
P11001
During the 30s, Vickers-Carden-Loyd (VCL) was the major British tank manufacturer for both the home and foreign markets. The various light tanks were built in several variations and exported to many countries. The largest order for Light Tanks came from an now almost totally forgotten organization: the Royal Netherlands Indies Army. 

The Model 1936 Light Tank was used by the KNIL, mostly on Java. Although the terrain on the island was not considered favourable to AFVs by the Dutch military authorities, the Light Tanks performed well in the rice paddies and jungle thanks to their light weight. The KNIL also appreciated their speed and their steel tracks. Only about 20 to 30 light tanks eventually reached Java. All were armed with a single Vickers MG.


P11002
600 (various types) of these small tanks were ordered from America in 1940, of which only 7 arrived unarmed in Java before the Japanese attack. Part of the rest of the order was send directly to Suriname, while the U.S. Marines and Army took some as well. The U.S. Army used them in Alaska. Another portion of the order went to China. Three types were ordered, of which in total only 25 had been delivered by the time of the Japanese attack:

--CTLS 4TA (Y) and 4TAC: armed with 2 to 3 machine-guns only. 4TA(Y) had its turret at the left, the 4TAC had it at the right. Of these types 7 were delivered in time to participate in the fighting. These were the only Marmon Herrington tanks to see action with the Fast Reaction Force on western Java. 
-- CTMS 1TBI three man tank: armed with a 37 mm gun and 2 to 3 mg’s. 
-- MTLS 1GI4 four man tank: armed with 2 37 mm guns and 4 mg’s. 


P11003
The KNIL purchased 12 Alvis Straussler AC3D Armored Cars from the United Kingdom in 1938. Upon arrival on Java in 1939, they were used to form four armored car platoons, each consisting of three vehicles. Two of these were attached to the 1st and 6th Cavalry Squadrons respectively. The remaining two platoons were detailed to form an armored car squadron at Bandoeng. Primarily utilized in a reconnaissance role, they were supported by jeeps and White Scout Cars ordered from the United States. They weighed in at 13 tons with a crew of four. Maximum road speed was 48 mph with a radius of approximately 90 miles.

ARMAMENT
1 x 12.7mm heavy machine gun in turret
1 x .303 Vickers machine gun in front hull


P11004
The KNIL used the familiar Jeep as a light scout vehicle, typically armed with one or two machine guns.


P11005
The Braat Overalwagen was a locally produced armored truck. Unable to quickly procure sufficient quantities of armored vehicles, the KNIL turned to the Braat Steel Works in Batavia and the Soerabaja Drydock Company (a shipyard!) on Java for assistance. These companies converted several hundred 4x2 trucks into armored cars using boiler plating. The result was a functional, but heavy and hard-to-handle vehicle resembling an armored bank car. 

This unit represents the patrol car version armed 4 x Madsen 6.5mm machine guns


P11013
During the 30s, Vickers-Carden-Loyd (VCL) was the major British tank manufacturer for both the home and foreign markets. The various light tanks were built in several variations and exported to many countries. The largest order for Light Tanks came from an now almost totally forgotten organization: the Royal Netherlands Indies Army. 

The Model 1936 Light Tank was used by the KNIL, mostly on Java. Although the terrain on the island was not considered favourable to AFVs by the Dutch military authorities, the Light Tanks performed well in the rice paddies and jungle thanks to their light weight. The KNIL also appreciated their speed and their steel tracks. Only about 20 to 30 light tanks eventually reached Java. All were armed with a single Vickers MG. This unit represents a three-tank HQ section.


P11014
The Marmon-Herrington Armoured Car was truly an example of combined production effort. It was based on a Canadian Ford 4x2 chassis, used British armament, South African armor and a U.S. 4x4 conversion kit. This vehicle was simple in design, and though poorly armed and lightly armored, it proved to be solidly reliable. About 600 of these were employed by the British early in the war in the defense of Malaya, India, and the Netherlands East Indies. 


P11020
The Braat Overalwagen was a locally produced armored truck. Unable to quickly procure sufficient quantities of armored vehicles, the KNIL turned to the Braat Steel Works in Batavia and the Soerabaja Drydock Company (a shipyard!) on Java for assistance. These companies converted several hundred 4x2 trucks into armored cars using boiler plating. The result was a functional, but heavy and hard-to-handle vehicle resembling an armored bank car. 

This unit represents the personnel carrier version armed with 2 x Vickers 7.7mm machine guns


P11022
The KNIL used the familiar Jeep as a light light transport and command vehicle.


P11023
A top priority in the KNIL's pre-war reorganization plan was the desire to fully motorize its cavalry and infantry formations. With this in mind, the Dutch ordered 400 White M3A1 Scout Cars in 1941. All featured four-wheel drive transmissions, radios and were armed with two .30-caliber and one .50-caliber machine gun. 

Only 40 arrived before the fall of Java. The KNIL vehicles were assigned to cavalry reconnaissance units on Java and took part in a number of skirmishes and holding actions against the Japanese. Those not destroyed in action were probably wrecked to prevent their capture.



