1940 Ypenburg /Hague Battle Fj

[o.r.k.]

I stumbled across this Dutch very detailled account on the battle of Ypenburg/the Hague. I only knew beforehand that this operation didn´t go very well, but reading it I was stunned about how wrong it almost went and the high amount of losses and POWs. It reads like a blueprint of the mistakes made in Crete again and somehow when planning the battle of Crete it seems that the lessons weren´t really learnt ( focus on the hoped surprise and throwing planes and men right into the enemy). I think it is interesting to read especially in such detail. It surely wasn´t that comforting being a Fj in these airborne operations.


http://www.waroverholland.nl/index.p...hague-ypenburg

[Gerry Cummins]

A great read! Thanks!

Gerry

[Willi Z.]

Well, one needs to read various accounts from multiple sources and develop your own balanced objective view. The same is true for Kreta.

[Nick U]

The use of airborne infantry always comes with a certain risk. Even with the D-Day landings albeit a succes, losses where high amongst paratroopers and other airborne units. We see the same thing with Market-Garden.

If I recall the famous words of Major Dick Winters: We're paratroopers, we are supposed to be surrounded. If you look at it tactically, being surrounded is probably one of the biggest risks a commander could face when in the field.

I say the use of airborne units is to delibaretaly take that risk in order to archieve a higher tactical goal. The use of these units are what I call a military gamble.

[phild]

The use of airborne infantry always comes with a certain risk. Even with the D-Day landings albeit a succes, losses where high amongst paratroopers and other airborne units. We see the same thing with Market-Garden.

If I recall the famous words of Major Dick Winters: We're paratroopers, we are supposed to be surrounded. If you look at it tactically, being surrounded is probably one of the biggest risks a commander could face when in the field.

I say the use of airborne units is to delibaretaly take that risk in order to archieve a higher tactical goal. The use of these units are what I call a military gamble.

That may all be true. I will add that flank unit coordination, sector sketches and range cards for key weapons become immensely simplified when you are surrounded!😬

[Danny1973]

I stumbled across this Dutch very detailled account on the battle of Ypenburg/the Hague. I only knew beforehand that this operation didn´t go very well, but reading it I was stunned about how wrong it almost went and the high amount of losses and POWs. It reads like a blueprint of the mistakes made in Crete again and somehow when planning the battle of Crete it seems that the lessons weren´t really learnt ( focus on the hoped surprise and throwing planes and men right into the enemy). I think it is interesting to read especially in such detail. It surely wasn´t that comforting being a Fj in these airborne operations.


http://www.waroverholland.nl/index.p...hague-ypenburg

You can also check this site, it is the same period as the attack on Ypenburg http://www.mei1940.nl/

Regards,

Danny