Strongpoint 11

The Japanese offensive against the Dutch East Indies was designed to gain control of the rubber and oil production facilities found on the many scattered islands in the region. The Dutch defense on Tarakan Island was organized by “Fronts” protecting the port area, the airfield, and the main oil …

1942-01-11

J046

The Japanese offensive against the Dutch East Indies was designed to gain control of the rubber and oil production facilities found on the many scattered islands in the region. The Dutch defense on Tarakan Island was organized by “Fronts” protecting the port area, the airfield, and the main oil wells at Pamoesian on the east side of Tarakan city. This area contained a series of built up strongpoints, centered around automatic weapons in concrete bunkers. The Japanese landed early on the 11th on the east coast of the island and aggressively pushed inland. By mid-morning, they had heavily engaged the line of strongpoints.

Tarakan Island, Dutch East Indies

The Battle of Tarakan took place on 11–12 January 1942, a day after the Empire of Japan declared war on the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Although Tarakan was only a small marshy island off northeastern Borneo (now divided between Indonesia's Kalimantan and Malaysia's East Malaysia) in the Netherlands East Indies (today's Indonesia), its 700 oil wells, refineries, and airfield made it a crucial objective for Japan in the Pacific War.

Japanese

Dutch

Scenario Type = Standard