II Corps (Netherlands)

II Army Corps
II. Legerkorps
Active	Mobilized: April 1940 – Disbanded: May 1940
Disbanded	May 1940
Country	Netherlands
Branch	Royal Netherlands Army (Koninklijke Landmacht)
Type	Corps
Role	Defence of the Grebbe Line and Fortress Holland
Size	Corps
Part of	Part of the Field Army (Veldleger)
Engagements	World War II Battle of the Netherlands (1940) Battle of the Grebbeberg
Commanders
Commander (1940)	Major General J.J.G. van Voorst tot Voorst

The II Army Corps (Dutch: II. Legerkorps) was a military formation of the Royal Netherlands Army mobilized in April 1940 and deployed during the Battle of the Netherlands in May 1940.

It was one of the corps-level formations of the Field Army (Veldleger). The Corps was notably tasked with the defence of the vital Grebbeberg section of the Grebbe Line, which saw some of the fiercest fighting during the invasion.

Organisation (May 10, 1940)

Upon the German invasion on May 10, 1940, the II Army Corps was commanded by Major General J.J.G. van Voorst tot Voorst. ^[1]

The corps structure was as follows: ^[2]

Corps Headquarters

• II Army Corps Headquarters (Staff II. Legerkorps)
• 2nd Light Armoured Car Troop (2e Sectie Pantserwagens)
• Cyclist Company II Army Corps (Rijwielcompagnie II. Legerkorps)

Subordinate Divisions

The corps controlled two infantry divisions:

• 2nd Division (2e Divisie)
• 4th Division (4e Divisie)

Corps Troops (Artillery and Cavalry)

• 2nd Regiment Hussars (2e Regiment Huzaren) – Organised as a mixed unit including a rifle company, hMG company, and anti-tank company.
• 2nd Anti-Tank Company (2e Compagnie Pantserafweergeschut)
• 2nd Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun Company (2e Compagnie Luchtdoel Mitrailleurs)
• 2nd Signals Battalion (2e Bataljon Verbindingstroepen)
• 2nd Engineer Battalion (2e Bataljon Pontonniers)
• Army Artillery Command (Leger Artillerie Commando) – Controlling the attached 15th and 19th Artillery Regiments.

Detached Units

• 11th Infantry Regiment (minus 3rd Battalion) attached from 2nd Division as Corps Reserve.

Commanders

• Major General J.J.G. van Voorst tot Voorst

References

1. War Department (1942). Handbook on the Netherlands and Netherlands East Indies Armies. U.S. War Department. p. 24. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
2. "II. Legerkorps – Dutch Army Order of Battle – May 10th, 1940". Dutch Army 1940 Order of Battle. Retrieved 2024-06-25.