Battle of Balikpapan (1942)

Battle of Balikpapan (1942)
Part of World War II, Pacific War, Dutch East Indies campaign
Japanese troops of the Sakaguchi Detachment advancing through Balikpapan's burning oilfields.
Date 23–25 January 1942 (Allied air raids continued until 30 January) Location Balikpapan, Borneo Result Japanese land victory Allied tactical naval victory
Belligerents
Netherlands  United States	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Cornelis van den Hoogenband Paul H. Talbot	Shizuo Sakaguchi Shoji Nishimura
Strength
ca. 1,100	ca. 6,600
Casualties and losses
Troops deserted or surrendered (Only 200 evacuated) 1 destroyer lightly damaged 1 submarine heavily damaged	47 infantry killed At least 121 sailors killed 5 transport ships sunk 2 transport ships damaged 1 patrol boat damaged 1 seaplane tender damaged

This article concerns the naval and land battles of Balikpapan in 1942. For information on the 1945 landings by Australian forces in the same area, see Second Battle of Balikpapan.

The First Battle of Balikpapan took place on 23–25 January 1942, off the major oil producing town and port of Balikpapan, on Borneo, in the Netherlands East Indies. After capturing mostly destroyed oilfields at Tarakan, Japanese forces send an ultimatum to Dutch that they will be executed if they destroy the oilfields there, to no avail. After destroying the oilfields, Dutch forces retreated inland into Samarinda II Airfield, while the Japanese landed and seized the also destroyed refineries.

A short time later, an American naval task force ambushed the Japanese invasion convoy and sank multiple transport ships. Despite this success, they failed to stop Japan from swiftly occupying Balikpapan.

Background[]

Before the war, Balikpapan was a crucial center for Dutch economic enterprises in Borneo. Within the city, lies 2 crude oil processing plants, a paraffin and lube oil plant, a cracking plant, a sulfuric acid plant and a precious petroleum refining plant, a tin and drum factory and several workshops.^[1] Most importantly, Balikpapan housed an oil refinery with a complex of petroleum tanks that could hold eight times as much those at Tarakan, employing up to 7,000 native workers and 100 European employers, who produced up to one millions tons of oil annually before the war.^[2][3]

As the Dutch began to contemplate the possibility of a Japanese military aggression, they began to bolster defenses to protect the island's facilities. In 1924, a detachment of 6 infantry brigades was stationed to defend the oilfields of Balikpapan, as well as that of Semboja and Sanga Sanga (supported by 3 additional brigades from Samarinda).

Just as the detachment at Tarakan, troops from Java will reinforce the Balikpapan detachment if a threatening situation occurred. In 1933, a battalion staff and 2 companies was sent to strengthen Balikpapan's defenses, as tensions in the Pacific were brewing up at the time. After 4 months, the reinforcement returned to Java. Afterwards, strength of the detachment at Balikpapan was reduced to a single infantry battalion.^[4]

In their plan to conquer the Dutch East Indies, Balikpapan holds both a strategic and tactical significance as a target. Strategically, its oil refinery is vital for Japan's own petroleum production; in occupying it, Japan could have a direct access to the large oilfields in the Borneo's interior. Tactically, the city also possess both a harbor and an airfield (Manggar) that is critical for Japan's occupation of southern Borneo and the capture of Java itself.^[5][6]

Order of Battle[]

Japan[]

Ground Forces[]

Naval Forces[]

Netherlands[]

United States[]

59th Destroyer Division (Commander: Paul H. Talbot):

• USS John D. Ford
• USS Parrott
• USS Paul Jones
• USS Pope

Dutch Plans[]

Cornelis van den Hoogenband, commander of Dutch forces in Balikpapan, seen here in a post-war interview.

Dutch garrison in Balikpapan was ordered to defend the city, particularly its oil refineries against a coup de main and to engage in a delaying action to make time to carry out the destruction of the facilities. Once it seemed clear that the city is to fall into enemy hands, the troops must wage a guerilla war in the hinterlands. For the facility destruction time span, Dutch demolition detachment allotted 3 hours and 8 hours for Balikpapan and Sambodja respectively. However, demolition exercise showed that it would take much more time if the destruction is to be carried out accordingly.^[11]

For the defensive preparations, van den Hoogenband established a defensive position at Klandasan to block the road from Manggar Airfield to the city. A second defensive line was placed surrounding the radio station (Radio position), with a third line (Rapak position) constructed to cover the retreat into the hinterlands for the guerrilla campaign.^[11]

To prevent enemy landings, Dutch Navy (Koninklijke Marine) minelayers Gouden Leeuw, Eland Dubois and Soemenep laid out a barrier of 290 mines around the approaches to the Balikpapan Bay between September 1939 and December 1941.^[12]

Finally, to prepare for the guerrilla campaign, van den Hoogenband set up evacuation camps that can accommodate about 30,000 people around 6 to 9 km from Balikpapan. Shortly after the fall of Tarakan, he evacuated Balikpapan civilians to these camps. In addition, food depots are also constructed on the river banks every 10 km from the city and near the oil pumping stations in Wain River and Mentawir to sustain the troops during the guerrilla campaign.^[13][14]

Japanese Plans[]

Japanese ultimatum to Dutch forces in Balikpapan. Written in Dutch and Japanese, it stated that all Dutch defenders and civilians will be killed if the facilities in Balikpapan were destroyed.

As the capture of Tarakan went faster than their predicted timetable, the Sakaguchi Detachment and Western Attack Unit moved up their date to occupy Balikpapan. Their orders are to:^[15]

1. The enemy will be contacted and destroyed while very possible effort will be exerted to prevent destruction of the oil refinery installations. The airfield, after its capture, will be used for the invasion of Java. The assault unit will cooperate in the maintenance of the airfield.
2. The main force immediately upon landing in the vicinity of the airfield will capture it. Simultaneously, a part of the group will secretly go up the river below the port and make a surprise attack at the enemy's rear in order to break the organized resistance of the enemy garrison. As far as possible, they will prevent the destruction of the oil refinery installations.
3. After the capture of the Balikpapan, the Sanga Sanga Oilfield region will be mopped up and secured
4. Preparations will be made to make Balikpapan the center of military administration in South Borneo.

Despite the timing that was already ahead of the timetable, the debarkation and construction activity to ensure the readiness of Tarakan airfield made little progress. Delaying the airfield's capacity to be used a staging ground for the attack on Balikpapan, Nishimura and Sakaguchi eventually agreed to postpone the landing in Balikpapan from 21 to 24 January. Still, as the postponement does not give enough time to readying Tarakan airfield for the use of transport planes, the plan to attack Balikpapan using paratroopers were scrapped.^[16][17]

Concerned that the destruction of the oilfields would also happen in Balikpapan, the Japanese planned to send out message via captured Dutch officers from Tarakan, to warned that a swift reprisal would fall on defenders and civilians alike, should the refineries ended up being destroyed.^[18]

Battle[]

Ultimatum and Demolition (16-20 January)[]

Destroyed refineries at Balikpapan.

To carry the aforementioned ultimatum to the defenders, Sakaguchi tasked Capt. Gerard Reinderhoff, former chief of staff to the Tarakan garrison commander, Lt.-Col. Simon de Waal and Capt. Anton Colijn, manager of the BPM oil company on Tarakan, KNIL reservist and son to the former Dutch prime minister Hendrikus Colijn. On the morning of 16 January, they steamed to Balikpapan aboard the captured BPM motor schooner Parsifal with an Indonesian captain and three Japanese interpreters^[18] (other sources say two Japanese naval lieutenants and two sailors;^[19] others mentioned three Japanese interpreters and two Indonesian police officers).^[20]

Two Dornier Do-24 seaplanes of MLD's GVT.4 Squadron sighted Parsifal, flying a Japanese flag on 19 January. Differing sources indicate that Colijn and Reinderhoff either overpowered or deceived their captors —some accounts claim the Japanese were drunk— and managed to lock them inside a cabin.^[21] Colijn then immediately tore down the Japanese ensign, while Reinderhoff waved a Dutch flag. As the seas were too rough for a landing, the Dorniers flew off and returned the next day. The Dorniers returned and landed the following morning, picked up Colijn and Reinderhoff and flew them to Balikpapan, where they delivered the ultimatum directly to van den Hoogenband.

van den Hoogenband waste no time and immediately gave the order for the demolition team to began destroying all the wells, refineries and port facilities in Balikpapan. The destruction had actually already begun ahead on 18 January. In the Louise oilfields, located north of Balikpapan. Dutch demolition teams dismantled the well tubing, cut off to a depth of 15 meter, which were then “dropped down the holes together with pump plungers and accessory rods. To complete the work, materials such as bolts, nuts, and heavy drilling bits was thrown after them. Finally, a tin containing four pieces of TNT was thrown in to destroy the casing strings. Within a few days “all motors, pumps, dynamos and turbines were blown up.^[22]

At Balikpapan proper, stills and steam boilers were first wrecked, which took about a day and a half; about thirty hours of “heavy stoking” were required to collapse the shells of the stills, after which the teams destroyed the boilers for five to eight hours. The destruction of the installations then continued throughout the region and at the port itself. First, the teams set fire to the wharves by encircling the channels with burning oil from ignited gasoline drums. They then blow up the factories; the paraffin-wax factory, the packed lubricating-oil drum store, the saltwater pumping station were all dynamited. A newly constructed tin plant in the Pandansari factory was also burned up. The destruction efforts ended with the obliteration of laboratories, tank farms, and the power station, with chains of explosions shattering windows throughout the town.^[23] By nightfall on 20 January, the blaze from the destructions can be seen over 100 km away.^[24]

Evacuation (20-23 January)[]

A group of BPM employees (J.A. van Schaveren, D. Schotte and W.A. van der Pijl (photographer)) that escaped Balikpapan waiting for a perahu to take them to Java. They landed there via Celebes and Lombok on 7 March and were soon captured.

From mid-January 1942, BPM personnel and civilians still left behind began to be airlifted out of Balikpapan. After the fall of Tarakan, three Lockheed Lodestars from the ML-KNIL and a DC-2 from the KNILM were stationed at Surabaya to carry out resupply and evacuation flights. Hundreds of evacuees were flown to Surabaya from Manggar Airfield, as well as Oelin Airfield near Banjarmasin. From January 20, however, evacuations from the city were only possible by flying boats. To avoid reprisals, BPM and KNIL engineers who carried out the demolition, as well as Colijn and Reinderhoff, were also evacuated. On the night of 20 January, the two officers, along with 25 other evacuees left for Java. At the same time, BPM sent out a Grumman Goose to evacuate their company officials and employees, the last one done on 23 January.^[25][26]

On that night, MLD also began their evacuation runs, starting with the two Dorniers of GVT.4 Squadron that made back and forth trips between Balikpapan and Surabaya, evacuating the city port's naval commander and his personnel, as well as demolition teams who had destroyed the Samboja drilling site. On the next run on 22 January, two additional Dorniers joined the convoy, but only two made the landing on Wain River and evacuated 58 BPM members of the demolition team and the remaining MLD ground personnel. Despite the bad weather and fuel concerns, the planes managed to land in Surabaya. Of the two other Dorniers, one had to returned because of the bad weather, while the other one crashed and exploded while trying to land on Sungai Wain, killing four of the five flight crews. Throughout the evacuation, blazing fires from the town helped to guide the planes in, as they were visible a full hour's flight time away.^[25][26][27]

The rest of the demolition team, 87 Europeans and 10 Indonesians from BPM and other companies, aided by 140 Indonesian porters, marched to Banjarmasin. When Japanese troops cut off the route, the porters ran off and the team decided to split into smaller groups that will try to reach Samarinda II at their own pace. The largest of the group eventually reached the airfield at the end of February and were evacuated to Java and another group reached the airfield on 8 March, when the Netherlands capitulated. From the rest of the small groups, several reached Banjarmasin using perahus, two groups reached Java after capitulation and one reached Lombok. Yet there were also those who were captured and killed by Japanese troops. In all, out of the 87 Europeans, 41 survived, none of which reached Banjarmasin.^[28]

Fleet Interception (21-23 January)[]

Brewster B339C Replica. The Dutch used the fighter also as a light dive bomber against Japanese convoys.

At 17:00 on the 21 January, the Japanese invasion fleet of one light cruiser, nine destroyers, four minesweepers, three submarine chasers, three patrol boats and sixteen transport ships left Tarakan for Balikpapan. A MLD Dornier spotted the fleet that same day, but heavy clouds with strong winds and prolonged rain prevented the plane from shadowing the fleet. On the next day, the U.S. Navy submarines S-40, Pickerel, Porpoise, Saury, Spearfish and Sturgeon were ordered to intercept the fleet. Later, they were joined by Dutch submarines K-XIV and K-XVIII. Sturgeon fired several torpedoes on the convoy and reported sinking three ships. However, postwar records failed to confirm any damages to the convoy.^[29][30]

On 23 January, an American PBY seaplane from Patrol Wing 10 spotted the fleet at 12:20 and shadowed it for an hour. From 16:25, as many as three waves of Dutch Martin B-10 bombers (19 in total) escorted by up to 12 Brewster Buffaloes attacked the fleet. The first and second wave scored no hits, and many were forced to return due to bad weather. Yet on the third wave, the Dutch planes narrowly strike the Kawakaze, lightly damaged the transport ship Tatsugami Maru and sunk the transport ship Nana Maru, for the cost of a Martin bomber shot down.^[31][32]

Despite these attacks, at 22:30 the Japanese began their landing on Balikpapan as Col. Kanauji's Raid Unit disembarked and made their way through the bay to land behind van den Hoogenband's defense lines. Later at 01:40 on 24 January, Gen. Sakaguchi's Airfield Seizure Unit and Assault Unit embarked on their landing crafts and also began making their way to the beaches.^[33]

Land Engagement (23-25 January)[]

Coastal obstacles to prevent direct enemy landing on Balikpapan.

Around midnight, reports reached van den Hoogenband of craft movements in Balikpapan Bay, heading towards the Klandasan position. Dense smoke from the burning facilities made it difficult for Dutch searchlights to observe the water front ahead of them, enabling Kanauji's Raid Unit to sail unhindered into Wain River behind the Dutch lines. A Dutch patrol soon reported this movement to van den Hoogenband, who ordered 2nd Company to secure the Dutch 120 mm guns and sent out overvalwagen armored cars to patrol and report for any enemy troop activities in their inland retreat route. At 03:30 on the 24th, the Raid Unit entered mouth of the Wain River, where they were greeted by two Indonesian police officers who guided them inland.^[34][35]

At daybreak, 2nd Company reported that they managed to prevent Kanauji from reaching Balikpapan and threatening their retreat route. Yet at 06:30, van den Hoogenband received reports of Japanese troops advancing east towards their defensive lines, and by 07:00, Japanese troops were nearing the Klandasan position. With little reserve at his disposal, van den Hoogenband is left to choose on whether he should reinforce the Klandasan position, or attempt a break out through the Raid Unit and retreat inland. As there is little merit in defending a ruined city, van den Hoogenband chose to do the latter. He informed the General Headquarters in Bandung of his decision and ordered his troops to destroy the guns, searchlights and radio station and bolster the rear defenses for the breakout.^[34]

Japanese landing on Balikpapan. Purple arrow indicates the Raid Unit landing, Red arrow indicates the Assault Unit landing. Orange square indicates Batu Ampar.

2nd Company was now ordered to go on the offensive and capture and hold the Wain River pumping station to enable the rest of the forces to retreat. Later, even though there were no reports from them, van den Hoogenband was under the impression that 2nd Company managed to hold the pumping station and that the overvalwagen patrols have kept the retreat routes safe from Japanese troops. At 09:00, he assembled his troops and their families, 700 in all in about 100 trucks and other vehicles. Led by an overvalwagen, they began their breakout push inland and retreated to Batoehampar (Batu Ampar).^[36]

Kanauji's forces eventually landed at 17:30 that day. On the 25th, the Raid Unit split up, with one element advancing to seize the pumping station, another advancing toward Balikpapan, and the rest of the main force moving up on the road between Batu Ampar and Balikpapan. At 14:40, when the main force advanced into Batu Ampar, they defeated a Dutch force (unknown, either 2nd Company or parts of van den Hoogenband's column) and taking them prisoner, effectively cutting off any line of retreat inland.^[35]

Earlier, at 02:40 on the 24th, the Airfield Seizure and Assault Units landed without meeting any resistance and by daybreak, they seized the airfield and the bridges. Even though van den Hoogenband's troops have destroyed the bridges on the coastal road, Yamamoto's troops managed to reach the north end of Balikpapan by night. By 04:00 on the 25th, the Assault Unit entered Balikpapan unopposed.^[37] After nightfall, the Raid Unit managed to link up with the Assault Unit when they entered the city, and with it, Balikpapan was in Japanese hands.^[38]

Naval Engagement (24 January)[]

As Japanese forces embarked onto their landing crafts and made their way to Balikpapan, Dutch submarine HNLMS K-XVIII, under Lieutenant Commander Carel A.J. van Well Groeneveld made contact with Balikpapan invasion convoy. At 00:35, van Well Groenveld fired three torpedoes on what he reported to be a “1,400 ton destroyer," which was actually the cruiser Naka. With all the torpedoes missed Naka, the submarine fired another torpedo that hit and sank the transport ship Tsuruga Maru between 00:40 and 00:45, taking one crew and 39 troops of the Sakaguchi Detachment down with it.^[39][40][41]

As Naka and the 4th Destroyer Flotilla left the convoy to hunt for K-XVIII, they opened the path for the American 59th Destroyer Division to attack the now unguarded transport convoy. Admiral Thomas Hart, commander of the U.S. Navy's Asiatic Fleet, assembled a strike force (Task Force (TF) 5) that sailed from Koepang (Kupang) Bay, Timor on 20 January. Commanded by Admiral William Glassford and Paul Talbot, it consisted of the cruisers Boise and Marblehead and the destroyers John D. Ford, Pope, Parrott, Paul Jones, Pillsbury, and Bulmer. Glassford served as the overall commander, while Talbot lead the destroyers.^[42][43]

At that time, Marblehead had only one working turbine, which limited its speed to 15 knots. On 21 January, Boise struck an uncharted reef off Kelapa Island in Sape Strait that caused a 120-ft long gash in the ship's port keel. Along with Marblehead, the two cruisers were forced to retire to Waworada Bay under the escort of Bulmer and Pillsbury. From there, Boise and Pillsbury headed back to Tjilatjap (Cilacap), while Marblehead and Bulmer steamed towards Surabaya. The remaining four destroyers under Commander Talbot went on towards Balikpapan.^[44]

Balikpapan and its surrounding facilities ablaze due to Dutch demolitions.

To maintain the element of surprise, Talbot ordered his destroyers to use their torpedoes as their primary attack weapon for that night and only fired their guns when these were expended. Guided by the burning wreck of Nana Maru and the Balikpapan's blazing fires, TF 5 entered the Makassar Strait just after midnight on 24 January. At 02:35 the ran straight into the path of the cruiser Naka and four destroyers. One of the destroyers signal a challenge, to no reply from Talbot's ships. Assuming that they were friendly ships, the Japanese destroyers passed TF 5 without raising any alarm.^[45]

Ten minutes later, Talbot spotted the Japanese transport fleet, silhouetted by fire from the burning oilfields before them and guarded by three patrol boats, four minesweepers, and four submarine chasers. At 02:57, W-15 spotted the destroyers, but assumed that it was Naka. Parrott, followed by John D. Ford and Paul Jones, fired a total of seven torpedoes at the minesweeper, but all missed due to poor angle. As they reached the northern end of the transport fleet, Parrott fired three torpedoes at 03:00, hitting Sumanoura Maru and caused a tremendous explosion that sank the ship, as it was carrying depth charges and mines at the time.^[46][47]

Soon afterwards, W-15 alerted Admiral Nishimura that the transport fleet were under attack. Despite the alarm, he refused to believe that enemy ships could penetrate the anchorage and assumed that the attack must be coming from K-XVIII. In the midst of the newly-created confusion, Pope, Parrott and Paul Jones fired a total of 10 torpedoes at 03:06, one of which hit the Tatsugami Maru. Compounded by damages from the Dutch air raid the previous day, the munition-loaded ship exploded and sank 30 minutes later. Talbot then turned TF 5 southward at 03:14, aiming to attack the southern end of the fleet.^[48]

TF 5's attack on Japanese transports off of Balikpapan.

Five minutes later, Pope and Parrott fired five torpedoes at what they assumed was a destroyer, but was actually the patrol boat P-37. The former World War I destroyer received three torpedo hits that badly damaged the vessel and killed 35 of its crew. John D. Ford and Paul Jones followed on with an attack on the Kuretake Maru, but it managed to evade the first two torpedoes. A second torpedo from Paul Jones then hit amidships and the transport ship soon sank. Pope, Parrott, and Paul Jones now signaled Talbot that they've used all their torpedoes, and he authorized them to use their 4-inch guns on the transports.^[49][50]

At this time, however, TF 5's formation began to break up. John D. Ford went on a northwesterly course at 03:35, followed shortly by Pope. John D. Ford then fired its last two torpedoes on the wreck of Tsuruga Maru, before attacking Kumagawa Maru and Asahisan Maru concurrently. Shells from its 4-inch guns and 50. caliber machine guns riddled both ships, killing 6 crew in Kumagawa Maru and 50 in Asahisan Maru. As it did so, however, a shell hit John D. Ford's aft at 03:47, wounding four crew members. Avoiding running aground in shoal waters, the commander of the destroyer, Lt. Cmdr. Jacob D. Cooper, made a port turn and doubled back to catch up with the rest of TF 5, who were already steaming away from Balikpapan Bay. John D. Ford only managed to caught up with the rest of TF 5 at 06:42, upon which Talbot ordered a signal flag hoisted on the destroyer: WELL DONE.^[51][52]

By then, Admiral Nishimura and the 4th Flotilla was still on a wild-goose chase of K-XVIII nearly six to seven kilometers away (three to four miles). It was not until 05:20 when he finally ordered the 9th Destroyer Division to cut off TF 5's escape route. However, because none of them had no knowledge of where the American ships were, Nishimura eventually ordered the destroyers of the 9th to resume their previous task. As his flagship Naka sailed into the anchorage to ascertain the condition of the transports, it was separated from the 9th Division and rejoined the transport echelons alone.^[53][54]

Retreat into Samarinda II (24 January - 6 February)[]

Dutch retreat route from Balikpapan to Samarinda II.

Upon reaching Batu Ampar, van den Hoogenband realized that Japanese troops has occupied defensive points leading into the pumping station. His forces now had to retreat through the evacuation camps, upon which several hundred women and children, mostly families of the Indonesian soldiers, joined his column. On 25 January, they received report that the Wain River pumping station was already under Japanese control.^[55]

Considering that his troops are too fatigued by now, van den Hoogenband refrained from attacking the pumping station and persuaded the women and children to return to Balikpapan, as there's better chance there to obtain food. Part of them went back to the evacuation camp, while others remained in the kampungs (villages) around Wain River. The remainder of 500 soldiers continued the retreat north.^[56][57]

Throughout the retreat, Dutch troops encountered difficulties in replenishing their equipment and obtain food, as most of the food depots had been taken over by Japanese forces. It was not until they reached the road between Mentawir and Semoi that they managed to find rice storages in a labor camp. On 3 February, the column reached the Boeat (Buat) kampung, where they obtain more provisions, as well as additional intelligence. Local officials informed van den Hoogenband that Japanese troops had occupied Samarinda city that same day, but the Samarinda II airfield was still under Dutch control.^[56]

Advised by the officials, the Dutch column now retreated into Kota Bangoen (Kota Bangun), where there are transport ships that can take them along the Mahakam River into Samarinda II. The sick from the column were moved using wooden boats (perahu) directly from Buat downstream to the Mahakam. After three days of marching, van den Hoogenband and 200 soldiers reached Kota Bangun on 5 February and arrived at Samarinda II the next day. From 7 to 8 February, they were flown to Java, though some infantrymen from the column ended up reinforcing the garrison defending the airfield.^[56][57]

Allied Air Attacks on Balikpapan (24 - 30 January)[]

24 January[]

Allied planes bombing Japanese ships off Balikpapan.

During and after the occupation of Balikpapan, ABDA Air Force, but mainly that of the Dutch, launch daily air raids from Samarinda II airfield to help destabilize, if not dislodging Japanese forces. On 24 January, the first wave strike Japanese forces at 07:15, consisted of 10 Martin B-10 bombers of the 1-VLG-I Squadron escorted by 14 Brewster Buffalos of the 1-VLG-V and 2-VLG-V Squadrons. Despite heavy Japanese AA fire, no Dutch planes were shot down. Dutch pilots claimed that they sank a transport ship, damaged another one and strike the destroyer Kawakaze again. Yet Japanese reports showed that the attack failed to damage or sunk a single ship.^[58][59]

At approximately 08:00, three Japanese Navy Zeros operating out of Tarakan conducted a strafing run over Samarinda II airfield. A KNILM DC-3 with three BPM evacuees onboard was straddled but managed to crash land in the jungle. A group of Dayak people and a missionary later saved them, though one of the BPM evacuee died of his injury beforehand. Dutch AA fire from the airfield shot down a Zero that crashed intact, thus enabling Dutch forces to obtain intel on the fighter's strengths and weaknesses.^[60]

Between 09:00 and 09:50, eight B-17 Flying Fortresses of the U.S. 7th and 19th Bomb Group that had departed from Malang attacked the ships at anchor. The B-17s shot down two Zeros who intercepted the formation, for a cost of three bombers slightly damaged and no hits scored.^[58][59] Later in the afternoon, 14 Buffalos of 1-VLG-V Squadron, followed by 10 Martin B-10s flew out of Samarinda II to scout and bombard Japanese troop positions. Thick clouds and Japanese AA fire scattered the formations and the attack scored no hits, but they managed to shoot down two Mitsubishi F1M 'Pete' scout planes.^[61] When the attack wave landed at 15:30, six Zeros and a Babs caught them in a second raid. Three Zeros strafed and destroyed three Martin B-10s. Three Buffalos of 1-VLG-V attempted to dislodge the fighters, but the Zeros shot down two of them. One Zero was eventually badly damaged by AA fire and ditched in the sea.^[62]

25 January[]

American Boeing B-17E based in Malang, 1942. This bomber made an emergency landing on the beach of Madura upon returning from the mission in Balikpapan.

On the next day, the attack started with the deployment of nine Martin B-10s of the 1-VLG-I Squadron. Once again, bad weather scattered the formation. When the bombers reached Balikpapan at 08:00, they were immediately engaged by four Zeros. In a 25-minute aerial battle, the Zeros shot down one Martin and damaged three other, while losing one to the bomber's defensive fire. The remaining bombers then were moved to Oelin Airfield in Banjarmasin.^[63]

The Dutch also send 6 Buffalos of 2-VLG-V Squadron for armed reconnaissance around Balikpapan. The flight yielded no results as the heavy smoke layers and dense rain obscure the pilot's visions. As soon as the Buffalos returned around 09:30, 27 Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' bombers bombarded Samarinda II from a height of 21,000 ft (6,500 m), which makes them impervious to Dutch AA defenses. Three Buffalos took off and attempted to intercept them, but they did not damage or shot down any of the bombers. The raid rendered Samarinda II's runways partially usable and damaged two Buffalos. Later at 15:30, 4 Zeros and a Babs strafed the airfield and destroyed a Martin and a Buffalo.^[64]

The Americans followed up on this attack by sending eight B-17s of the 7th and 19th Bomb Group at 11:00. Bad weather forced four of them to turn back to Malang along the way, with three of the four eventually made emergency landings on the beach of Madura Island due to lack of fuel. Meeting the same pattern as the Dutch beforehand, the remaining Flying Fortresses were promptly intercepted by Japanese Zeros. The B-17 defenses managed to shoot down two of them, but one of the four B-17 was so badly damaged, that it had to made an emergency landing at Oelin. By the end of the day, the two attacks failed to generate any damages or loss to the Japanese fleet.^[65][66]

27 January[]

The next raid took place two days later, as heavy cloud cover prevents the Japanese and the Allies from launching any attacks at all. Beforehand, ML-KNIL withdrew a majority of their Martin-B10s and Buffalos from Borneo between 25-27 January, as Samarinda IIs discovery has rendered it useless as an effective airfield. The Martins were withdrawn to Makassar on 25 January, from there they flew for Bandoeng (Bandung) on the next day. The Buffalos, on the other hand, retreated to Banjarmasin before flying to Surabaya. On 26 January, ABDAIR Command ordered the ML-KNIL and USAAF's 5th Bomber Command to continue their bombing raids against Balikpapan. On the 27th, 7th and 19th Bomb Group send out six American Flying Fortresses from Malang. Even though one of them had to turn back due to bad weather, at 13:00 the bombers scored hits on the seaplane tender Sanuki Maru, forcing the ship to withdraw out to the Makassar Strait.^[67][68]

At around the same time on 12:00, six Zeros and a Babs from Tarakan raided the fleet of Martin B-10s at Oelin that were still assigned to continue the attacks on Balikpapan. Dutch attempts to shoot down the raiders with their Lewis Guns and medium machine guns failed, and all six Martins of the 3-VLG-III Squadron were destroyed. In addition, three other Martins of the 1-VLG-I Squadron were also heavily damaged. Because of this loss, the ABDAIR can solely depend on the Americans and their heavy bombers to continue the mission.^[69]

29 January[]

Two days later, five Flying Fortresses made another run on the Japanese fleet. One of the bomber returned en route, while the remaining four were attacked by 13 Zeros for 30 minutes over Balikpapan. One B-17 crashed on the return flight due to its damage. The Americans believed that they managed to shoot down six Zeros, but Japanese records indicated that only one was shot down, and another one was damaged on landing at Manggar Airfield.^[70][71]

30 January[]

The day after, the 19th Bomb Group conducted two separate raids, both of which did not inflict any damage as well. The first raid during the day by three B-17 did not succeed, as all three bombers had to turn back en route due to bad weather and engine failure. Later that night, two LB-30 bombers attacked the fleet individually, about an hour apart, to no. This night attack was the last Allied attempt to stem the Japanese fleet advance in the context of the battle of Balikpapan.^[72]

Aftermath[]

After completed occupying Balikpapan's urban area the previous day, the Sakaguchi Detachment began mopping up any remaining Dutch resistance and setting up Manggar Airfield on 26 January. Even though the Dutch had thoroughly destroyed the refineries and other supporting facilities, Japanese defense details managed to repair the oilfields and kept them running from June 1942 until August 1943, when the first Allied air raids began bombarding them once more. With a high octane rating, the Balikpapan refinery was greatly utilized in supporting Japanese military operations in the southwestern Pacific theater. Manggar Airfield was repaired on 27 January and on the next day, nine Zeros of the 23rd Air Flotilla landed there, and its headquarters was established on the airfield by the 30th. The Sakaguchi Detachment also placed its main force and established a military administration in the city.^[73][74]

Casualties[]

In all, the loss sustained by the Sakaguchi Detachment in the operation was: eight men killed on land and 39 at sea (when Tsuruga Maru sank). For the Japanese Navy, at least 121 naval crews perished.^[75] In all, the Japanese material losses were (bracket indicate ship's cargo):^[76]

Nana Maru, on the top right.

Tsuruga (Turuga) Maru, part of Lima Maru-class ships.

Sumanoura Maru, part of Eihuku Maru-class ships on the right.

Tatsugami (Tatukami) Maru, on the left.

Sanuki Maru, part of the Sado Maru-class ship.

Sunk:

• Nana Maru (Aviation fuel)
• Tsuruga Maru (Field Artillery Battalion headquarters, one field artillery battery, the AA Battalion headquarters, one AA battery, medical unit)
• Sumanoura Maru (Auxiliary torpedo-and submarine-net layer and mine layer/oiler – mines and depth charges)
• Tatsugami Maru (Munitions ship)
• Kuretake Maru (3rd Battalion headquarters, the 12th Company, the 3rd Machine Gun Company)

Badly damaged:

• Patrol boat P-37
• Asahisan Maru

Slightly damaged:

• Kumagawa Maru
• Sanuki Maru

Out of 1,100 Dutch defenders, only 200 managed to reached Samarinda II on 6 February, where most of them were evacuated to Java.^[77]

Analyses[]

The battle was the first surface engagement in Southeast Asia that the U.S. Navy had participated in since the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898.^[78] The American destroyers expended all of their torpedoes with only a few hits, mostly because of the as yet unrealized problems with the Mark 15 torpedo running too deep.^[79] Because the landing had taken place around 21:30, the raid was too late to stop the capture of Balikpapan.^[80]

While the various attacks on the Japanese transports did little to prevent the fall of Balikpapan, it proved that Admiral Hart's conservative strategy could be effectively used against Japanese forces until Allied forces in the Southeast Asia area could be bolstered.^[81] It was under his orders that the destroyers conducted the raid and sank the four transports. Crucial to the success of the destroyer raid was also the fact that it had been conducted by an all American force, operating under the same doctrine and protocol, whereas other ABDACOM engagements of combined forces (the Battle of the Java Sea, notably) suffered from much confusion.^[81] Hart was later relieved of command and replaced with the much bolder Conrad Helfrich.

Balikpapan remained under Japanese control until July 1945, when the Japanese force was defeated by an Australian-led force in the 1945 Battle of Balikpapan.

Notes[]

References[]

• Boer, P.C. (1987). De Luchtstrijd Rond Borneo December 1941 – Februari 1942. Houten: Van Holkema & Warendorf. ISBN 902 6942532.
• Cox, Jeffrey (2014). Rising Sun, Falling Skies: The Disastrous Java Sea Campaign of World War II. London, England: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978 1472810601.
• De Jong, Loe. (1984). Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog: Deel 11a – Nederlands-Indië I. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff. ISBN 978 9024780440.
• Kehn, Donald. M. (2017). In the Highest Degree Tragic: The Sacrifice of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet in the East Indies During World War II. Dulles Town Center, VA: Potomac Books. ISBN 978 1612349206.
• Koninklijke Nederlands Indonesisch Leger (1948). De Strijd in Oost-Borneo in de maanden Januari, Februari en Maart 1942 (1). Militaire Spectator, 10. Retrieved from https://www.militairespectator.nl/sites/default/files/bestanden/uitgaven/1918/1948/1948-0582-01-0171.PDF
• Lohnstein, Marc. (2021). The Netherlands East Indies Campaign 1941–42: Japan's Quest for Oil. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978 1472843524.
• Office of Naval Intelligence United States Navy. (2017). The Java Sea Campaign: Combat narratives - 75th Anniversary Edition. Washington Navy Yard, DC: Naval History and Heritage Command. ISBN 978-1-943604-04-3.
• Remmelink, William (ed. and trans.). (2015). The invasion of the Dutch East Indies. Leiden: Leiden University Press. ISBN 978 90 8728 237 0.
• Remmelink, William (ed. and trans.). (2018). The Operations of the Navy in the Dutch East Indies and the Bay of Bengal. Leiden: Leiden University Press. ISBN 978 90 8728 280 6.
• Womack, Tom (2006). The Dutch Naval Air Force Against Japan: The Defense of the Netherlands East Indies, 1941-1942. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
• Womack, Tom (2016). The Allied Defense of the Malay Barrier, 1941–1942. Jefferson: McFarland et Company. ISBN 978 1476662930.
• Costello, John (2002), "The Pacific War", Perennial – HarperCollins, ISBN 0-688-01620-0

Coordinates: 1°14′46″S 116°49′18″E / 1.24611°S 116.82167°E / -1.24611; 116.82167