Dutch East Indies campaign facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dutch East Indies campaign
Part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II
Japanese forces land on Java.
Date 8 December 1941 – 9 March 1942 Location Dutch East Indies Result Japanese victory Territorial changes Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies
Belligerents
ABDA Command: Netherlands  Dutch East Indies  United Kingdom  United States  Australia  New Zealand Portuguese Timor	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Sir Archibald Wavell A. T. van Starkenborgh  Hein ter Poorten  Thomas C. Hart Conrad Helfrich Karel Doorman  † Sir Richard Peirse George Brett	Hisaichi Terauchi Kiyotake Kawaguchi Ibō Takahashi Hitoshi Imamura Shōji Nishimura Jisaburō Ozawa Takeo Takagi Nobutake Kondō
Strength
148,000 100,000 local forces 40,000 Dutch regulars 8,000 Anglo-American regulars 33 warships 41 submarines 234 aircraft	52 warships 18 submarines 107,800 personnel 193 tanks & tankettes 2,017 guns & mortars 5,898 motor vehicles 11,750 horses 609 aircraft
Casualties and losses
2,384 killed 100,000+ captured 24 Allied ships sunk (9 American, 9 Dutch, 5 British, 1 Australian): 1 seaplane tender 2 heavy cruisers 3 light cruisers 1 coastal defense ship 15 destroyers 1 oil tanker 1 gunboat 5,000–10,000 sailors and Marines killed on the sunken ships thousands of sailors and Marines captured	671 killed

The Dutch East Indies campaign was a major part of the Pacific War during World War II. It took place from late 1941 to early 1942. During this time, the Empire of Japan invaded and took control of the Dutch East Indies, which is now known as Indonesia.

The Allied forces tried to defend these islands but were not successful. Japan wanted the Dutch East Indies because they had lots of valuable oil resources. This oil was very important for Japan's war efforts. The Japanese victory and their control of the islands for about three and a half years also played a big role in ending Dutch colonial rule in the area.

Why Japan Invaded: The Need for Oil

The Dutch East Indies were a main target for Japan if they went to war. This was because the islands had huge amounts of valuable resources. The most important resources were rubber plantations and especially oil fields. At the time, the Dutch East Indies were the fourth-largest oil exporter in the world.

Japan needed oil because it did not have enough of its own. It could only produce less than 10% of the oil it needed. In July 1941, the United States stopped all oil exports to Japan. Soon after, the Dutch government, with support from the Allies, also stopped its oil trade with Japan. This meant Japan's oil supply was very low, with only about a year and a half's worth left.

To get the oil they needed, Japan planned to take over the Dutch East Indies. They knew this might lead to war with the United States. So, Japan also planned to attack the United States Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor. This attack aimed to weaken the U.S. Navy so Japan could take the islands more easily.

War is Declared

In late November 1941, the Dutch government in the East Indies started getting ready for war with Japan. Their navy ships went to sea, and their air force was made ready. On December 8, 1941, the Netherlands officially declared war on Japan. This happened after Japan had already decided to attack the U.S., Britain, and the Netherlands.

The Dutch government wanted to warn its ships at sea to find a safe port. The governor general announced on the radio that the Netherlands was "taking up arms against the Japanese Empire." The Dutch declaration of war was given to Japan's foreign minister on December 10. Japan, however, did not declare war on the Netherlands until January 11, 1942.

The Campaign Begins

General Hisaichi Terauchi led the Japanese forces in this campaign. He sent the 16th Army to attack Borneo. On December 17, Japanese troops landed at Miri, an oil center in northern Sarawak. They had strong support from battleships, aircraft carriers, and other warships.

The Japanese first launched air attacks to gain control of the skies. After these airstrikes, they landed troops in several places. They targeted airfields and other important spots. Besides Miri, Japanese forces landed in places like Seria, Kuching, Jesselton, and Sandakan between December 1941 and January 1942.

After securing Borneo, Japan planned to attack southward in three main groups. Their goal was to capture the oil resources of the East Indies. One group would move from Jolo and Davao to take Celebes, Amboina, and Timor. Another group would capture oil fields and airfields in Tarakan Island and Balikpapan. The third group would attack oil refineries and airfields in Palembang. The main assault began on January 11, when Japanese troops landed at Tarakan.

The Japanese lines of advance in the Dutch East Indies, Sarawak and North Borneo (British), and Portuguese Timor

To fight against the Japanese, the American, British, Dutch, and Australian forces joined together. They formed the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM or ABDA). This command started on January 15, 1942. British Field Marshal Sir Archibald Wavell was the overall commander.

Even with combined forces, the Allies found it hard to stop the Japanese. Japan had many more soldiers and ships. The ABDA command had a mix of ships from different countries. These included ships from the United States Asiatic Fleet, some British and Australian ships, and Dutch units.

The Japanese quickly captured Tarakan airfield by January 17. Balikpapan was also taken a week later. However, the Dutch forces destroyed the oil fields before the Japanese could capture them. Even though the Allies fought back with naval and air attacks, the Japanese forces were too strong. By the end of January, Japan controlled parts of Celebes and Dutch Borneo. By February, they had landed on Sumatra.

Most of the Allied naval forces were defeated in major battles like the Battle of the Java Sea and the Battle of Sunda Strait. The land forces on the islands were also quickly overwhelmed. Most of the main resistance ended within two months of the first attacks. The ABDA command was officially ended on March 1, less than two months after it began.

Surrender

On March 8, 1942, the Dutch forces surrendered to Japan without any conditions. This happened in Kalijati, West Java. The Dutch Commander-in-Chief of Allied forces on Java, Lt. Gen. Ter Poorten, surrendered along with Governor General Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer. Ter Poorten's surrender was made without asking the British and U.S. commanders, who wanted to keep fighting. However, they had no choice but to follow the surrender.

After the Campaign

The Allies did not try to take back the islands of Java, Sumatra, Timor, or Bali during the rest of the war. Japanese forces on these islands surrendered when World War II ended in 1945. Most Japanese soldiers and officials were sent back to Japan after the war. Some were held for investigations. About 1,000 Japanese soldiers stayed behind and joined local communities. Many of these soldiers helped Indonesian forces during the Indonesian National Revolution.

Key Battles of the Campaign