The liberation of Borneo: the dragon pushes the lion out of its most important location
The liberation of Borneo: the dragon pushes the lion out of its most important locationù
As the situation in the Philippines were turning for the better for the American-German-Japanese forces, Japan turned its eyes from the war in the Philippines and towards strategic targets in the East Indies. In December 1943, Japan attacked alone the British occupied islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Java.
With its rich petroleum exploitation capacity, for instance at Tarakan, Balikpapan and Banjarmasin, Borneo was a prime target for Japan to cripple the British, which were starting to run low on resources. Guerrilla forces had attacked British positions even since the rest of the island was included in the Borneo Socialist Republic, with the Japanese being more than interested in liberating the natives in a Japanese only operation. Germany and the US gave Japan naval support for the operation.
Japanese paratroopers of the 2nd Yokosuka Naval Landing Force under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Genzo Watanabe (standing on top in the left) inside a transport ship heading to Borneo prior to their invasion in December 1943
On 13 December 1943, the Japanese invasion convoy left Cam Ranh Bay in Siam, with an escort of the cruiser Yura (Rear-Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto) with the destroyers of the 12th Destroyer Division, Murakumo, Shinonome, Shirakumo and Usugumo, submarine-chaser Ch 7 and the seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru Ten transport ships carried the Japanese 35th Infantry Brigade HQ under the command of Major-General Kiyotake Kawaguchi. The Support Force—commanded by Rear-Admiral Takeo Kurita—consisted of the cruisers Kumano and Suzuya and the destroyers Fubuki and Sagiri.
The Japanese forces intended to capture Miri and Seria, while the rest would capture Kuching and nearby airfields. The convoy proceeded without being detected and, at dawn on 16 December 1943, two landing units secured Miri and Seria with only very little resistance from British forces. A few hours later, Lutong was captured as well.
British de Havilland Mosquito bombers made attacks on Japanese shipping from their base 'Singkawang II' at Miri on 17 December, but their attempt failed. The three Avro Lancaster's followed up with their own attack, but one was shot down, possibly by a floatplane from Kamikawa Maru. The remaining two had the benefit of cloud cover, and were never seen by the Japanese. One flying boat scored two 200 kg bomb hits on Shinonome, causing a massive explosion, while a near miss ruptured its hull plating. The destroyer's stern broke off and the ship sank within minutes. The last flying boat dropped its bombs on a freighter, but missed. The Mosquito bombers made attacks at Miri 18 and 19 December, but retired to Sumatra on 23 December since Singkawang II airfield was discovered by the Japanese, who began attacking it the same day.
On 22 December a Japanese convoy left Miri for Kuching, but was spotted by a British flying boat Short S.25 Sunderland, which radioed a warning to HMS Ursula, under the command of Lt Cdr Philips. At 20:40 on 23 December Ursula infiltrated the convoy and began its attack. The army transports Hiyoshi Maru and Katori Maru were sunk with the loss of hundreds of troops. Hokkai Maru was beached to prevent it from sinking, and an additional transport was less seriously damaged. The rest of the troops were able to land. Although 2nd Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment, resisted the attack, they were soon outnumbered and retreated up the river. By the afternoon, Kuching was in Japanese hands.
On the night of 23–24 December Ursula torpedoed the Japanese destroyer Sagiri 30 Miles north of Kuching. Ursula was lost with all hands during the day by a torpedo from Japanese submarine I66.
On 24 and 28 December Mosquito bombers from a different unit flew missions against Kuching from Java. On 26 December, Mosquito's operating out of Samarinda sank a Japanese minesweeper and a collier.
Meanwhile, on 31 December 1943, the force under Lieutenant Colonel Watanabe moved northward to occupy Brunei, Labuan Island, and Jesselton (now called Kota Kinabalu). On 18 January 1944, using small fishing boats, the Japanese landed at Sandakan, the seat of government of the Borneo Socialist Republic. The Borneo Red Armed Constabulary, with only 650 men, hardly provided any resistance to slow down the Japanese invasion.
At about 16:40 on 25 December, Japanese troops successfully captured Kuching airfield. The Punjab regiment retreated through the jungle to the Singkawang area. After Singkawang was secured as well on 29 December, the rest of the British troops retreated further into the jungle southward trying to reach Sampit and Pangkalanbun, where a British airfield at Kotawaringin was located. South and central Kalimantan were taken by the Japanese Navy following attacks from east and west. The town of Pontianak was finally occupied by the Imperial Japanese forces on 29 January 1944. After ten weeks in the jungle-covered mountains, British troops surrendered on 1 April 1944.
Additional Japanese troops landing off the west coast of the Borneo Socialist Republic in Labuan, 14 January 1944
Despite the importance of the island, it was lightly protected compared to the Philippines. That was because the British had by this point abandoned the Americas and the East Indies, with the Philippines being unable to be abandoned. The British were concentrating their remaining forces in Algeria, France and their home island, as the invasion seemed inevitable. Borneo, despite being small, was a great victory for the Japanese in the East, as now they could concentrate more men in the Siberian front against the Russian-Chinese forces.
I hope you guys like this new update! Be sure to like(if you like it), comment(please comment so I can learn what your opinion is) and.....follow I guess.
As the situation in the Philippines were turning for the better for the American-German-Japanese forces, Japan turned its eyes from the war in the Philippines and towards strategic targets in the East Indies. In December 1943, Japan attacked alone the British occupied islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Java.
With its rich petroleum exploitation capacity, for instance at Tarakan, Balikpapan and Banjarmasin, Borneo was a prime target for Japan to cripple the British, which were starting to run low on resources. Guerrilla forces had attacked British positions even since the rest of the island was included in the Borneo Socialist Republic, with the Japanese being more than interested in liberating the natives in a Japanese only operation. Germany and the US gave Japan naval support for the operation.
Japanese paratroopers of the 2nd Yokosuka Naval Landing Force under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Genzo Watanabe (standing on top in the left) inside a transport ship heading to Borneo prior to their invasion in December 1943
On 13 December 1943, the Japanese invasion convoy left Cam Ranh Bay in Siam, with an escort of the cruiser Yura (Rear-Admiral Shintaro Hashimoto) with the destroyers of the 12th Destroyer Division, Murakumo, Shinonome, Shirakumo and Usugumo, submarine-chaser Ch 7 and the seaplane tender Kamikawa Maru Ten transport ships carried the Japanese 35th Infantry Brigade HQ under the command of Major-General Kiyotake Kawaguchi. The Support Force—commanded by Rear-Admiral Takeo Kurita—consisted of the cruisers Kumano and Suzuya and the destroyers Fubuki and Sagiri.
The Japanese forces intended to capture Miri and Seria, while the rest would capture Kuching and nearby airfields. The convoy proceeded without being detected and, at dawn on 16 December 1943, two landing units secured Miri and Seria with only very little resistance from British forces. A few hours later, Lutong was captured as well.
British de Havilland Mosquito bombers made attacks on Japanese shipping from their base 'Singkawang II' at Miri on 17 December, but their attempt failed. The three Avro Lancaster's followed up with their own attack, but one was shot down, possibly by a floatplane from Kamikawa Maru. The remaining two had the benefit of cloud cover, and were never seen by the Japanese. One flying boat scored two 200 kg bomb hits on Shinonome, causing a massive explosion, while a near miss ruptured its hull plating. The destroyer's stern broke off and the ship sank within minutes. The last flying boat dropped its bombs on a freighter, but missed. The Mosquito bombers made attacks at Miri 18 and 19 December, but retired to Sumatra on 23 December since Singkawang II airfield was discovered by the Japanese, who began attacking it the same day.
On 22 December a Japanese convoy left Miri for Kuching, but was spotted by a British flying boat Short S.25 Sunderland, which radioed a warning to HMS Ursula, under the command of Lt Cdr Philips. At 20:40 on 23 December Ursula infiltrated the convoy and began its attack. The army transports Hiyoshi Maru and Katori Maru were sunk with the loss of hundreds of troops. Hokkai Maru was beached to prevent it from sinking, and an additional transport was less seriously damaged. The rest of the troops were able to land. Although 2nd Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment, resisted the attack, they were soon outnumbered and retreated up the river. By the afternoon, Kuching was in Japanese hands.
On the night of 23–24 December Ursula torpedoed the Japanese destroyer Sagiri 30 Miles north of Kuching. Ursula was lost with all hands during the day by a torpedo from Japanese submarine I66.
On 24 and 28 December Mosquito bombers from a different unit flew missions against Kuching from Java. On 26 December, Mosquito's operating out of Samarinda sank a Japanese minesweeper and a collier.
Meanwhile, on 31 December 1943, the force under Lieutenant Colonel Watanabe moved northward to occupy Brunei, Labuan Island, and Jesselton (now called Kota Kinabalu). On 18 January 1944, using small fishing boats, the Japanese landed at Sandakan, the seat of government of the Borneo Socialist Republic. The Borneo Red Armed Constabulary, with only 650 men, hardly provided any resistance to slow down the Japanese invasion.
At about 16:40 on 25 December, Japanese troops successfully captured Kuching airfield. The Punjab regiment retreated through the jungle to the Singkawang area. After Singkawang was secured as well on 29 December, the rest of the British troops retreated further into the jungle southward trying to reach Sampit and Pangkalanbun, where a British airfield at Kotawaringin was located. South and central Kalimantan were taken by the Japanese Navy following attacks from east and west. The town of Pontianak was finally occupied by the Imperial Japanese forces on 29 January 1944. After ten weeks in the jungle-covered mountains, British troops surrendered on 1 April 1944.
Additional Japanese troops landing off the west coast of the Borneo Socialist Republic in Labuan, 14 January 1944
Despite the importance of the island, it was lightly protected compared to the Philippines. That was because the British had by this point abandoned the Americas and the East Indies, with the Philippines being unable to be abandoned. The British were concentrating their remaining forces in Algeria, France and their home island, as the invasion seemed inevitable. Borneo, despite being small, was a great victory for the Japanese in the East, as now they could concentrate more men in the Siberian front against the Russian-Chinese forces.
I hope you guys like this new update! Be sure to like(if you like it), comment(please comment so I can learn what your opinion is) and.....follow I guess.