The Royal Netherlands Navy of World War II

A new history of the development of the Dutch fleet in the early 20th century, and the role these warships played in World War II, from the defense of Rotterdam to the Battle of the Java Sea and beyond.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, a combination of coastal defense for the homeland and fleet defense for the East Indies became the established naval strategy for the Royal Dutch Navy and set the template for the world wars. Battleships were too expensive to build and maintain, so af...