The Royal Netherlands Navy entered the war in May 1940 and participated in it for over five years. Dutch sailors fought in European waters, the Atlantic, and the Pacific. Fighting shoulder to shoulder with their allies, they shared both bitterness of defeat and the joy of success.
During the first weeks of the war with Japan, the Dutch naval forces under the command of Vice Admiral Conrad Helfrich were the most successful of all the Allies. His aggressive style of warfare and effectiveness in battle earned him the nickname "Ship-a-day Helfrich." It was no coincidence that on September 2, 1945, he was given the role of representing the Kingdom of Netherlands at the Japanese Instrument of Surrender signing ceremony in Tokyo Bay, which marked the end of World War II.