A troubled existence
Throughout H.I.H.'s existence many doubts remained
about the true intentions of its owners. The Dutch
socialist press warned that H.I.H. was part of a secret
attempt to rearm Germany, that it was a secret
Rheinmetall or Krupp daughter and delivering arms to
foreign dictatorships.
Though we have no concrete data, H.I.H. probably
sold at least part of its original inventory to foreign
customers. The Krimpen depot is still mentioned in
documents dating from the late 1920s. A German report
assured the German government the stocks were safe
and well taken care of, so they were keeping an eye on
them. At the same time a Dutch report talks of
inquiries by a worried French government official in
Holland.
The French expressed their concerns about the gun
depot and warned the Dutch government for
dangerous liaisons with “German-led” arms companies
like Bofors and H.I.H. The Dutch responded that the
gun parts in the depot were no danger at all and only
fit to assemble outdated WW1 era guns. In case of war
the Krimpen depot would be confiscated by the
Dutch. According to Castellan the French
investigations led to the conclusion that
H.I.H.'s involvement in the clandestine rearmament of
Germany could not be proven.
H.I.H. probably was no important factor in
Rheinmetall's development. It produced some
experimental artillery pieces or prototype designs, but
it is unclear how crucial these were to Rheinmetall's
technological progress. H.I.H.'s core business seemd
to have been the modernisation of Rheinmetall WW1
era vintage guns. By the 1930s these were of course not
modern enough to compete with completely new
designs of other companies.
Production capacities were never great. According to
Castellan, French intelligence estimated the factory
capable of turning out just 4 guns a month. H.I.H. did
not work for Rheinmetall alone: some guns for the
Dutch forces were probably unique local designs.
H.I.H. also produced a large batch of French-designed
Stokes-Brandt mortars for the Dutch State Arsenal.
The H.I.H.-Rheinmetall cooperation was at least a
mariage de raison: born out of a business opportunity
rather than a political conspiracy. The link-up was to
bring Dutch businessmen as well as Rheinmetall some
profits. It kept engineers and skilled workmen at work.
After WW1 these had been in overwhelming supply, as
the thousands of Dutch workers at Krupp and other
factories had returned home.
The Dutch take control
By 1930 Rheinmetall decided it no longer had
substantial interest in H.I.H. The company was
dissolved and all stocks and machinery were taken over
by a new one: H.I.H. Siderius N.V., founded in
december 1930. This new company was set up with
Dutch capital (Rheinmetall remained a minority
shareholder with about 8% of all shares) and the
management this time was Dutch, though many
German engineers and staff remained in service. Big
names from Dutch contemporary political and business
leaders show up in lists of the company's commissarissen.
With Rheinmetall in the backseat, H.I.H. Siderius
could now be called a genuine Dutch attempt to start
a private arms manufacturing industry. According to
Castellan this attempt had received the backing of the
"Dutch government", which had also become one of
the major shareholders through an unspecified
intermediary. Relations with the Dutch authorities
became cordial indeed and several orders were placed.
A proving range was arranged at Petten, operated
together with the Dutch Navy.
Small orders were received from China, Turkey and
Spain and the Dutch Navy bought several gun types.
The 1931 catalogue of the company shows an extensive
line of artillery on offer. A list of employees reveals
many Spanish and Turkish names among the Dutch
and German ones.
A golden future seemed in store.
The End
But demand for guns was low in the early 1930s. The
failure to gain a strong position on the local Dutch
market, the economically disadvantageous period of
the early 1930s, the technologically outdated basic gun
designs and the developments in Germany were to
make sure the days of H.I.H. Siderius were numbered.
There was obviously no place for a private arms
manufacturer in the Netherlands.
The definite blow to H.I.H. Siderius came from
abroad. With Hitler firmly in power from 1933, both
Krupp and Rheinmetall were under pressure to move
their foreign operations and engineers back to the
fatherland. Swiss-based Solothurn, another
Rheinmetall undertaking, would soon be dissolved.
The close relation between Krupp and Bofors was to
end in the 1934/35 period.
H.I.H. Siderius finally closed down in 1934, its
liquidiation eventually settled in 1941. Equipment was
taken over by the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard, some
miles down river, in 1934. The remaining guns in the
Krimpen depot disappeared to Germany and the shed
at the former Otto Shipyard became a church in 1936.
Continue to the next page (3 of 8): The guns of H.I.H.
and H.I.H. Siderius
Throughout H.I.H.'s existence many doubts remained
about the true intentions of its owners. The Dutch
socialist press warned that H.I.H. was part of a secret
attempt to rearm Germany, that it was a secret
Rheinmetall or Krupp daughter and delivering arms to
foreign dictatorships.
Though we have no concrete data, H.I.H. probably
sold at least part of its original inventory to foreign
customers. The Krimpen depot is still mentioned in
documents dating from the late 1920s. A German report
assured the German government the stocks were safe
and well taken care of, so they were keeping an eye on
them. At the same time a Dutch report talks of
inquiries by a worried French government official in
Holland.
The French expressed their concerns about the gun
depot and warned the Dutch government for
dangerous liaisons with “German-led” arms companies
like Bofors and H.I.H. The Dutch responded that the
gun parts in the depot were no danger at all and only
fit to assemble outdated WW1 era guns. In case of war
the Krimpen depot would be confiscated by the
Dutch. According to Castellan the French
investigations led to the conclusion that
H.I.H.'s involvement in the clandestine rearmament of
Germany could not be proven.
H.I.H. probably was no important factor in
Rheinmetall's development. It produced some
experimental artillery pieces or prototype designs, but
it is unclear how crucial these were to Rheinmetall's
technological progress. H.I.H.'s core business seemd
to have been the modernisation of Rheinmetall WW1
era vintage guns. By the 1930s these were of course not
modern enough to compete with completely new
designs of other companies.
Production capacities were never great. According to
Castellan, French intelligence estimated the factory
capable of turning out just 4 guns a month. H.I.H. did
not work for Rheinmetall alone: some guns for the
Dutch forces were probably unique local designs.
H.I.H. also produced a large batch of French-designed
Stokes-Brandt mortars for the Dutch State Arsenal.
The H.I.H.-Rheinmetall cooperation was at least a
mariage de raison: born out of a business opportunity
rather than a political conspiracy. The link-up was to
bring Dutch businessmen as well as Rheinmetall some
profits. It kept engineers and skilled workmen at work.
After WW1 these had been in overwhelming supply, as
the thousands of Dutch workers at Krupp and other
factories had returned home.
The Dutch take control
By 1930 Rheinmetall decided it no longer had
substantial interest in H.I.H. The company was
dissolved and all stocks and machinery were taken over
by a new one: H.I.H. Siderius N.V., founded in
december 1930. This new company was set up with
Dutch capital (Rheinmetall remained a minority
shareholder with about 8% of all shares) and the
management this time was Dutch, though many
German engineers and staff remained in service. Big
names from Dutch contemporary political and business
leaders show up in lists of the company's commissarissen.
With Rheinmetall in the backseat, H.I.H. Siderius
could now be called a genuine Dutch attempt to start
a private arms manufacturing industry. According to
Castellan this attempt had received the backing of the
"Dutch government", which had also become one of
the major shareholders through an unspecified
intermediary. Relations with the Dutch authorities
became cordial indeed and several orders were placed.
A proving range was arranged at Petten, operated
together with the Dutch Navy.
Small orders were received from China, Turkey and
Spain and the Dutch Navy bought several gun types.
The 1931 catalogue of the company shows an extensive
line of artillery on offer. A list of employees reveals
many Spanish and Turkish names among the Dutch
and German ones.
A golden future seemed in store.
The End
But demand for guns was low in the early 1930s. The
failure to gain a strong position on the local Dutch
market, the economically disadvantageous period of
the early 1930s, the technologically outdated basic gun
designs and the developments in Germany were to
make sure the days of H.I.H. Siderius were numbered.
There was obviously no place for a private arms
manufacturer in the Netherlands.
The definite blow to H.I.H. Siderius came from
abroad. With Hitler firmly in power from 1933, both
Krupp and Rheinmetall were under pressure to move
their foreign operations and engineers back to the
fatherland. Swiss-based Solothurn, another
Rheinmetall undertaking, would soon be dissolved.
The close relation between Krupp and Bofors was to
end in the 1934/35 period.
H.I.H. Siderius finally closed down in 1934, its
liquidiation eventually settled in 1941. Equipment was
taken over by the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard, some
miles down river, in 1934. The remaining guns in the
Krimpen depot disappeared to Germany and the shed
at the former Otto Shipyard became a church in 1936.
Continue to the next page (3 of 8): The guns of H.I.H.
and H.I.H. Siderius
1931 H.I.H. Siderius catalogue contents
1929 advertisement in the Dutch army
magazine Ons Leger
magazine Ons Leger
Lone survivor? An 8,8cm No3 Dutch navy
submarine gun has been preserved at
Overloon War and Resistance Museum
submarine gun has been preserved at
Overloon War and Resistance Museum