Battle of Zeeland
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The Battle of Zeeland occurred on the Western Front during the early stages of the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
assault on
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and the
Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Several
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
and French units attempted to hold off the German onslaught by making a determined defense of the Dutch province of
Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...
. The battle lasted eight days and was a defeat for the French and Dutch forces defending the province.


Defenses and troops in the province

The province of
Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...
had received little attention from the Dutch government prior to the German invasion of the Low Countries in May 1940. On 10 May, the Germans launched their attack. In an attempt to raise morale amongst the Allies and to stem the tide of the German onslaught, several Dutch battalions—most notably the 14th Border Infantry Battalion—rapidly constructed defensive lines in Zeeland. The first—the Bathline (named after the nearby medieval fortress of Bath)—was little more than a tank barrier, slightly reinforced with 12 concrete casements.War over Holland - May 1940: the Dutch struggle
The second—and more defensible line—was the Zanddijkline, approximately west of the Bathline. This position was actually two lines, (a frontline and a stopline). It was defended by just two infantry battalions, the 3rd Battalion of the 38th Infantry Regiment and the 1st Battalion of the 40th Infantry Regiment, supported by limited and obsolete AA guns, a number of mortars and some light field artillery.War over Holland - May 1940: the Dutch struggle
/ref>


Battle


10 May

On the first day, neither sides' troops engaged each other. The Germans were awaiting reinforcements from other sectors of their occupied territory, the Dutch were improving their defenses and waiting for the arrival of a contingent of French troops. The only action that occurred was the repeated strafing of the Dutch positions by German planes.


11 May

Early on the morning of 11 May, the first companies of the French detachment began to arrive. The French force consisted of five infantry regiments, (loosely compiled into the 68th Infantry Division), and three Reconnaissance Groups (the 59th, 60th, and 68th). In the early afternoon, two French mail-boats (''Rouen'' and ''Cote d'Argent'')—escorted by the French ships (''Cyclone'' and ''Sirocco'') and the British destroyers and —arrived at
Vlissingen Vlissingen (; zea, label= Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river ...
. They were attacked by German bombers, but the aircraft were quickly driven away by AA guns. Another convoy arrived, and German aircraft attacked again, but were once more driven off although they did shoot down one French fighter. Throughout the day, British Hurricanes had been seen over the province. They engaged the ''
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' many times, shooting down three German planes, losing six of their own in the process. German planes dropped a series of bombs on the junction of the Bathline and the Kreekrakdam. Both the road and the railroad were seriously damaged. Two of the army barracks were destroyed, and the local waterworks and telephone lines were temporarily disabled. Dutch soldiers soon repaired the damage. During the day, the Dutch army in the south, which was in retreat after their defenses at the Peel-Raamline had been broken, reestablished their positions in the area of
Bergen op Zoom Bergen op Zoom (; called ''Berrege'' in the local dialect) is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands. Etymology The city was built on a place where two types of soil meet: sandy soil and marine clay. The sandy soil ...
.


12 May

The port of Vlissingen was again targeted by the Germans in the early morning. As before, the bombers operated in so-called "''Ketten''", (a formation of three aircraft). Witnesses spoke of at least twenty bombers in many waves, so it was likely that at least two squadrons operated over Vlissingen during this raid, possibly three. The Allied ships in the port immediately opened fire on the German aircraft, as did Dutch and French AA guns. French aircraft began to get into the air. Four ships were sunk by direct hits. Much of the harbor and infrastructure was hit by bombs. Cranes, offloading systems, storage buildings and the office of the local ferry line were destroyed or damaged. The railroad station was hit several times. Most houses in the harbor quarter did not have any windows left intact and torn-off roof tiles were all over the place. Other houses and a church well away from the harbor were destroyed or badly damaged. Five civilians were killed during the raid. The Dutch troops at the Bathline witnessed an ever-growing flood of retreating Dutch soldiers that had once been the defending forces in the eastern part of
North Brabant North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the w ...
. The French supreme command had meanwhile realised that the operational plan for the 7th Army could not be executed as envisaged. The German advance through North Brabant prevented the French from forming a firm and well prepared screen around Antwerp, on Dutch soil. Moreover, the Belgian first defense line along the Albert Canal had also given in under the pressure of two tank divisions and overwhelming air assaults. The Belgian army would soon retreat to the Dyle-line.


13 May

In the southwest, the Germans had almost reached Zeeland. In the Bathline, which was the closest to North Brabant, the fourth day introduced the men to the rumbling sound of the ground war. The sound of German heavy artillery that would eventually reach
Moerdijk Moerdijk () is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. History The municipality of Moerdijk was founded in 1997 following the merger of the municipalities of Fijnaart en Heijningen, Klundert ...
caused the men of the Bathline to realize that their future opponents were closing in on their position. Frequent patrols were carried out; there was rising tension in the lines. A squad of railroad troops was given orders to destroy the track that crossed the Bathline. These were the same men that had worked to repair this same stretch of line after German bombs had damaged it a few days before. German fighters attacked the Dutch airbase at Vlissingen, but an even bigger threat revealed itself. In the course of the day, panic broke out amongst the men when a rumor spread that German troops had reached the island and were heading for Vlissingen. People suddenly saw light signals from houses and secret marks were read from laundry that was waving on drying-lines. It wasn't until the evening that these rumors lost their effect. The ''Luftwaffe'' was less active on the 13th over Zeeland. This was mostly due to the fact that many squadrons were assigned to the fierce battle that was raging around the island of Dordrecht. The bombers that had been active over Zeeland, were now raiding Dutch artillery and infantry positions in the south-front of "Fortress Holland". Direct support was also given to the tanks of the 9th Tank Division that were engaged on Dordrecht island. During this time, the morale of the troops—particularly the Dutch—had begun to drop. More and more Dutch troops were retreating from the east, and
Queen Wilhelmina Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World Wa ...
had fled to Britain (although she did it unwillingly).


14 May

At Bergen op Zoom, units of the 12th were surrounded by two companies of a SS battalion. The French retreated from Woensdrecht, sealing the fate of their comrades at Bergen op Zoom. They left many tanks and supplies behind. A Dutch force of about 200 men had taken control of the forest south of Bergen op Zoom, however they were forced to retreat when the French troops in the surrounding area were ordered to fall back. The French launched a counter-attack at Huijbergen. They had armoured cars and
Hotchkiss H35 The Hotchkiss H35 or was a French cavalry tank developed prior to World War II. Despite having been designed from 1933 as a rather slow but well-armoured light infantry support tank, the type was initially rejected by the French Infantry becaus ...
light tank A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movements in and out of combat, to outmaneuver heavier tanks. It is smaller in size with thinner armor and a less powerful main gun, tailored for better tactical mobility and ease of ...
s available, but lost five
Panhard 178 The Panhard 178 (officially designated as ''Automitrailleuse de Découverte Panhard modèle 1935'', 178 being the internal project number at Panhard) or "Pan-Pan" was an advanced French reconnaissance 4x4 armoured car that was designed for the ...
armoured cars and 200 men as prisoners. The Germans pushed on, taking hundreds more French and Dutch prisoners. The occupants of the casement did not join the almost general retreat of the infantry. They stayed in their concrete and steel posts and it was due to their efforts that the Bathline did not fall immediately. When German patrols probed the line, they were met by fierce machine gun fire from the Dutch strongholds and this was enough to deny the SS men any further access to the line. During the evening, the German artillery fire gradually decreased in intensity and it eventually stopped. With the exception of a few sections in the central sector and the casement-crews, the Bathline had been deserted. The Dutch army laid down their arms at 19:00, except for the armed forces on Zeeland. The formal capitulation agreement was signed the next day.


15 May

In the late evening of the 14th, the Germans prepared a battle-plan for an assault against the remaining occupied sections of the Bathline. They planned to first send in a negotiator. A message was dictated in which the Germans demanded immediate and unconditional surrender of the line, or else the Germans would unleash an unprecedented assault. The threat was more of an attempt to trick the defenders, since the Germans did not have the resources for such a massive assault. The Dutch had withdrawn from the line during the night. Early in the morning the men of the SS Deutschland Regiment cautiously approached the Bathline; when they found the trenches and fox-holes empty, they hurried through. A few Dutch defenders—who had not become aware of the retreat—were taken prisoner. The Zanddijkline was the main defense line of the capital islands of Zeeland. Three casements at the sluice-complex in the south, and two casements on each side of the railroad bed were the only concrete positions. The balance of the line was formed by earth and timber reinforced constructions and trenches. Some minefields had been laid at certain strategic locations along the approaches. The Germans soon began their assault on the Zanddijkline. As they approached, they came under Dutch machine gun fire. This resulted in many men diving down a slope and landing in the minefields that had been prepared just days before. Numerous detonations killed about 16 SS men. Pioneers were called forward and under cover of German machine guns they cleared the area of mines. After this hold-up, the signal to reassume the assault was given. Some four German batteries started pounding the Dutch line, especially around both sides of the Tholseindsedijk. The Germans once again attacked the line, this time with air support. The Dutch naval artillery continued shelling their perimeter, forcing the Germans to keep their noses to the ground until the artillery gradually decreased its fire. It was enough time for the Dutch to evacuate their troops in the northern sector and cross the bridge over the Postbrug canal. The only sector of the Zanddijkline that was not evacuated right away was the southern part. Here, the remaining battalion was spared the attention of the ''Luftwaffe''. However, within a few hours they were forced to retreat as well.


Tholen

Tholen Tholen () is a 25,000 people municipality in the southwest of the Netherlands. The municipality of Tholen takes its name from the town of Tholen, which is the largest population center in the municipality. The municipality consists of two peninsu ...
, a natural island, formerly part of the
North Brabant North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the w ...
territory, was separated from the mainland by the Eendracht, a shallow and muddy natural waterway. The ''de facto'' capital on the island was a small town, also named Tholen, which had the only connection with the North Brabant mainland. The entire occupation of the island—which needed a little more than two companies—was concentrated along the Eendracht. During the day, a German patrol approached, but was quickly driven off by Dutch machine-gun fire. As a result, a German negotiator came out and demanded the surrender of the island; the Dutch commander refused. Soon afterward, German field artillery and mortars opened fire on the defenders. Other than a direct hit on a gas storage tank, little damage was inflicted by the German guns. The German infantry began to advance. The Dutch let them approach until they were close to a road-barrier; then mortars and machine guns opened fire, devastating the attackers. The Germans suffered heavy casualties, some men jumped into near-by pools of water to escape the shooting. The Germans were forced to retreat. Their reports spoke of 20 men
KIA Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...
. The Dutch defenders suffered two losses. After realizing that they could not hold their positions much longer, the Dutch retreated further onto the island during the night.


16 May

The SS units had halted at the canal through Zuid-Beveland after they had crossed the two defense-lines on the 15th. During the night, soldiers on rafts were able to cross the canal. The two French battalions that defended the canal—no more than 1,250 men—were forced to defend a front of . The canal had a width of , and as such, it formed a considerable obstacle for any attacker. Since all the bridges had been destroyed, an assault crossing had to be executed by making use of rafts or boats. The ''Luftwaffe'' continued its morale-sapping presence, forcing considerable numbers of French soldiers to flee their positions along the canal. The French defenders had requested fire-missions against the sectors where the Germans deployed. The French feared the lack of precision of their own artillery, many company commanders ordered their units a few hundred meters back from their positions along the canal. Soon afterward, the entire French occupation of the canal defensive area in the northern sector gave way, resulting in a desperate dash for safety. At one location close to the Postbrug, a squad of French colonial soldiers held out, but a storm-troop was quickly organized and this position was soon abandoned. Meanwhile, the Germans had managed to repair the northernmost river crossing. Some light armored cars and motorcycles were able to cross at this point and these units chased after the fleeing French. These motorized units reached the
Sloedam The Sloedam was a dam, connecting the Dutch islands Zuid-Beveland and Walcheren near the town of Arnemuiden. Before the dam was constructed, these islands were separated by a stretch of water called the Sloe. The Sloedam was constructed in 1871 for ...
early in the evening, but avoided contact. The majority of Dutch units around
Goes Goes () is a city and municipality in the southwestern Netherlands on Zuid-Beveland, in the province of Zeeland. The city of Goes has approximately 27,000 residents. History Goes was founded in the 10th century on the edge of a creek: de Korte ...
had managed to cross the Sloedam or had taken the ferry to
Noord-Beveland Noord-Beveland (; "North Beveland") is a municipality and region in the southwestern Netherlands and a former island, now part of the Walcheren-Zuid-Beveland-Noord-Beveland peninsula. Noord-Beveland is enclosed by the Oosterschelde estuary to the ...
before the evening, many French units had been cut off. The ''Luftwaffe'' had driven off all Allied planes in the region, giving them free rein over the retreating defenders.


Tholen

In the morning, the Germans again sent a negotiator to try to convince the Dutch to surrender. And again the Dutch rejected the offer. Two hours later, German artillery opened fire on the Dutch positions. During the barrage, a Dutch battalion commander contacted the TC in Middelburg and asked for instructions. Henrik Van der Stad—the Dutch commander—complimented him on the resistance his forces had shown the previous day and stated that the troops were to be allowed to evacuate the island and reinforce the island of
Schouwen-Duiveland Schouwen-Duiveland () is a municipality and an island in the southwestern Netherlands province of Zeeland. The municipality has 33,737 inhabitants (1 January 2016) and covers an area of (of which is water). The northside of the island has two fi ...
. Later that day, Schouwen-Duiveland was assaulted by the Germans. The Dutch commander, as soon as his troops were attacked, gave orders to retreat, leaving the entire coastline open to the Germans.


17 May

The
Sloedam The Sloedam was a dam, connecting the Dutch islands Zuid-Beveland and Walcheren near the town of Arnemuiden. Before the dam was constructed, these islands were separated by a stretch of water called the Sloe. The Sloedam was constructed in 1871 for ...
was a strategic point on
Walcheren Walcheren () is a region and former island in the Dutch province of Zeeland at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Eastern Scheldt in the north and the Western Scheldt in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus. The two ...
island. Some mud flats on both sides of the 'dam' made it possible for light infantry to cross the Sloe, but it was a tricky business, some parts were very swampy and one could easily sink and drown. The French had considered sending more troops to Walcheren, but they did not. The defense of the Sloedam was considered to be the last bit of useful resistance. Should that position fall, a general retreat of the French troops would become inevitable. Since the objective of safeguarding Antwerp and the Scheld canal had not been achieved, the battles that continued at Zuid-Beveland and Walcheren had only one objective; to cover the north flank of the French forces north of
Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
. Early that morning, the Germans opened fire with their medium and heavy howitzers, which were all positioned near Lewedorp. The French artillery and the joint Allied navy units replied with a heavy barrage on the first German troops. The assault stalled immediately and for the first time in the Zeeland campaign the Germans faltered and withdrew, leaving a considerable number of dead and wounded behind. The Dutch offered their assistance, but the French Commander declined the offer. The Germans then launched a massive assault onto the French defenses, by the end of the day Walcheren lay open to the SS. The Germans then turned their attention on Vlissingen. They began to advance toward the city, they did not meet any resistance until they were at the outskirts. Many Dutch and French troops began to evacuate; however, the French commander—General Deslaurens—gathered the remaining troops and set up defensive positions. They were soon pushed back, and Deslaurens was killed. He would be the only general to die on Dutch soil in May 1940. During the night, the last pockets of resistance were cleared by the Germans. Here and there Dutch and French troops put up a brief fight, but before morning all resistance had faded away. The remaining troops on Walcheren—mostly Dutch—had surrendered.


Bombing of Middelburg

On 17 May, the Germans launched a massive raid on
Middelburg Middelburg may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Europe * Middelburg, Zeeland, the capital city of the province of Zeeland, southwestern Netherlands ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Middelburg, a former Catholic diocese with its see in the Zeeland ...
, which would only to be surpassed for severity by the
Rotterdam Blitz Rotterdam was subjected to heavy aerial bombardment by the ''Luftwaffe'' during the German invasion of the Netherlands in World War II. The objective was to support the German troops fighting in the city, break Dutch resistance and force the Du ...
. Nearly 600 buildings were destroyed by the bombing and resulting fire. 800 people were made homeless. The Dutch press—one of the first official sources that had been "Nazified"—reported the devastation of Middelburg later that month and in early June. The massive fires in the town would continue to grow until the evening of 18 May, when about 500 fire-fighters and volunteers, managed to control the fires and prevent further destruction. The last of the fires were not extinguished until some 40 days after the raid.


Surrender

By late afternoon on 17 May, it was clear that the Germans had conquered the whole of Zeeland apart from
Zeelandic Flanders Zeelandic Flanders ( ; zea, Zeêuws-Vlaonderen; vls, Zêeuws-Vloandern)''Vlaanderen'' in isolation: . is the southernmost region of the province of Zeeland in the south-western Netherlands. It lies south of the Western Scheldt that separates t ...
. The battle around the Sloedam was still raging, but Dutch units in western Walcheren were inquiring at the Dutch staff office whether or not capitulation was feasible. When many local commanders failed to reach the staff, which was indeed hard to do, especially due to the ongoing bombardment of Middelburg, local capitulation initiatives soon developed. Van der Stad was repeatedly queried by his officers and the mayor of Middelburg about when the capitulation of
Walcheren Walcheren () is a region and former island in the Dutch province of Zeeland at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Eastern Scheldt in the north and the Western Scheldt in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus. The two ...
would be offered to the Germans. He made it perfectly clear that this could never be the case as long as French troops were still fighting the Germans. Late in the evening, a radio transmission was broadcast stating that Dutch forces in Walcheren and
Zuid-Beveland Zuid-Beveland (; "South Beveland") is part of the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands north of the Western Scheldt and south of the Eastern Scheldt. Topography It is a former island, now peninsula, crossed by the Canal through Zuid-Bevelan ...
would surrender. Half an hour later, Lieutenant-Colonel Karel himself went to the road east of Middelburg along which German troops were heading southward. He was transported to a hotel near
Vlissingen Vlissingen (; zea, label= Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river ...
, close to the sluices, where he officially informed ''SS-Standartenführer'' Steiner—commander of the SS Regiment—of the capitulation of the Dutch forces on Walcheren and Zuid-Beveland. Noord-Beveland was officially not part of the armistice, but on the morning of the 18th a German officer was sent over under a flag of truce, he brought the news of the Dutch surrender elsewhere. Upon this news the Dutch forces—isolated from all the rest—surrendered as well.


Aftermath


The Dutch Navy

The majority of the Dutch naval forces had been evacuated by the 14th. The few ships that remained were either captured, or sailed to Britain. The ships that reached Britain would later go on to defend the
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...
after that colony was invaded by the Japanese.


Casualties

The Dutch lost 38 men, five of whom were officers. Their French allies fared the worst, with 229 killed in action. Their German opponents suffered 97 dead. British losses over Zeeland are unknown.


See also

*
List of Dutch military equipment of World War II The following is a list of Dutch military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels. World War II was a global war that began in 1939 and ended in 1945. On 10 May 1940, Nazi Germany, which aimed to dominate Europe, ...
*
List of French military equipment of World War II Uniforms and Protective equipment * Adrian helmet * Combat uniform (go to France section) Weapons * List of World War II weapons of France Utility vehicles * P107 * Laffly S15 * Laffly V15 * SOMUA MCG * Citroën U23 * Renault A ...
*
List of German military equipment of World War II The following is a list of German military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels. World War II was a global war that was under way by 1939 and ended in 1945. Following political instability build-up in Europe from ...
*
List of British military equipment of World War II The following is a list of British military equipment of World War II which includes artillery, vehicles and vessels. This also would largely apply to Commonwealth of Nations countries in World War II like Australia, India and South Africa as ...


References

{{coord missing, Netherlands 1940 in the Netherlands
Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...
Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...
Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...
Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...
May 1940 events Germany–Netherlands military relations
Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...
Battles in Zeeland