The Dutch Naval Air Force Against Japan: The Defense of the Netherlands East Indies, 1941–1942, 2d ed.

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.

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 San Antonio, Texas.

Acknowledgments ix
Abbreviations xi
Preface 1
1. The Marine Luchtvaart Dienst (MLD): Equipment and Doctrine 3
2. Cold War Clashes: The ­Build-Up to War 45
3. December, Part I: The MLD Goes to War 99
4. December, Part II: The USN Evacuates the Philippines 128
5. January, Part I: The Japanese Move South 155
6. January, Part II: The Dutch Go on the Defensive 181
7. February, Part I: The Air Assault on Java 202
8. February, Part II: The Dutch Crumble 236
9. March: “This Is the End of a Courageous Fight, Admiral” 259
10. The MLD: A New Hope 299
Appendix 1: MLD Squadrons in the Netherlands East Indies 307
Appendix 2: MLD Dornier Do 24K Flying Boats in the Netherlands East Indies 311
Appendix 3: MLD ­PBY-5 Catalina Flying Boats in the Netherlands East Indies 314
Appendix 4: MLD Reserve Seaplanes in the Netherlands East Indies 317
Appendix 5: Specifications for MLD Planes in the Netherlands East Indies 319
Appendix 6: Specifications for Japanese Planes Operating in the Netherlands East Indies 324
Appendix 7: Gouvernementsmarine Seaplane Tenders 331
Appendix 8: MLD Bases in the Netherlands East Indies 334
Chart 1: Breakdown of MLD Losses by Month 336
Chart 2: Breakdown of Do 24 and PBY Losses by Month 337
Chart 3: MLD Losses by Cause 338
Chapter Notes 339
Bibliography 371
Index 377