Henri Gerard Winkelman (August 17, 1876 - December 27, 1952) was a Dutch General best known for his command of the Dutch troops during the German invasion of the Netherlands. August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Flag of Maastricht. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (362nd in leap years). ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Soesterberg is a village in the municipality of Soest, Utrecht, Netherlands, with a population of about 7,000. ... August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (362nd in leap years). ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Combatants Kingdom of the Netherlands Nazi Germany Commanders Henry G. Winkelman, Jan Joseph Godfried baron van Voorst tot Voorst Fedor von Bock (Army Group B) Strength 9 divisions, 676 guns, 1 tank (inoperational), 124 aircraft Total: 350,000 men 22 divisions, 1,378 guns, 759 tanks, 1150 aircraft Total: 750...

Pre-war

Winkelman was born in Maastricht as the son of Julius Hendrik Winkelman and Charlotte Henriëtte Braams. After he completed his secondary education he attended the Royal Military Academy (KMA) in Breda. His goal was to become an officer in the KNIL, the Dutch Colonial Army. During his training he adjusted his goal and became an infantry officer, he was promoted to Lieutenant in 1896. He married Arendin Jacomina Coert in 1902 who would give him 2 sons and 2 daughters. After being successfully educated in the art of war, he began to climb up the ranks of the Dutch army. In 1913 he was promoted to Captain, in 1923 he became a Major and in 1931 he had made it to be a General and became the commander of the Dutch 4th division. In 1934 he became a lieutenant General and left the military after an honorary discharge because General I.H. Reijnders was chosen as supreme commander. However, being a retired officer, he remained active in a number of ways, mostly in a passive way by giving advise. Flag of Maastricht. ... The Royal Military Academy was founded in 1741 in Woolwich, south-east London. ... KMA is a three letter abbreviation which can mean several things: The Koninklijke Militaire Academie, a military academy in the Netherlands KMA Broadcasting, owner of several Iowa radio stations Kuwait Medical Association, a medical association in Jabriya, Kuwait The Korean Military Academy, a military academy in South Korea This is... Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. ... KNIL is an acronym for Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger or the Royal Dutch Indies Army. ... Lieutenant is a military, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... A General is an officer of high military rank. ...

When the war began in September 1939 and the Dutch had mobilised their army, there was a lot of friction between Adriaan Dijxhoorn, the Dutch secretary of defence, and the supreme commander Reijnders leading to the latter’s discharge. This proved to be risky situation as the Netherlands now lacked a commander in chief. After a brief meeting of the Dutch cabinet Winkelman was summand to The Hague (the seat of the Dutch government) and was offered to become the new Dutch commander. He accepted. Supreme Commander is a computer game of the real-time strategy (RTS) genre, developed by Chris Taylors Gas Powered Games and slated for release sometime in 2007. ... Arms of The Hague Flag of The city of The Hague. ...

War

Winkelman was appointed as the supreme commander in a period in which the situation wasn't very favourable. Winkelman was convinced that the Dutch defence should be centred on the heart of the country (Approximately the area now occupied by the Randstad) and that the aim should be on a defence war which would last until the Allies were able to repulse the German offensive. The main municipalities of the Randstad; note that the marked areas are not just the built-up areas but the whole municipalities The Randstad is an agglomeration in the Netherlands. ...

However when the Germans attacked the Netherlands in May 10th 1940 they did something Winkelman had not counted on. At first the German Army did what Winkelman expected, apart from the excessive use of paratroopers. They crossed the Dutch border with relative ease, and were stopped near the main Dutch defences. But the German Blitzkrieg tactics, which overwhelmed the Allies proved to be so successful that instead of repulsing the Germans they themselves were repulsed with great speed towards Dunkirk, this and the German terror bombing of Rotterdam and the German threat which said all other Dutch cities would suffer the same faith if they didn't surrender caused Winkelman to capitulate. Army The German Army (German: Heer ) is the land component of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence Forces) of the Federal Republic of Germany. ... An American Paratrooper using a T-10C series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and formed into an airborne force. ... One of the defining characteristics of what is commonly known as Blitzkrieg is close co-operation between infantry and tanks. ... When spelt with a capital A, Allies usually denotes the countries supporting the Triple Entente who fought together against the Central Powers in World War I and against the Axis Powers in World War II. For more information, see the related articles: Allies of World War I and Allies of...

Post-War

After he had signed the Dutch surrender, he refused to collaborate with the Germans in any way and was therefore interned on 2 July 1940 for the remainder of the war. He was honourably discharged after the war on October 1st 1945 and given the Order of William, the oldest and highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. An army base in Nunspeet was named the Generaal Winkelmankazerne in his honour. He died peacefully in his home on December 27th 1952. July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Knights Cross (3rd class) of the Order of William The Military Order of William is the oldest and, at the same time, highest honour of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. ... Nunspeet is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands. ...

References

• de Jong Dr. L., Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog, Staatsuitgeverij, The Hague, 1981
• Middelkoop T. van, Een soldaat doet zijn plicht, Europese Bibliotheek, Zaltbommel, 2002
• Go2War2 (Respected and authorative Dutch website on World War II)
• De Bange Meidagen van '40, Lecturama, Rotterdam, 1978
• Nederlands Legermuseum (Dutch Army Museum)
• Verzetsmuseum (Dutch Resistance Museum)