1/72 Hasegawa "Dutch" P-40N

Gallery Article by Clarence Wentzel

 

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A "what if" article.....

On May 10, 1939 the German Luftwaffe launched it’s attack on Holland as a prelude to the attack on France.  The British, recognizing how the Nazi’s had attacked and overcome Denmark and Norway, immediately came to the assistance of Holland and stopped the German advance.  France then beefed up the Maginot Line with lots of anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns and they, along with the British reinforced Belgium as well.  The result was a rapid stalemate.  The British, French, Belgiums and Dutch held their own but could not advance on Germany.  Likewise the Germans could not advance but could easily hold their own ground. 

The Nazi high command then decided to back off of their invasion of the west and attack Russia on the East.  Because they attacked before Russia had a chance to mobilize to any great extent, Germany was able to conquer Russia.  They were able to take Stalingrad before the winter weather of 1939 set in.  The next year, they pushed north to Leningrad and south to Kiev.  During 1941, Germany advanced to Moscow, effectively eliminating the Russian government.  1942 was spent consolidating their control of Russia and starting to import raw materials from the conquered areas.  This activity was hampered by an intense Russian underground organization, which continued to inflict casualties on the German forces.

 

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The entry of the US into the war as a result of the attack on Pearl Harbor was too late to help Russia but did offer the western allies a new source of supplies.  In 1943, the Dutch, who had continued to fight a holding action against the Germans, received a new batch of the latest P-40 aircraft.  These N models were immediately integrated into the 1st Ja Va Squadron and adopted the famous Three White Mice markings.  The leading Dutch ace, Captain H. J. van Overvest immediately fell in love with the new airplane and expanded his score to 37 aerial victories.  The allied invasion force gradually built up at Antwerp and Amsterdam and in 1944, started the push into Germany, which finally ended in Hitler’s suicide in Moscow in 1946.  

The P-40s that had been supplied to the “low countries” were one of the key elements in containing the German western expansion plans thus leading to the eventual Allied victory.

Clarence Wentzel

      

Photos and text © by Clarence Wentzel