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Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Dutch Naval Air Force--or Marine Luchtvaart Dienst (MLD)--played a significant but largely overlooked role in the opening months of the Pacific War. With 175 aircraft, the MLD greatly outnumbered the combined forces of its American and British allies. In three months of intense combat, the MLD lost 50 percent of its personnel and 80 percent of its aircraft, as the Netherlands' colonial empire was stripped away.
This book details MLD operations during the Japanese invasion of Dutch East Indies, giving a comprehensive overview of organization, personnel, aircraft, equipment and tactics. For the first time in English, the failed evacuation of Java is examined.
List of contents
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Abbreviations
Preface
¿1.¿The Marine Luchtvaart Dienst (MLD): Equipment and Doctrine
¿2.¿Cold War Clashes: The Build-Up to War
¿3.¿December, Part I: The MLD Goes to War
¿4.¿December, Part II: The USN Evacuates the Philippines
¿5.¿January, Part I: The Japanese Move South
¿6.¿January, Part II: The Dutch Go on the Defensive
¿7.¿February, Part I: The Air Assault on Java
¿8.¿February, Part II: The Dutch Crumble
¿9.¿March: "This Is the End of a Courageous Fight, Admiral"
10.¿The MLD: A New Hope
Appendix 1: MLD Squadrons in the Netherlands East Indies
Appendix 2: MLD Dornier Do 24K Flying Boats in the Netherlands East Indies
Appendix 3: MLD PBY-5 Catalina Flying Boats in the Netherlands East Indies
Appendix 4: MLD Reserve Seaplanes in the Netherlands East Indies
Appendix 5: Specifications for MLD Planes in the Netherlands East Indies
Appendix 6: Specifications for Japanese Planes Operating in the Netherlands East Indies
Appendix 7: Gouvernementsmarine Seaplane Tenders
Appendix 8: MLD Bases in the Netherlands East Indies
Chart 1: Breakdown of MLD Losses by Month
Chart 2: Breakdown of Do 24 and PBY Losses by Month
Chart 3: MLD Losses by Cause
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Tom Womack is the director of public relations for a leading global provider of community management services and has written more than 50 magazine articles. He lives in Dallas, Texas.
