AAR of a Dutch map part 1.

[harry_vdk]

Hi,

This is a special AAR of the making of my Dutch map.

This AAR is split within 2 parts, the first why and some background, the second how the map is created.

[harry_vdk]

First will I explain why this map.

As a Dutch medic from the early 80’s stationary within Germany I was always curious what can happens when the balance between east and west wend out of control. That was the reason why I start with “Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm”, but there was a problem, no Dutch available.

This feels strange special with the campaign “Hell on wheels”. This is right within the “Forward Combat Zone” of the Dutch defense sector.

[harry_vdk]

On this point there is a choice: complain of do something.

Complaining is not my style, but I am starting to find out how the game works.

Creating the OOB was to difficult at that moment, Modding guide 4 was not finish and there was a lot of missing information needed to create the data file and a proper campaign/scenario.

But there was a other thing what I could do. Making a map.

After a some experimental maps. “NL Utrecht NW” and “L2722 Sittensen”. I found on the website of PDOK a complete digital topografic download of Holland with a scale of 25k, 50k and 250k. Only the year was not right. But on the site watwaswaar.nl there is a lot of historical maps of Holland.

Next question: which part of the map, Holland is a small country but to big for a single FCRS map.

Looking at the past, Germany invaded Holland in 1940 and start this in the east and a major goal was the resident “Den Haag” and the harbor of “Rotterdam”. A map from "Arnhem" to the coast was not strange to me.

source:"Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog", part II, page 317
http://www.niod.knaw.nl/nl/download

[harry_vdk]

This part of Fall Gelb has a great adaption by VR Designs with his game “Decisive Campaigns: The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris”.

Only his hex resolution are differend.


source: Decisive Campaigns: The Blitzkrieg from Warsaw to Paris.
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/390 ... w.to.Paris.

[harry_vdk]

If we take a closer look to this map above, we can see a small blue area above the light blue arrow. This is a special lowland (dutch) defense method called “Inundatie”. This mean that some part of the land is flooded to block enemy troops. Behind that defence line was a not (yet) active “New Hollandic Waterline”.

This can activated within the game.

When we take a closer look of that area we can see the next situation.

source:"Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog", part III, page 202
http://www.niod.knaw.nl/nl/download

[harry_vdk]

Surprisingly the Germans don’t use this strategy in 1944 as a defense of “Nijmegen” and “Arnhem”. But at the end of the WWII war Holland looks like a filled bathtub.

source:"Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog", part X b 2e, page 1441
http://www.niod.knaw.nl/nl/download

[harry_vdk]

After WWII the “New Hollandic Waterline” was replace by a new version called “IJssel Line”, but this was dismissed at the 60’s.



Information: http://www.ijssellinie.nl/ENGELS/index.html

[harry_vdk]

And now back to the map.

I decide to start with a cross section of Holland. A total of 7 maps and each map was assembled from 9 (3x3) 25k maps and named with the center map (NL 37b 1985, NL 37f 1985 …… NL 40b 1985).



source: Publieke Dienstverlening Op de Kaart
https://www.pdok.nl/en/node
https://www.pdok.nl/nl/producten/pdok-d ... op25raster

[harry_vdk]

But first take a look with some different views. From above (with the Lantsat satellite) its look like this.


source: Local generated image with SAS.Planet.
https://www.openhub.net/p/sasplanet

[harry_vdk]

When we look at the heights we see the a great part of the west lay below the see level.


source: Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
http://ahn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappv ... e7cc106e88
Use filters:
AHN2 ruw - Blauw / Groen /Orange (Statische opmaak)
AGN2 ruw - Hillshade

[harry_vdk]

But if we look whit’s part can be flooded its even worst. Not only from the see but also from the rivers.


source: "Ons water Overstroom ik?"
http://www.overstroomik.nl/hoe-hoog-kom ... ?postcode=

[harry_vdk]

To protect Holland against the water it use dikes and there are “dijkringen”. Every “dijkring” have his own safety level.


source: "Overstromingsgevaar in Nederland"
http://www.floodsite.net/juniorfloodsit ... land1.html

[harry_vdk]

The ground type give an other view. The purple areas are the worst and called “laag veen”.


source: Local generate map with "Grondsoortenkaart 2006 van Alterra" data.

[harry_vdk]

A combination of all the things above have influence the making of the map.

But the making of will be describe with part 2.

[tebeinteresno]

outstanding work!
could you tell me where did you get these data of rivers?
I understand that Holland has a lot of data about that country, but maybe somewhere there is the global database?

[harry_vdk]

Some reference are added, but prepare for a lot of dutch.