Groep VliegTuigen 6 (GVT.6) Group Aircraft 6
Marine-Luchtvaartdienst (MLD) Netherlands Naval Air Service

Background
Groep VliegTuigen 6 (GVT.6) / Group Aircraft 6 was part of the Marine-Luchtvaartdienst (MLD) and operated in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI).

Wartime History
On December 8, 1941 at the start of the Pacific War, the mission of GVT.6 was to perform reconnaissance of Japanese forces, bombing missions and rescue missions.

On January 1, 1942 moved to the auxiliary seaplane base at Tajan in the interior of Borneo. For the first two weeks of operations, they faced poor weather that hampered operations and moisture and humidity created issues with the Do24s corroding electronic equipment and gunsights.

On January 6, 1942 Do24K-1 X-28 took off from Tajan on a reconnaissance mission but experienced engine vibrations and misfires after take of and had to abort the misison. The mission was then completed by Do24K-1 X-29.

On February 10, 1942 in the afternoon Do 24K-1 X-29 took off piloted by Paul Adriani as one of three Do 24 flying boats on a flight to Banjarmasin on south Borneo to evacuate MLD personnel. The flight navigated in clouds and rain showers to the mouth of the Kali River where about ten miles inland they were to land at a rendezvous point in the river. Arriving over the spot, none of the agreed light signals were observed. Do 24K-1 X-29 landed in the river but came under gunfire from Japanese forces that had already occupied the area and sustained damage but managed to take off and escape into the clouds. In the nose, Observer Jan de Vries was wounded in the leg. Returning at 10:00pm the crew of Do 24K-1 X-29 saw Madoera off the coast of Java. Suddenly, two engines failed near the western tip of Madoera, possibly due to damage or a fuel leak. Loosing altitude, the flying boat made a force landing in the open sea at night in rough seas near shore off Westgat. During the landing, the flying boat flipped over and sank with the crew injured and three missing. It is unclear if the flying boat crashed on February 10, 1942 after 10:00pm or February 11, 1942 in the early morning.

On March 3, 1942 lost is Do 24K-1 X-23 while moored in Roebuck Bay off Broome strafed by A6M2 Zeros from 3rd Kōkūtai (3rd Air Group) and set on fire and sank in shallow water.

References
The Dutch Naval Air Force Against Japan: The Defense of the Netherlands East Indies, 1941-1942, Second Edition (2023) pages 155

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