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Battle of Manado

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Battle of Manado
Part of World War II, Pacific War
DateJanuary 11–13, 1942
Location
Manado, northern part of Minahasa peninsula on Sulawesi island
Result Japanese Victory
Belligerents
Netherlands  Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
NetherlandsB. F. A. Schilmöller Empire of JapanIbo Takahashi
Strength
1,500 infantry 2,500 naval infantry
500 paratroopers
Casualties and losses
? ?

The Battle of Manado was a battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II. It occurred at Manado, at Minahasa peninsula on the northern island part of Celebes (now known as Sulawesi, between January 11–13, 1942 as an attempt to open a passage to attack Australia through the eastern part of Dutch East Indies.

Defences in Manado

The Dutch force at Manado area numbered approximately 1,500 men under command of Major B.F.A. Schilmöller.

  • Compagnie Menado; a native unit 188 men strong. This company was reinforced with two or three Vickers machine-gun section and was commanded by Captain W.F.J. Kroon.
  • Mobiele Colonne; this mobile unit had about 45 men and was commanded by Sergeant-Major A.J. ter Voert. It was intended to be used against Japanese paratroopers.
  • Reserve Korps Oud Militairen (RK); this unit was made up from five companies of retired KNIL personnel with an average age of over 50 and was commanded by Captain W.C. van den Berg.
  • Kort Verband Compagnie (KV) of nine brigades under the command of Captain J.D.W.T. Abbink.
  • Europese Militie en Landstorm Compagnie (European Militia); about 200 men strong but poorly trained. Commanded by 1st Lieutenant F. Masselink.
  • Menadonese Militie Compagnie (Native Militia); about 400 native troops under the command of Captain J.H.A.L.C. de Swert.
  • Stadswacht (Home Guard); about 100 men strong armed with old hunting rifles and commanded by 1st Lieutenant M.A. Nolthenius de Man.
  • Two artillery guns (7.5 cm Lang 35 Model 1902)
  • Three very old 3.7 cm naval guns; placed on trucks, they were used to defend Lake Tondano.

With such a limited force Major Schillmöller had to defend the airfields at Langoan (Langowan) (Manado II) and at Mapanget (Manado I), the naval base at Tasoeka and Manado.

Japanese force

The main Japanese fleet, who launched attack onto eastern Dutch East Indies, was under the command of Vice-Admiral Ibo Takahashi, and was intended to land at Manado, Kendari, Ambon, Makassar, Timor and Bali. The Imperial Japanese Navy arranged two main landing forces along Manado shore, they were Sasebo Combined Landing Force and 1st Yokosuka Special Landing Force.

The Sasebo Combined Landing Force was about 2,500 men strong under the command of Captain Kunizo Mori. It had two reinforced battalions and support units (engineers, medics etc.). The first battalion was commanded by Major Masanari Shiga and the second battalion by Major Uroku Hashimoto. The Sasebo Combined Landing Force also had a light tank company (equipped with the Model 95 tank) attached to it. It left Davao, the Philippines on January 9, 1942 and after being transported by eight ships during the early morning of January 11 they landed at two places, at 03:00 at Kema and at 04:00 at Manado.

The force of 1st Yokosuka Special Landing Force used 519 of its paratroopers to attack Langowan airfield. Its commander was Commander Toyoaki Horiuchi. The 26 transport aircraft from Davao dropped the first 334 troops on January 11, 1942. The next day a further 185 paratroopers were dropped at Langoan.

The convoy was escorted by Rear-Admiral Raizo Tanaka in light cruiser Jintsu (flagship) with

  • 2nd Destroyer Flotilla
    • 8th Destroyer Division (1st Group): Oshio, Asashio
    • 15th Destroyer Division: Natsushio, Kuroshio, Oyashio, Hayashio
    • 16th Destroyer Division: Yukikaze, Tokitsukaze, Hatsukaze, Amatsukaze

The Japanese airforce was under command of Rear-Admiral Ruitaro Fujita with

  • 11th Seaplane Division
    • seaplane carrier Chitose
    • seaplane carrier Mizuho
    • Patrol boat P 39

Base Force was under command of Rear-Admiral Kyuji Kubo with

  • 1st Base Force
    • light cruiser Nagara (flagship)
    • Patrol boats- P 1, P 2, P 34
  • 21st Minesweeper Division
    • minesweepers- W 7, W 8, W 9, W 11, W 12
  • 1st Submarine-chaser Division
    • submarine chasers- Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3

Covering Force was under command of Rear-Admiral Takeo Takagi.

  • 5th Cruiser Squadron
    • heavy cruisers- Nachi (flagship), Haguro, Myoko
  • 6th Destroyer Division (2nd Group)
    • destroyers- Ikazuchi, Inazuma

Landing on Manado

The unit of Compagnie Menado, which numbered only 188 men under Captain W.F.J. Kroon and Landstorm Compagnie with its 200 troops under 1st Lieutenant F. Masselink were not enough to oppose thousands of Japanese amphibious assault at 04:00 on January 11, 1942. Initially when the defense failed, they were instructed to retreat to Tinoör stronghold, located some five miles inland. After some sporadic fights and due to poor communication, instead defending Tinoör-line, the Compagnie Menado had to move to Koha. The Tinoör was defended by Lieutenant van de Laar from Reserve Korps Oud Militairen (RK) and the reinforcement from Landstorm Compagnie under 1st.Lt. Masselink. The fighting at Tinoör lasted until 15:00 when the KNIL was out of ammunition and had to retreat to Kakaskasen.

Landing on Kema

The Reserve Korps Oud Militairen (RK) under the command of Lieutenant Radema was responsible for the defence of Kema. He had two of his brigades placed along the coast line and one at his CP at Ajermadidih (Airmadidi). The rest of the company had to defend Mapanget airfield, Likoepang (Likupang) and Bitoeng (Bitung).

The landings at Kema started at 03:00 on 11 January 1942 and were made swiftly. The Japanese transport ships quickly left the area. When Radema heard about the Japanese landing he immediately ordered his troops to regroup at Ajermadidih. When the first Japanese troops, including three tanks, reached Ajermadidih at 09:00, Radema tried to stop the Japanese advance with few available troops. But at last, Radema had to withdraw from Ajermadidih and planned to start a guerrilla war. However due to high rate of native troops desertion, he had to give up this plan.

The airborne attack

The defence of Lake Tondano and the airfield at Longoan was under the responsibility of the so called Tactical Command Kakas with commanding officer Captain W.C. van den Berg. Kakas is a small town name near Lake Tondano. The airfield itself was defended by 41 brigades under the command of 1st Lieutenant J.G. Wielinga. This unit was reinforced with one of the overvalwagens (armoured car). Wielinga had his CP at the kampong Langoan, where he held 11 brigades back in reserve. The rest of his troops and the overvalwagen were placed at the airfield. Sergeant-Major H.J. Robbemond was in command.

Shortly after 09:00 hours January 12, 1942, 334 Japanese paratroopers were dropped on and around the airfield. Having heard the dropping, Captain van den Berg ordered the two remaining Overvalwagens (armoured car) to attack the airfield. Although the Japanese paratroopers suffered heavy casualties, they succeeded to capture the Langoan airfield. Enraged by the heavy losses, the Japanese executed a large number of KNIL POW's. Knowing that the battle was lost, van den Berg ordered his remaining troops to retreat inland and start a guerrilla war.

The guerrilla war

In several places the remaining KNIL forces tried to start a guerrilla war against the Japanese invaders. Captain Kroon assembled what was left of the Menado Compagnie (about 50 men) and retreated towards Kembes, hoping to start an active guerrilla from this place. Due to regular desertions by his native soldiers he reached Kembes with only nine men left. Here the group was taken prisoner by the Japanese. All European members, except Kroon himself, were executed at Langoan on January 26, 1942.

Sergeant Maliëzer from E-Company did not want to surrender and started a guerrilla force with fifteen of his men. On February 8, they attacked a Japanese unit at Kanejan. The fighting lasted the whole day and the Japanese counter-attack failed. Outraged they burned nearby Kampong and executed five civilians (including two women). On February 12, they came back with a larger force and this time captured Maliëzers group. Maliëzer too was executed at Langoan with twelve of his men.

Captain van den Berg's and his group were taken prisoner on February 20, 1942. His group, made up out of pensioners, attacked the Japanese units on several occasions and inflicted heavy casualties. Out of respect for the high average age and fighting spirit, the Japanese commander spared their lives.

Capture of Kendari

Kendari is a small town on southeast Celebes, facing the Banda Sea in Mollucas (Maluku). Nonetheless it had an important position for the Japanese to become an airbase from which the bombers and airplanes could attack Soerabaja and Kupang in West Timor. Soerabaja was the main Dutch naval base in Dutch East Indies.

After securing Manado, in the night of January 23-24, 1942, the Japanese Sasebo Combined Special Naval Landing Force moved southward and landed at north of Kendari. Kendari airfield was quickly secured with little resistance. By the evening of January 24, 1942 Kendari was fully occupied. Most of the 400-strong Dutch KNIL troops led by Captain F.B. van Straalen were captured by Japanese.

Kendari Air Base became the base for the Japanese 21st Air Flotilla operation. Slightly south of Kendari, a main naval base at Staring Bay was constructed to become an important refuelling checkpoint in that area. The bombers involved in Bombing of Darwin (February 1942) were flown from Kendari.

References

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