Yos Sudarso

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Yos Sudarso
Josaphat Soedarso, Jalesveva Jayamahe, p28.jpg
Sudarso, c. 1960
Personal details
Born(1925-11-24)November 24, 1925
Dutch East Indies Salatiga, Dutch East Indies
DiedJanuary 15, 1962(1962-01-15) (aged 36)
Indonesia Arafura Sea, Indonesia
Spouse(s)Siti Kustini (1955-1962)
Children5
OccupationIndonesian Navy officer
Military service
Allegiance Indonesia
Branch/serviceInsignia of the Indonesian Navy.svg Indonesian Navy
Years of service1945 - 1962
Rank21-TNI Navy-VADM.svg Vice Admiral (posthumously)
UnitKorps Pelaut (Fleet Forces)

Commodore Yosaphat "Yos" Sudarso (24 November 1925 – 15 January 1962) was an Indonesian naval officer killed at the Battle of Arafura Sea. At the time of his death, Yos Sudarso was deputy chief of staff of the Indonesian Navy and in charge of an action to infiltrate Dutch New Guinea.[1] He was promoted to vice admiral (Indonesian: Laksamana Madya) posthumously.

The Battle near Vlakke Hoek (Etna Bay) of the Arafura Sea stopped an attempt by the Indonesian Navy to drop off 150 soldiers in Kaimana in Dutch New Guinea for sabotage and to incite the local population against the Dutch government. Sudarso was in charge of the operation at sea, while Colonel Murshid commanded the infiltrants. Three Jaguar-class torpedo boats left the Aru Islands in the middle of the night but were intercepted by a Dutch reconnaissance plane, as the Dutch had anticipated the action for weeks. The torpedo boats responded to the flares sent off by the plane by shooting at it. The Dutch destroyer HNLMS Evertsen then joined the scene and sunk the KRI Matjan Tutul, commanded by Sudarso. The other two ships, KRI Matjan Kumbang and KRI Harimau, fled, but one hit a reef and the other was disabled by shooting. The Evertsen was able to save most occupants of the Matjan Tutul, but at least three sailors died, among whom was Commodore Sudarso.[2]

The action itself was an abject failure and General Nasution even refused to relay the bad news to Sukarno, forcing Colonel Murshid to do this in person.[2] However, the small battle was partially responsible for the subsequent involvement of the Soviet Union and United States in the case of Dutch New Guinea, and it is honored in Indonesia by "Sea Sacrifice Day," an annual nationwide day of remembrance. Twelve years after his death, Yos Sudarso was officially added to the register of Indonesian heroes of the Revolution. Indonesia issued a special postage stamp to commemorate his service to his country, while the KRI Harimau was made into a monument at Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.[3]

Yos Sudarso Postage Stamp.jpg
A replica of the KRI Matjan Tutul at the Satriamandala Museum

Indonesia's Yos Sudarso Island and Yos Sudarso Bay are named in his honor. There are two Indonesian Navy ships named after him. The first ship was KRI Jos Sudarso (351), a Riga-class frigate commissioned in 1963 and retired in 1986.[4] The second ship is an ex-Dutch Van Speijk-class frigate named KRI Yos Sudarso (353) which is still active in the fleet today.

References[]

  1. ^ Platje, Wies (Spring 2001). "Dutch Sigint and the Conflict with Indonesia, 1950–1962" (PDF). Intelligence & National Security. 16 (1): 304. doi:10.1080/714002840. S2CID 153528325. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Rob Bruins Slot and Gerda Jansen Hendriks, 50 years after the Battle of Vlakke Hoek. Near-war with Indonesia about New Guinea, at www.geschiedenis24.nl (in Dutch)
  3. ^ "Kapal Perang Kebanggaan TNI AL itu Jadi Monumen". 19 March 2012. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012.
  4. ^ "JOS SUDARSO frigates (1954-1955/1963-1965)". navypedia.org. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
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