| Operation codename: H, J, L |
But it was only the calm before the storm, since the acquisition of rich Indonesian islands belonged to the main objectives of the Japanese militarists discharge. Among these islands was like a pearl island of Java, the most populous, richest and real center of Dutch colonial estate. Although most of the other Greater Sunda Islands, Borneo and Sumatra in particular, were attracted for its mineral resources, especially oil, and their conquest of the Japanese attach paramount importance, the loudly proclaimed the establishment of "East Asian sphere of common prosperity" would be completed and crowned exactly by the occupation of Java. (Ivan Hrbek, Jaroslav Hrbek - Krvavé oceány, Naše vojsko, 1994)
Article on Czech Wikipedia
Article on English Wikipedia| Scenario in dates: |
| December 5, 1936: |
Dutch East Indies - A Dutch mountaineering-geological expedition reaches the glacier-covered ultra-prominent summit of Carstensz Pyramid, New Guinea´s highest mountain. Geologist Jean Jacques Dozy, a member of the expedition, discovers a deposit of copper ore and gold in the locality, which in the 1980s will turn into the mega-giant mine Grasberg, the largest gold mine and the third largest copper mine in the world, notable also for its unusual height above sea level, around 3000 m. The second time (and for the first time glacier free) the peak was achieved in 1962 by the Austrian alpinist and former member of the SS Heinrich Harrer, who is especially famous for his story described in the book Seven Years in Tibet. |
| February 10, 1940: |
In The Hague - The Dutch government announces the decision to build 3 battlecruisers (with technical assistance from Italy) for the defense of the Dutch East Indies. (The ships are never completed.) |
| July 25, 1940: |
From Washington - The United States prohibits the export of oil and metal products in certain categories, unless under license, to countries outside the Americas generally and to Britain. This move is seen as an anti-Japanese measure, particularly because of Japan´s needs for foreign oil. From this time Japanese fuel stocks begin to decline. There are similar problems with other raw materials. Japanese attention is, therefore, drawn south from China to the resources of the Netherlands East Indies and Malaya. |
| July 26, 1940: |
In Tokyo - The Japanese government formally adopts policy documents giving priority to solving their China problem by blocking supplies reaching the Chinese through Indochina and to securing their own raw materials by a more aggressive stance in the Dutch East Indies. |
| October 16, 1940: |
In Batavia - There are discussions (concluded on October 19th) between the Japanese and the authorities in the Dutch East Indies concerning the supply of oil. It is agree to supply the Japanese with 40 percent of the production for the next six months. There are British attempts to block this agreement. |
| November 12, 1940: |
In Batavia - Agreements are concluded (today and tomorrow) between the Japanese and the principal oil companies whereby the Japanese are to receive 1,800,000 tons of oil annually from the Dutch East Indies. |
| June 17, 1941: |
Dutch East India - Dutch pilot Hugo Anne Victor van Lawick, son of German P.O.W. generalmayor Hugo Charles Gustav van Lawick, dies in fighter plane over Surabaya. His son Hugo Arndt Rodolf van Lawick will be after the war of a very successful photographer of wildlife and husband of Jane Goodall, the world-famous chimpanzee biologist. |
| July 28, 1941: |
In French Indochina - Japanese forces begin to occupy bases in southern Indochina. It is clear that the main use for such bases would be in an invasion of Malaya, the East Indies or the Philippines. |
| July 28, 1941: |
In Japan - American and British assets in Japan are frozen in retaliation for similar measures in the USA and UK on July 26th. Japanese assets in the Dutch East Indies are frozen and the oil deals cancelled. |
| July 29, 1941: |
In Japan - Japan freezes Dutch assets. Almost 75 percent of Japan´s foreign trade is at a standstill and 90 percent of its oil supplies have been cut off. |
| August 1, 1941: |
In Tokyo - As a consequence of the American restrictions on oil exports, Japan is left with only limited stocks of oil. The position is such that Japan must either change her foreign policy very radically or decide to go to war and try to secure access to oil from the East Indies. |
| December 16, 1941: |
In Borneo - Japanese troops from the 16th Infantry Division land at Miri, Seria and Lutong. The small British and Dutch forces fire the oil plants before retreating. |
| December 17, 1941: |
Dutch East India - The Dutch military crew on Amboina Island is reinforced by arriving 1.100 Australian soldiers. Off the island of Borneo, near the Miri, a Dutch flying boat Dornier Do 24 sinks the Japanese destroyer Shinonome, which goes to the bottom with an entire crew after an explosion of magazine. |
| December 23, 1941: |
In Borneo - Japanese land troops at Kuching, the capital of Sarawak. Dutch submarine HNLMS K XIV provide some resistance sinking two japanese cargo ships (Hie Maru, Hokkai Maru) and one troop transport (Katori Maru). A small British force continues to resist at Kuching. |
| December 24, 1941: |
Borneo - near Kuching, the Japanese submarine I-66 sinks the Dutch submarine HNLMS K XVI by a single torpedo. |
| December 26, 1941: |
Borneo - near Kuching, Dutch Martin B-10 bombers sink the Japanese transport ship Unyo Maru No. 2. |
| January 3, 1942: |
From Washington - By the authority of the Arcadia Conference, Chiang Kai-shek is named Commander in Chief of Allied Forces in China. General Wavell is appointed to the newly establish American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDA). Wavell´s task is to hold the Malay Barrier, the line from Malaya through the Dutch East Indies to Borneo against the Japanese. |
| January 10, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Japanese forces land on Tarakan Island during the night (January 10-11). Dutch Martin bombers make repeated attacks on the invasion fleet. Meanwhile, general Wavell arrives in Java and activates the ABDA Command. |
| January 11, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Japanese forces begin their invasion. They make landings on Tarakan island and Minahassa Peninsula on Sulawesi. The Japanese task force is under the command of Admiral Takahashi and General Yamashita. |
| January 12, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - After fierce fighting, the Japanese take Tarakan close to Borneo and Manado on Sulawesi. Tarakan and Manado are quickly made into air bases to support further Japanese advance. |
| January 23, 1942: |
In the South Pacific - Japanese troops land at Rabaul in New Britain, at Balikpapan in Borneo, near Kavieng on New Ireland and on Bougainville in the Solomons. |
| January 24, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - the Dutch submarine K-XVIII sinks the Japanese transport ship Tsuruga Maru in a night attack on an invasion convoy near Balikpapan (on Borneo). The convoy´s main escort sets out to pursue the submarine, clearing the way for the attack of four US destroyers USS Parrott (DD-218), USS Pope (DD-225), USS John D. Ford (DD-228) and the USS Paul Jones (DD-230), sinking another 4 ships. The encounter becomes the first for the Allies victoriously fought naval battle against the Japanese. Japanese troops land on Kendari in the Celebes and an important airfield is captured. |
| January 27, 1942: |
In Borneo - The Japanese land and capture Pemangkat and the airfield nearby. |
| January 30, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - At Amboina, the Japanese attack the second largest naval base in the area. |
| February 1, 1942: |
Dutch East Indies - Due to the rapid advance of the Japanese in Malaya, Air Commodore Stanley Vincent establishes the headquarters of the newly formed 226th Fighter Group in Palembang, Sumatra, consisting of units evacuated from Singapore and reinforcements from Britain. Vincent is the only RAF pilot to shoot down enemy aircraft in both world wars, but even under his leadership, Hurricanes and Buffalos will not hold back the Japanese rush, and this engagement will end in an evacuation to Australia. |
| February 2, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Japanese forces overcome Dutch and Australian forces on Ambon Island. Japanese minesweeper W-9 strikes a mine laid by the Dutch minelayer Gouden Leeuw in the Bay of Amboina and sank. In a revenge for the incident the Japanese will execute 300 Allied prisoners at Laha Airport. |
| February 3, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Major Japanese attacks on Java. Surabaya and other bases are struck. |
| February 4, 1942: |
In Malaya - Japan demands the surrender of Singapore. British authorities there refuse. General Wavell continues to bring in reinforcements despite the overwhelming odds against success in battle against the Japanese. Wavell wants the island to hold while Allied forces elsewhere in the East Indies are being strengthened. |
| February 4, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Dutch and American ships patroling in the Makassar Straits are repelled by Japanese dive bombers. Two American cruisers are seriously damaged in the fighting - heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) and light cruiser USS Marblehead (CL-12). |
| February 5, 1942: |
From Washington - The United States declares war on Thailand. |
| February 9, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Japanese aircraft raid airfields near Batavia (today Jakarta), the capital. |
| February 13, 1942: |
Dutch East Indies - Japanese paratroopers land in Palembang, Sumatra. Admiral Ozawa approaches the island with a naval invasion force, crossing the path of Allied vessels fleeing Singapore. The light cruiser Yura with the destroyers Asagiri and Fubuki sink the gunboat HMS Scorpion. The Japanese aircrafts sinks a number of Allied ships including two Dutch tankers Manvantara and Merula. 80 kilometers northwest of Batavia, the Japanese submarine I-55 sinks the British transport ship Derrymore carrying ammunition supplies and airmen. Among the rescued is the future Prime Minister of Australia John Gorton. |
| February 14, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Japanese paratroopers land at Palembang on Sumatra. Admiral Ozawa´s main body, the Western Force are en route to the island. |
| February 14, 1942: |
In South China Sea - In Karimata Strait while evacuating australian nurses and wounded servicemen away from Singapore Royal Navy transport ship SS Vyner Brooke (ex royal yacht of Sarawak) was bombed by Japanese aircraft and sunk. Some of the survivors who reached Bangka Island east of Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies were massacred by the Imperial Japanese Army. |
| February 15, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Japanese reinforcements arrive in time to prevent the destruction of the oil refinery at Palembang on Sumatra by retreating Allied soldiers. |
| February 14, 1942: |
In Dutch East Indies - on Bangka Island beach near Sumatra a group of survivors from the sunken ship Vyner Brooke evacuating staff from Singapore is being massacred by Japanese soldiers. These are the wounded British and Australian soldiers who have been shot or bayonetted and 22 Australian nurses who are commanded to go to the sea, where they are shot from behind from the beach by a machine gun. The only sister, Vivian Bullwinkel, survives with a shot in staying motionless on the surface and escapes to island after the soldiers after leaving. Eventually, she gets into the Japanese captivity that will survive the end of the war by concealing what she witnessed. |
| February 18, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - British RAF and Australian RAAF units are withdrawn from Sumatra to Java. |
| February 19, 1942: |
In the East Indies - The Japanese continue their expansion with the invasion of Bali. |
| February 19, 1942: |
In Australia - 150 Japanese aircraft from four of the carriers which fought at Pearl Harbor, attack Darwin in Northern Australia. The attack damages harbor installations and sinks a number of warships. |
| February 27, 1942: |
Dutch East Indies - The Battle of the Java Sea. Allied Admiral Doorman commanding a four nation task force of five cruisers and eleven destroyers attempts to engage a Japanese invasion force commanded by Admiral Takagi on its way to Java. In a series of running engagements (February 27-28th), the Allied force is almost totally destroyed. Admiral Doorman is sinking with his flagship De Ruyter. Meanwhile, Japanese bombers G4M Betty sink the first american aircraft carrier USS Langley (ex CV-1, at this time converted to a seaplane tender as AV-3) South of Java. |
| March 1, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - The remainder of Doorman´s naval squadron withdraws from Java fighting rear guard actions in the Sunda Strait. The force loses three cruisers USS Houston (CA-30), HMAS Perth, HMS Exeter and two destroyers HMS Encounter and USS Pope (DD-225). Japanese forces land with little or no opposition on Java at Kragan, Merak and Eretenwetan. |
| March 2, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Batavia on Java falls to Japanese Troops. Captain Shunsaku Kudo orders his destroyer Ikazuchi for the humanitarian act to rescue 442 survivors from the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Encounter and United States Navy destroyer USS Pope (DD-225). These ships had been sunk the previous day. Among the rescued is Sir Samual Falle, later a British diplomat. |
| March 7, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Japanese forces takes Surabaya and Lembang on Java. |
| March 9, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - The Dutch government on Java is evacuated. The Japanese have complete control of the island. General Ter Poorten agrees to surrender 100,000 Allied troops. |
| March 12, 1942: |
In the Dutch East Indies - Japanese accept the formal surrender of the Dutch forces in Badung, Java. Units of the Japanese Imperial Guard land in northern areas of Sumatra. |
| March 20, 1942: |
Australia - Dutch minesweeper HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen arrives in the port of Fremantle. It is the last Allied vessel to escape from Java after the Japanese invasion. During the escape, the crew used only night shifts and during the day mooring off the coast of the islands with thorough camouflage of the vessel using jungle foilage. |
| May 22, 1942: |
Burma - Above the Gulf of Bengal in his Ki-43 fighter plane is shot down by defensive fire attacked British bomber Blenheim famous commander of the Japanese 64th Sentai Tateo Kato. The most successful Japanese fighter unit, also nicknamed "Kato Sentai", led since the beginning of the war in the Pacific in the fighting for Malaya, Sumatra and Burma. Although he shot down at least 18 enemy aircraft and in his unit served many aces, he disallowed individual victory credits for the sake of teamwork. Even during the war about him and his unit will be filmed propagandist film Kato hayabusa sento-tai. |
| May 30, 1942: |
USA, Texas - the 1,000-man "Houston Volunteers" paraded with several hundred Navy officers and men through downtown Houston. 200,000 witnessed the ceremony. The Houston Volunteers were a group of 1,000 men who volunteered for U.S. Navy service to avenge the loss of heavy cruiser USS Houston (CA-30) after the ship was sunk by the Imperial Japanese Navy on 1 March 1942 in the Battle of Sunda Strait. |
| June 24, 1943: |
United States - the war propaganda film Pilot #5, which deals with air battles during the Allied defense of Java in 1942, is released. Allied fighter plane is displayed by lesser-known American World War II fighter aircraft Republic P-43 Lancer, which in the States was used only for training and was operated in combat only in China. |
| August 13, 1943: |
Over Borneo - The US 5th Air Force raids the oilfields at Balikpapan with 380 planes from bases in Australia. |
| December 20, 1943: |
United States - a Cleveland-class light cruiser USS Houston (CL-81) enters service. The original name Vicksburg was changed to honor USS Houston (CA-30), lost together with HMAS Perth in the Battle of Sunda Strait on March 1, 1942. |
| February 25, 1944: |
Dutch East Indies (occupied) - US submarine USS Rasher (SS-269) sinks the Japanese army cargo ship Ryusei Maru and merchant cargo ship Tango Maru, off the North coast of Bali. Tango Maru is carrying 3.500 Javanese workers and hundreds of allied POWs, while Ryusei Maru is carrying 6.600 Japanese soldiers. 4,998 soldiers are killed on Ryusei Maru and over 3.000 prisoners of war on Tango Maru. |
| March 9, 1944: |
Japan - war movie Kato Hayabusa sento-tai is released, featuring the 64th Sentai, the most successful JAAF fighter wing in World War II with the largest number of fighter aces in its ranks and nicknamed after the famous commander Tatea Kato "Kato Sentai". The film describes the winning struggles of the unit in Malaya, Sumatra and Burma at the beginning of the Pacific War, when on their machines Ki-43 Hajabusa (Falcon in English, in the allied code designation Oscar) clashed with AVG, ie Flying Tigers. The film is full of hilarious tricks and beautiful shots of flying warbirds. The musical theme is the captivating accompaniment and song "Kato Hayabusa Sento Tai no Uta". |
| May 6, 1944: |
Dutch East Indies - In the Celebes Sea, the USS Gurnard (SS-254) submarine is attacking a Japanese transport ships convoy Take-Ichi carrying reinforcements from China to New Guinea. In one of the most devastating attacks of a single submarine against a heavily defended convoy, 3 Japanese transport shipsof total 20,000 tons are sunk. The shipped Japanese 32nd and 35th Infantry Divisions of experienced veterans are decimated and the Japanese High Command decides to abandon further strengthening of western New Guinea based on the convoy´s fate. |
| July 25, 1944: |
In the Occupied Dutch East Indies - The British Eastern Fleet (Admiral Somerville) attacks Sabang Island off the northern tip of Sumatra. Aircraft from the carriers HMS Victorious and HMS Illustrious are sent against the airfield and then 4 battleships as well as cruisers and destroyers move closer to shell the harbor and oil installations. |
| August 10, 1944: |
The Dutch East Indies - US bombers B-29 launching from Ceylon land mines to access routes to Palembang refineries. 6,000 km is one of the longest missions of its kind. |
| August 24, 1944: |
In the Occupied Dutch East Indies - Admiral Moody commands the British carriers HMS Victorious and HMS Indomitable in an air raid on Padang in the southwest of Sumatra. The battleship HMS Howe is among the escorting ships. |
| September 2, 1944: |
South Africa - In the town of Klerksdorp, Hendrikus Albertus Lorentz, a Dutch explorer who participated and later led several expeditions to the unexplored interior of New Guinea in the Dutch East Indies, dies. In New Guinea, the Lorentz River bears his name. |
| September 16, 1944: |
In the Occupied Dutch East Indies - The British Eastern Fleet sends aircraft carriers HMS Indomitable and HMS Victorious and battleship HMS Howe to raid Sigli in northern Sumatra. |
| October 6, 1944: |
Dutch East Indies (occupied) - the German submarine U-168 is sunk by the Dutch submarine Zwaardvisch in the Java Sea. The success is thanks to the allied decryption of German-Japanese communication necessary for the safe use of Japanese bases by German submarines. |
| October 10, 1944: |
Dutch East Indies (occupied) - the German submarine U-537 is sunk by the American destroyer USS Flounder (SS-251) in the Java Sea. The success is thanks to the allied decryption of German-Japanese communication necessary for the safe use of Japanese bases by German submarines. |
| October 14, 1944: |
Dutch East Indies (occupied) - 101 B-24 bombers escorted by P-47 and P-38 fighters attack Balikpapan oil refineries on Borneo. The shooting down of 43 Japanese fighters is claimed without significant own losses. After a series of raids in recent weeks, most of the local industrial infrastructure is out of service. |
| October 18, 1944: |
In the Nicobar Islands - Elements of the British Eastern Fleet continue diversionary operations with further bombardment of the islands, causing more damage. |
| January 4, 1945: |
In the Occupied Dutch East Indies - Three British carriers of Admiral Vian’s TF 57 attack the oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandan on Sumatra. |
| July 11, 1945: |
In the Indian Ocean - British carrier aircraft are launched on a raid to bomb Japanese airfields on the island of Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies. |
| August 17, 1945: |
In the Occupied Dutch East Indies - Nationalists led by Sukarno, with some Japanese support, declare their independence from Holland and colonial rule, as well as the formation of the "Provisional Indonesian Republic government." No British forces will arrive to take over from the Japanese for six weeks. |
| August 20, 1945: |
In China - Communist and Nationalist troops clash in the north. In Manchuria, the Red Army occupies Mukden and Harbin. An American volunteer team rescues a number of high-ranking Allied prisoners of war by parachuting into Mukden, in Manchuria, shortly before the arrival of Soviet troops. Among the POWs are Lt. Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, who led the American last stand on Corregidor in the Philippines in 1942, Lt. Gen. Arthur Percival, commander of the Singapore garrison at its surrender in 1942, and the governor-general of the Dutch East Indies, Mr. van Starkenborch Stachouwer Starkenborgh Stachouwer. |
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| Literature sources: |  | Jordan, David, Wiest Andrew: Atlas Of World War II., Ottovo nakladatelství, 2006, Praha |  | Skřivan, Aleš: Cestou samurajů (By Path of Samurais), Mladá fronta, 1984, Praha |  . | Swanston, Alexander & Malcolm: The Historical Atlas of World War II, Columbus, 2007, Praha |  | Jowett, Philip: Japanese Army (1) & (2), Computer press, 2007, Brno | | . | Skřivan, Aleš: Japonská válka 1931 - 1945 (Japanese War 1931 - 1945), Libri, 1997, Praha |  | Hata, Izawa, Sh, Ikuhiro, Yasuho, Christopher: Japanese army air force fighter units and their aces, 1931-1945, DOBROVSKÝ s.r.o., 2007, Praha |  | Shores, Christopher, Cull Brian, Izava Jasuho: Bloody shambles I., Mustang, 1994, Plzeň |  | Shores, Christopher, Cull Brian, Izava Jasuho: Bloody shambles II., Mustang, 1995, Plzeň |  | Hrbek, Jaroslav, Hrbek Ivan: Krvavé oceány (Bloody oceans), Naše vojsko, 1994, Praha |  | Hara, Tameči: Teikoku Kaigun No Saigo / Japanese Destroyer Captain, Omnibooks, 2013, Neratovice |  | Hubáček, Miloš: Pacifik v plamenech (Pacific in flames), Mladá fronta, 1997, Praha | Šnajdr, Miroslav: Bristol Blenheim, HPM No. 12/1995 + 1 a 2/1996
Pejčoch, Ivo: De Ruyter, HPM No. 2/2005
Hájek, Tomáš: HMS Exeter, HPM No. 4/1991
Tesárek, Bohuslav: Japonské tankové síly do roku 1945 (Japanese Armored Forces up to 1945), HPM No. 5 a 6/1997
Novotný, Josef, JUDr.: Japonské tanky do roku 1945 (Japanese Tanks up to 1945), HPM No. 2 a 3/1993
Bobek, Jan: Kaneyoshi "Kinsuke" Mutó, HPM No. 12/1996
Pejčoch, Ivo: Letadlová loď Langley (Langley Aircraft Carrier), HPM No. 9/2002
Bobek, Jan: Saburo Sakai, HPM No. 7 a 8/1995
Nepevný, Jindřich, Ing.: Tainan Kokutai, HPM No. 4/1991
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