The Battle of Ambon occurred on the island of Ambon in the Dutch East Indies, on January 30-February 3, 1942 during the Pacific campaign of World War II. Image File history File links Laha airfield, Ambon (as seen on December 15, 1945). ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ... The Pacific War, which is known in Japan as the Greater East Asia War and in China as the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (kang-Ri zhanzheng, literally Resist Japan War), occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in Asia. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Ceram and Ambon Islands (Operational Navigation Chart, 1967) Not for navigational use Ambon City in 2001, showing heavy damage from fighting Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. ... The Maluku Islands (also known as the Moluccas, Moluccan Islands or simply Maluku) are an archipelago in Indonesia, and part of the larger Malay Archipelago. ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands Indië) was the name of the colonies colonised by the Dutch East India Company which came under administration of the Netherlands during the ninteenth century (see Indonesia). ... The Imperial Japanese Navy made its attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. ... During the early morning hours of December 7th/8th, 1941, before the first bombs started falling on the United States Pacific base at Pearl Harbor (time zone differences), World War Two widened in the Pacific with the Battle for Malaya - the Japanase invasion of the British Malaya. ... The Battle of Hong Kong took place during the Pacific campaign of World War II. It began on December 8, 1941 and ended on Christmas Day with the then British colony of Hong Kong under the control of Imperial Japan. ... The Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a World War II naval engagement which illustrated the effectiveness of aerial attacks against naval forces that were not protected by air cover and the resulting importance of including an aircraft carrier in any major fleet action. ... The Battle of Wake Island began simultaneously with the Attack on Pearl Harbor and ended on December 23, 1941. ... The Battle of Bataan represented the most intense phase of Imperial Japans invasion of the Philippines, in the early stages of the Pacific War. ... The Battle for Corregidor was the culmination of the Japanese campaign for the conquest of the Philippines. ... The Battle of Rabaul, around the main town of Rabaul on the island of New Britain, in early February 1942, represented a strategically-significant defeat of Allied forces by Japan, in the Pacific campaign of World War II. Following the capture of Rabaul, Japanese forces turned it into a major... The Battle of Makassar Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. A fleet of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command, under the command of Admiral Karel Doorman, was on its way to intercept a Japanese invasion convoy when it was attacked by 37 Japanese... The two Japanese air raids on Darwin, Australia on February 19, 1942 were by far the biggest ever attack by a foreign power against the Australian mainland. ... Battle of Badung Strait Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date 18 February 1942 – 19 February 1942 Place Badung Strait off Bali in the Dutch East Indies Result Japanese victory The Battle of Badung Strait was a naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, fought on the... The Battle of Timor (1942-43) occurred on the island of Timor, in the Pacific theatre of World War II. It involved forces from the Empire of Japan, which invaded on February 20, 1942, on one side and Allied personnel, predominantly from Australia and the Netherlands, on the other. ... The Battle of the Java Sea was a major naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Allied ships suffered a disastrous defeat at the hand of the Imperial Japanese Navy, in action over several days in February-March 1942. ... Indian Ocean raid Conflict World War II Date 31 March 1942 – 10 April 1942 Place Indian Ocean and Ceylon Result Japanese victory The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Fast Carrier Strike Force of the Imperial Japanese Navy from 31 March to 10 April 1942 against Allied... The Doolittle Raid was a bomber raid launched by the United States on the Japanese mainland on April 18, 1942. ... Battle of the Coral Sea Conflict World War II, Pacific War Date May 4 – May 8, 1942 Place Coral Sea, between Australia, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands Result Tactical Japanese victory Strategic Allied victory The Battle of the Coral Sea, in early May 1942, was arguably the turning point... The Battle of Midway took place on June 5, 1942 (June 4 – June 7 in U.S. time zones). ... Ceram and Ambon Islands (Operational Navigation Chart, 1967) Not for navigational use Ambon City in 2001, showing heavy damage from fighting Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. ... The Dutch East Indies, or Netherlands East Indies, (Dutch: Nederlands Indië) was the name of the colonies set up by the Dutch East India Company, which came under administration of the Netherlands during the 19th century (see Indonesia). ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... The Pacific War, which is known in Japan as the Greater East Asia War and in China as the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (kang-Ri zhanzheng, literally Resist Japan War), occurred in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in Asia. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb. ...

During 1941, as the western Allies perceived the possibility of war with Japan, Ambon was seen to be a strategic location, because of its potential as a major air base. The Australian government and military commanders saw that it could be used in raids on northern Australia. When spelt with a capital A, Allies usually denotes the countries that fought together against the Central Powers in World War I and against the Axis Powers in World War II. For more information, see the related articles: Allies of World War I and Allies of World War II. Other...

The defences

At the outbreak of war on December 8, the existing Royal Netherlands Army garrison, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel J. R. L. Kapitz, consisted of 2,800 Indonesian colonial troops, under Dutch officers. The garrison was poorly equipped and trained, partly as a result of the Netherlands itself having been defeated and occupied by Nazi Germany. December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal Netherlands Army (Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land forces element of the Military of the Netherlands. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ...

The Allies also had few aircraft to spare. By mid-December, two flights of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) light bombers were deployed there, along with assorted US Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy aircraft. The Australian Army's 1,100-strong Gull Force, commanded by Lt Col. L. N. Roach, arrived on December 17. The force was comprised of the Australian 8th Division's 2/21st Infantry Battalion, as well as some divisional artillery and support units. Kapitz was appointed Allied commander on Ambon. Roach had visited the island before Gull Force's deployment and requested that more artillery and machine gun units be sent from Australia. The RAAF Roundel is based on that of the British Royal Air Force, with the central circle replaced by a Kangaroo, a symbol of Australia. ... A light bomber is a military bomber aircraft which, when compared to other bombers, is relatively small and fast; such aircraft will probably not carry more than one ton of ordnance. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... Royal Netherlands Navy Jack The Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy ) is the navy of the Netherlands. ... The Australian Army Emblem The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... The 8th Division of the Australian Army was formed to serve in World War II, as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force. ...

On January 6, after Dutch and British territories to the north fell to Japan, Ambon came under attack from Japanese aircraft. Roach complained about the lack of response to his suggestions and — as a result — he was replaced by Lt Col. John Scott on January 14.

The battle

Allied aircraft attempted some sorties against an approaching Imperial Japanese Navy fleet with little success. The fleet, including the aircraft carriers Hiryu and Soryu, about 5,300 Japanese troops — marines from the 1st Kure Special Naval Landing Force and soldiers from the Imperial Japanese Army's 228th Infantry Regiment — reached Ambon on January 30, 1942. The remaining Allied aircraft were withdrawn that day, although RAAF ground staff remained. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) (大日本帝國海軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun or 日本海軍 Nippon Kaigun) was the navy of Japan before 1945. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main role is to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... Hiryu (Japanese: 飛龍, meaning flying dragon) was a Soryu-class aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... Soryu (Japanese: 蒼龍 sōryū, meaning blue (or green) dragon) was an aircraft carrier of the Imperial Japanese Navy. ... The Japanese Special Naval Landing Forces (SNLF), (海軍陸戦隊 Tokubetsu Rikusentai) were the marine troops of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and was only part of the IJN Land Forces. ... The Imperial Japanese Army (大日本帝国陸軍 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Rikugun) was the official armed force of Japan from 1867 to 1945. ...

Ambon Island has what might be described as a "figure eight" or "hourglass" shape. In the belief that the terrain on the southern part of the island was too inhospitable for landings, the Allied forces were concentrated in the north. However, the initial Japanese landings, on January 30, were in the south. Although the Japanese ground forces were numerically not much bigger than the Allies, the Japanese had overwhelming superiority in air support, naval and field artillery, and tanks. January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...

Within a day of the Japanese landing, most positions occupied by the Dutch forces were surrounded and Dutch troops made a fighting reteat towards Ambon City. Although the Sorong position at the "neck" of the island formed a considerable natural obstacle, a follow-up landing in the north broke the deadlock. The main body of Australians at Laha airfield, on the north-west shore of the Bay of Ambon, did not become engaged until February 1, and held out until February 3, when Scott ordered them and the remaining Dutch troops to surrender.

The Laha massacre

Although Allied casualties in the battle itself were relatively light, at intervals for a fortnight after the surrender, more than 300 Australian, Dutch (and probably US) prisoners were executed at or near Laha airfield. According to Australian War Memorial principal historian, Dr Peter Stanley, "The Laha massacre was the largest of the atrocities committed against captured Allied troops in 1942."[1]. Stanley added: ANZAC Day Dawn Service at AWM, 25 April 2005, 90th anniversary The Australian War Memorial is Australias national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organizations who have died in the wars of the modern state of Australia. ...

They suffered an ordeal and a death rate second only to the horrors of Sandakan, first on Ambon and then after many were sent to the island of Hainan [China] late in 1942. Three-quarters of the Australians captured on Ambon died before the war's end. Of the 582 who remained on Ambon 405 died. They died of overwork, malnutrition, disease and one of the most brutal regimes among camps in which bashings were routine.

In 1946, the Laha massacre and other incidents which followed the fall of Ambon became the subject of the largest ever war crimes trial, when 93 Japanese personnel were tried by an Australian tribunal, at Ambon. Among other convictions, four men were executed as a result. An SNLF Captain, Kunito Hatakeyama, who was in direct command of the massacres, was hanged; Rear Admiral Koichiro Hatakeyama, who was found to have ordered the killings, died before he could be tried.[2] The trials were the basis for the fictional movie Blood Oath (1990). The Sandakan Death Marches are the most infamous incident in series of events which resulted in the deaths of more than 6,000 Javanese civilian slave labourers and Allied prisoners of war, held by the Empire of Japan during the Pacific campaign of World War II, at prison camps in... Hainan (Chinese: 海南; pinyin: ) is a province of the Peoples Republic of China, located at the southern end of the country. ... 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Captain is both a nautical term and a military rank. ... The term Rear Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons, and can trace its origins to the British Royal Navy. ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Other consequences

Another result of the capture of Ambon was the realisation of Australian fears of air attacks, when Japanese planes based at Ambon took part in major air raids on Darwin, Australia on February 19. The two Japanese air raids on Darwin, Australia on February 19, 1942 were by far the biggest ever attack by a foreign power against the Australian mainland. ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

External links

L. Klemen, 1999-2001, "The Japanese Invasion of Ambon Island, January 1942"

Michael Evans, 2000, Developing Australia’s Maritime Concept of Strategy: Lessons From the Ambon Disaster of 1942