Page 211 - Airpower in 20th Century - Doctrines and Employment

a Century of military aviation in tHe netHerlands, 1911-2011 211

also by the fear on the part of the Dutch government that, given a new war, it could
once again be confronted with supply problems. After all, in the First World War, the
Dutch had had frustrating experiences with foreign producers who, wholly or partly
failed to honour their obligations because of the priority given to their own armed
forces. Up till 1940, Fokker supplied the LVA with various series of training aircraft,
reconnaissance/light bomber aircraft and fighter aircraft. Barring the odd exception,
the volume of the aircraft orders generally did not exceed several dozens. From 1935
onwards, the LVA also placed a number of orders with Koolhoven.
Against a backdrop of growing international tension in the second half of the
1930s, the Dutch government decided to increase the defence budget and to order
new fighters and bombers. The government now decided to place orders with foreign
aircraft producers besides the customary national producers. The new equipment
began coming in in the years 1938 and 1939. A number of important steps were
also taken in the organisational domain. In the 1920s, due to the dearth of financial
resources, the then commander of the LVA characterised his organisation as being
made up of “nothing more than a hard core of personnel with technical expertise and
operational readiness, a training institute”. In the 1930s, the LVA underwent a series
of far-reaching reorganisations which were often accompanied by bitter disagree-
ment between the authorities concerned.
Military aviation circles were lobbying with increasing fervour for a more in-
dependent position of the air arm. Judging by the developments in the surrounding
countries, the proponents of a more independent air force concluded that other coun-
tries set great store by the air arm. The air forces in Great Britain, France, Germany
and Italy had gained independent status on a par with the other Services, coming
under a single command. Pleas to the military establishment for a similar approach
in the Netherlands fell on deaf ears, however. It was only in 1937 that the first steps
were taken towards a centrally-led air arm which was to form part of an integrated
air defence command. Besides the air forces, this integrated command would also
include the other air defence assets such as air defence artillery, search lights and the
aircraft warning service (for detecting and reporting enemy aircraft). This integrated
organisation, the Commando Luchtverdediging (Air Defence Command), was set up
on 1 November 1938.
Following a far-reaching internal reorganisation, the military air arm as a whole
came under this command. On 1 July 1939, the LVA, following a transition phase,
was promoted to Wapen der Militaire Luchtvaart (Military Aviation Arm) and was
the last of the arms to obtain independent status within the Royal Netherlands Army
in addition to the infantry, cavalry, artillery and engineers. The new arm comprised
a Luchtvaartbrigade (Aviation Brigade), which was composed of three Luchtvaart-
regimenten (Aviation Regiments) which accommodated all flying units, emergency
services, depots and training institutes. Insiders considered these reorganisations and
structural changes as an important foundation for the establishment of a modern,
effectively-led Dutch air arm. At the same time, they also concluded that the ultimate