Battle for Tarakan
Tarakan on the east coast of Borneo
| date | January 11th and 12th, 1942 |
|---|---|
| place | Tarakan in front of Borneo |
| output | Japanese victory |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
| Troop strength | |
| Approx. 1300 | Approx. 6600 |
| losses | |
|
? Dead |
256 dead |
1. Borneo - Manado - Tarakan - Balikpapan - Ambon - Makassar - Sumatra - Palembang - Badung - Timor - USS Langley - 1. Java Sea - Sunda Strait - Java - 2. Java Sea - U 168 - U 537 - U 183 - Ashigara - 2. Borneo
1941
Thailand - Malay Peninsula - Pearl Harbor - Hong Kong - Philippines - Guam - Wake - Force Z - Borneo
1942
Burma - Rabaul - Singapore - Sumatra - Timor - Australia - Java - Salamaua - Lae - Indian Ocean - Port Moresby - Coral Sea - Midway - North America - Buna-Gona - Kokoda-Track
The Battle of Tarakan between Japanese and Dutch units took place in World War II during the Pacific War on January 11-12, 1942.
Tarakan is a small island off the east coast of Borneo . It is best known for its oil reserves . There is also a small airport on the island. Therefore, Tarakan was to be captured by the Japanese in January 1942. The island belonged to the Dutch sphere of influence in the Dutch East Indies region , so that an entire Dutch garrison was stationed on it.
The prelude to the invasion was a first Japanese air raid by four flying boats on December 25, 1941. A second air raid on December 28 led to a dogfight between five Dutch Brewster F2A Buffalo and eight Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero , which had taken the small airport under fire . Two or three Buffalos and two Zero fighters were shot down. One Dutchman died, the other went missing . The Japanese had destroyed a plane standing on the ground at the airport, but otherwise hardly caused any damage.
Units of the Japanese Central Group under Vice Admiral Hirose Sueto ran from Davao City and Jolo south to Borneo on January 7th and 8th . They included mine layers , submarine hunters , four fast landing craft , and 16 transporters with the 56th Regimental Combat Group and the 2nd Kure Special Landing Force. The 4th Destroyer Flotilla under Rear Admiral Shōji Nishimura and the 2nd and 9th Destroyer Divisions stood ready for security . Two seaplane carriers and 23 fighter planes from the base on Jolo provided air support.
When a Dutch Dornier Do 24 reported the incoming Japanese invasion fleet on January 10, 1942, the island commander, Lieutenant Colonel Simon de Waal , ordered the oil fields to be destroyed immediately.
On January 11, 20,000 Japanese soldiers under Major General Sakaguchi Shizuo landed on the east coast of Tarakan, as the concentration of Dutch soldiers there was significantly lower. The west coast was much better suited for a landing operation, so the Dutch were very surprised when the Japanese came from the east.
Despite dogged resistance from the Dutch, the Japanese conquered the island. Indonesian soldiers, who were taken prisoner by Japan shortly after landing, had told them the most important positions of the Dutch. The next day, Tarakan was in Japanese hands. More than half of the Dutch garrison fell victim to the attack. During the invasion, the Dutch mine- layer Mr. Ms. Prins van Oranje sunk.
Another incident occurred on January 12th when the Karoengan coastal battery , which had not been informed of the surrender , shot at and sank two Japanese mine sweepers . The Japanese subsequently executed 84 soldiers belonging to the battery.
The next day the Japanese declared the island safe. On January 14th, the Japanese boarded their ships again and set out for Balikpapan .
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It was not until May 1, 1945 that the 26th Australian Brigade was able to liberate the island as part of Operation Oboe . Of the 2,200 Japanese who were still stationed on Tarakan at the time, around 1,500 were killed. The Australians lost 240 men.
Web links
- Detailed Description battle (English)