The latest addition to my growing Dutch East Indies force is a platoon of Vickers Carden Loyd light tanks from Dark Castle Terrain. As with the rest of the range, the models are beautifully sculpted, full of character, and a pleasure to paint. They are also something a little different from the more familiar Allied light tanks of the early Second World War and add an interesting historical element to a KNIL force.

The story of these little tanks began in 1937 when the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) purchased two Vickers Carden Loyd light tanks and two amphibious versions for evaluation. The trials proved successful and the Dutch placed an order for a further seventy three production vehicles. Unfortunately, the outbreak of war in Europe intervened before the order could be completed. Britain halted exports to meet its own wartime requirements, and only around twenty tanks reached the Netherlands East Indies before deliveries ceased. This small number would form the nucleus of the KNIL’s armoured force during the campaign of 1942.

Although small by later standards, the Vickers was a capable reconnaissance vehicle for its day. Weighing about four tonnes, it carried a crew of two and was powered by an 88 horsepower Meadows petrol engine that gave it a top road speed of around 60 kilometres per hour. Armour protection ranged from approximately 6 to 13 millimetres, enough to resist rifle fire and shell splinters but little more. Its armament consisted of a single water cooled Vickers .303 machine gun mounted in a one man turret. The tank was intended for reconnaissance, infantry support and rapid manoeuvre rather than engaging enemy armour.

For games using Bolt Action, the Vickers Carden Loyd is a useful little tank. It comes armed with a light machine gun and has the option of adding a second hull mounted light machine gun, giving it a respectable volume of fire for such a small vehicle. The Dutch upgraded some of the tanks with one and sometimes two heavy machineguns. With its +1 penetration the tank can be very effective against enemy infantry and even armour when used sensibly. It is not a tank to throw away in a head on fight, but if employed to support infantry, exploit flanks and suppress enemy positions, it can more than justify its place in a Dutch force.

The Vickers Carden Loyds saw their principal combat during the defence of Java in March 1942. Assigned to the KNIL Mobile Unit, they took part in a series of counter attacks aimed at slowing the rapid Japanese advance across the island. Some of the fiercest fighting occurred around Kalidjati Airfield, where Dutch forces attempted to recapture the strategically important airfield shortly after it had been seized by Japanese airborne troops. The little Vickers tanks supported infantry attacks with determination and, despite their light armament, achieved some local success against Japanese infantry who had limited anti tank weapons immediately available.

The tanks also fought during the battles around the Tjiater Pass, one of the key approaches to Bandung, where the Dutch attempted to delay the Japanese advance into the island’s interior. The difficult terrain, poor communications and constant Japanese air attacks severely limited what the small Dutch armoured force could achieve. Nevertheless, the Vickers crews fought with considerable courage, repeatedly supporting counter attacks and delaying actions against an enemy that enjoyed overwhelming superiority in numbers, artillery and air power.

In the end, the campaign was decided not by the performance of the Vickers tanks but by the overall strategic situation. The KNIL possessed too few armoured vehicles to influence the outcome of the fighting, and following the surrender of Java many of the surviving tanks were destroyed or captured. Even so, the Vickers Carden Loyd remains an important part of Dutch military history as the first modern light tank to serve with the KNIL and one of the few armoured vehicles to fight in the desperate final defence of Java.

I am looking forward to seeing these excellent Dark Castle Miniatures models on the tabletop. They may be small, lightly armed and thinly armoured, but they have an interesting history and will make a distinctive addition to my Dutch East Indies force.

Some more tomorrow?