconnaissance and bomber biplane aircraft manufactured by Fokker. It was designed by Anthony Fokker and the series manufacture began in 1924 at Fokker in Amsterdam.-Development:...
(D/E) - Fokker C.XFokker C.X-Bibliography:*Taylor, H.A.. Airspeed Aircraft since 1931. Putnam. 1970. London. ISBN 370 00110 9...
- Fokker DC.1
- Fokker D.VIIFokker D.VIIThe Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
- Fokker F.VIIFokker F.VIIThe Fokker F.VII, also known as the Fokker Trimotor, was an airliner produced in the 1920s by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker, Fokker's American subsidiary Atlantic Aircraft Corporation, and other companies under licence....
b-3m - Fokker S.IVFokker S.IVThe Fokker S.IV was a military trainer aircraft produced in the Netherlands in the mid 1920s. It was a conventional, single-bay biplane with staggered wings of unequal span braced with N-struts, essentially a radial-engined development of the S.III...
- Morane-Saulnier AR / MS.35
- NVI F.K.31
- Pander DPander & SonPander & Son was a Dutch aircraft company based in The Hague, founded by Harmen Pander and his son Henk Pander.-History:Henk Pander was the managing director of a furniture company who in 1924 bought the assets of the bankrupt "Vliegtuig Industrie Holland" company, which included the services of...
- Vickers VikingVickers Viking-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. and E.B. Morgan. Vickers Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, 1988. ISBN 0-85177-815-1.* London, Peter. British Flying Boats. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7509-2695-3....
1936-1950
- Brewster B-339C/DBrewster BuffaloThe Brewster F2A Buffalo was an American fighter aircraft which saw limited service early in World War II. Though the Buffalo won a competition against the Grumman F4F Wildcat in 1939 to become the US Navy's first monoplane fighter aircraft, it turned out to be a big disappointment...
(export Brewster Buffalo) - Bücker Bü 131Bücker Bü 131|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Bridgeman, Leonard. “The Bücker Bü 131B “Jungmann”.” Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. ISBN 1-85170-493-0....
Jungmann - Commonwealth CA-6 Wackett
- Curtiss P-40E/N Kittyhawk
- Curtiss Model 75A-7 (export P-36 Hawk)
- Curtiss-Wright CW-21B
- Curtiss-Wright CW-22 FalconCurtiss-Wright CW-22|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Hinckley, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
- Douglas C-47 DakotaC-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
- Douglas C-54 Skymaster
- Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
- Fairchild F-24R-9
- Glenn Martin 139/166Martin B-10The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...
(export B-10) - Hawker Hurricane IIbHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
- Mitsubishi Ki-57Mitsubishi Ki-57|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Francillon, Ph.D., René J. The Mitsubishi Ki-21 . Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1967....
"Topsy" - Koolhoven F.K.51
- Lockheed 212Lockheed Model 12 Electra JuniorThe Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior, more commonly known as the Lockheed 12 or L-12, is an eight-seat, six-passenger all-metal twin-engine transport aircraft of the late 1930s designed for use by small airlines, companies, and wealthy private individuals...
- Lockheed 12Lockheed Model 12 Electra JuniorThe Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior, more commonly known as the Lockheed 12 or L-12, is an eight-seat, six-passenger all-metal twin-engine transport aircraft of the late 1930s designed for use by small airlines, companies, and wealthy private individuals...
- Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar
- Lockheed C60 LodestarLockheed LodestarThe Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar was a passenger transport aircraft of the World War II era.-Design and development:The prototype of the Lockheed Model 18, which first flew in 1939, was constructed from one of a batch of Lockheed Model 14 Super Electras which had been returned to the manufacturer by...
- Messerschmitt Bf 108Messerschmitt Bf 108-Popular culture:Bf 108s and postwar Nord 1000s, played the role of Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters in war movies, including The Longest Day, 633 Squadron, Von Ryan's Express and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.-See also:-References:Notes...
B-1 - North American P-51 MustangD/K)
- Noorduyn NorsemanNoorduyn NorsemanThe Noorduyn Norseman is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Norseman aircraft are known to have been registered and/or operated in 68 countries throughout the world and also have been based and flown in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.-Design and...
- North American AT-16 HarvardT-6 TexanThe North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...
- North American B-25 MitchellC/D/J
- Piper J-4E
- Piper L-4JPiper J-3The Piper J-3 Cub is a small, simple, light aircraft that was built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. With tandem seating, it was intended for flight training but became one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time...
- Ryan STM-2Ryan STThe Ryan STs were a series of two seat, low-wing monoplane aircraft built by the Ryan Aeronautical Company. They were used as sport aircraft, as well as trainers by flying schools and the military of several countries.-Design and development:T...
- Taylorcraft L-2Taylorcraft L-2-External links:***-See also:...
Grasshopper - Tiger MothTiger mothTiger moths are moths of the family Arctiidae.Tiger moth may also refer to:*de Havilland Tiger Moth, an aircraft; an aerobatic and trainer tailwheel biplane*de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth, an earlier monoplane produced by de Havilland...
- Waco EGC-7
- Waco UKC
Commanders
- 1915 Captain C.E. Visscher
- 1917 Captain C.L. Vogelesang
- 1919 Captain C. van Houten
- 1921 Captain J.A. Roukes
- 1924 Captain P.F. Hoeksema de Groot
- 1927 Major J. Beumer
- 1928 Lieutenant-Colonel J.H. Wesseling
- 1932 Major G.A. Ilgen
- 1934 Major-General L.H. van Oyen
- 1945 Major-General E.T. Kengen
- 1946 Colonel P.J. de Broekert
- 1948 Major-General C.W. van der Eem
See also
- Royal Netherlands East Indies ArmyRoyal Netherlands East Indies ArmyThe Royal Netherlands East Indies Army was the military force maintained by the Netherlands in its colony of the Netherlands East Indies . The KNIL's air arm was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force...
- Hein ter PoortenHein ter PoortenHein ter Poorten , was the commander of the Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger in World War II...
- Jacob van HelsdingenJacob van HelsdingenJacob Pieter van Helsdingen was a pilot of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. Jacob and August Deibel were the most successful Dutch pilots on the Brewster F2A fighter...
- Albert Eduard StoovéAlbert Eduard StoovéAlbert Eduard Stoové was a Sergeant in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force at the start of World War II. For several actions with the 2-VLG-V squadron under command of Capt...
- August DeibelAugust Deibel1st Lieutenant August Gerard Deibel was a Dutch pilot of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. He was part of 2-VLG-V, which was stationed in Singapore before its withdrawal to Java. His unit emblem was a rhinoceros head painted on both sides of the front fuselage on his Brewster...
- Gerard BrugginkGerard BrugginkGerardus Meinardus Bruggink was a Dutch pilot of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. A recipient of the Military Order of William, he was one of only four Dutch pilots to dogfight the Japanese in the Battle of Java.Born in Tubbergen, Overijssel, Bruggink followed a Catholic seminary...
- Netherlands East Indies campaign
- Jan HilgersJan HilgersJohan Willem Emile Louis Hilgers , more commonly known as Jan Hilgers or John Hilgers, was an Indo aviator and one of the leading pioneers of Dutch aviation. He was the first Dutch pilot to complete a flight in Dutch airspace 29 July 1910...