Discussions of the Cold War in Europe generally revolve around six main
entities: The United States of America, French Republic, United Kingdom,
Federal Republic of Germany, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and German
Democratic Republic however under NATO command other countries contributed
troops and maneuver forces to counter and engage Soviet and Warsaw Pact forces
in the event of armed conflict. One of these entities was the Royal Netherlands
Army, officially known as the Koninklijke Landmacht.
The Army of the Netherlands in the aftermath of the Second World War was
initially comprised of soldiers that had escaped the German invasion and had
been stationed in the United Kingdom during the occupation period. In 1945,
these soldiers returned to a country that had been under totalitarian control
for six years and lay in ruins. As the rebuilding process began, the Dutch Army
benefitted in its rearmament by acquiring materials left in military depots
across the Netherlands. Initial acquisitions included Sherman tanks and other
armored vehicles. As the Cold War began to take shape in the 1950s, the
Netherlands went through an armament upgrade phase replacing these tanks with
705 of the newer British made Centurion tanks and later in the 1960s, the decision
was made to acquire 468 of the West German designed Leopard I main battle tank.
Dutch armored forces were greatly enhanced further beginning in 1981, when
deliveries began of the Leopard II main battle tank.
As part of the NATO deterrence against Soviet aggression in Europe, the
Netherlands contributed three army divisions which would make up I Netherlands
Corps as part of NATOs Northern Army Group. This group of four European Corps
level forces tasked with the defense of the strategically crucial North German
Plain was comprised of I Netherlands Corps alongside forces from the United
Kingdom (I British Corps), Belgium (I Belgian Corps) and West Germany (I German
Corps). Forces from the United States (III Corps) would be held as reserve
units to the NATO contingent with two additional Corps level units available
from France. I Netherlands Corps was comprised of two armored brigades and an
armored infantry brigade organized into two active divisions the 1st and 4th
division, the third division the 5th division was designated a reserve element
to the Corps. Later in 1985, the West German 3rd Panzer Division was added
under Netherlands command for I Netherlands Corps. Of this force only the 41st
Armored Brigade was stationed in West Germany during peacetime.
1 Netherlands Corps or Eerste Legerkorps (1Lk) as it was designated by the
Koninklijke Landmacht maintained its headquarters staff at Apeldoorn near
Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It was broken down as such:
Command Group
Unit
|
Location
|
Peacetime Strength
|
Wartime Strength
|
Staff I Netherlands Corps
Staff Company I
Netherlands Corps
Staff and Staff Company
Administrative Center I Netherlands Corps
|
Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn
Activated in War
|
338
93
Non-Active
|
517
258
450
|
Military
Intelligence and Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
Unit
|
Location
|
Peacetime
Strength
|
Wartime
Strength
|
111 Counter
Intelligence Detachment
101 Military
Intelligence Company
104th
Observation & Reconnaissance Company
|
Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn
Roosendaal
|
48
55
193
|
79
181
261
|
Reconnaissance
Unit
|
Location
|
Peacetime
Strength
|
Wartime
Strength
|
103rd
Reconnaissance Battalion
104th
Reconnaissance Battalion
102nd
Reconnaissance Battalion
105th
Reconnaissance Battalion
53rd
Light Reconnaissance Battalion
|
Seedorf,
West Germany
Nunspeet
-
-
-
|
525
526
-
-
-
|
732
734
735
734
543
|
Driving
School, Band
Unit
|
Location
|
Peacetime
Strength
|
Wartime
Strength
|
I
Netherlands Corps Driving School
Johan Willem
Friso Band
|
Vierhouten
Assen
|
16
82
|
-
82
|
Divisional
Staffs
Unit
|
Location
|
Peacetime
Strength
|
Wartime
Strength
|
Staff and
Staff Company 1st Division
Staff and
Staff Company 4th Division
Staff and
Staff Company 5th Division
|
Arnhem
Harderwijk
Stroe
|
138
138
27
|
229
229
229
|
Unlike American and British Armies, the three divisions of I Netherlands
Corps were not permanently fixed formations. In the event of war the Commander
of the Netherlands Corps would assign brigade and Corps level assets to the divisional
staffs based on the tactical situation at the time. This move made the three divisional
staff formations strictly tactical headquarters with between two to five
brigades under each divisional command. The brigades were to be operational
ready within 48 hours, each with its own artillery, engineer and logistic
support elements. The brigades were the only permanent formations retaining
their solid structure as much as possible.
Dutch army units equipped with Leopard main battle tanks, Land Rover
utility and reconnaissance vehicles, Luchs reconnaissance vehicles, Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles, M113 armored personnel
carriers, and Oerlikon 40mm cannons would be assigned to the command. Artillery
components utilized M109 Paladin and M110 self propelled howitzers, as well as
the LARS and MLRS rocket artillery systems. Aviation components employed Aerospatiale
Allouette II and Messerschmitt Bölkow-Blohm Bo-105 helicopters for
reconnaissance and Army support duties.
In the event
that the Cold War would have gone hot, I Netherlands Corps under NATO’s
Northern Army Group had four main objectives to accomplish:
- Assume responsibility for the corps sector and relieve I German Corps as soon as possible
- Fight the covering force battle in accordance with NATO concept of operations established by the Commander of Northern Army Group
- In the main defensive battle they would hold and destroy the enemy’s leading armies conventionally and as far east and possible while maintaining unit cohesion with I German Corps. In the event of penetration of I Netherlands Corps designated sector, they were to be prepared to hold area between the roads A7 and B3 and to counterattack in accordance with NATO Northern Army Group Command’s concept of operations.
- Maintain cohesion with LANDJUT which was a joint Dutch-German force and secure Northern Army Group’s left flank in the forward combat zone.
The area of responsibility of I Netherlands Corps was in an area general
associated with the British zone of Germany, although it was to cover the
central part of this zone. This area of responsibility included the cities of
Bremerhaven, Garlstedt, Bremen and Stade. It began just south of Hamburg and
north of Celle where I German Corps had responsibility, extending to the Inner
German Border with East Germany and the easterly outskirts of Bremen as its
boundaries. The two active divisions the 1st and 4th Divisions
were to take up positions around Lüneburg and Uelzen with the 5th Division
in the rear areas serving as the corps reserve. In front of the two division
positions, the covering force would operate and engage Warsaw Pact forces. The
41st Armored Brigade would be the central element of the covering
force with elements of the 101st Infantry Brigade and 102nd
and 105th Reconnaissance Battalions securing the rear.
The Corps
while stationed in the Netherlands had to be combat ready within 48 hours of
notification and would then have to deploy 217 miles to its area of
responsibility. With its headquarters in Apeldoorn, I Netherlands Corps was the
only allied military corps asset of NATOs Northern Army Group with its
headquarters not located in the territories of the Federal Republic of Germany.
With most of its forces in a state of inactive service, upon the initiation of
a state of war, NATO commanders noted the Dutch Corps would have to mobilize
some 60% of its forces before it was ready to deploy in support of combat
operations. This negative aspect was seen by NATO commanders as leaving the
left flank of Northern Army Group open for attack until the Corps could respond
and counter the impending Warsaw Pact advance. This would remain a major
concern for NATO commanders up until the end of the Cold War.
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