Fokker T.V

T.V

The Fokker TV

In 1933, the LVA came up with the idea of monitoring the airspace by means of long patrols with a heavily armed aircraft.

Fokker had design 111 ready in November 1934, the LVA accepted it and design 111 became the Fokker TV

It was a large aircraft built as a light bomber with a very mixed construction method.

The fuselage center section and wings were made of wood, the fuselage rear section of steel tubing covered with linen, and the fuselage front section with the cockpit of aluminum.

The engine choice fell on two Bristol Pegasus XXVI engines of 925 hp each.

There was room for 5 crew members, a commander-bomb aimer-observer, a pilot, a 2nd pilot, a radio operator/gunner and an air gunner.

The armament was not bad and consisted of:

An 20mm Solothurn rapid fire gun in the nasal dome,
five 7.9 mm machine guns distributed across the fuselage:
in the tail dome,
on each side of the hull,
under the hull.
a bomb load of 1000 kg.

The first flight took place on October 16, 1937.

From 1938 onwards, the LVA gradually put the TVs into service, a total of 16 units.

During the German invasion on 10 May 1940, the LVA deployed 9 TVs, but their low speed made them no match for the fast German fighters.

However, the TV was still able to put up a good fight, because the aircraft was equipped with a forward-firing cannon in the nose.

Due to the lack of a rubber coating on the wing tanks, these aircraft were quickly set on fire by tracer ammunition.

After the May days, there were still a few (albeit seriously damaged) aircraft in our country. These were all taken to Germany.

Click on the photo to enlarge the photo

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FOKKER TV 1937 The TV bomber, which was developed for the LVA Aviation Department, made its first flight on 16 October 1937. This twin-engine mid-decker was of mixed construction, namely a light metal fuselage front section with a plexiglass nose, in which a 20 mm Solothurn cannon was mounted, a wooden fuselage middle section with a wooden wing, and a cloth-covered fuselage rear section. In the tail, behind the double vertical tail surfaces, was the rear gunner, who had a rotating conical dome with machine gun at his disposal. Behind the driver's seat, a sliding hatch could be opened, through which a machine gun could be folded out. A series of 16 TV aircraft were delivered, which had the military registration 850 - 865; nine TV were ready to fly on 9 May 1940 when the Luftwaffe attacked the Netherlands. The TV was equipped with two 925 hp Bristol "Pegasus" engines. The price per aircraft was 156,000 guilders. The original sleek design gradually developed into one with a thick, squat fuselage, due to the many requirements that this aircraft had to meet. A problem that many military designs suffered from.
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01

The TV prototype with opened bomb hatch and opened gun turret on the fuselage. Not yet in camouflage paint but with the LVA rosette and red-white-blue tail paint. Here the first TV is set up in front of a hangar of the Fokker Vliegdienst at Schiphol airport. This is also where the first test flights take place, performed by pilot Emil Meinecke. Later this bomber would receive the registration 850 of the LVA.
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02

Fokker TV c/n 5445 On 24 September 1937 the prototype arrived at Schiphol in parts to be assembled. From 16 October 1937 the first flights were started from the Fokker Vliegdienst hangar. There it was temporarily provided with the LVA designation 350 as can be seen in this rare photo. Apparently the TV was also seen as a "hunting cruiser" but that eventually became the G.1 series. The word air cruiser was also used, which was quite correct during the fighting in May 1940. When the sixteen bombers to be built were delivered the numbering will still run from 850 to 865. Together with the 856 this 850 (the ex 350) would be used to bomb the Maas bridges in Rotterdam.
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03

Fokker started very late with the transition to aluminum cladding of the aircraft. The Fokker commercial aircraft fell behind internationally compared to the all-metal aircraft of Boeing and Douglas. At the TV Fokker in Amsterdam-Noord is taking steps with the construction of aluminum fuselage fronts.
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04

The fuselage center section and the wings were still made of wood. Compared to the previous photo, a nice view of the progress of the production from front to back. The more expensive aluminum was used for the entire front section of the fuselage. In that respect, Fokker continued to use the older technique to some extent.
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05

The transport of a TV wing shipped from the Fokker company in Amsterdam-Noord. Via the Ringvaart of the Haarlemmermeer to the lower situated airport Schiphol. In the background the Station building of Schiphol Airport. From there the transport of a part of the fuselage and a wing half goes left to the Fokker hangars.
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06

The tail turret of the TV, in which a movable machine gun was mounted, similar to the G.1. Furthermore, there were places for machine guns on top and under the fuselage. In the turret at the front there was a heavy 20 mm Solothurn cannon. Opinions differ about the extra firing places on the left and right in the fuselage. Perhaps Fokker did not want or was not allowed to reveal too much about the possibilities of the TV
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07

The TV 850, pictured here, makes a huge impression when it is weighed. And that impression is correct: empty weight 4,650 kg and total flying weight 7,550 kg.
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08

The bomb bay of the TV which could carry a total of 1,000 kg of bomb load. Only two TVs were equipped with bomb racks when the war started.
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09

The cockpit of the TV with a walk-through to the nose turret where the 20 mm Solothurn cannon is located. One of the five crew members, equipped with an Irvin parachute, walks just to the rear. To his left sits the second pilot in a slightly higher position than the first pilot. The crew normally consisted of a first pilot, an observer/bomb aimer/nose gunner, a tail gunner, a second pilot/roof gunner and a radio operator/fuselage gunner.
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10

The first visit of the prototype, the 850, to LVA airfield Soesterberg in February 1938. Here the registration numbers are still in black, later they became white numbers. Of the intended order of thirty-four bombers, sixteen were actually ordered. The purchase of the TV by the LA/KNIL did not go through at all.
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11

The 850 with c/n 5445 now has the camouflage paint. The armament is not yet in order. But there is already a lot to see during the demonstration flights. Such as the retractable front wheels, new for Dutch military aircraft.
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12

A photo from 1939 showing the nose turret already prepared for the Solothurn rapid-fire gun. This was a very fast-firing anti-tank gun that was used by Fokker in the TV as a nose gun. The production of this weapon took place in both Switzerland and Germany. The Swiss Waffenfabrik Solothurn was fully owned by the German Rheinmetall-Borsig concern, which will have had an effect on the delayed deliveries.
Solothurn S-18/1000
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A nice view of the front wheel of the landing gear and the black number 850 still clearly visible. Bristol Pegasus XXVI engines of 925 hp were usually used.
Bristol Pegasus
14

More pictures of the visit to LVA airfield Soesterberg in February 1938. The TV is surrounded by some LVA pilots and gunners and is still not fully equipped with armament. As early as July 1938, the episodes start at the Aviation Department and the BomVA is founded. BomVA stands for Bombardeer Vliegtuig Afdeeling.
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Another shot of the 850, the prototype that is first indicated with black numbers. LVA will soon switch to the white number indications that most LVA aircraft have had for a long time. The permanent location will be Schiphol airport for the time being. There they will be positioned in the section where the hangars and the Fokker flight service are also located.
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16

Many visitors from military personnel, government authorities and top brass from the Fokker factory itself. Among them must have been Chief Constructor M. Beeling. He had been working at Fokker since 1923 as assistant to Reinhold Platz. Too bad that the majority of the guests stood with their backs to the camera. On May 10, 1940, 10 TV bombers were ready at Schiphol Airport at Hangar C. The 850 crashed on May 11, 1940 near Waddinxveen in the Bloemendaalse Polder, flown by 1st Lieutenant pilot J. Mulder.
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17

This is the 851 c/n 5446 with the two extra machine gun positions clearly visible. They are mounted in the 2 side windows in the side of the fuselage. Apart from the top and bottom of the fuselage there were also two cupolas in front and behind. That ultimately provided the possibility for 6 machine gun positions. This 851 already met its end on 10 May 1940 around 04:00 at Schiphol airport. It does show how well the Germans had prepared for the raid in the early morning of 10 May 1940.
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18

A beautiful presentation of no less than 7 TV bombers of LVA. Seen from the Schiphol station building on the left towards the first hangars for aircraft. The extension in a bend from the platform is clearly visible. Towards the large grass area and the first runway. Lined up are: 851 c/n 5446, 854 c/n 5449, 856 c/n 5451, 857 c/n 5452, 858 c/n 5453, 853 c/n 5448 and 859 c/n 5454.
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A very famous photo as the LVA liked to see in the press. The big bomber 852 c/n 5447 in front with a very strong armament. With the two D.XXI fighter planes 213 and 215 as escort and protection. In itself not a bad thought that for sure. Fokker ran out of time to make and deliver all those new acquisitions on time.
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20

Bomber 852 c/n 5447 of the LVA assigned to the BomVA and parked on the left side of Schiphol airport. Together with the 854 this bomber would have been in maintenance at Schiphol during the German invasion on 10 May 1940.
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21

Once again the classic combination of LVA bomber 852 and the two Fokker D.XXI fighters. These are the 213 and 215. It became increasingly clear that the slower TV, compared to the Fokker G.1, was still very suitable for taking out enemy aircraft. This certainly had to do with the 20 mm Solothurn cannon in the nose turret and also with the three or four gunners. Sometimes the bomber function lagged behind somewhat in the total performance of the Fokker TV
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21.1

The LVA 852 c/n 5447 was at 3:58 am on 10 May 1940 at the Fokker Vliegbedrijf at Schiphol for a major repair during the German invasion. The repair was already 95% complete and the 852 was almost ready to fly again. This was reported by Captain Kruijff Van Dorssen on a repair list of the LVA on 17 May 1940. There were actually two damages. The first was an accident in November 1939 in the vicinity of Beilen (Drenthe). But when the aircraft was almost ready, a second accident followed in April 1940 at Schiphol airport. Ultimately, this 852 ended up in German service via the Fokker hangars.
Repair List
22

The longest flying bomber in LVA service is the 856 (c/n 5451). Here the 856 is parked at LVA airfield Soesterberg. With a multitude of missions this 856 flew until 13 May 1940 (in some sources until 14 May). This aircraft was equipped with a radio mast which greatly improved the communication around the different flights. In particular the contacts with the accompanying D.XXI pilots were of great importance. Usually the first pilot was 1st Lieutenant Pilot W. Anceaux. The 856 crashed near Ridderkerk on 13 May 1940.
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This is our first photo from the mobilization period showing the 858 of LVA in full flight (c/n 5453). The rosette and red-white-blue flag on the tail have been removed and replaced by the orange triangle on the fuselage and wings, and an orange tail. The photo offers a good view of the tail turret and the two retracted front wheels. This shot must have been taken somewhere between late 1939 and early 1940. The 858 was active above various places, namely IJmuiden, Katwijk, Veere, and Haamstede.
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24

A nice shot of the TV nose turret with the 20 mm Solothurn cannon prominently displayed, which played a very important role in air combat. In addition to this nose turret, there was also a tail turret with a 7.92 mm machine gun. In addition, there were two 7.92 mm machine gun positions in the fuselage. The open top hatch is the place for the second pilot and/or the top gunner. Fokker had originally designated the design as an “air cruiser”. An adequate name with this armament.
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25n

Two LVA TV bombers in a kind of crossover.
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26

On 10 May 1940 around 04:00 the German Luftwaffe started attacking various targets at Schiphol Airport. Among others, the 857 (c/n 5452) of the LVA was stationed there, but without engines. Those engines were probably put on other TVs. The 857 was disabled and seized by German soldiers. This photo must have been taken on 12 or 13 May 1940. On the far right, the nose dome of another TV is visible. Above the middle soldier, in the light spot, the left machine gun position for an air gunner can be seen. And through that window, the letter N for HOLLAND is still visible, with which the KLM planes were temporarily painted. So apparently there were more heavily damaged planes standing together.
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On 10 May 1940, the 859 c/n 5454 suffered major damage as a result of the bombing of Schiphol. The hydraulic system was completely destroyed by the flying bomb fragments. It is surprising that the Germans immediately applied their war crosses and the swastika. But the registration 859 was left completely untouched. All that must have happened around 14 May 1940. In any case, the 859 was still used by the Germans for bombing. The question is whether this took place in the Netherlands or in Germany.
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The 863 of the LVA (c/n 5458) was stationed at Schiphol Airport on 10 May 1940 because of the incomplete armament. Of course, during the mobilization period the bomber had already been repainted in the orange triangles and the orange tail. The TV also had a radio mast and was moved in time to the emergency airfield Ruijgenhoek near Schiphol. This photo of the 863 is from after the capitulation on 15 May 1940. The Germans seized the aircraft at the emergency airfield Ruijgenhoek.
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29

Not much is known about the 864 of LVA c/n 5459. It was located at the brand new airfield of Bergen (NH). This unfortunate landing was made there in April 1940. After repairs, this TV was taken over by the Germans. The bomber had a radio mast and was also equipped with the Solothurn cannon in the nose.
Viegpark Bergen
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The 858 with c/n 5454 will be used in a number of actions for the LVA against the German Luftwaffe. This TV was also equipped with a radio mast. The first pilot was 2nd Lnt/vl. J. Bak. As early as 10 May 1940, several German aircraft were shot down near Leiden, IJmuiden and Utrecht. Above Veere around 10:00 hrs, the 858 was shot at and an emergency landing was initiated above Haamstede. Eventually, the 858 would end up at Schiphol together with a group that the Germans unfortunately managed to take over almost without damage. In this photo from right to left the 858 of LVA, the DC-3 PH-AKT of KLM, then another TV of the LVA and another DC-3 of KLM.
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Brief account of the events of the 16 Fokker TV Air Cruisers of the LVA.

In this article we have tried to give as accurate a picture as possible of what happened in May 1940. That is difficult, because the number of versions of those events knows almost no bounds.

The “Concise History of the Royal Air Force” is one of our most important sources. But, as is so often the case, sources sometimes contradict each other or give a different interpretation of the facts.

It is also remarkable that these bombers were never ordered by the LVA.

Fokker developed the TV, also called the 'Air Cruiser', entirely by himself, without any assignment or order.
The air cruiser was subsequently delivered to LVA, which purchased all 16.

The 350 and later 850 c/n 5445

The prototype's LVA registration number was 350, but the 300 numbers went to the GI and the TV was renumbered to 850 with c/n 5445.

Most of the TVs were assigned to the Bombardier Aircraft Department (BOMva) at Schiphol.

On May 10, 1940 at 3:58 AM, Schiphol Airport was attacked by the Germans.

The 850 was sent to South Holland. On board were, among others, 1^and Lnt/Fl. Wildschut as first pilot, 1^and Lnt/Observer/Gunner J. Pool and Sld. 1 Wijnstra as tail gunner.

Near Leiden and Katwijk they were approached by a German formation of 9 aircraft.

Two were shot down, with Private Wijnstra even destroying the entire tail plane of a Messerschmitt 110.

It immediately became clear that shooting down the German fighters would be of much greater importance than the bombing function.

The rotating 20 mm Solothurn cannon in the nose turret helped a lot.

And certainly also the 7.9 mm movable FN machine guns in the tail turret on the fuselage on the left and right sides and on the bottom of the fuselage.

The flight continued via Bergen airfield for replenishment of ammunition and fuel.

Schiphol was the last destination, where a crew change took place.

With the following crew including 1^and Lnt/Fl. J. Mulder 1^and Lnt Warn. G. Verhagen and Sld 1 Wijnstra.

This was followed by a flight to the Maas bridges at around 3:30 p.m., which claimed two victims of the crew.

Furthermore, this mission was also unsuccessful and the 850 was slightly damaged.

On May 11, the Maas bridges are again the target and together with the 856 they head for them.

This time also assisted by 3 Fokker D.XXI's.

The 850th shoots down an Me 110 from a group of 12 Messerscmitts.

The 856 that flew along also survived this flight to the Maas bridges near Rotterdam.

Near Waddinxveen in the Bloemendaal polder, surrounded by German fighters, the 850 crashed.

And with that, the role of the prototype of the TV was finally played out.

Second pilot sgt. J .van den As and telegr. Sgt. L. Rozenboom were killed. Mulder, Verhagen and tail gunner Wijnstra saved themselves with their parachute.

The 851 c/n 5446

The 851 c/n 5446 was on the Schiphol platform at hangar C and was badly damaged during the first bombing by the Germans.

The air cruiser already had some problems with the retractable system of the wheels.

Ultimately, the 851 was used extensively during the war for all possible spare parts for emergency repairs.

The conclusion is that this TV actually did not fly after May 10, 1940.

The 852 c/n 5447

On May 10, 1940 at 3:58 am, the 852 was at the Fokker Aviation Company at Schiphol for major repairs during the German invasion.

The repair was already 90% complete and the 852 was almost ready to fly again.

There were actually 2 damages. The first was an accident in November 1939 in the vicinity of Beilen (Drenthe).

But when the aircraft was almost ready, a second accident occurred in April 1940 at Schiphol Airport.

Ultimately, this 852 entered German service.

The 853 c/n 5448

The German attack on Schiphol Airport began at 3:58 am on May 10, 1940.

The 853 was flown by 1^and Lnt/Fl. W. Anceaux and 1^and Lnt/wrn G. Ruijgrok.

After half an hour the air cruiser suffered engine failure and had to make an emergency landing.

This took place at the Ruigenhoek emergency airfield near Noordwijk at 5:30 am.

The 853 therefore did not see action again.

Observer/gunner Ruijgrok went with pilot Eilders and Lnt/Vl W. Anceaux to the 856.

The 854 c/n 5449

At the start of the German invasion of Schiphol on May 10, 1940 at 3:58 am, 1^and Lnt/Vl WKünzel pilot. He stayed in the Netherlands because of a training at LVA, because he was actually a pilot at LA/KNIL in the Indies.

Together with the 856 that had also taken off, he diverted to the Ruijgenhoek emergency airfield.

There the 854, 856 and 862 received the order to bomb Ockenburg airfield near The Hague.

That went reasonably well and via Ruigenhoek we went back to Schiphol Airport.

Once again the trio 854, 856 and 862 were given an assignment, this time to bomb Waalhaven airfield near Rotterdam.

There were many Junkers Ju-52 aircraft there and, just like at Ockenburg, they were expertly destroyed.

However, the outcome is dramatic.

The 854 and the 862 are attacked on their way back to Schiphol near Oud Beijerland (Polder Langeweg South Holland).

The Messerschmitt Bf 109s are faster than the versatile but slower TV and both air cruisers are knocked out at 12:03.

We have not been able to find out what happened to those crews.

Only the 856 survives this attack. The story of this box is further on.

The 855 c/n 5450

On May 10, 1940 at 03.58 the 855 took off with among others 1^and Lnt/Fl. N. Steenbeek, 1^and Lnt/Wnr. B. Swagerman and 2^and Lt./Fl. S. Moolenaars.

At De Kaag (South Holland) they started to tackle some German fighters, and with success.

This was repeated at Utrecht and then the flight returned to Schiphol, arriving at 6:00 am.

The 855th then has to bomb Ockenburg near The Hague.

But especially with the heavy nose gun and the four machine guns much work was done. 25 Junkers Ju 52 planes partly go up in flames.

Then the 855 was also attacked by five Messerschmitts and crashed into the North Sea near Kijkduin, still burning.

Four people died in this incident.

It is still May 10, 1940 and the number of airworthy TV air cruisers has now fallen to six.

The 856 c/n 5451

After the German invasion on May 10, 1940 at 03:58, the 856 flew together with the 854 to the Ruigenhoek emergency airfield.

The crew consisted of 1^and Lnt/Fl. W. Anceaux, gunner Ruijgrok and 1^and Lnt/Fl J. Eilders .

The order was to bomb Ockenburg airfield, together with the 854 and the 862.

They returned to Schiphol Airport via the Ruigenhoek emergency airfield.

A new assignment followed on May 11 to tackle Waalhaven airfield near Rotterdam, again with 854 and 862.

By now there were over 30 Junkers Ju 52 aircraft there and a significant number of them were destroyed.

The 854 and 862 were eventually shot down on this mission by Messerschmitt 109s.

Only the 856 returned unharmed to Schiphol and, together with the 850, remained of the original 16 TV air cruisers.

A subsequent attack by 850 and 856 on the Maas bridges in Rotterdam failed.

During a second attempt towards the Maas bridges they are engaged by 12 Luftwaffe Messerschmitt 110s.

The German superiority was too great and the 850 was eventually badly hit near Waddinxveen.

1st Lnt/Wnr B.Swagerman, Sgt/Telegr. A. Riemsdijk, Sgt/Vl. O. Douwes Dekker and Sld/Boordsch J. Wijnstra died in an accident.

However, this information is questionable, because according to other sources Anceaux flew the 856 once more together with Wijnstra.

The 856 flew back to Schiphol alone and left the next day, on May 12, for Friesland to attack German troops there.

This was only partially successful and despite German fighters near Enkhuizen, the aircraft flew back to Schiphol.

On May 13(!!!) the order came to bomb a road bridge at the Moerdijk with 2 (!!!) bombs of 300 kg each.

The bombs were dropped at a fairly low altitude.

On the return flight, the 856 was attacked over Dordrecht by a Messerschmitt 109 and crashed near Ridderkerk.

There are 5 deaths, including 1st Lt./Fl. W.Anceaux.

Here too, the data from our sources is rather contradictory.

The 857 c/n 5452

The 857 was left behind after assembly at Fokker Amsterdam Noord or at the Vliegbedrijf at Schiphol. The reason was that there were not enough engines available.

On May 10, 1940, during the German invasion, this TV was destroyed around 04:00. Presumably at Schiphol Airport.

The 858 c/n 5453

After the German invasion on May 10, 1940, 2, among others, left^and Lnt/Fl J. Bak and 2^and Lnt/waarn. J. van Hengel of Schiphol.

A German bomber is destroyed over the North Sea near IJmuiden.

The 858 is then pursued by German aircraft, but their attacks are unsuccessful.

At Vlissingen the TV can land relatively safely, after which the 858 heads back to Schiphol Airport in the afternoon.

Above Veere (Zeeland) the air cruiser is hit in the air, but also by anti-aircraft fire, but makes a good emergency landing at Haamstede Airfield.

The next day, May 11, 1940, all hope of repair fades.

A German fighter plane shoots the 858 on fire from several sides, so that further action is lost.

The 859 c/n 5454

On May 10, 1940 at 3:58 AM, Schiphol Airport was severely attacked by the German Luftwaffe.

During the start-up of the LVA BOMva group, a lot of damage had already been done.

The 859 was hit by a lot of bomb shrapnel which badly damaged the hydraulic system.

Repairs were started quickly, but testing did not begin until May 14.

All this took place at Schiphol Airport in and around the Fokker Aviation Service.

The Luftwaffe took over the 859 from LVA, practically completely repaired.

The German war crosses and the swastika were placed over the orange markings, but the LVA marking 859 was not removed......

Some sources indicate that the TV 859 was also active in Germany.

The LVA entered the air cruiser in the loss register as early as 10 May 1940.

The 860 c/n 5455

At the start of the German invasion on May 10, 1940, the 860 was also on the Schiphol platform.

This TV could go into the air, but lacked an important part of the armament. The 860 was therefore not able to fly during the May days of 1940.

The impression is that this TV was not too badly damaged.

The LVA registered the 860 as a loss in the loss register at 04:00 on 10 May 1940.

The 861 c/n 5456

After the start of the German invasion on May 10, 1940, the 861 left Schiphol for Texel at around 03:50.

The crew consisted of 1^and Lnt /Fl. Mulder and 1^and Lnt/Waarn. Verhage.

Both will be in full action later on another TV.

The idea behind going to Texel was to spread some of the TV air cruisers throughout the Netherlands.

The TV arrived at the Texel airport De Vlijt around 5:00 AM.

This turned out to be less safe than expected, because the German Luftwaffe had already been bombing Bergen Air Park for a long time.

At Bergen there were not only the brand new hangars and platforms but also a large group of aircraft including the CX and G.1.

Shortly after arrival, several Luftwaffe aircraft visited De Vlijt Airfield and the 861 was shot on fire.

The 862 c/n 5457

During the German invasion on May 10 at 4:00 AM, the 862 left with, among others, 1^and Lnt/Fl. De Haas and Metzlar.

They headed for the North Sea coast and shot down a Luftwaffe aircraft west of Katwijk aan Zee.

The 862 then flew east and landed at Ruigenhoek emergency airfield.

When they arrived there, an order had already been placed to bomb Ockenburg airfield near The Hague.

At Ockeburg there were, among other things, many Junkers Ju 52 aircraft, which had landed there after dropping paratroopers and war material.

Probably added to Ruigenhoek 1^and Lnt/Vl. F. Groen then joined the crew.

The 854 and 856 are also added to the 862's mission.

Via Ruigenhoek, the 862, 854 and 856 eventually land back at Schiphol Airport.

The same trio went into battle shortly afterwards to carry out a similar mission.

Rotterdam's Waalhaven Airport was also quite full of Junkers Ju 52s.

This bombing mission was also carried out properly.

Then disaster strikes with the confrontation of several Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters.

The 862 and the 854 were shot down near Oud-Beijerland near Langeweg at around 12:03.

Here too, there were many fatalities among the crews.

What is astonishing is the rapid pace at which these actions had to be carried out.

By noon, of this TV trio, only the 856 was left.

This would ultimately prove to be the last flying TV in LVA service. (see the report of the 856).

The 863 c/n 5458

At Schiphol Airport, at the Fokker Flight Service, the 863 was also waiting.

The armament had still not been fully installed and had not even been delivered complete.

Shortly before the German invasion on May 10, 1940, the unarmed TV was flown to Ruigenhoek airfield.

This was worked on under great time pressure until the very last moment.

But on May 10, 1940, around 04:00, the air cruiser was completely destroyed.

The 864 c/n 5459

The 864 was under repair after an accident in April 1940 at Schiphol Airport near a narrow ditch.

The job was not yet fully completed and so the 864 fell into the hands of the German Luftwaffe.

Unfortunately, there is not much more to report about this TV.

It is not entirely impossible that further repairs took place at Fokker Amsterdam-Noord.

The 865 c/n 5460

The 865, the last TV built for LVA, was also at Schiphol Airport when the Germans invaded on May 10.

The air cruiser was flown by the 1st^and Lieutenant/Pilots Verhage and Mulder.

At take-off the bomber was unable to retract its landing gear.

Returning to Schiphol was not a good option at all because of the bombings there.

Therefore, they flew in a northerly direction and avoided Bergen, which was already under fire.

It was still possible to attack Luftwaffe fighter planes en route.

Finally, they landed at Marine Air Base De Kooij near Den Helder. The wheels were already off :-)

The Luftwaffe later that day shot down the 865.

The last TV that Fokker delivered to LVA was no longer available.

Epilogue

On May 13, 1940, the Fokker TV book was closed for the LVA.

As far as we could find out, the 852, the 859 and the 864 actually flew with German license plates.

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