Battle of Balikpapan (1945) facts for kids

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Battle of Balikpapan (1945)

Part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II

American manned Alligators during the landing of Australian troops at Balikpapan, Borneo

Date	1–21 July 1945
Location	Balikpapan, Netherlands East Indies
Result	Allied victory

Belligerents

Australia

United States

Netherlands

United Kingdom

Japan

Commanders and leaders

Edward Milford

Kenneth Eather

Michiaki Kamada

Strength

33,000

3,100 – 3,900 soldiers
1,100 – 4,500 armed labourers

Casualties and losses

229 killed
634 wounded

2,032 killed
63 captured.

The Battle of Balikpapan was a major battle near the end of World War II. It was the final part of a plan called Operation Oboe. This plan aimed to free areas of Borneo that Japan had taken over. The battle started on July 1, 1945.

Australian soldiers from the Australian 7th Division led the attack. They were joined by a small number of Dutch troops. They made a landing from the sea, known as an amphibious landing, near Balikpapan. About 100 ships helped with this landing. Before the troops landed, Australian and US planes and ships bombed the area heavily. The Allied forces had about 33,000 soldiers. The Japanese forces, led by Rear Admiral Michiaki Kamada, had between 8,400 and 10,000 people. About 3,100 to 3,900 of these were actual fighting soldiers.

After landing, the Allies quickly took control of the town and its port. They then moved along the coast and further inland. They captured two Japanese airfields. The main fighting ended around July 21. However, smaller clean-up operations continued until the war ended in mid-August. Australian troops stayed in the area until early 1946. The Allies won this battle.

Why Balikpapan Was Important
The War for Balikpapan
The Battle Begins
After the Battle
Memorial
Images for kids
See also

Why Balikpapan Was Important

Location and Resources

Balikpapan is on the east coast of Borneo. It was very important because of its oil factories and port. Before the war, this area made 1.8 million tons of oil products each year. The port had seven piers and many warehouses. Roads connected the port area well.

The bay's entrance was about 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. It was deep enough for medium-sized ships. South of the port was a large oil refinery. It had 40 storage tanks and a cracking plant. This refinery was on a steep ridge. Two main roads led out of Balikpapan. One went northeast to Samarinda, called the "Milford Highway." The other went south along the coast, called the "Vasey Highway." Oil for the refinery came from nearby fields.

The Land and Airfields

East of the main cape, a narrow coastal road ran to places like Stalkoedo and Manggar. This road was on thick sand near the beach. The land near the coast was mostly flat. But further inland, there were steep hills up to 700 feet (213 meters) high. The area around the town was open, but the inland was thick rainforest. This dense jungle made it hard to move around.

There were two airfields east of Balikpapan, at Sepinggang and Manggar. Manggar was bigger with two runways. By the time the Allies landed, both airfields were badly damaged from bombings.

Weather Conditions

Balikpapan is very close to the equator. It has a tropical rainforest climate. In 1945, the temperature was usually between 72 and 86°F (22 and 30°C). The air was very humid, from 74 to 93 percent. Rain was steady, about 6.9 inches (17.5 cm) in July. Allied experts thought July to September was the best time for military actions. The sky was usually clear in July, with good visibility. Winds were light, about 7 miles per hour (11 km/h).

The War for Balikpapan

Japanese Control and Allied Attacks

Before World War II, the Dutch controlled Balikpapan. Japan took over Balikpapan on January 25, 1942. British and Dutch forces tried to fight back. But they were quickly defeated. Before they lost, they destroyed or damaged the oil facilities. This led to harsh actions against civilians. About 80 to 100 European people were executed in Balikpapan.

Japan repaired the oil facilities. By 1943–1944, Borneo became a main source of fuel for Japan. In 1943, Balikpapan provided 3.9 million barrels of fuel oil.

In 1943 and 1944, the Allies tried to stop Japan's oil production. US bombers started raids in October 1943. Australian planes also dropped mines in the water. This cut Balikpapan's oil output by 40 percent. Later, US air forces launched more bombing raids. These attacks heavily damaged the refineries. They also destroyed most Japanese planes defending Balikpapan. This stopped Japan from getting oil from Balikpapan. Japan decided not to repair the damage.

Planning the Allied Attack

By early 1943, the Allies had stopped Japan's advance. They began to push back in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. In 1944, the Allies started planning to retake Borneo. General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters planned the operation. Since US forces were busy in the Philippines, Australian ground forces were given the main job.

Allied operations in Borneo included landings at Tarakan, Labuan, and Balikpapan. Some leaders, like Australian General Thomas Blamey, thought taking Balikpapan was not needed. But the Australian government agreed to send troops. The main goal was to secure the port and oilfields. They also wanted to bring back Dutch control.

Who Fought in the Battle

The Japanese had prepared their defenses in Borneo since 1944. Around Balikpapan, they had 8,400 to 10,000 troops. About 3,100 to 3,900 were combat soldiers. The rest were base troops and armed workers. Rear Admiral Michiaki Kamada led the main Japanese units. These troops had different levels of training. Their morale was low due to weeks of bombing. They had heavy weapons but lacked lighter ones.

Japanese troops on Borneo were cut off from supplies. Food and other items ran low. Many soldiers suffered from poor health. However, the area had strong artillery defenses. There were 18 Japanese coastal guns and many anti-aircraft guns. They also built trenches and concrete pillboxes. The beaches had anti-tank ditches and barbed wire. Many naval mines were placed in the waters.

The Allies called their plan "Operation Oboe Two." They had 33,000 personnel. The main ground force was Major General Edward Milford's 7th Division. This division had fought in the Middle East and New Guinea. They had three infantry brigades and support units. Tank support came from the 1st Armoured Regiment, using Matilda tanks. US Navy ships provided naval support. Australian and US air forces gave air support. A few Dutch troops also joined the operation.

The Battle Begins

Preparing for the Landing

Planning for the battle started around April 26, 1945. There were not enough ships, which made moving troops difficult. The first soldiers left Townsville in early May. Naval planners wanted to land at Manggar because the water was deeper. But the beach was not good for a large landing. It also meant a long march through tough land.

The Australian commander, Milford, chose to land at three beaches near the main Japanese defenses. This was around Stalkoedo and Klandasan. The water here was not as deep, so supporting ships had to stay further out. This made their shooting less accurate. The area also had mines and obstacles. Milford believed a shorter march was worth the risks. He planned for heavy bombing before the landing to reduce these risks.

Air attacks began 20 days before the landing. Minesweepers started clearing safe paths 15 days before. These operations were under fire from Japanese coastal guns. Naval gunfire and air attacks tried to silence these guns. Three minesweepers were lost during this time.

The Allies also tried to trick the Japanese about where they would land. They spread false information. Special forces landed to scout the area. Before the invasion, over 3,000 tons of bombs and thousands of shells were fired. Most Japanese guns were destroyed, and their defenses were badly damaged.

The Landing on July 1

On July 1, the Allied fleet of over 100 ships arrived. US underwater demolition teams cleared paths through obstacles. This was done under heavy fire. Some Allied ships were damaged. They could not clear all obstacles from the main landing beach, called Yellow Beach.

Early on July 1, a heavy naval and air bombing began on the beaches. Sixty-three bombers and 19 warships took part. They fired 17,250 shells.

Meanwhile, assault troops moved from large ships to smaller landing craft. These included Alligator tracked vehicles and DUKWs. US crews operated these craft. They headed for the shore in waves. The bombing stopped when they were 1,300 yards (1,200 meters) from the beach.

The landing craft hit the beaches just before 9:00 AM. The attack was on a two-brigade front. The 18th Brigade landed on the left at Red and Yellow Beaches. The 21st Brigade landed on the right at Green Beach. The 25th Brigade stayed on ships as a reserve.

Some troops landed in the wrong spots because of smoke and uncleared obstacles. Soldiers from different battalions got mixed up. But the Japanese offered little resistance at first. Within 15 to 20 minutes, the troops had secured a beachhead. No casualties were suffered during this first part of the landing.

Pushing Inland

After securing the beach, the 18th Brigade moved to capture high ground north of Klandasan. This blocked the way to Balikpapan town. The 21st Brigade advanced along the coast road to take the airfields at Sepinggang and Manggar.

The 2/10th Battalion attacked a strong Japanese position called Parramatta Ridge. It had pillboxes, tunnels, and traps. Despite problems with support, the battalion attacked. Tanks helped them capture the position by 12:40 PM. By 2:00 PM, the Australians had taken Parramatta.

The 21st Brigade met strong resistance. But they had a lot of fire support from tanks, flamethrowers, and mortars. By the end of the first day, the Australians had pushed their beachhead 1.2 miles (2 km) inland.

Fighting continued on July 2. Australian engineers worked to destroy Japanese tunnels and clear thousands of mines. The 25th Brigade landed. The 21st Brigade pushed further east. The 2/14th Battalion captured Sepinggang airfield. They used indirect fire to keep their own casualties low.

On July 3, the 25th Brigade took over from the 18th. The 18th Brigade secured Balikpapan town. The 25th Brigade moved inland along the Milford Highway. By the end of the day, the Australian beachhead was 5 miles (8 km) wide. The 21st Brigade reached Manggar airfield. Japanese troops on high ground overlooking the airfield fired heavily.

The Australians captured Manggar airfield on July 4. But Japanese artillery and mortar fire held them up for several days. Tanks were brought in, but two were hit. Naval and air support helped capture the Japanese gun positions.

Clearing the Area

On July 5, other Australian battalions landed at Panadjam. Their goal was to clear the western shore of Japanese artillery. This would allow the Allies to open the port. Japanese resistance was light, and the area was cleared in two days.

However, heavy fighting happened along the Milford Highway on July 5–6. A Japanese battalion tried to block the Australian advance. They used the thick jungle to their advantage. The Australians used flamethrower tanks and heavy artillery. Over 8,000 shells were fired to clear the Japanese.

By July 9, most of the Japanese forward battalions were destroyed. The rest were pulling back. The 21st Brigade continued towards Sambodja. The Japanese commander, Kamada, moved his headquarters inland.

The landing beaches were improved. New docks were built to unload supplies faster. On July 10, another beach, Brown Beach, was opened. This greatly increased how many supplies could be brought in.

For two weeks, Allied artillery and planes attacked the Japanese position. The 25th Brigade tried to surround them. By July 21, the Japanese were almost surrounded. The remaining Japanese began to withdraw. They did this in an organized way. The Australians thought the Japanese might set up a new defense at Samarinda. But the Australian commander decided not to attack there. After this, the Australians began long-range patrols.

After the Battle

Major fighting stopped by July 21. The Japanese left Batuchampar and Manggar. But small clashes continued until the war ended. Most Japanese troops moved northeast. Some tried to break into the port facilities in August.

The 7th Division had fewer casualties than in earlier campaigns. A total of 229 Australians were killed and 634 wounded. At least 2,032 Japanese were killed, and 63 were captured.

This was Australia's largest and last landing operation of the war. The battle happened just weeks before the atomic bombings and the Soviet invasion of Manchuria ended the war. Japan surrendered while Australians were still searching for Japanese soldiers.

Some historians believe this battle did not change the war's outcome. They say it was "strategically doubtful." The oil facilities and port were heavily damaged by bombing and Japanese actions. This made them useless to the Allies for a while. The oil fields that supplied the refineries stayed in Japanese hands until the war ended. This meant the Allies gained little from taking the refineries.

Historians like Peter Dennis say the operation was "doubtful strategically." But he also says it was "skillfully conducted" tactically. The US provided a lot of support, especially ships, which helped the Australians greatly.

After Japan surrendered, the Australian brigades stayed in the area until early 1946. They helped with occupation duties. Some went to Makassar to accept Japanese surrenders and release prisoners. Others occupied different towns in Borneo.

Memorial

A memorial for the 7th Division's landing is in Balikpapan, Indonesia. It is known as Tugu Australia (Australian monument). It has been there since January 1946. A copper plaque with battle details was added in 1998.

Images for kids

Japanese forces in Borneo
RAAF Liberator bombers over Balikpapan, June 1945. Oil facilities they have bombed are burning beneath them.
Australian troops landing at Balikpapan on 1 July 1945
Members of the Australian 2/12th Infantry Battalion, advancing past oil fires at Balikpapan
The movement of Australian infantry battalions, 1–5 July 1945
Advance by a Matilda Frog (flame-thrower) tank of the Australian 4th Armoured Brigade in support of soldiers of the Australian 2/10th Infantry Battalion
Burning oil refineries at Balikpapan