Overvalwagens!
Foreign built armoured cars
K.N.I.L.'s first experience with armoured cars dates from 1933, when the Netherlands East Indies had
their first taste of armoured cars. The MInistry of Colonies ordered two 6 wheel armoured cars to be
built on Krupp 22H143 truck chassis at a Rotterdam shipyard, Wilton-Fijenoord.
The cars had many interesting features, such as a driving
position to the rear and three machine guns (one front, one
rear, one in the turret). Wheels were protected in steel
boxes. The radiator was below front and a single headlight
could disappear in the front armour. As an extra the vehicle
carried 20 handgrenades and 20 teargas grenades. During
riots the outer hull could give electrical shocks to anyone
touching it (Blijleven, Mars et Historia). Note the front
machine gun position. This was a left-hand-drive vehicle.
The two cars were tested on Java, but proved to
cumbersome and heavy for the small roads and wet
fields of the island. There were some problems with
the air-cooled engine, while kerosine had to be
used instead of normal fuel.
This one was pictured with K.N.I.L. troops on Java
during the trials (picture from
geheugenvannederland.nl website). Note the frail
Krupp wheels compared to the sturdy and wide hull.
The cars were duly sold back to Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard. In
1935 the two cars were sold to Brazil, together with a pair of
Ford/Wilton-Fijenoord Armoured personnel carriers. The
picture shows the two Krupp/W-F cars in service with the
Brazilian Special Police in Sao Paulo (read more on Dutch
armoured cars in Brazilian service). Similar cars may have been
delivered by Krupp (that marketed the armoured car as
Polizeistreifenwagen (= in Dutch Overvalwagen!) or
Gepanzerte Radfahrzeug) to China. One more was built by
W-F. It was requisitioned by the Wehrmacht and ended its life
defending the Reichskanzlei in Berlin in 1945.
In 1936 the Dutch colonial authorities again decided
to acquire armoured cars for K.N.I.L. Many different
types and models were studied. The final
competition was between the Austro-Daimler ADKZ,
Deutsche Werke Kiel G31P (later Kfz.231) and a
4x4 model designed by Alvis-Straussler in the U.K.
The latter (picture, from Legerkoerier 1940) was
chosen and twelve cars were ordered, armed with a
water cooled .50 in a small turret and a 6,5mm
Vickers to the left of the driver. These cars were
very advanced at the time, using four wheel
steering. Read all about these cars in this article by
Jacques Jost: Alvis-Straussler Armoured Cars in the
Netherlands East Indies
The twelve cars at first formed four independent
armoured car platoons of three cars each, later
amalgamated with other units into four Cavalry
Squadrons. The designer of these cars, Hungarian
born Nicholas Straussler (a British national since long),
had teamed up with Alvis to produce this model, better
known as the AC3D. A further twelve cars of a slightly
different version were built for the Royal Air Force and
3 more were delivered to Portugal.
The development of the Alvis-Straussler AC3D
The shape and configuration of the AC3D were very similar to the
contemporary German Sd.Kfz 222 Armoured cars (especially the rear end of
the vehicle). Many authors have pointed at the possible influence of the design
of the latter on the Straussler car. What is sure, however, is that the
prototypes during the development phase of the vehicle never showed any
influence by the German car. Note the rounded hull shape in the prototype
shown below right (pictures from Wheels and Tracks). So far no one has ever
claimed that Straussler was influenced in his design of the AC3 and AC3D by
the Krupp/W-F design as shown above. But do compare the images above
and some striking similarities appear: Check out the same single machine-gun
mounted turret: it's size and shape seem at least related. Then compare the
diagonal hull sides, both upper and lower ends. The machine-gun positions at
the front, next to the driver, appear similar in concept. Finally there are some
details, like the disappearing single headlight, that bear clear resemblance.
Overall, the AC3D has the appearance of a smaller, lighter, 4x4 version of the
Krupp/W-F, though front and rear ends are definitely different. This vehicle
was better suited to the conditions of the Netherlands East Indies. Did K.N.I.L.
influence the design in any way?
Early 1941 K.N.I.L. received 40 White Scout Car M3A1 from the USA, These
were used to equip the Cavalry Squadrons on Java (supplementing the
AC3D's) and were armed with a water cooled .50 Colt-Browning and two water
cooled .30 Colt-Browning's on a skate mount. The vehicles were similar to
contemporary US Army vehicles. K.N.I.L. tried to obtain more of these Scout
Cars, but a real order was never placed. The US arms manufacturing industry
ny then had other priorities after that country entered WW2. Many Scout Cars
survived the war and were later used during the Indonesian Independence
War (picture from Indisch Militair Tijdschrift).
Interior view of the White Scout
Car in K.N.I.L. service, mid 1941.
These cars came straight from the
US and were left-hand drives (from
Orient Magazine, August 1941).
Neverthless, A.R. Schmitz of the
Netherlands discovered
documents in White's archives that
reveal the Scout Cars' instruments
had Dutch language markings!
Japanese picture
of two White Scout
Cars on Java,
abandoned by
their K.N.I.L. crews.
The armament is
clearly visible. The
locals seem to be
minding their own
business.
White Scout Car on Aruba,
Dutch West Indies (picture
from the Dutch Beeldbank).
The West Indies received 4
White Scout Cars (Curacao 2
cars, Aruba probably same) on
top of the 40 sent to the East
Indies. Note crew wearing tin
helmets. Armament seems
similar to the cars used on
Java.
We have little visual
evidence of the cars in
Japanese and
Indonesian service.
This is a rare shot of
an impressive column
of Whites in what we
think is PETA
(Indonesian forces set
up by the Japanese)
service.
A large number of White's fell back in Dutch hands after 1945. During 1945-1950 the
White's appear distributed haphazard among the Dutch forces. Here are some examples:
Marmon mystery
According to the Encyclopedia of Armoured Cars by
Duncan Crow and Robert J. Icks, the
Marmon-Herrington Company sold a mysterious scout
car type to the Dutch East Indies. They describe it as:
"1938, T13-type scout car with rear of hull cut off and
re-plated, ring-mounted .30 cal. mg rear of hull, .30
cal. mg pedestal-mounted on right outside, .50 cal. mg
on high pedestal behind right front mudguard, radio
equipped, (...)." There is no evidence of this vehicle
being in K.N.I.L. service as yet. The T13 (pictures) was
one of the forerunners of the White Scout Car. A
re-plated T13 might have looked very similar to the
White Scout Cars but the armament configuration
(which was not uncommon on pre-war US armoured
cars - see also the guntrucks chapter) would have
been easily recognisable.
Click here to read a short history of K.N.I.L. Cavalry by Stellan Bojerud
Prior to W.W.2 K.N.I.L. placed a large order for Vickers
light tanks in the UK. Only a small part of that order was
completed before 1939, by which the British Army
confiscated 49 remaining Vickers light tanks. These served
in the UK as the "Dutchmen". The Dutch authorities
negotiated with the British government for compensation.
This finally came in the form of 49 South African
Reconnaissance Cars MKIII, better known in the British
forces (but incorrectly) as Marmon-Herrington Armoured
Cars. These cars arrived on Java early February 1942,
when war was already raging all over the Dutch East Indies.
Many sources state that these armoured cars arrived without
armament, i.e machine guns and Boys anti-tank rifles. K.N.I.L.
Arsenal (by now very experienced) hurriedly managed to arm
several cars with ex-aircraft Vickers air cooled machine guns
(the same as fitted in the Braat overvalwagens). One machine
gun was placed in the turret, the other one was fitted in a
newly created position to the left of the driver. For this the hull
was converted and partly re-plated. By doing this K.N.I.L.
acquired a unique version of this armoured car! This
configuration was clearly inspired by similar applications in the
Alvis-Straussler and of course the Krupp/Wilton-Fijenoord
(both pictures are form the Dutch Beeldbank and show the
cars during the Indonesian Independence War).
The South African Armoured cars were known to K.N.I.L. as
"Zuid-Afrikaanse pantserauto's". All were operational on Java by March
1st 1942, when the Imperial Japanese Army invaded the island. Some
were in combat, notably during the running battles at Ciater Pass road.
The "Zuidafrikaanse pantserauto's" were distributed as follows: 3 cars
with recce unit Mobiele Eenheid, Bandung; 2 cars north of Bandung;10
cars afd. Van Dongen (incl. platoon Heshusius), Bandung; 5 cars
platoon Punter, Bandung;17 cars afd. Ritman, Bandung; 3 cars at
Tjaroeban, Eastern Java; 9 cars at Tjepoe, Eastern Java. Total: 49
cars. This AWM-picture shows captured cars (not modified by K.N.I.L.)
used by the Japanese in Jakarta in 1945.
Indonesian forces used the Marmon-Herringtons after 1945. Here are some examples:
Many ended up serving with the Dutch again:
To conclude some shots of Japanese armoured units in 1945:
