Dutch Naval Air Force Against Japan: The Defense of the Netherlands East Indies, 1941-1942

by Tom Womack (Author)

13 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0786423651

ISBN-10: 078642365X

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December 7, 1941, opened up a new theater of war in the Pacific and a new threat for what was then the Netherlands East Indies. The Dutch, with their Naval Air Force or Marine Luchtvaart Dienst (MLD), made a significant—and often overlooked—contribution to the Allied effort. With their 175 aircraft, the MLD in Southeast Asia outnumbered American and British naval air reconnaissance forces combined. Three months of intense fighting left the Dutch bereft of thousands of naval personnel and over 80 percent of their aircraft. This work details the actions of MLD during the Japanese invasion of the Netherlands East Indies. Beginning with a look at the origins of the MLD, it provides an overview of the force, including an analysis of its aircraft, equipment, personnel and training. Operations of the United States Navy and Royal Air Force seaplane units are included in order to provide a thorough history of the campaign. Final chapters cover the MLD’s ill-fated attempts at evacuation of the island battleground and offer an overall review of the MLD’s performance. Appendices contain such information as Allied and Japanese aircraft specifications, squadron tables of organization, and MLD bases and operational areas. The result is by far the most comprehensive English-language account of the Allied naval air war in the Netherlands East Indies.

Dutch Naval Air Force Against Japan: The Defense of the Netherlands East Indies, 1941-1942

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"recommended reading...excellent"--Stone & Stone Second World War Books; "very well written...run, don't walk to your nearest mail box to post your check to the publisher. You won't be disappointed"--Small Airforces Observer; "Womack gives now for the first time in the English language an extensive and detailed account of this battle...excellent"--Let Let Let Warplanes.

About the Author

Tom Womack is vice president of media relations at a large public relations firm in Dallas, Texas.

Paperback: 217 pages
Publisher: McFarland & Company (February 14, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 078642365X
ISBN-13: 978-0786423651
Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 0.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 13 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,750,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #483 in Books > History > Military > Regiments
- #4067 in Books > History > Military > Naval
- #4142 in Books > History > Military > Aviation

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Excellent coverage on a particular neglected aspect of the Pacific Theater.

ByJonathan Mattsonon February 6, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I always enjoy reading a book about a fascinating subject that I've never read before. When this book was brought to my attention I knew I needed to read it. In most accounts of the second world war, the only mention of the Japanese invasion of the dutch east indes is the naval battles where the allied navies are slaughtered.

This book is an operational history of the dutch naval air force, just like the title claims. You get to read about how the planes were dispersed and went out and did their reconnaissance and how their bases were attacked by the Japanese. The real sad stories are of course what happens to the poor pilots and crew members when their planes find the Japanese fleet or the Japanese planes.

Anyone with an interest in the opening days of the war pacific theater this is a fascinating read this is a great read that I strongly recommend.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

An Unknown War gets some light shined upon it

ByN. Trachtaon April 4, 2007

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Over the past few years I've been expanding my knowledge of WWII by focusing on the early portion of the war, more specifically, the war in the South Pacific. For awhile, Amazon has been recommended this book to me because of my rating of other related books. Anyway, I decided to give this book a try.

I'll open by saying this book only deals with the Dutch Naval Air Force (referred to as the MLD [Marine Luchtvaart Dienst]), the aircraft they flew, and the missions they performed in defense of the Netherlands East Indies. Passing references are made to US, British, Australian, and the Dutch Army Air Force (ML-KNIL). These passing references are usually related to the different patrol aircraft used by these forces, occasionally to the fighters or bombers.

Mr. Womack opens by describing the aircraft used by the MLD and the MLD's state of condition, prior to the start of WWII for the Dutch and once the Netherlands had been overrun by the Germans. While Mr. Womack describes all of the aircraft used by the Dutch, particular attention should be paid to his descriptions of the Dornier Do24's (called X boats by the MLD) and the PBY Catalina (Y boats). At times the other aircraft of the MLD are mentioned, but usually it's the X and Y boats going to war with the Japanese.

Having established pre-war conditions and how the Dutch attempted to improve their position, Mr. Womack brings us to December 1941 and the initial actions between the Japanese and Dutch. This is followed (rather rapidly) by the steady advancements the Japanese made in the South West Pacific and ending with the fall of Java. The book concludes by describing how the MLD evacuated from the East Indies and their general participation in the rest of WWII.

This book is a very solid 4.5 star book. The writing is clean, Mr. Womack describes things as a historian, not one translating oral history. There are some great photo's in the book showing the Dutch aircraft and other equipment. The maps are nice, but a little on the weak side, they show where the Japanese are able to threaten at any one time but I found it a little difficult finding where the different bases were that the aircraft were operating from. The appendices are nicely put together, providing very good information on the aircraft (there's a breakdown of what happened to every X and Y boat), squadrons, and losses. The charts should have been done considering a black and white printing (because of the grey scaling used, you can tell that the originals were in color). Also I wish Mr. Womack would have given us a little more of his analysis than he did. However, since Amazon doesn't grade on half stars, I need to decide on 4 or 5. Since this is obscure material and Mr. Womack has put together a very informative book on something most people aren't aware of, and he used excellent references (without regurgating what the original author said), I'll give him the nod to 5 stars. A very good job sir!

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Too Little Too Late

ByGary Warneon March 8, 2007

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is an area of warfare I am very interested in. Unfortunately, books like this only come along once every 10 to 20 years. This fills a gap in our knowledge of events leading up to and through the Pacific War against Japan.
The MLD, or Dutch Naval Air Force of the Netherlands East Indies, probably had the best organized reconnaissance force in the southwest Pacific area at the time. Maintaining neutrality in wars spreading around the globe was difficult, but the Netherlands East Indies were doing all they could not to become involved, and to be a haven for those trying to escape the European, African and Chinese theatre wars. The Japanese had different plans.
Once the fighting started though, the MLD was right in the thick of it, fighting hard right alongside their British, Australian and American allies against a Japanese war machine far superior to anything the allies could cobble together. Flying older German designed Do-24s, American PBYs, and Fokker seaplanes, the MLD kept up what pressure they could as the Japanese invasion forces swept through the East Indies, southeast Asia and into the Indian Ocean in the late fall of 1941, and the winter and spring of 1942. Most of the MLD crews paid with their lives to keep the allies abreast of where the Japanese forces were located and what they were doing. Some of the "invincibility" that became associated with the superb Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter, and in general the Japanese naval forces, was established and enhanced during this campaign.
When the smoke cleared, the Japanese were in control of the Netherlands East Indies, and the remaining MLD crews and ground personnel, if not captured, were evacuated to Australia or Ceylon. It was a story of too little, too late. The Dutch had tried to get more aircraft, AA guns and ordinance prior to the Japanese invasion, but a lack of interest on the part of her future allies, and a greater concern for the European conflict, even by the Dutch government-in-exile, left the MLD with only a handful of aircraft and hardware with which to face battle-hardened Japanese forces.
The book has many excellent and previously unpublished photographs of personnel, aircraft, and bases of the MLD. If your interests are for stories of some of the little known campaigns and more exotic places that became embroiled in the global conflagration known as World War Two, you will enjoy this book. Tom Womack is to be commended for researching, compiling and fleshing out this story,

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Good Recap -

Bysmokeykiwion December 25, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book provides a better understanding of the forgotten. You realize what few resources the Dutch had and why they were overrun

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A book long missed!

ByFred Leander Hansenon November 19, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It's a necessary book on a little-known subject that gives a good perspective from other than the usual Allied sources. Lots of interesting details of which I was not aware. I like it! Not very flattering to the British which, as usual, put their own interests before their "friends".

Fred

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A must read!

ByJ. B. Christiaanseon May 6, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A detailed view of the struggle of the Dutch Naval Aviation Service against the Japanese during the opening phase of the Pacific war.

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Dutch Naval Air Force

Bymr katcupon December 11, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is the first book I've seen covering this aspect of the begining of WW 2 in the Pacific. The author has done a fine job but leaves a few questions. Namely how this ties into the overall picture of the lose of the Dutch West Indies in regard the land campaign. I assume that the Dutch Army had an air arm-how did this effect the Navy for instance.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

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history

I am still reading it but I am pleased to have a book on a previously untouched subject and have been impressed with what I have learned so far.

Published on April 28, 2012 by phil6079

A great read

I was able to read this book over the last week. I've always had a special interest for the period of history in the Pacific that is covered by the first few months of WWII.Read more

Published on February 5, 2010 by David M. Knights

A decent book about a little known part of World War II

This is a decent book about a part of World War II that is little known to most Americans. It is the story of the Dutch Naval Air Force (MLD) in the Netherlands East Indies, what...Read more

Published on January 11, 2009 by Daniel Carey

Only for the true amateur historian.

A great book about a relatively unknown aspect of WWII. Where's the one on the Dutch Army Air Force againt Japan?

Published on April 9, 2008 by Charles Harlow

Enormous Info on Obscure Battle

Mr. Womack is to be commended for his attention to a particular element of World War II. Rather than trying to encompass the entire war into a single book he spends time...Read more

Published on May 17, 2006 by Mark Tate

Great book on MLD

Tom Womack has written an very thorough book on Dutch naval aviation in the East. As a Dutchman it's interesting to read about the history of the MLD from an outside perspective.Read more

Published on April 25, 2006 by F. van de Peppel

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