Nederlandse Notes

We thought it'd be interesting for readers to have a look at the notes our Dutch contact gave for the World War 1990: Nederlandse  opening blockbuster.

Enjoy:

• Do you have an editor? There's quite a bit of spelling/grammar/interpunction errors
• Especially mind the spelling of non-English
• It's polizei (German), not polezei
• For national flavour you might want to stay closer to Dutch unit designations: armoured infantry (pantserinfanterie) rather than mechanised infantry. Also tank battalion rather than armoured battalion
• 1 Division, 4 Division, 5 Division (in speak it would probably be 1st, 4th, 5th)
• I like the radio traffic, it works well. Call signs would use the NATO-alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Whisky, etc) but perhaps you chose a different pattern on purpose
• No more YP-408 in 1990! All YPR-765
• Jeeps (M38A1) would only be in use by territorial and some reserve logistic units; 51 Armoured Brigade had Land Rovers, called Laro for short
• According to doctrine brigades would normally not get extra units attached. But wait, by 1990 one of the bns from 101 Infantry Brigade might be used for that. Within the brigade battle groups would be standard. Also, "reserve battalion brigaded to us" is a bit strange since 51 Armoured Brigade was an all-reservist formation anyway
• I'm unfamiliar with your use of "shoulder" but that's probably just me
• Radio: "roger" or "roger, out" would be used rather than "copy"
• Dutch conscripts would not readily salute (limited obligation to salute)
• Code names for areas were often fruits or animals: apple, melon, cow, horse etc.
• Tank and recce companies were called squadrons (presently not applied everywhere)
• You might want to be more specific with equipment: Leopard 2 for example
• Some of the Dutch names might be a bit too perculiar: Smike, Crabben, Brauver. Might be Smid, Smit, Crauwel, Brouwer, Brouwers.
• In Dutch "Sir" is civilian speak, though it was used in the navy for some higher ranks. In the army people would be called by name or rank, or it would just be left out: "Not sure," said his young driver.
• I take it you object to cursing, but there would be quite a bit of it, especially amongst conscripts. If you want some Dutch-style cursing let me know
• 51 Bde would be commanded by a brigadier-general, called general in speak
• On a sidenote: 51 Brigade's emblem