The Dutch army in World War 1

The Aviation Department (luchtvaartafdeling / LVA)

version July 5 2019

Like other countries, the Dutch army also started experimenting with the use of the "air component".
During manoeuvres in September 1911, both balloons and airplanes were taking part. This participation was a result of a commission, established in 1910, that had as assignment the use of aviation for the defense of the country. The foucus would be on reconnaissence. Because the Army didn’t have any airplanes, private owners were asked to participate.

The weather, and lack of gas, reduced the availability of the airplanes. The balloons couldn’t operate at all.
Captain Walaardt Sacré, member of the commision, however was positive about the results. The potential was there, but practice was needed. The army would need its own planes for this, and experienced officers.

Jacques Labouchère, in front: capt Walaardt Sacré in de Zodiac, Manoeuvres September 1911
Source: Aviateurs van het eerste uur, Schoenmaker, W. & Postma, Th. 1984.

The manoeuvres of 1911 had its influence on the commision. The preference for balloons was declining if favour for aircraft.

Per Royal Decree of April 16 1913, the Luchtvaartrafdeling (LVA / Aviation Department) was established per July 1 as part of the army. It’s base would be in Soesterberg. The strength of personnel would be 33 / 38 (I find 2 different numbers), with Walaardt Sacré as the first commander.

Soesterberg, 1918 – 1920
source: National Military Museum (NMM)

The first task of Walaardt Sacré would be to set up a ground organisation and training both pilots and observers.
Tasks of the LVA would be guarding and reconnoitering the borders. The primary task would be in reconnaissance for the army and cooperating with artillery.

The first airplane the LVA owned was “de Brik”, built by Dutch aircraft pioneer van Meel. It was bought on September 6, 1913. The plane was hired before to train the first 3 military pilots. It’s registration was LA-1, had a 50 hp Gnome engine, could reach a speed of 100 km/h and a height of 1880 meters. It cost the government fl 3,500

FA van Heyst, the first holder of a military brevet, with the Brik1
source: internet

At the end of September 1913, 3 Farmann HF-20 2-seaters were added to the LVA (registration LA-2, 3, and 4) and had an 80 hp engine.

In 1914, van Meel delivered his 2nd plane: “ Brik 2”, registration LA-5, with an 60 hp engine. It could reach a height of 2,000 meters.
Brik2

Brik 2
Source: Dutch Institute of Military History (NIMH)

Just before the war, another 3 Farmann’s, HF-22’s this time (LA-6, 7, and 8) were delivered to the LVA. A fouth one went to the Marine Luchtvaardienst (MLD / Naval Air Service).

Besides Soesterberg, there were airfields at Arnhem, Venlo, Gilze-Rijen and Vlissingen (focus on the southern and eastern borders).

During the WW1, the LVA faced several problems that made it difficult to grow a a fighting force.

There was no real domestic aviation industry. Fokker was working in Germany, Koolhoven for France and Britain. The only available manufacturer was Henri Wijnmalen, then located at Soesterberg. He later moved to Amsterdam, in the former Spyker Automobile Factory. The enterprise was called Trompenburg (one of the streets it was located on).
The Army High Command approved of this move, because it brought the aircraft production within the Lines of Amsterdam, the Dutch National Redoubt.

Unfortunately, Trompenburg wasn’t a succesfull company and it needed much government support to avoid going bankrupt. Raw materials and (spare) parts weren’t available and difficult to acquire. Only in 1915 the first of 14 licensed build Farmans, outdated by then, were delivered. 3 of these were for the MLD.

The development and production of an own airplane didn’t go too well either. An order of 72 fighter planes resulted in only 1 delivered, after the war had already ended. Only some trainers were successfully delivered.

Prototype Trompenburg (Spijker) V.2 on Soesterberg, april 1918
Source: National Military Museum (NMM)

The LVA also tried to buy abroad. Since most of these countries were at war and had better use for them, this proved difficult.

In France, 5 Nieuport-18 CI and 5 Caudron G IV scouts were ordered in 1916. However, they were only delivered in 1918, due to the war circumstances. The planes weren’t leading technology at that time anymore.

Caudron G.IV from the Luchtvaartafdeeling (registratienummer C-427), april-nov 1918
Source: National Military Museum (NMM)

The only successfull import of aircraft happened in 1917, when 10 Fokker D III fighters and 40 Rumpler C VIII scouts were acquired. The first Fokkers arrived in October 1917.

arrival of first Fokker D-II at Soesterberg, October 1, 1917
Source: Dutch Institute of Military History (NIMH)

The first 8 Rumplers arrived in April 1918. With their topspeed of 160 – 180 km/h, compared to 100 km/h for the Farmans, the LVA was getting “ up to speed”.
The costs of these airplanes were fl 370,000. However, due to the shortages in Germany, they were paid with 5,000 young horses.

Another, unexpected, source for strengthening the LVA came from (crash) landing aircraft from the warring parties. In accordance with its neutrality, the government had to intern these (and their crew).
From the 107 that landed in the Netherlands, 69 (other source mentions 30) were used to reinforce the LVA. The rest was damaged too much or used for spare parts.

interned English bomber type De Havilland Airco DH.9 de (registration H433, ex B7620 "A") on Soesterberg, with the Dutch orange markings
Source: National Military Museum (NMM)

Albatros B.I (03) scout plane in hangar 6 on Soesterberg
Source: National Military Museum (NMM)

The countries from which the aircraft were taken over, were paid for them by the Dutch government.

NB: The orange circles om the wings were the Dutch Nationality marks.
In 1921 they were change to the current roundrel, because the orange one looked too close to the Japanese.

1921 LVA roundrel; also currently used for RNLAF
Source: internet

In 1939/1940 it was temporary changed to an inverted orange triangle. Allegedly the Luftwaffe, after shooting at Dutch aircraft, had given the excuses that they looked too much like the RAF markings (need to find confirmation).

LVA roundrel WW2
Source: internet

Besides reinforcing the LVA, interned aircraft also provided an insight in the latest technical developments.

Aerial photography was aided by the internment of a German plane in Venlo in September 1915. The same year LVA started with systematic recording of parts of the defenses. In 1916 a camera made in the Netherlands for this purpose.

Communications between "ground" and "air" also had to be developed. Use was made of existing knowledge within the army, mobilised students and systems acquired via internment. It took time and testing, but in April 1917 for the first time a message was send successfully to an airplane, in July it was also possible to send back. To support this, the army had 3 mobile radiotransmitters, with a range of 150 – 200 km. They came in service in 1916.

The war also increased the load of the Aviation Department:

it had to be able to act defensively against enemy airplanes
it had to be able to bomb enemy positions

What was needed were specialised aircract. In 1917 Walaardt Sacré came with a proposal to increase the strength of the LVA to:

116 fighters
108 scout aircrafts
24 artillery planes
20 trainers

Financial restrictions (high costs) and acquiring problems made that this proposition could not be realised.

The end of the war, strangely enough, made the problem of the (lack of) domestic avation industry disappear. After the armistice, Fokker smuggled / transported most of his inventory (“Several train loads of aeronautical goodies.....over 200 airframes and 400 engines”; thanks to @RichardClem for the additional info) to the Netherlands. After first associating himself with the Trompenburg Factories, he created his own company in 1919.

Documentation used:
“100 jaar luchtmacht” (100 years airforce)
Helfferich, W.
2013

Het luchtmachtboek (the airforce book)
Kaufman, H., Loo, E. van, Winter, R. de [NIMH]
2014

Verre van vredig (Far from peaceful)
Staarman, A [Army museum, currently NMM]
2004

Nederland Neutraal (Netherlands Neutral)
Klinkert, W., Kruizinga, Samuel, Moeyes, P.
2014

Comments are welcome.