2e Afdeling, Vliegtuiggroep V (''2nd Squadron, Airgroup 5'') or short 2-VLG-V was a
squadron
Squadron may refer to:
* Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies
* Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
of the
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force ( nl, Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL) was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from 1939 until ...
from the 1st of July 1941 to the 8th of March 1942.
Establishment
Before the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
, the
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force
The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force ( nl, Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger, ML-KNIL) was the air arm of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) from 1939 until ...
(''ML-KNIL'') consisted of old planes and a handful of pilots. The
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
already had plans to reorganize the ML-KNIL and when
Nazi-Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
overcame the Netherlands, it was given the first priority. On 1 June 1941, the 'Tweede Afdeling' (''second division'') was formed on
Semplak. This would be a
fighter division, consisting mainly of
Curtiss-Wright Model 21 Interceptors and
Brewster B-339C/D Buffalos. The first squadron (
1-VLG-V) would use the interceptors, but because those were not delivered yet, 1-VLG-V was used as a test-squadron for the newly arrived Buffalos. When at the end of June the first interceptors arrived, a second squadron within this division was created on 1 July 1941, 2-VLG-V. The squadron leader was
Capt. Jacob Pieter van Helsdingen.
The plan was that 2-VLG-V, consisting of 12 pilots, would get 12 ready to use Buffalos, and 12 spare Buffalos. However, at the end of the war, only 17 Buffalos would have been used by 2-VLG-V.
Battles
Battle of Malaya
![Brewster B-339 Buffalo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Brewster_B-339_Buffalo.jpg)
On 25 December 1941, 12 Buffalos together with 12 pilots of 2-VLG-V were stationed at
Kallang
Kallang is a planning area and residential town located in the Central Region of Singapore.
Development of the town is centered around the Kallang River, the longest river in Singapore. Kallang Planning Area is bounded by Toa Payoh in the no ...
, for the defence of
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. These Buffalos were fitted with a bomb-rack, so that they could be used for dive-bombing. The Buffalos of the ML-KNIL didn't have bulletproof glass (it was ordered but Brewster couldn't deliver it). However the Buffalos from 2-VLG-V that helped defend Singapore were fitted with bulletproof glass from damaged British buffalos. During several actions above and near Singapore, 2-VLG-V managed to sink a Japanese destroyer, and shot down four Japanese aircraft. During the actions above Singapore, one pilot from 2-VLG-V was killed. The pilots and Buffalos that flew above Singapore were:
Battle of Java
On 18 January 1942 the Buffalos that fought above Singapore were called back to help defend Java, prior to the
Battle of Singapore
The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,; ta, சிங்கப்பூரின் வீழ்ச்சி; ja, シンガポールの戦い took place in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. The Empire of ...
. Because of several crashes and losses the squadron had to be reorganized. A couple of pilots from other squadrons were transferred to 2-VLG-V, and all the Buffalos were re-arranged. So did Deibel, who was shot down above Singapore with B-3100, and crashed with B-398 received the former aircraft of squadron leader Van Helsdingen. While Van Helsdingen received a new aircraft. Below is a short list of the re-arrangement as far as known:
On 19 January, 8 Buffalos from 2-VLG-V intercepted a formation of about 35 Japanese bombers with an escort of about 20 Zeros. The Buffalo pilots destroyed 11 Japanese aircraft.
Vdg. J.P. Kuijpers,
Sgt. N.G. de Groot,
Vdg. J. Scheffer, and
Sgt. P.C. 't Hart were all shot down, Kuijper and de Groot were killed.
Battle of Balikpapan
In the afternoon of January 23, all Buffalos from 2-VLG-V together with several Buffalos from
3-VLG-V and nine
Martin Model 166 bombers attacked the Japanese fleet in the
Makassar Strait
Makassar Strait is a strait between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi in Indonesia. To the north it joins the Celebes Sea, while to the south it meets the Java Sea. To the northeast, it forms the Sangkulirang Bay south of the Mangkalihat Pe ...
. One pilot (Rothkrans) was shot down and killed during this action. The Buffalos were all fitted with bomb-racks and two 110 lbs bombs. The Buffalos from 2-VLG-V were given 8 positive hits on several ships. One ship, the was sunk.
On Sunday, March 1, at 5:30 nine Brewster Buffalos set out for Eretanwetan, one flight of four aircraft of 2-VLG-V led by Captain van Helsdingen, the other flight - from 1-VLG-V - led by Captain van Rest. Three Glenn Martin Bombers of 3-VLG-III also took part in this action. One Japanese transport was claimed sunk, but the Glenn Martins also lost one of their number; Lieutenant B. Groenendijk and his crew were killed in action. One of the Brewsters belly-landed at Andir airfield, the pilot being unable to lower his undercarriage.
Last Flight
On 7 March 1942, van Helsdingen was given the order to give
air support
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement ...
to
Royal Dutch East Indies Army
The Royal Netherlands East Indies Army ( nl, Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger; KNIL, ) was the military force maintained by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in its colony of the Dutch East Indies, in areas that are now part of Indonesia. The ...
forces fighting in Lembang. Despite the Japanese having an almost complete air superiority over Java, he nevertheless chose to take off from Andir airfield. He asked all available pilots who wanted to volunteer. All pilots volunteered and van Helsdingen picked four pilots who then jumped in the four last remaining Buffalos. Just before take-off, van Helsdingen was informed by another pilot that one of the chosen pilots was married. Despite being married himself van Helsdingen took the place of the married pilot, and the four Buffalos took off.
[ The three other pilots were: ]1st Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment.
The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...
August Deibel
1st Lieutenant August Gerard Deibel (11 September 1915 – 12 June 1951) was a Dutch pilot of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. He was part of 2-VLG-V, which was stationed in Singapore before its withdrawal to Java. His unit ...
, Sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
Gerard Bruggink
Gerardus Meinardus Bruggink (4 August 1917 – 5 December 2005) was a Dutch Aviator, pilot of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force. A recipient of the Military Order of William, he was one of only four Dutch pilots to dogfight the ...
and Officer Cadet
Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Air ...
Jan Scheffer
Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to:
Acronyms
* Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN
* Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code
* Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group
* Japanese Article Numb ...
. After only travelling 200 kilometers they ran into three Mitsubishi A6Ms. Deibel's plane was hit in the oil tank and he had to break off from combat. His wingman, Scheffer, escorted him back to Andir airfield, where Deibel crash landed his aircraft without injury. The other two remained above Lembang, but were now dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft conducted at close range. Dogfighting first occurred in Mexico in 1913, shortly after the invention of the airplane. Until at least 1992, it was a component in every majo ...
ing six Mitsubishi A6Ms. Van Helsdingen was soon shot down, but Bruggink managed to escape into the clouds before returning to Andir airfield. The Dutch forces in Lembang surrendered the next day. Bruggink and Deibel were awarded the Military William Order
The Military William Order, or often named Military Order of William (Dutch: , abbreviation: MWO), is the oldest and highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is named after St. William of Gellone (755–814), the first Prince of Oran ...
, the highest award available from the Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, while van Helsdingen and Scheffer (who died a prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
) were posthumously
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death
* ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987
* ''Posthumous'' (E ...
awarded the honour on 14 July 1948.
Decorations
Even though the squadron was short-lived, it has been one of the most highly decorated squadrons of the Dutch East Indies.
1 x Knight 3rd Class of the Military Order of William
:Capt. J.P. van Helsdingen (R.O. no 5 of July 14, 1948. Posthumously awarded.) [Toekenning MWO3 Helsdingen, J.P. van](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
4 x Knight 4th Class of the Military Order of William
:Capt. J.P. van Helsdingen (R.O. no 15 of February 11, 1942. Retracted when receiving MWO3 on July 14, 1948) [Toekenning MWO4 Helsdingen, J.P. van](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
:1st Lt. A.G. Deibel (R.O. no 5 of July 14, 1948) [Toekenning MWO4 Deibel, A.G.](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
:1st Lt. J.F. Scheffer (R.O. no 5 of July 14, 1948. Posthumously awarded.) [Toekenning MWO4 Scheffer, J.F.](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
:Sgt. G.M. Bruggink (R.O. no 5 of July 14, 1948) [Toekenning MWO4 Bruggink, G.M.](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
2 x Bronze Cross
:2nd Lt. P.A. Hoyer (R.O. no 01z of February 24, 1942) [Toekenning Bronzen Kruis Hoyer, P.A.](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
:Ens. R.A. Rothkrans (R.O. no 01z of February 24, 1942. Posthumously awarded.) [Toekenning Bronzen Kruis Rothkrans, R.A.](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed march 30, 2020.
4 x Airman's Cross
The Airman's Cross ( nl, Vliegerkruis) is a military decoration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands created in 1941. The cross is awarded to members of the Dutch military who display initiative, courage, and perseverance against the enemy or during ...
:Capt. J.P. van Helsdingen (R.O. no 01z of January 27, 1942) [Toekenning Vliegerkruis Heldingen, J.P. van](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
:Sgt. G.M. Bruggink (R.O. no 01z of January 27, 1942. Retracted when receiving MWO4 on July 14, 1948) [Toekenning Vliegerkruis Bruggink, G.M.](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
:Sgt. A.E. Stoové (R.O. no 01z of February 24, 1942) [Toekenning Vliegerkruis Stoové, A.E.](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
:Sgt. P.C. 't Hart (R.O. no 63 of January 9, 1948) [Toekenning Vliegerkruis Hart, P.C. 't](_blank)
on defensie.nl, viewed March 30, 2020.
Notes
References
* {{cite web, first=Klemen , last=L , url=https://warfare.gq/dutcheastindies/index.html , title=Forgotten Campaign: The Dutch East Indies Campaign 1941-1942 , date=1999–2000 , accessdate=14 July 2011 , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726053035/http://www.dutcheastindies.webs.com/index.html , archivedate=26 July 2011 , url-status=live
Aviation units and formations of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
Military units and formations established in 1915
Military history of Indonesia
Military history of the Netherlands
Dutch East Indies