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armored train detachment, still trapped in the ditch, prepared to breakout. Around 14:00, the Dutch
Hussars appeared to reinforce the line. Some relieved the soldier who had single-handedly defended his casemate from the Germans, and then proceeded to recapture the three adjacent to him. A German recon squad appeared, but was forced to retreat under heavy fire from the hussars. Had they found the armored train soldiers and attempted to link up with them, the entire defensive line would have been compromised. Artillery support from the battalion west of Mill check the Germans' advance. Frustrated by this lack of progress, Lieutenant General
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attacked the northern portion of the defense line, but failed to kill any Dutch soldiers or destroy any casemates. The infantry then launched its attack, and heavy fighting ensued. By 22:00 the
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In the north, the
Germans launched an attack on a Dutch company stationed in a small forest. By 11:00, after several hours of fighting with grenades and flamethrowers, they cleared the area and moved up to the railway. At noon the rest of the German force arrived, engaging the Dutch defense line. The
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field guns. A company of engineers was also stationed in the area, responsible for barricading roads and prepping bridges for demolition. They were equipped with a special railway barricade referred to as "asparagus". During the battle smaller units would be ordered to reinforce the position at Mill.
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German forces then advanced along the rail line towards Mill. Along the way they encountered 10 casemates, whose weapons were pointed southeast and were caught completely by surprise. The
Germans promptly captured 9 of them. They flanked the tenth one and captured most of its crew, but one soldier
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field gun, which had already been retired. It was equally surprised to see the
Germans behind their position. The Dutch quickly turned their guns and opened fire, albeit only one gun at a time. The Germans sustained relatively heavy casualties and after about an hour decided to withdraw to nearby
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At 07:30 the 2nd
Hussars-Motorcyclist Regiment found the operational German troop train south of Mill. Armed with anti-tank guns and heavy machine guns, they quickly disabled the locomotive and boarded the train. Inside they found Dutch uniforms that had been used by commandos to take the border
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Over the course of the fighting the Dutch suffered 30 killed and 50 wounded. In the village, 9 civilians were killed. While figures for the
Germans are incomplete, it is estimated that they sustained over 500 casualties. The Dutch defense had allowed for the escape of larger forces further into
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Unable to stop in time, the armoured train crashed into the obstruction, derailing and sending the first carriage into the ditch. The small unit on board quickly disembarked and captured two away-facing casemates. They were then pinned down by rifle and machine gun fire, and retreated to train.
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at 04:30. The Dutch forces, unaware of the invasion, had been completely surprised and didn't have time to open fire. The German troops disembarked at the
Zeeland train station and radioed that they had successfully penetrated the Dutch lines. Disappointed that they hadn't made contact with the
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Another company sneaked through unoccupied trenches and launched an attack on the Dutch casemates at the road between Mill and Volkel. The Dutch sustained some casualties, but returned fire, forcing the
Germans to withdraw to the troop train.
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Unable to penetrate the armor plating with their machine guns and rifles, the Dutch called in artillery support. This forced the
Germans to take cover in the ditch, unable to effectively return fire. At around 05:00, General
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for several reasons. The eastern approach was covered by thick forest, there was no swampland in front, and once inside there would be a number of roads and nearby railway that could be used to push westward.
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Dutch, the armoured train was sent back to the border. Now fully aware of the situation, Dutch engineers installed the asparagus barricade over the tracks and reinforced it with several mines.
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The Germans planned to spearhead the assault with two trains carrying the 3rd battalion of the 481st regiment. They were to be shortly thereafter joined by the rest of the
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Meanwhile, a company of Germans that had been dropped off in Zeeland headed northeast to flank the Dutch casemates on the defense line. They ran into the
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It was planned that they be backed up by the Dutch 3rd Army Corps, but this was not to be. Overall, the Dutch would utilise approximately 2,000 men.
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refused to surrender and slammed the door shut. He then proceeded to fire wildly through the casemate's loopholes, forcing the Germans to back off.
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intact and that a train had broken through near Mill. He was authorised to dispatch the 2nd Hussars-Motorcyclist Regiment to reinforce the town.
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ordered an all out assault on the line. The Germans were forced to delay, though, because their heavy artillery had still not crossed the
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battalion which they did not know was present. This was a new unit which had arrived only shortly before. It was armed with the old
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By 18:00, heavy German howitzers arrived, backed up by an infantry regiment. The Germans prepared to launch their assault. 37
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in 1940. Although the Germans broke through, they suffered heavy casualties and were delayed in their advance by one day.
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the armoured train unit, who they at first misidentified as Dutch soldiers. A rearguard covered the Dutch withdrawal to
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would mean that the whole division wouldn't reach Mill until noon. They would be without their heavy artillery.
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and troop train passed through the border unopposed and arrived in the town of
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until 04:00 on 11 May, while heavier fighting continued in the north.
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in the area was an anti-tank ditch lined with barbed wire and 47
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Battles and operations of World War II involving the Netherlands
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Military Operations in the Netherlands from 10th-17th May, 1940
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posts. The hussars set the train on fire as they departed.
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1374:"May 1940: The Battle for the Netherlands - Book Review"
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1307:breached, they could now advance into the country.
149:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
1153:along the Peel-Raam line on the first day of the
1322:List of German military equipment of World War II
435:heavy damage inflicted upon the surrounding farms
1317:List of Dutch military equipment of World War II
1201:. However, issues with transportation over the
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1145:was a day long struggle in and around the
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1479:Battles of World War II involving Germany
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1489:Germany–Netherlands military relations
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1447:stichtingsporenvandeoorlog.nl
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1123:Raids on the Atlantic Wall
1118:Strategic Bombing Campaign
1499:History of Land van Cuijk
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1494:History of North Brabant
1414:Doorman, P.L.G. (1944).
1474:1940 in the Netherlands
1199:256th Infantry Division
428:1 troop train destroyed
91:more precise citations.
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341:Commanders and leaders
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816:Battle of Britain Day
414:Casualties and losses
1351:"The battle at Mill"
1288:South Willem's Canal
1113:Defence of the Reich
594:The Heligoland Bight
143:improve this article
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354:A. A. van Nijnatten
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141:Please help
136:verification
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1442:mill1940.nl
1380:4 September
1213:The German
1149:village of
1001:Blockbuster
909:Netherlands
864:Dieppe Raid
659:Afsluitdijk
584:River Forth
517:Afsluitdijk
323:Netherlands
291:Netherlands
89:introducing
1458:Categories
1408:References
1276:Maas river
1251:8 cm staal
1203:Maas river
1191:8 cm staal
1187:field guns
1161:Background
1008:Lumberjack
878:Baby Blitz
843:Donnerkeil
801:Kanalkampf
724:Montcornet
629:Maastricht
608:Luxembourg
578:Phoney War
512:Grebbeberg
487:Maastricht
421:50 wounded
399:15 mortars
169:newspapers
72:references
36:improve it
1328:Citations
1294:Aftermath
1247:artillery
1183:casemates
1108:The Blitz
1091:Nuremberg
1086:Heilbronn
1071:Frankfurt
1056:Paderborn
1034:Undertone
987:Veritable
980:Blackcock
872:1944–1945
829:1941–1943
763:Abbeville
644:Rotterdam
639:The Hague
502:Rotterdam
497:The Hague
419:30 killed
42:talk page
1311:See also
1076:WĂĽrzburg
955:2nd Alps
949:Nordwind
891:Chastity
884:Overlord
836:Cerberus
822:Sea Lion
806:Adlertag
780:1st Alps
739:Boulogne
695:Gembloux
600:Wikinger
383:Strength
282:Location
199:May 2015
97:May 2015
1437:Saak.nl
1357:6 March
1254:woods.
1219:Zeeland
1096:Hamburg
1066:TF Baum
1048:Varsity
1041:Plunder
1019:Cologne
1014:Remagen
994:Grenade
972:Germany
938:Scheldt
898:Dragoon
794:Britain
749:Dunkirk
671:Belgium
649:Zeeland
507:Zeeland
335:Germany
183:scholar
85:improve
1240:Gennep
1209:Battle
1081:Kassel
1027:Gisela
926:Aachen
755:Dynamo
744:Calais
729:Saumur
712:France
700:La Lys
683:Hannut
397:30,000
298:Result
289:, the
185:
178:
171:
164:
156:
74:, but
1147:Dutch
943:Bulge
932:Queen
774:Paula
768:Lille
734:Arras
719:Sedan
689:David
388:2,000
190:JSTOR
176:books
1382:2016
1359:2022
1167:Mill
1151:Mill
1141:The
1061:Ruhr
634:Mill
589:Saar
492:Mill
287:Mill
274:Date
162:news
1169:in
145:by
1460::
1390:^
1336:^
45:.
1384:.
1361:.
556:e
549:t
542:v
464:e
457:t
450:v
230:)
224:(
212:)
206:(
201:)
197:(
187:·
180:·
173:·
166:·
139:.
110:)
104:(
99:)
95:(
81:.
52:)
48:(
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