There were some differences between the R.A.F. cars and the Dutch ones
: sloping hull sides and a hull machine gun position on the front left
beside the driver on Dutch cars.
According to a file from the Dutch National Archives, the first contact between the Ministerie van Kolonien - Commissariat van Indische Zaken
(Dutch Colonial Office - Indies Affairs Board) took place in February
1936 through the intermediary of the Dutch trade company Merrem &
La Porte of Amsterdam. It is probable that this company was acting as a
representative for Straussler Mechanisation in the Netherlands. The
Dutch authorities asked for specifications of Straussler armoured cars.
Trials with the vehicles took place at different dates in England, one
of them on May 25th 1936 on a place near London. It is however possible
that a demonstration had already been made in December 1935. On May
26th, Dutch officials made a visit to the Alvis Car and Engineering Co
Ltd. in Coventry. This company was to become the partner of Straussler
in 1937.
The Eindrapport Commissie voor de aanschaffing van Pantserwagens ten behoeve van de KNIL
(final rapport of the Commission for the Procurement of Armoured Cars
for the KNIL) dated 14th July 1936, mentions 3 vehicles which had been
examinated :
Alvis-Straussler Mechanisation armoured car,
Austro-Daimler ADKZ,
Deutsche Werke te Kiel G31P.
The vehicle chosen was the Straussler one. At that time, Alvis and
Straussler were still 2 different companies and the name given in the
rapport was probably false as the 2 companies linked only in 1937 and
took the name of Alvis-Straussler Ltd. It is not know if the Austrian
ADKZ armoured car was tested as its first trials in Austria took place
at the end of June 1936 (as quoted in Kraftfahrzeuge und Panzer des österreischischen Heeres 1896 bis heute
by W. Spielberger). The production of the 11 vehicles ordered in 1935
by the Austrian Ministry for Home Defence from Steyr-Daimler-Puch did
not began before the "Anschluß" in 1938 and was then stopped by the
Germans. The German proposal from the Deutsche Werke of Kiel originated
from Büssing-NAG and became later better know as the Kfz.67 and saw
service in the early WW2 campaigns of the Wehrmacht.
The correspondence conserved in the Dutch archives also proves that
several other vehicles had been at least taken in consideration :
Berliet VUM and VURB4 cars, *
Vickers Lanchester 6-wheel car,
Vickers Crossley 6-wheel light and medium cars,
C.K.D. Rospe 2 car, **
Marmon-Herrington TH310-ALF2, ***
Various Landsverk designs,
Wilton-Fijenoord project on a Ford chassis.
The name and types are those quoted in the Dutch report. Notes :
* possibly the Berliet VUDB4
** I have not found any information about C.K.D. armoured cars
*** other designation given in several sources TK-5
Demonstration of some of these vehicles may have taken place while
evaluation of others was probably done on the basis on documentation
sent by the manufacturers. Part of this documentation can still be
found in the Dutch Archives.
After the Straussler vehicle was chosen, several more visits to
Alvis-Straussler were made in England in August and September 1936. The
contract was signed between the Minister of State - Minister of the
Colonies and Alvis-Straussler Ltd. A copy of this contract remains in
the Dutch archives file. It had 16 articles. The price for a completely
equipped vehicle amounted to 4,570.00 Pounds, or 54,840.00 Pounds for
12. The vehicle was designated Armoured Car, Type Straussler A.C.III.
The armament was :
- a 12.7 mm Colt-Browning MG in the turret
- a 6.5 mm watercooled Vickers on the left of the driver
- another 6.5 mm Vickers carried loose (the book Nederlandse Vuurwapens KNIL en Militaire Luchtvaart 1897-1942 states that a simple mount for this MG was provided on the side of the car for AA defence).
The MGs were not part of the contract. They had the following
designations in the KNIL : Inf.M.30 Paw for the Colt and Inf.M.23
(Class D) for the Vickers. Ammunition was 500 rounds 12.7 mm and 6
drums with each 225 rounds 6.5 mm. The vehicles were to be painted
green outside and bright stone on the inside. Delivery had to be made
from London or Southampton to Tandjonk Priok, the port of Batavia in
the NEI. According to the contract, 6 vehicles were to be delivered
before March 1st, 1937 and the remaining 6 before June 1st, 1937.
The new vehicle was presented in the Indisch Militair Tijdschrift,
the professional military periodical of the KNIL in the second half of
1937. Another Dutch Indies military periodical, the yearly
Wetenschappelijk Jaarbericht der Indisch Krijgskundige Vereenigung for
1937 states that a first series of Alvis-Straussler armoured cars
arrived in the NEI on December 30th, 1937 on the ship M.S. Baloeran,
while the second series arrived in January 1938.
Pending the arrival of the vehicles, an unit has been formed by the Cavalry arm of the KNIL : the eskadron paun - (paun. : pantserauto or armoured car). Its organisation was :
4 pelotons (platoon) with each
3 paun.,
1 command car,
1 radio car,
1 supply car,
2 motorcycles
The eskadron also had 8 more motorcycles and 4 trucks. Each armoured
car had a crew of 1 European wachtmeester (sergeant) and 3 European
cavalry soldiers. The platoon was commanded by a ritmeester or captain.
In the first half of 1941, the 12 AC3D were distributed among several motorised cavalry squadrons and the eskadron paun. came to an end. At that time, the KNIL 1° Cavalerie Regiment had 7 cavalry squadrons and a depot cavalry unit as follows :
Cav 1, motorised, based in West Java
Cav 2, motorised, based in West Java
Cav 3, motorised, based in East Java
Cav 4, motorised, based in East Java
Cav 5, horsed, based in West Java
Cav 6, motorised (with home built Overvalwagen), based at various airfields in East Java
Cav Lijfwacht (LW, Body Guards), motorised, based in Central Java
Depot Cavalerie at Bandoeng and Tjilatjap.
Each motorised squadron (except Cav 6) was to have :
1 platoon with 3 AC3D and 6 M3A1 White Scout Cars
2 platoons each with 11 jeeps
However, there were only 12 AC3D and 40 Scout Cars available (15 AC3D and 30 Scout Cars were needed) so that the planned allocation of the
AC3D was not possible. A detailed breakdown of the number of AC3D assigned to each unit is not available, but it seems probable that the
first 4 squadrons had their complement of AC3D. Research has been made more difficult by the fact that the surviving war diaries and reports
often made no distinction between AC3Ds and Scout Cars.
After the begining of the Second World War in Asia on December 8th
1941, the cavalry units of the KNIL had a relatively peaceful time
until the end of February 1942. At this date, their location was :
Cav 1 : West Group, West Java (Batavia)
Cav 2 : Bandoeng Group, West Java (Kadipaten)
Cav 3 : 3rd Division, East Java (Toeban)
Cav 4 : 2nd Division, Central Java (Rembang)
Cav LW : 2nd Division, Central Java (Magelang)
In order to follow briefly the operations of each squadron, it is necessary to separate the fighting on Java in 3 sections :
East, Central and West.
The largest part of the KNIL was stationed in West Java around Batavia and Bandoeng, while a still important part stayed
in East Java to protect the naval base of Soerabaja, the most important port for allied navies in the Far East after Singapore.
Central Java was almost devoid of any troops, except home guard units unsuited for mobile warfare.
The fighting in East Java
The Japanese landed in the early hours of March 1st 1942 at Kragan in
East Java and their forces split, one part going West and the other
East in order to take Soerabaja. Cav 3
(with 3 AC3D) commanded by Ritmeester C.W. de Iongh was the first unit
to meet the Japanese near the landing place. In the next days, the
squadron was involved in a number of delaying actions, mostly destroying bridges.
However, neither it nor the few other KNIL units were able to stop the Japanese in their advance on Soerabaja.
Cav 3 was split in 2 parts during this period and it concentrated again
probably near Malang. A Dutch counter attack in which the squadron took no part failed on March 5th.
After having destroyed the installations of the Navy in Soerabaja, the KNIL troops retreated southward and surrendered on March 9th.
Cav 3 losses were 6 killed and several missing. Among the material losses were 6 jeeps and 2 scout cars.
The fighting in Central Java
Cav LW appears to have not been provided with AC3D. It was
commanded by Ritmeester Lips. After advancing to Blora not far from the
Japanese landing point at Kragan on 1st March, the unit then undertook
a long retreat (about 400 km) together with Cav 4.
Cav 4 soon meet the Japanese at Kragan after their landing on
March 1st. Its commander was Ritmeester S. de Boers who died in 1945 as
POW in Thailand. It was first planed that Cav 4 should link with Cav 3,
which was also in the vicinity of Kragan. However, this could not be
implemented and the squadron then began a retreat from the north coast
through Soerakarta and then westward to Tjilatjap, the last open port
on the south coast of Java. Cav 4 and Cav LW conducted
almost alone and unsupported a series of delaying actions against the
Japanese forces. At the surrender, the 2 squadrons, whose losses are
unknown, were in the vicinity of Bandjar and ready to join the main
Dutch forces in Bandoeng for a final stand. This last move did not take
place, as did the plans to pursue the struggle as guerillas. The KNIL
HQ had made provision to go over to a guerilla warfare in the whole of
the Netherlands East Indies but the hostile or indifferent attitude of
the native population made this impossible.
The fighting in West Java
West Java had the highest concentration of Dutch and allied troops.
Among them were the 2 tanks units : the Mobiele Eenheid of the KNIL and B Squadron, 3rd the King's Own Hussars.
After being informed of the Japanese landings at Eretan Wetan, Cav 1 under Majoor Wessel departed eastward from Batavia on 1st March.
Before this date, Cav 1 was part of the Detachement Wessel which included the staff of the KNIL 1° Cavalerie Regiment,
Cav 1, the Hussars squadron and the 10th Company of the 1st Infantry Regiment
(motorised) of the KNIL. This force was probably the best balanced
mobile unit on Java and its breaking up on 1st March was an error.
Cav 1 made contact with enemy on March 3rd : the squadron was part of a
larger force including the 2nd KNIL Infantry Regiment (with 3
battalions) and motorised artillery units. Cav 1 was to act as
the spearhead of the force. The objective was to recover the important
airfield of Kalidjati which had been conquered by surprise by the
Japanese on March 1st. The 1st Platoon with armoured cars (it is not
clear if it had AC3D or scout cars or both) made good progress and
reached the airfield. However, it lost all its vehicles due to a very
strong Japanese defence and because the other units failed to follow.
The infantry and artillery units, together with the rest of Cav 1
were subjected to incessant aerial attacks. Part of the infantry
panicked and several vehicles were destroyed or damaged, so that the
attack was stopped and a hasty retreat was made toward Sadang on the West.
On 4th March, Cav 1 went along with the remaining units
to Bandoeng. Until the surrender, it acted as reserve against possible
landings of paratroops. The personnel losses seem to habe been light,
but almost all the vehicles were destroyed or abandoned.
Cav 2 commanded by Ritmeester W.J. Romswinckeln was among the
first units alerted of the landing at Eretan Wetan and was directed
there immediately on March 1st from its location on the south-east of
the coast. A short contact was made before the squadron had to broke
contact as the Japanese were already too strong. On the next day,
another attack was mounted with the same result because the supporting
infantry batallion did not move in time to join Cav 2. The unit
again retreated. On 3rd March, the infantry batallion attacked while
the squadron waited to strike at the Japanese positions from behind.
The attack was not pressed forward as the Japanese had a superioty in
numbers and the advantage of total air supremacy. On 6th March, Cav 2
went to the last position in front of Bandoeng where all the remaining
Dutch forces from west and central Java were being massed in
anticipation of the final battle. The surrender on 9th March rendered
this last stand unecessary. No details of losses are available, but
Dutch authors believe they were probably quite light.
Comments on the fighting
The use of cavalry squadrons by the KNIL command is not free from errors.
At least 2 units were used as substitute for tanks (Cav 1 & Cav 2).
Both actions ended in failure. There are several causes for this misuse
: the KNIL was still in the process of learning mechanised warfare in
1941, there had been very few exercises in which different kinds of
units were able to cooperate so that very few senior infantry officers
had any experience of armoured vehicles, the AC3D were the most heavily
armed vehicles in the KNIL (with more firepower than the Vickers and
Marmon-Herrington light tanks or the Marmon-Herrington armoured cars),
a lack of communications often led to the piecemeal despatch of units
against the Japanese. The most skillful use was made in Central Java
where Cav 4 and Cav LW conducted practically alone a long withdrawal.
After the Dutch surrender
Acoording to F. Vos in his article in Legerkoerier
of 1967, Japanese sources state that 9 AC3D were captured and that 6
were in working order. It is also possible that some of these cars were
recovered by the Japanese after the Dutch surrender and not during the
fighting. Dutch sources give no information on this point. Mr. Vos also
mention that the remaining cars were taken over by the Indonesian
forces after the Japanese surrender. There are several picture showing
the Indonesian nationalist troops with Marmon-Herrington armoured cars
and Vickers-Carden-Loyd Light Tanks owned before by the KNIL and
recovered by the Japanese, but none with AC3D. According to Wheels & Tracks 39,
at least one car seems to have survived into the 60s as Alvis received
request for spare parts from Indonesia. Unfortunately, I have not been
able to find any document confirming the use of AC3D by the Japanese
and the Indonesians.
Registration numbers
Like all vehicles of the KNIL, the AC3D had a civil registration. This
registration was composed of a letter for the province and a 3 to 5
digit number. The letter D stands for the Preanger Residentie,
the province comprising Bandoeng while B represent the residentie of
Batavia, both in West Java. From pictures, it is apparent that a
majority of the cars of the KNIL were registered in the former
province, possibly because the Dutch HQ were at Bandoeng. The 4 digit
numbers seems to have been attributed in a loose chronological order.
The following were seen on pictures or in books and periodicals :
B4309 (1938), B 4340 (1938 & 39), D 7001 (1937 & 38), D 7024
(1938), D 7027 (1938), D 7030 (1938), D 7043 (1938), D 7127 (?), D 7175
(1939, 40 & 41), D 7176 (1941), D 7177 (1941), D 7193 (?), D 7195
(1940 & 41), D 7241 (1941).
The dates in brackets are those given in the picture captions. There
are 14 different numbers so we must come to the conclusion that at
least 2 registrations were changed sometime between 1937 and 1941 :
there were definitely only 12 AC3D in the Netherlands East Indies !
Another possibility is that a number was modified on a picture, perhaps
to make foreign intelligence people believe that the KNIL had more
vehicles than they really had. If the dates in brackets are exact, it
seems that the vehicles already had registrations in 2 provinces when
all the AC3D were used by the eskadron paun.
(from 1938 to mid 1941). It is quite possible that there were
registration in other provinces, but there is no definite proof. An
interesting hypothesis would be that the vehicles were given new
registrations when they were distributed among the cavalry squadrons,
together with the letter for the province in which the squadron was
normally based, unfortunately there is no evidence.
Pictures
There is a surprisingly large number of photographs of Dutch AC3D
available. In fact, it may be that there is a picture of each of the 12
vehicles of the KNIL. It may be only because we have only the
registration numbers to distinguish the vehicles and these may have
been changed (see the above paragraph on registration numbers). The
sources for pictures are:
Brussels Tank Museum: D 7176 (in the NEI)
Bovington Tank Museum: D 7001 (in the UK during trials, several
different shots of excellent quality, some with UK civilan
registration, very useful for modelling purposes, also without turret),
D 7024 (while being unloaded in the NEI), D 7175 (in the NEI)
Sectie Militaire Geschiedenis, Den Haag: D 7175, D 7176, D 7193,
D 7195 & D 7241, plus a few other where the registration is not
visible. All these pictures were taken in the NEI and show the vehicles
in use
Rijksinstitut voor Oorlogdocumentatie, Amsterdam: D 7175 & D 7195 (both in the NEI)
Pictures of D 7176 & D 7176 appears in almost every book about the
KNIL and also in most collections. They are always the same shots !
Other pictures can be found in the books and periodicals from the
bibliography. I am very grateful to Col. Heshusius for the lending of
several photographs from his large collection about the KNIL.
Markings
Apart from the registration numbers, the vehicles sported no markings,
except a one digit number on both sides of the turret. The following
have been noted with the corresponding registration number:
B 4340 / 2, B 4309 / 3, D 7001 / 1, D 7024 / 4, D 7027 / 5, D 7030 / 6,
D 7127 / 12, D 7175 / 7, D 7176 / 8, D 7177 / 9, D 7195 / 10, D 7193 /
11, D 7241 / 12.
The available pictures of D 7043 are not clear enough to see the turret
number. There is a strong possibility that these numbers were given
when all the AC3D were in the eskadron paun..
This is reinforced by the fact that most pictures were seemingly taken
before the eskadron paun. was disbanded in mid-41. The assignment of
the number 12 to two different registration numbers is curious (perhaps
we have here one of the registration number that was changed ?). There
is again a possibility that the turret numbers were removed or changed
when the cars were distributed among the cavalry squadrons, but this
must remain an hypothesis due to the lack of any information. There is
a good detail view of the registration number marking of the KNIL in Armour of the Pacific War,
colour plate B1, by S. Zaloga. The plate depicts a Vickers-Carden-Loyd
Light Tank, but the markings were the same for all other vehicles of
the KNIL. The letters D.V.O stands for Department van Oorlog
(Department of War). There is no indication that the vehicles received
a different paint scheme in the NEI, so they probably conserved the
green paint quoted in the contract. I have not been able to find any
information about the vehicles captured by the Japanese and used
postwar by the Indonesians.
Acknowledgements I am very grateful to the following people and
organizations for providing and allowing access to information,
pictures, books and magazines:
J. Baumann, P. Brown, D. Fletcher (Bovington Tank Museum) in the United Kingdom
B. Marriott in Australia
K. Blijleven, R. Evers, H. Heesakkers, Col. Cav. Ret. C.A. Heshusius,
Algemeen Rijksarchief, Sectie Militaire Geschiedenis Koninklijke Landmacht,
Koninklijk Nederlands Leger- en Wapenmuseum, Rijksinstitut voor Oorlogdocumentatie in the Netherlands.
Armoured Cars -
Marmon-Herrington,
Alvis-Straussler,
Light Reconnaissance AFV
Armoured Fighting Vehicle # 30
by B. T. White
