[Stellan Bojerud (RIP)]

Dear MLU contributors!

I have received much valuable information from both the Armour and the Softskin fora and in a number of different threads.

An effort to sum up the armoured vehicles of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) follows:

1. In December 1937 four Tanks Vickers-Carden-Loyd (VCL)arrived on Java. 2 Light Tanks M/1934 and 2 Amphibious Tanks M/1931. With these the Proefavdeling Vechtwagens (Tanks Trials Unit) was organized in Bandoeng 15 December 1937. This unit belonged to the Infantry.

2. In 1938 arrived 12 Armoured Cars Alvis-Straussler AC3D. These were first held together in one unit, but later divided on four independant Platoons. In 1939 there were 1st Platoon (Meester Cornelis), 2nd Platoon (Bandoeng), 4th Platoon (Magelang) and 6th Platoon (Malang), each attached to a horse-mounted Cavalry Squadron. The ACs were manned by the Cavalry.

3. In 1939 the Proefavdeling Vechtwagens was redesigned Bataljon Vechtwagens (Tank Btn) in Bandoeng. This Btn was in 1940 divided on three Afdelingen (Which could sometimes mean Btn but also an unit of random size). These units were located in Bandoeng, Magelang and Malang.

4. When White Scoutcars M3A1 and Jeeps arrived on Java (When?) four mounted Cavalry Sqns were mechanized and also the Guards Cav Sqn (Cav LW) with the sultan´s of Jogjakarta (Sqn HQ and 1 Platoon) and Soerakarta (1 Platoon) respectively.
The 5th Cav Sqn remained horse-mounted.

5. In December 1941 there were:
1st Cav Sqn (Cav 1) Meester-Cornelis, W Java (Mjr Wessel)
2nd Cav Sqn (Cav 2) Bandoeng, W Java (Cpt Romswinckel)
3rd Cav Sqn (Cav 3) Magelang, M Java (Cpt De Iongh)
4th Cav Sqn (Cav 4) Malang, E Java (Cpt de Boer)

Each Sqn had HQ (1 White), 1 AC Plat (1 White, 3 Alvis), 2 Jeep Plats (x 11 Jeeps) and a HMG Plat (4 White)

Guards Cav Sqn (Cav LW) in Jogjakarta-Soerakarta had no Alvis ACs, but it is known that it had at least 1 AC Plat White and also 2 (?) Jeep Plats. Possibly it had 10 White of which 3 as substitute for Alvis. (Cpt Lips)

A 6th Cav Sqn (Cav 6) Malang, E Java (Commander not known) was a test and training unit. It was equipped with 9 Overvalwagens.

6. Before the Japanese invasion of Java on 1 March 1942, some vehicles arrived. 80 Marmon-Herrington Tanks CTLS (MH) onboard m/s Straat Soenda which ran aground and sank in Straat Soenda. The ship was salvaged and reached Tandjoeng Priok 28 January 1942.

It is said that several of these Tanks had been under water for a week. In March 1942 most of them were still in crates. I know only of 7 operational in March 1942.

49 Marmon-Herrington Mk III ACs were delivered from South Africa. Two training units (Platoons) were formed with these ACs in Bandoeng. One manned by Infantry (Cpt van Dongen) and one by Cavalry (Cpt van Lier).

7. In December 1941 the Mobiele Eenheid (ME or Mob.E - A small Armoured Btn) was formed in Bandoeng.

Btn CO (Cpt Wulfhorst)
Btn HQ 1 White (1Lt de Wit, ADC)

Tank Coy (Cpt Bakhuis)
Coy HQ 3 VCL
1st Plat 7 MH (1Lt Christan)
2nd Plat 7 VCL (1Lt Cox)
3rd Plat 7 VCL (SMI Verboekend)
SMI = Sergeant-Majoor-Instructeur

Armoured Infantry Coy (Cpt Brendgen)
HQ 1 Overvalwagen (OV)
1st Plat 5 OV (1Lt Rheasa)
2nd Plat 5 OV (1Lt Reep)
3rd Plat 5 OV (AOOI Kampers)
AOOI = Adjudant-Onderofficier-Instructeur (Warrant Officer)

Recce Plat (1Lt van Hellenberg Hubar)
3 White + 6 Jeep
This Plat was in March 1942 sent to Group West (Batavia) and replaced by an improvised Platoon with 3 ACs Marmon-Herrington.

8. Armoured vehicles and carriers:

TANKS VICKERS-CARDEN-LOYD (24). The two first delivered in 1937 were sent to Borneo (Singkawan II AFB) together with one of the Amphibious Tanks (The other was probably defect).

20 VCL M/1936 on Java of which 17 used in the ME.

TANKS MARMON-HERRINGTON CTLS (80)
7 operational with ME. Rest under repair or unpacking.

ARMOURED CARS ALVIS-STRAUSSLER (12)
3 with each Cav 1-4.

ARMOURED CARS WHITE SCOUTCAR M3A1 (40)
1 HQ ME
3 Recce Plat ME (Afd Hubar) - to Group West
6 with each Cav 1-4 = 24.
10 (??) with Cav LW

There are two unaccounted for. Where?

ARMOURED CARS MARMON-HERRINGTON Mk III (49)
3 Recce Plat ME
17 Afd Ritman (= Training Plat van Lier??)
7 Afd van Dongen (Cpt van Dongen, ex-Training Plat Bandoeng)
3 Plat Heshusius (1Lt Heshusius, Cav)
5 Plat Punter (1Lt Punter)
9 Afd Tjepoe (Airfiend defence M Java) - from Cav Depot Salatiga??
3 identified at Tjaroeban (E Java) - but wich unit?
2 identified at Tjiater (W Java) - but wich unit?

Homepage "Henk of Holland" mentions 1st Sqn Bandoeng with HQ 2 MH and 3 Platoons X 4 MH and a 2nd Sqn Bandoeng (= Afd van Dongen?) with 10 MH. It seems however unlikely that these units were called 1st and 2nd Sqns since those units already existed. Probably the new units were Afdelingen.

ARMOURED CARS OVERVALWAGEN (approx 90)
16 Inf Coy ME (Braat type)
9 6th Cav Sqn (Braat?) formed in Malang
7 Marines Btn Soerabaja (Braat)
The rest distributed to various units.
A total of 90 identified.

VICKERS UTILITY CARRIERS (20)
6 with each APLA 1,2,4 and 6 (Heavy Weapons Coys) = 24.

There were 30 AT-guns 47 mm M/1935 Böhler available, so there were not Carriers enough and substituded by trucks.

So there are still white spots to fill in.

I would appreciate all help I gan get to track down the Armoured Units of the KNIL.

With kind regards,

Stellan Bojerud