Battle of Palembang

The Battle of Palembang was a battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II. It occurred near Palembang, on Sumatra, on 13–15 February 1942. The Royal Dutch Shell oil refineries at nearby Plaju (then Pladjoe) were the major objectives for the Empire of Japan in the Pacific War, because of an oil embargo imposed on Japan by the United States, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom after the Japanese invaded China. With the area's abundant fuel supply and airfield, Palembang offered significant potential as a military base to both the Allies and the Japanese.

For the air attacks on Palembang in 1945, see Operation Outflank. For the 15th-century naval battle, see Battle of Palembang (1407).

Battle of Palembang
Part of World War II, Pacific War

Japanese paratroopers landing at Palembang
Date13–15 February 1942
Location
Palembang, southern part of Sumatra Island, Dutch East Indies
Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
 Netherlands
 Australia
 New Zealand		  Japan
Commanders and leaders
L.N.W. Vogelesang
Karel Doorman
Henry Hunter
Stanley Vincent		 Jisaburo Ozawa
Yoshisaburô Tanaka
Seiichi Kume
Units involved

ABDA Command

  • NL East Indies Army
  • ABDA naval force
  • No. 225 Bomber Group
  • No. 226 Fighter Group

Army Air Force

  • 2nd Parachute Regiment
  • 59th, 64th, 98th Sentai

Imperial Navy

  • 229th Infantry Regiment
  • 230th Infantry Regiment
Strength
2,000 infantry
50 aircraft		 3,000 amphibious force
350 paratroopers
3 squadrons transports
1 bomber group
2 fighter groups
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.