Five Brothers and a War

1940 Summary

DATE

EVENT

Jan 13, 1940

The Dutch as well as the Belgian military increase their level of alertness.

Apr 09

Denmark and Norway invaded.

Apr 19

The Dutch declare martial law.

Apr 28

A controversial interview with Mussert is broadcast by US radio station CBS.

May 03 & 04

Dutch police arrests 21 Nazis and communists.

Colonel Sas, Dutch military embassy official at Berlin, warns again of an impending attack. His alarm is ignored by superiors. Without declaring war, the German Wehrmacht rolls across the borders to occupy Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and France. Dutch airbases at Waalhaven, Ypenburg, Valkenburg, Ockenburgh, Texel, Den Helder, Bergen aan Zee, Schiphol, Hilversum, Gilze Rijen, Souburg and Haamstede are attacked by Luftwaffe bombers. Airborne troops land in western part of the country. Dutch lines breached. Two members of cabinet fly to London to solicit help. Proclamation by Queen. Mass arrest of Nazis and communists. Limburg, Overijssel and Achterhoek overrun. All IJssel-bridges blown-up but Germans cross the river at Doesburg and Zwolle. French and English army units arrive. Battle for Grebbe-line. Dutch army resistance in North Brabant collapses. Dutch counter-attacks fail. In various locations, Germans meet unexpectedly stiff resistance. Wide-spread confusion among army units. German tanks cross Moerdijk bridge. Crown princess with family evacuates on board of HMS Codrington. Churchill meets Dutch ministerial delegation. Breda evacuated. Cabinet advises Koningin Wilhelmina to leave country, who then departs on board of HMS Hereward. Cabinet transfers authority to General Winkelman, evacuates too. Germans lose heavily at Kornwerderzand, beaten back. Oil refineries put to torch. Heavy fighting near bridges of Rotterdam. Army draws back to Grebbe-line. Luftwaffe bombs Rotterdam, over 1,000 casualties, threaten to do the same to other Dutch cities. Winkelman orders army to stop fighting. Winkelman signs capitulation, excludes Zeeland where Dutch, Belgian and French troops continue battle. (Hitler planned to take Holland in one day. The ill-equipped Dutch delayed the Blitzkrieg long enough to allow Belgium and France more time to organize resistance.) The first illegal pamphlet, Geuzenbericht , appears.

May 09

May 10

May 11

history

May 12

May 13

May 14

May 15

May 16

Press monitoring and censorship commences.

May 17

Middelburg's city core destroyed by Luftwaffe.

Five Brothers and a War

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