Austrian Netherlands remain in Austrian hands. In 1795 the Batavian Republic starts. In 1862, the second cabinet of Thorbecke, ordered to reinforce the fort. From 1874 on, the fort became a part of the Defence line of the Hollands Diep and the Volkerak. In 1915 the fort was reinforced for a second time, this time with reinforced concrete. Second World War On 12 May 1940 the soldiers of the fort received the command to go to Westmaas where they were to secure the Barendrechtse brug (Bridge of Barendrecht). On 13 May that year the soldiers left the artillery and moved on to Brielle and next to The Hague. Frits Philips fled from Eindhoven on 14 May 1940 and was bombed near Numansdorp. Unharmed he managed to reach The Hague. In September 1944 the Germans moved the people of Numansdorp, because they wanted to flood the area as a defence against the Allies. In May 1945 they were allowed back in the village. North Sea flood of 1953 In the night of 31 January and morning of 1 February 1953 large parts of Zeeland, the islands of South Holland and some parts of North Brabant were flooded, due to a combination of high tide and a strong northwestern storm which caused many dikes to break. A result of the flood was the death of 56 inhabitants of the area, which made the Numansdorp the village with the highest number on the Hoeksche Waard. The majority of them, 54, lived in the agricultural area Ambachtsheerlijkheid Cromstrijen not far from the village. The last 3 bodies were found in June that year. Apart from the loss of human lives, about 500 horses, cows, pigs and many poultry were lost. 136 farms and homes were completely ruined, about 850 homes had water damage and more than 2,800 persons were evacuated. Because the fields had been flooded with salt water for 14 days, they couldn't be properly used for the rest of the year. References External links www.numansdorp.info - About the village itself. www.cromstrijen.nl - Site of the municipal Cromstrijen. Former municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland Hoeksche Waard