Matrix Games Forums

Sorry if this has been answered but I couldn't find it. This is a stock game, started on v1.01.23, and updated to .25 (but I know the discrepancy was already there in .23)

Why is the 3rdBG/90thBS - B-25C Mitchell (a dutch plane) using art with Dutch markings, and pulling replacements from the Dutch B-25C pool, showing as a US Army Squadron?

It's upgrade path is American as are its pilot pools and leader. So it won't be constrained to the limited Dutch pools.

Just wondering if there's an error... or if not what the reasoning is. Thanks !

I am not positive, but I think the Dutch government in exile (in Canada, in fact) paid for some aircraft but did not have the pilots to man them so the USAAF provided. This would be similar to the rulers of Malaya buying a Queen Elizabeth class BB (named Malaya - go figure) and giving it to the RN to operate.

Stock or mod scenario? And which one?....GP

Stock scenario 1. Nothing fancy.

The 90th BG was equipped in Australia with B-25s that had been bought by the Dutch government and arrived in Australia about the time Java was invaded. The B-25s were sitting on an airfield in Brisbane (I think) in limbo when discovered by 5th AF's top engineering officer, Pappy Gunn and they were essentially stolen. So this one unit has the ability to draw B-25s from the Dutch pool of B-25s. It's up to the player to decide if the Dutch or the 5th AF wins the battle for who gets these B-25s.

Bill

Pappy Gunn (perfect name) was one of my favorite figures in the Pacific War.

T Rav

Awesome, I knew it would be some type of really cool situation like that which I didn't know about. Thanks!

The Australian Air Force also gets some squadrons of Dutch planes.

Bill, thanks for the info. I haven't played a game that far in for a while due to testing this and that. But I do remember that unit having the pick of the litter. But if the BG is out fitted in OZ, why does it start in EUSA?....GP

They really should show up full of pilots, but no aircraft. Here is a brief part of the story:

http://www.ozatwar.com/3lbg.htm

This has a section on the stealing of the B-25s:
http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/the-north-american-b-25-mitchell-bomber/

Thank you Bill. Good reading. I guess maybe this is one of those units that I'll fix in the mod I'm working on....GP

Being Dutch I can't hold myself from adding a little bit of history.

ORIGINAL: wdolson

The 90th BG was equipped in Australia with B-25s that had been bought by the Dutch government and arrived in Australia about the time Java was invaded. The B-25s were sitting on an airfield in Brisbane (I think) in limbo when discovered by 5th AF's top engineering officer, Pappy Gunn and they were essentially stolen. So this one unit has the ability to draw B-25s from the Dutch pool of B-25s. It's up to the player to decide if the Dutch or the 5th AF wins the battle for who gets these B-25s.

Bill

In fact the main parts of the Dutch government fled the country together with the Queen and royal family. They joined other exiled victims of the Germans in London! They, the Dutch Government in exile and the Queen, stayed there for the duration of the Dutch occupation. There is some Canada involved in this. The Queen's daughter (Princess Juliana, heir to the throne) and grandchildren (all daughters/granddaughters) were transfered to Canada for safekeeping.

So the remains of the Dutch Empire, being the occupied Netherlands, large parts of Indonesia (Dutch East Indies), Surinam and some Caribbean Islands, were governed from London. In part this saved the idea of an independent country even after Japan controlled the Dutch East Indies.

In Europe all different strategies by different countries in maintaining some way of self-government during German occupation make for a very interesting part of WW2 history. Which makes me think it would probably be similar for Japanese occupied countries. Although I've never seen any material on that issue. Does it exist???

Concerning the Dutch B-25's, they eventually ended up as part of the RAAF 18 Squadron flown by Dutch NEI pilots. An interesting read is this webpage of the Australian War Memorial

Cheers!