Other Forces

Demolition work

A Dutch Army officer (far right) oversees Dutch soldiers fitting a tree with explosive charges in order to clear the firing line of a fort on the Stelling van Amsterdam (Defense Line of Amsterdam); a 135 km (83 miles) long ring of fortifications around the city of Amsterdam. With war already declared between the British, French and Germans, the Dutch began mobilizing their forces on 28 August 1939. Despite its policy of neutrality, the Netherlands was invaded on the morning of 10 May 1940, without a formal declaration of war, by German forces moving simultaneously into Belgium and Luxembourg. After five days of intense fighting, the Dutch officially surrendered to Germany on 15 May 1940. Near Amsterdam, Netherlands. Autumn 1939. Image and info sourced from BATRAC International taken from fb/The France and Flanders Campaign 1940