Overvalwagens!
Army Overvalwagens
There was also a more advanced type of Overvalwagen (picture) commonly known as the type B or "Braat"
after a metalworks in Surabaya, Eastern Java that had part in its production. The Braats were also built in the
second half of 1940, this time for the Dutch East Indies Army (K.N.I.L.) itself, and they are definitely the more
intriguing version. They were designed by K.N.I.L. Engineer Captain Luyke Roskott and were based on a
Chevrolet Cab Over Engine (COE) truck chassis. Braats came in different versions (depending on armament,
but basically the same vehicle):
-Armoured personnel carrier, with an air-cooled Vickers 7.7mm Medium Machine gun, 15 or 16 were used by
the armoured infantry company of the only Dutch East Indies tank battalion (Mobiele Eenheid) at Bandung,
Java;
-Scout/Cavalry version, with several light machine guns. 9 or 12 were used by the 6th Cavalry squadron in
the Surabaya area in 1941-42;
-AA or airport defence version, with one water-cooled Browning .50 AA MG and 4 Vickers's: a real mobile and
armoured gun platform. Several used throughout the Indies during WW2 as well as the Indonesian
Independence War;
-A Marine version was converted by the Dutch Navy and some were armed with the old-fashioned jack of all
trades Navy 3,7cm cannon, that was designed in the 1870's! Not much of a gun, but it did look menacing,
fitted with a shield and all. Water-cooled Vickers Medium machine guns were fitted as well.
After WW2 several Braats were converted by the Dutch Indies railroads into railway draisines that were used
during the Indonesian Independence War (1945-1950). Some survive in Indonesian army museums.
Besides these armament versions there were also differences in hull design. Two main series can be
recognised, which I have called first and second series (see below). There were also minor differences in
some of the first series vehicles, notably regarding the forward gun position (not shown). Braats delivered to
Menado, Northern Celebes/Sulawesi had square sides, not diagonal ones.
Impressive column of Braat
Overvalwagens of the APC or
Cavalry/Scout version. The first 12
vehicles were produced by the end of
1940 on a 1940 Chevrolet 4x2 Cab
Over Engine truck. The vehicles were
driven across Java as a propaganda
measure.
A close-up view. Note the driver's
visor, the air cooled medium machine
gun, the (closed) protected
headlights as well as the forward air
intake. The tyres were "semi-terrain"
tyres, improving the driving
conditions of the Overvalwagens on
bad roads. Off-road capabilities were
limited, especially in the rainy season.
Another shot of the same vehicles. Licence plate
D-numbers denote "Preanger-residentie", which is the
area around present day Bandung.
All K.N.I.L. motorized and cavalry troops wore leather
leggings instead of puttees.
Front armour of the Braats was a fine 20mm, while the
sides and rear had 2x6mm double plating, bottom plate
6mm. Maximum speed 90 km/hr. The vehicle's weight,
depending on armament and crew was up to 6 metric
tons.
This picture shows the crew in a more martial pose.
The 6,5mm Steyr/Mannlicher/Hembrug carbines and
Madsen Light machine guns ("Karabijn-mitrallieurs")
are at the ready.
Just like in the Stadswacht Overvalwagen design, the
Braats also boasted front and rear-wheel armour
plates, that would bring them safely home.
Up to 12 men could be carried in the back.
This dramatic picture (taken by a Japanese trooper)
shows a Braat Overvalwagen that ended up in a ditch.
The crew can be seen surrendering (one K.N.I.L.-trooper
has his arms still up in the air). The commander's hatch
is open. Driver and gunner sat in a semi-enclosed
compartment and were relatively well-protected against
small arms. The crew in the back was extremely
vulnerable to enemy fire from higher angles and hand
grenades. Reportedly, some Braat's were fitted with a
anti-handgrenade cover.
This Braat has been
captured by the Imperial
Japanese Army and has
been adorned with
Japanese flags to avoid
friendly fire. Most Braats
survived the short
fighting on Java and were
taken over by the
Imperial Japanese Army.
The Marine version of the Braat. The vehicle
is similar to the K.N.I.L. ones, except for the
armament. This Marine Braat is equipped
with a slow-firing 3,7cm naval gun behind a
shield. The machinegun in the front position
of the Overvalwagen is a water-cooled
Vickers 6,5 mm medium machine gun. The
Marines formed part of the Dutch Navy
battalion in Eastern Java. Braats and one
Overvalwagen of a different type were used.
Two or three Braat's were equipped with the
3,7 cm gun.
One of the gun trucks would briefly fire its
gun in anger at a Japanese column during
the fighting around Soerabaja in March 1942.
This picture is interesting. It is
from De Grote Patrouille (a
history of the 5th Battalion
Regiment Jagers) during the
Indonesian Independence
War, and shows a Braat
Overvalwagen in Samarinda
(Borneo/Kalimantan) around
1947, fitted with what seems to
be a small octagonal turret. No
armament is visible. The
Samarinda garrison in 1942
had two Overvalwagens and it
is likely this vehicle survived
the war in that place.
After 1945 the Dutch East Indies railroads
(especially the workshops at Manggarai in the
capital) adapted several Braat Overvalwagens
for use on railroads. It was simply welded to a
rail carriage. This vehicle is equipped with a
canvas cover to protect its crew from sun and
hand grenades. This vehicle can be found in a
Jakarta military museum (Picture from Wheels
and Tracks magazine).
1949. Dutch troops protect a train
in Western Java between Garoet
and Tjibatoe inside a Braat
Overvalwagen on rails. Bren guns
are fitted now instead of the
prewar arms. This type of rail
vehicle was nicknamed
"schietwagens" (shooting wagons).
Picture from: Beeldbank/Dutch
National Archives.
Column of first series Braat
overvalwagens, probably
on Java. These seem not
to have been fitted with the
terrain tyres (picture from
Geeft Acht Magazine,
1941).
This picture from the NIOD
website shows a first series
Braat with a fine group of
gentlemen and officers.
There is no clue of who
these might be, but
possibly these are the
designers and producers
of the vehicle?
Not all Braats were the same however. A small number had a different
bonnet: the sides or "cheeks" of the bonnet are bigger. We do not
know as yet the reason for this. A possible explanation might be that a
different chassis was used. I will call this variant the Braat second
series for the moment.
This picture portrays a typical Anti-aircraft Braat after1945 (the Dutch
forces fighting the Indonesian Independence War painted Dutch flags
on their armour as the enemy used many similar vehicles). This vehicle
type, the airfield defence version, was extremely heavily armed: one
.50 water-cooled Colt-Browning heavy machine gun and 4 Vickers 6,5
or 7,7 mm medium machine guns.
This picture (for the month of May 2005) was part
of a Japanese paratrooper's photo-album recently
auctioned on the internet. It shows a Braat second
series Overvalwagen, captured on the N.E.I. island
of Timor. The picture is proof of the fact that this
second series (see the Army Overvalwagens
chapter on this site) was produced in 1941-42
period and not after 1945 as has been suggested.
A large number of second series Braat on a field. The
picture comes from an article by a Marine officer and
may depict Braats on delivery in Surabaya. Though
the quality is meagre, one can easily distinguish the
armoured wheelcabs fitted both rear and front
(courtesy Mariniersmuseum Rotterdam).
This railway conversion is interesting: the
Panser rel V16 (litterally: rail armour) it is
called in Bahasa Indonesia. Two Braats of
the second series have been connected
back to back to form a huge 8-wheel
armoured railway draisine. Extra armour
has been placed below the vehicle and on
top of the sides and a large cover has
been placed on top. Huge radiator grilles
are added as well.
On the right side an antenna is visible.
This vehicle can be found in Bandung.
Picture from Wheels and Tracks Magazine.
Another picture of the same vehicle. Note the
huge side door or hatch in the centre of the
draisine.
The rear ends of the vehicles must have been
cut off before getting welded together. The
interesting question is: wodunnit? The
Japanese most likely, since they converted a
lot of captured material into railway patrolling
vehicles, like Ford Jeeps etc.
The Braat chassis mystery
The first batch of Braats were built on 4x2 Chevrolet Cab Over Engine chassis. No
hard evidence of types and model year exist at this point. There are indications
that the model used may have been civilian "heavy duty" 1939 Chevrolet 4x2 VF
(right-hand-drive) or 1940 Chevrolet 4x2 WE (rhd) imported through General
Motors Tandjong Priok. Similar vehicles have been spotted at GM's facilities (see
picture below).
There are however persistent indications that at least some of the Overvalwagens
were built on 4x4 chassis (GMC, Ford/Marmon-Herrington and other makers come
to mind then). If so, that would have made them ideal
armoured troop carriers and internal security vehicles. So far there is no definite
proof of such 1941/42 4x4 Braats.
After 1945, during the Indonesian Independence War, many armoured vehicles
were recovered and possibly some Braats were converted at that stage to 4x4 by
changing the chassis.This may have fed the confusion on the origin of the
vehicles' chassis.
The picture below is from Bandjir, a publication on the VAC (N.E.I. Women's
Drivers Corps) on Java in 1941-42. It shows the ladies in front of a 1939 or 1940
Chevrolet COE chassis/cab at GM facilities. The top picture shows a similar (but
left-hand-drive) Chevrolet 1939 VH on a French website (Trombinoscar).
Marc Koelich provide photo reports on both the Pansarrels: firstly the one in Jakarta, then the
"double-Braat" in Bandung. Enjoy and thank you Marc!
Lastly, Marc Koelich found a
picture showing a train puffing
through Western-Java mountains.
In front of the engines there are
several flatcars (used to absorb
explosions caused by mines and
other explosive devices) and no
less than two rail-Braats!
