In May 1940, the Royal Netherlands Army (Landmacht) surrendered to the Germans in order to prevent further bombings of Dutch cities, and subsequent civilian deaths. But the Dutch people and Government did not surrender...
The Royal Family and Government fled to London, and the colonial forces in the East Indies (modern Indonesia) were to continue under the rule of the Government-in-Exile. The Netherlands East Indies contained some of the best troops in Dutch service (the "Black Devils", or Royal Netherlands Marines, who covered themselves in glory during the "Five Day Battle" for the Netherlands), together with the bulk of the Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine), and the Netherlands East Indies Air Force (together with the MLD, or Naval Airforce).
In 1941, the defence of the Netherlands East Indies comprised:
NIM (Nederlands Indie Marine - Netherlands East Indies Navy):
Vice-Admiral Helfrich
Soerabaia (defence vessel)
7 minelayers (Pro Patria, Krakatau, Rigel, Prins van Oranje, Gouden Leeuw, Ram & Regulus)
3+ minesweepers (Jan van Amstel, Pieter de Bitter & Eland Dubois)
Soemba (gunboat)
15 submarines (KVII-IV, KXI-VII, O16, O19, O20, +?)
various coastal minesweepers & small craft
NIE (Nederlands Indie Eskader, KNM - East Indies Squadron, RNN):
Admiral Doorman
Java (cruiser)
de Ruyter (cruiser)
Celebes (cruiser)
Tromp (cruiser)
7 destroyers (Evertsen, Kortenaer, Piet Hein, Van Ghent, Van Nes, Witte de With & Banckert)
GGM (Gemilitairiseede Gouvernementsmarine - Militarised Government Navy Force)
8 "new" (1920s) patrol vessels ( Sirius, Wega, Fomalhout, Merel, Arend, Valk, Fazant & Reiger)
7 "old" patrol vessels (Albatros, Aldebaren, Bellatrix, Canopus, Deneb, Gemma & Eridanus)
plus various survey vessels, tenders & auxillaries
ML,KNIL (Militaire Luchtvaart, Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger - Airforce, Royal Netherlands East Indies Army)
General van Oyen (C-in-C, Java)
CL (Commandant Luchtstrijdkrachten - ) Ambon II
IV-2-Vl.G IV 3 Brewster Buffalo (fighter)
IV-2-Vl.G V 3 Brewster Buffalo (fighter)
CL Samarind II
I-Vl.G I 11 Martin Bombers
I-1-Vl.G V 8 Brewster Buffalo (fighter)
CL Singkawang II
2-Vl.G I 11 Martin Bombers
III-1-Vl.G V 5 Brewster Buffalo (fighter)
IIIe Vl.G.
2-Vl.G V 12 Brewster Buffalo (fighter)
1-Vl.G III 10 Martin Bombers
2-Vl.G III 8 Martin Bombers
3-Vl.G III 8 Martin Bombers
Commando CL
1-Vl.G II 11 Martin Bombers
2-Vl.G II 11 Martin Bombers
1-Vl.G IV 9 Curtiss Hawk 75 (fighter)
III-1-Vl.G VI 4 Curtiss Hawk 75 (fighter)
2-Vl.G IV 6 Curtiss Interceptor (fighter)
III-2-Vl.G IV 3 Curtiss Interceptor (fighter)
3-Vl.G IV 16 Brewster Buffalo (fighter)
Vk.A-4 12 Lockheed 212 (light transport)
Depot Fl.A 12 Lockheed Lodestar (transport)
2 Lockheed 212 (light transport)
2 Curtiss Falcon (trainer/recon)
3 Fokker CX (trainer)
1 Buecker Jungmann (utility)
2 Ryan STM-2 (trainer/utility)
AHK (GHQ)
Vk.A-1 12 Curtiss Falcon (trainer)
1 Fokker CX (trainer)
Vk.A-2 11 Curtiss Falcon (trainer)
2 Fokker CX (trainer)
1st Infantry Division
Vk.A-3 12 Koolhoven FK-51 (recon)
2nd Infantry Division
Vk.A-5 12 Koolhoven FK-51 (recon)
Detached to Navy
WH-1 Patrouille (Patrol) 3 Martin Bombers
(The above ML, KNIL info cheerfully stolen from Dr Leo Niehorster's WW2 TO&E page!)
KNIL (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger - Royal Netherlands Indies Army):
General Ter Poorten (C-in-C)
(1,000 officers & 34,000 men {28,000 natives})
JAVA: 1st Division: 2 infantry regiments
1 mechanised regiment
1 horse cavalry regiment
1 artillery regiment
2nd Division: 3 infantry regiments
Barisan Corps (regiment size)
Legion of Mankunegoro (2 coys)
mechanised detachment
6 artillery batteries
Marines: Surabaya: 1 coy
Goebeng: 1 coy
motorised anti-parachute brigade
guard detachment
TARAKAN: 7th Infantry Battalion
Coastal & AA artillery
Some photos of the KNIL:
(These photos - showing the use of the 75mm Bofors howitzer by the KNIL, are from "War Machine 103: Infantry Support Weapons of WW2"; Orbis; 1985)
NEI 1941-2 (A site by Klemen and friends, complete with discussion group!)