Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Battle of North Borneo


The battle for the north of Borneo was the battle that took place during the Second World War between the Allies and Japan se troops. The battle was part of the Borneo campaign during the war in the Pacific and took place between June 10 and August 15, 1945 in North Borneo (also known as Sabah). The battle consisted of a series of amphibious landings by Australian troops at various points on the mainland of the Bay of Brunei and on islands around the bay. In the beginning there was little resistance from the Japanese troops but as time progressed found several heavy fighting and both parties members substantial losses. Australia control over the area although eventually managed to obtain strategic advantages, which gave possession of the area, were eventually reduced by the sudden end of the war in August 1945.

Background

Mathilda Tank in Borneo

The fight was codenamed Operation Oboe six and was the second phase of the allied operation to conquer. Borneo Was a military brigade-power put ashore at Tarakan earlier. A total of 29000-30000 husband was appointed by the Allies for this operation, with the bulk of the ground forces was formed by men of the Australian ninth infantry division, commanded by Major General George Wootten and consisted of the 20th and 24th brigade. The naval support was given by the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Navy and air support by the United States Army Air Forces, the United States Marine Corps and elements of the Royal Australian Air Force. Two parts of the United States Army, the 727ste Amphibian Tractor Battalion, the LVT’s manned, and 593ste Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment’s Boat Battalion have also been added to the Australian troops.

General Douglas MacArthur, commander of the Southwest Pacific Area, had the military operations divided into three phases: a preparatory bombardment, subsequent landings – the purpose of the invasion was to the Allies the opportunity to offer to set up to support a pushed forward naval base the activities of the Navy – to get the oil and rubber stocks in the area in the possession and restoration of the English civil administration. Meanwhile, the British secret service had estimated that there are about 31,000 Japanese troops man found in Borneo. The main Japanese units in this area included the 56th Independent Mixed Brigade, consisting of six battalion s (the 366th – 371st) and another independent battalion.

Battle

The Australians carried out two major landings on North Borneo. The first began on June 10, when troops of two battalions of the 24th brigade, the 2/28ste and 2/48ste battalion landed on the island of Labuan with a squadron of the Matildatanks 2/9de Armoured Regiment, while two battalions of the 20th brigade – the 2/15de and 2/17de battalion – went ashore on the island and Muara on the peninsula north of Eton Brook, supported by a second squadron of Matilda’s 2/9de Armoured Regiment. Amid the heavy air and zeebombardementen were the allied troops barely noticed, because the Japanese had withdrawn from the beaches of the peninsula and the island also had Muara. Completely deserted The troops were landed on the mainland at Eton Brook moved on to Brunei, which was captured on June 13.

The two 20th Brigade battalions were now joined by the 2/13de battalion, on June 20 an unnoticed landing was carried out at Lutong and was then moved on to the west coast via Miri, Lutong and Seria with the ultimate goal Kuching. Seria were devastated to 37 oil wells found, which were destroyed by the Japanese defenders intentionally. Sappers of the 2/3rd Field Compagny were called to extinguish, which lasted about three months the fires. After the area was secured was the 20th brigade start patrol work, using landing ships were fast rivers and streams, which formed the coast, are searched. During this campaign were few deaths and injuries (about 40).

Despite being good had come forward on the southern mainland the fight at Labuan became increasingly fierce, because the Japanese had retreated into a fortified position, known as “Pocket”, and attempted the Australians in that environment of jungle and swamps on hold. Despite much artillery support was an attack of the 2/28ste battalion on 14 June repulsed and additional troops had first come to save. Japanese resistance down Over the next five days there was a major air and naval bombardment to weaken the new attack on June 21. Japanese resistance

While the 2/12 commando squadron the backwater areas that were not previously searched, purified of Japanese resistance, two companies of the battalion 2/28ste attacked the Japanese fortified position. Backed by indirect fire from the Navy and from the air and direct fire from tanks and flamethrower s knew the Australians to raid the Japanese and the remaining resistance in the near Labuan to press the head. The fight turned out to be 180 Japanese have cost, bringing the total Japanese deaths of all battles Labuan on a number of 389 lives. The Australian troops had 34 dead and 93 wounded.

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