Vesting "Fortress" Holland 1940

Dutch morale is subject to decrease based on German accomplishments. Dutch surrender will be governed by the engine variable which correlates with a percentage chance that Holland will surrender. Every time the variable reaches a multiple of 10, there is that percentage chance that the Dutch will surrender. Variable is calculates as follows:

This is for those who would like to mirror the German Airborne plan.

7th Flieger HQ and assets - landed near Waalhaven and assisted attacks on Rotterdam and Dordrecht

At the outbreak of World War Two, Holland intended to remain neutral as it had done in the First World War War. However, this was not to be case as Germany needed Holland as an airbase to allow the Luftwaffe to strike at England. Holland's defense strategy was to conduct a delaying action on the border while its field army slowly withdrew to "Fortress Holland." The "fortress" was a name only as it relied on the numerous canals and rivers and their flooding to stop any invader. The southern boundary was the Maas River and the eastern border was the Eem river where the Dutch had built many fortifications overlooking a flooded plain which was called the "Grebbe Line." Inside Fortress Holland, was Holland's biggest cities and the highest population density in Europe. The fortress units would defend this area long enough to allow the French 7th Army to link up them along the coast and provide a life line of support. On May 10th, 1940, German forces under the 18th Armee crossed the Dutch-German frontier and attacked border units. Elements of the 7th Flieger (Parachute) Division and 22nd Luftlande (Glider) Division landed on Fotress Holland proper. The paratroopers captured the Moerdijk Bridge which was a needed bridge needed to crack the "fortress". Also, paratroopers landed near Dordrecht to capture its bridge and more landed at Waalhaven near Rotterdam to capture its bridge as well. Capture of these bridges would allow the XXXIX Panzer Korps with the 9th Panzer and SS Verfungs Division to crack the fotress. The Glider borne troops would land at Rotterdam and airfields around Den Haag with the mission of capturing the Royal family and the capital. The brave Dutch were simply outclassed. Its forces were using outdated equipment and had no armored vehicles at all save some outdated armored cars guarding airfields. The German Army had no problem slicing through Dutch defenses even in the soggy polder terrain. However, the Dutch threw massive attacks against the German paratrooper and glider troops in the fotress. For several days, the Germans held on by their fingernails as the Dutch almost succeeded in annhilating the paras and many Germans were captured. By the 14th of May, after 4 days of fighting, Dutch morale had evaporated as the German paratroopers had held on and the first elements of the XXXIX Panzer Korps were passing through Rotterdam. The Dutch surrendered the General Student, commander of the German airborne effort. French forces under the 7th Army were easily defeated near Breda and Tilburg began withdrawing from Antwerp.

This scenario is not balanced and should not be judged as such. This scenario is about survival. Indeed, if the Dutch forces remain in the game without surrendering, it should be considered a small victory. If the Dutch can keep the German 18th Armee out of France for two weeks, then it could have allowed some breathing space for the Anglo-French forces and would have put a damper on cutting the Allies off at Dunkirk. This is an interesting battle and I think people who like to play the underdog will especially enjoy it. This battle was Germany's "Market Garden" and they succeeded. This operation and the Eben Emael success gave much credit to General Student's modern concept of airborne forces and became the model of airborne forces around the world.