Dutch East Indies

[Heliopause]

The Battle of Tarakan has started on May 1st. The oil rich island to the East of Borneo. The Allied force is centred around the very experienced Australian 26th Brigade Group of nearly 12,000 soldiers. The force which landed on Tarakan included nearly a thousend United States and Dutch troops.

 

Some of the KNIL troops seen at Tarakan

 

 

[Heliopause]

May 9th
Sqn 120 NEI has transferred (for the most part) to Jacquinot Bay, however on arrival receives the order to go to Biak, Dutch New Guinea. The NEI Government-in-exile wants the NEI squadrons to operate from Dutch territory. The remaining part of the unit at Merauke is also ordered to Biak. Sqn 18 NEI has received the order to move to Morotai.

Meanwhile some of the pilots of Sqn 120 NEI follow a one week refresher coarse at Canberra, Australia. The final group departs for Canberra on the 16th returning on the 27th of May.

 

Dutch P-40 after a belly landing. Fake A29 serial number is seen from its time with 2 OTU in March '45.

[Heliopause]

May 10th
Dutch submarine K XIV sinks a sampan (local vessel) by means of the deckgun. K XIV started her war patrol on april 28th landing a shore party at the coast of Goa-Goa island on May 5th and a shore party at the coast of Kemirian island on May 7th.

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May 22nd
Sqn 1 RAAF (Mosquitos) has the main party arrive at Morotai. On the 17th it had arrived at Biak on S.S. Simon Bamberger with orders received on the 20th to move to Morotai.

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May 27th
Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF based at China Bay, Ceylon has been working up on the B-24 Liberator for the last months. Today new machines arrive (from Sqn 354 RAF) as the previous machines proved to have to many technical issues to have operational use. Meanwhile part of the Squadron has kept flying the operational missions with its Catalina flying boats.

 

[Heliopause]

May 29th
Sqn 31 RAAF is in the proces of relocating from Mortai to Tarakan. Today a Beaufighter is "engaged in supplying aerial alert to Tarakan".
"It is anticipated that all aircraft will be serviceable and ready to operate by 5th June, and all aircrew are anxious to resume flying after a period of enforced slackness".

 

Sortie flown by Sqn 87 RAAF out of Broome, Australia to central Java by Sqn Ldr Bonython. Spotting seven aircraft on the strip at Djokjakarta, two are seen to give chase, but the Mosquito leaves the area unmolested and returns safely.

[Heliopause]

May 31st

Sqn 1 RAAF:  "F/Lt Goddard and F/O Jeffers arrived in A52-521 (Mosquito UK built FB.VI.) for tests for fitment of American bombs. Arrangements completed with FIRST TAF RAAF for the aircraft to be parked with 79 Squadron and the crew to be controlled and bedded down by No. 80 Wing".

Edited May 31 by Heliopause

[Heliopause]

June 1st
The first P-40's of Sqn 120 NEI arrive at Biak on Mokmer strip. In the next week another 17 machines and pilots will arrive.

 

Maintenance on a P-40 at Merauke, Dutch New Guinea.

[Heliopause]

June 2nd
Post strike recce by Sqn 87 RAAF on Cape Chater airstrip on the northeast coast of Timor after an air attack.

 

June 3rd
Recce sortie flown by a Mosquito of Sqn 87 RAAF over Java. An twin-engined enemy aircraft is seen to intercepted. The crew judges it to be a "Frances".

 

Operations on Tarakan are still ongoing. The Battle started on May 1st and will continue till June 21st.

[Heliopause]

June 7th
The last twelve P-40's of Sqn 120 NEI leave Merauke for Biak. The formation is under command of Maj. Maurenbrecher with a B-25 acting as navigational plane.

[Heliopause]

June 9th
B-25 N5-253 is destroyed by fire at Archerfield. 

 

June 10th
Sqn 120 NEI becomes operational on Biak, Dutch New Guinea. Fighting on the island of Biak had ended in August 1944 but a large number of enemy troops are still present in the area of "Vogelkop" (Birdhead), the huge western part of Dutch New Guinea. The small city of Manokwari for example still has an enemy headquarters and garrison. The squadron is now part of Northern Command RAAF. Some assistance is received from an Air Depot Group (US Fifth Airforce) based at Sorido strip at Biak.

[Heliopause]

June 12th
Sqn 120 NEI performs the first ops from Biak. Eleven P-40's under command of Maj. Maurenbrecher attack oil depots and troop concentrations to the west of Moemi strip. A second mission is conducted under command of Capt. Simons with eight P-40's carrying out a bombing-strafing attack focussing on a particular route with "anything that is or looks like an enemy target".

 

June '45: P-40's of Sqn 120 NEI seen here during a training flight out of Mokmer, Biak.

 

 

[Heliopause]

June 14th
Sqn 120 NEI performs attacks on dumps near the Waren river estuary. Another mission sees attacks on enemy barracks, ammo dumps and small ships in the Prafi river estuary. A total of sixteen P-40's participate.
 

Another picture of P-40's Sqn 120 NEI at Mokmer, Biak

[Heliopause]

June 15th
Sqn 120 NEI performs a mission to Nabire with fifteen P-40's. Diving attacks are performed in order to take out enemy AA battery's. In a period of about two weeks the squadron carries out 72 sorties.

 

Meanwhile the first P-51's arrive for NEI forces at PEP (Personell & Equipment Pool) at Canberra, Australia.

 

Not all goes smooth at PEP. Wirraway and P-40 taxiing accident.

[Heliopause]

June 16th
Two missions in the morning for Sqn 120 NEI. The west and east coasts of the Geelvink Bay are searched for targets. AA gun positions are attacked at the Japanese build airfield at Nabire. Three P-40's however have to return en route due to engine trouble. A later mission with six P-40's has the planes return due to faulty airspeed indicators.

 

The airspeed indicator problem was caused by coral dust clogging the pitot tubes. Coral dust from the surface also entered the engine. After having flown eight missions the P-40's were grounded for engineering reasons.

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June 17th
Sqn 120 NEI performs an armed recco with four P-40's to Bentoni Bay. A second mission is carried out with six machines towards Nabire with AA positions bombed and strafed. 

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June 18th
Six P-40's under command of Maj. Maurenbrecher of Sqn 120 NEI bomb and strafe enemy Barracks along Kalussima River near Hamoeka. Tomorrow all P-40's are grounded due to a mandatory rudder modification.

 

Bombing up of a P-40 at Biak.

[Heliopause]

June 20th
Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF based at China Bay, Ceylon has its first flight of six B-24's declared operational. It is planned to have the Dutch manned Liberators to operate out of the Cocos islands for operations towards Sumatra and Java. A detachment of Sqn 87 RAAF is now briefly based on the Cocos islands in an attempt to photograph targets in Singapore. It is unsuccessful however, being hampered by bad weather and the loss of one of its Mosquito planes. The squadron itself still operating out of Coomalie Creek, Australia.

 

Mosquitos seen at Coomalie.

[Heliopause]

June 21st
Operations on Tarakan end. Dutchman Nijenhuis was part of an American unit at Tarakan. Born in Holland he had signed up for KNIL in 1938.
After a four month training he was posted to the Artillery at Surabaya, Java. He was there when war broke out in Europe.
"In the Indies nothing seemed to be going on. We didn't worry about the war and had no idea of the planning of Japan. There was no contact with home".
In 1940 volunteers were needed for the Dutch West Indies/Caribbean and Nijenhuis signed up. A group of 43 KNIL-men went aboard the Noordam to Curaçao in December 1940. "We were posted on a coastal battery to protect the oil refinery. Later I was also stationed on Aruba. It was here that I received a telegram saying my mother was no longer alive. She had passed away three years before. There was no contact at all with Holland".

In 1944 the group was sent to Australia to help in the retake of Dutch New Guinea. That summer Nijenhuis was attached to the Americans as a scout at their base at Sansapor. "There were four scouts. Every time we were dropped in the jungle for around four days in enemy controlled territory. The group consisting of a scout, a US Lt. and a Cartographer. I always took a Papua (local tribes man) with me. They now everything. The can judge a footprint on how old it is and a broken twig tells them who or what has walked there. They now all the sounds and they could talk with other Papua's".
Nijenhuis was later at Mega with a small group succeding in extraction by boot as enemy troops slowly closed in with mortar support. In Numfur he was told the planned holiday was not to be as he was attached to the Americans for the landing at Tarakan. "They needed people who spoke the languages. I spoke Dutch, English and Malayan/Indonesian. I was happy to be with the Americans, they had better rations". 

 

Arnold Nijenhuis (first row, second from left) with the Counter Intelligence Corps at Tarakan.

[Heliopause]

The airstrip at Tarakan is repaired by 1 and 8 Airfield Construction squadrons, RAAF and AIF units.

 

Beaufighter at Tarakan airstrip.

 

Forced landing of a Sqn 31 RAAF Beaufighter in a swamp area near the airstrip. "It was out of fuel and could not land on the airstrip

because of Kittyhawks in the act of landing". 

[Heliopause]

June 25h
Dutch submarine O 19 sets sail for Subic Bay, Philippines out of Fremantle, Australia.

 

June 26th
Sortie flown by a Mosquito of Sqn 87 RAAF to Surabaya, Java out of Coomalie. The crew having to return on one engine after a serious mechanical fault develops.

[Heliopause]

June 28th
Around this time three small groups of Anglo Dutch Section (A.D.S.) Camp D, Ceylon are parachuted into Northern Sumatra for intelligence gathering for future operations. One group lands at Bagan-Si-Api-Api under command of English Major Lodge. The second and third group land near Kotaradja and Rantauprapat (under command of Sergeant-zeemilicien Lefrandt and Lt. Sisselaar resp.). Soon these groups make radio contact with HQ at Ceylon. The group at Bagan making contact with some 50 guerrilla fighters. Later wapens and small reinforcements will be parachuted in.  Lt. C. Sisselaar was born in Tjimahi, Java in 1917, he was a soldier in Holland in May 1940. Escaped through Hoek van Holland to England during the capitulation. Went to Ceylon as a volunteer in January 1942 receiving a paracommando training. Participated in the first mission at Atjeh on the Westcoast of Sumatra in December 1942.

 

On August 30th he will receive instructions to make contact with the internees in the camps nearby; Si Rengo Rengo (mencamp) and Aek Paminke (3 womencamps). Through radio contact with Ceylon he is able to arrange food and medical supplies being dropped in. Photo of Sisselaar seen here as he "liberates" an internee camp shortly after the end of hostilities.

[Heliopause]

July 7th
Sqn 120 NEI performs a morning mission in conjuction with Beauforts of Sqn 6 and Sqn 15 RAAF. At Manokwari AA positions, huts and buildings are bombed and strafed. In the afternoon the mission is repeated by Sqn !20 NEI with 16 P-40's shooting up barracks and vehicles at Manokwari and a number of barges near Mansinan Island. Both missions performed under command of Maj. Maurenbrecher.

 

Sqn No.1 RAAF starts to perform missions out of Morotai. Mosquito A52-521 with F/Lt Goddard and F/O Barrett perform a mission with two Spitfires as escorts (79 Squadron). Route Morotai - Kaoe bay - Laboeha - Obit Is - Morotai. "Shore guns strafed at Obit Is, warehouse at Laboeha town, A/A gun in Laboeha harbour and three boats on river near Laboeha Pt.  A/A gun silenced."

 

July 8th
Sqn 120 NEI carries out an attack on an enemy radio homing station at Manokwari (suspected to lure Allied planes in bad weather over AA positions). The 14 P-40's follow upon Beauforts of the RAAF as these start the attack.

 

No. 79 Wing RAAF (including Sqn 18 NEI) starts to relocate from Morotai to Balikpapan, Borneo. The Air Echelon of Sqn 18 NEI is stil at Batchelor however. The ground party is transported in Liberty ships.

 

Dutch submarine O 19 hits a reef and gets stuck. The engines are put in reverse quickly but to no avail. She has hit the Ladd Reef. Due to a cloud base navigation on the stars has been impossible for the last few days and O 19 has deviated from its course. As much ballast as possible is put in the back of the submarine and engines again put to full power but it becomes clear she will not move. An emergency signal is send and picked up by American submarine USS Cod at some 200 miles distance. Several attempts are made to get 0 19 clear of the reef with the help of USS Cod, however these are not successful. 0 19 then being abandoned with its crew joining Cod.
"In a gesture of naval gallantry Cod’s captain flies the O 19 flag alongside the US flag during the three day trip to safety".

 

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2020/june/incident-ladd-reef
https://usscod.org/reenactment70th.html

 

[Heliopause]

July 9th
Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF relocates the first B-24's from China Bay, Ceylon to the Cocos isles. Take off is at 1am. The third machine crashes shortly after getting airborne resulting in five seriously wounded and six perished crewmembers. It is the only loss of life for the squadron in its three and a half years of operations.

 

Sqn 120 NEI performs a mission to Manokwari. Fourteen P-40's under command of Capt. Simons carry out attacks on encampments, AA battery's and dumps. Pilot Idzerda goes missing. As he later recalled:
"During the attack I suddenly felt three bangs and the plane started to roll. It took all my strength to get it straight again. The rudderpedals were shaking like mad. But the engine was still running! Safely over the water I was able to gain some height. I saw a big hole in the left aileron and a piece of metal pointing upwards, what explained the roll-movement. A rescue Catalina (callsign Playmate) was always nearby and along the way I met her. Over the radio came: "Boy you've gotta a hole in yer tail you can drive a f.. coach through!". Luckily I was able to keep going in the direction of Biak. Over the island the engine started to stutter. The fuselage tank turned out to be hit too. I took to my parachute as ditching was not an option. After the chute had opened I was just able to witness to see my P-40 fly into a hill. After a somewhat restless night I followed the coastline later spotting a Papua (local tribes man). He later returned with three others and were friendly. One as it turned out was dropped in the area as a member of NEFIS (Netherlands Forces Intelligence Service) and I was able to speak some Malayan and a few words of Dutch. The locals had already killed a few of the enemy.
After four days the search for me was halted but fellow pilot Verspoor decided to make a final search, this time on Biak's north coast. They spotted the cross I had made on the beach and shortly thereafter I was picked up by Dutch PBY Catalina Y-57".

 

July 10th
Another two B-24's from Sqn 321 relocate from China Bay, Ceylon to the Cocos islands. Also two PBY Catalinas join the Liberators on the new location as to perform air-sea rescue missions.

 

Sqn No.1 RAAF Mosquito A52-521 with F/Lt Goddard and F/O Barrett perform a mission with two Spitfires as escorts (79 Squadron). Route Morotai - Kaoe bay - Ternate Is - Dobinga bay - Morotai. "strafed and set fire to one 3 ton M/T south of Ternate town. In two runs silenced A/A gun at Ternate jetty. Strafed Japanese H/Q at Akelamo."

 

Dutch Navy pilot R.J. Idzerda in front of a P-40, Sqn 120 NEI.

[Heliopause]

July 11th
Hellcats from the British carriers Emperor and Ameer attack Lhoknga airfield on Sumatra. Ten aircraft from Sqn 800 FAA dropping 10,000 pounds of bombs on the dispersal areas. One Hellcat is damaged and ditches on the flight back. The pilot getting rescued. This is the Squadrons last combat loss. Half-an-hour later, Lt. W. Saltykoff, Royal Netherlands Navy, is directed on to a Japanese Army Mitsubishi Ki-46, 67 miles from the carriers. He fires one burst of 20 rounds per gun at the "Dinah" tearing off the starboard wing. It proves to be the Squadrons 37th and last air combat victim.

 

July 15th
Anti shipping patrol by two B-24's of Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF towards Soenda strait and Sumatra's west coast. The machines operate out of the Cocos islands.

 

Liberator coded "Y" under command of De Bruyn seen as it takes off on July 15th for the first operational B-24 mission.

[Heliopause]

July 17th
No. 79 Wing RAAF arrives at Balikpapan, Borneo. The transport of the ground echelons was carried out with three Liberty ships out of Morotai.

 

Beaufighter on finals at Balikpapan, Borneo 

 

Balikpapan, KNIL soldier holding a puppy. "The only thing found alive in this area".

[Heliopause]

July 18th 
Sqn 120 NEI performs a mission out of the island Middelburg, Dutch New Guinea. Six P-40's had relocated to join Sqn 15 RAAF (Beauforts). A combined attack is carried out on a stronghold near Sorong. One P-40 has to ditch at sea just out of the Sorong area due to damage by enemy AA. Pilot Sgt. Esser takes to the dinghy and starts paddling further out to sea as he is fired at from the shore. Other P-40's give him cover. He is later picked up by a US PBY Catalina. 
 

Mosquito A52-521 with F/Lt Goddard and F/O Barrett, Sqn 1 RAAF perform an attack mission out of Morotai on store and possible fuel dump at Laboeha Bay. "Strafed Pajahi, Islm and Akelamo. Dropped pamphlets at Hiri Is"

 

Pilots Sqn 120 NEI in front of their planes.

 

Groundcrewman working on the start up.

Edited July 22 by Heliopause

[Heliopause]

Spitfires of Sqn 452 RAAF at Balikpapan, Borneo. The fighter planes had arrived on July 15th.

[Heliopause]

July 21st
F/Lt Goddard and F/O Barrett in A52-521 Sqn 1 RAAF "called forward from Morotai but were diverted to Tawi Tawi owing to bad weather - circled Labuan but could not see strip. Heavy rain for several hours in the late afternoon and evening".

 

Attack on Brunei, North Borneo by 5 Beaufighters, Sqn 31 RAAF

 

July '45. Attack on railway line between Beaufort and Tenom, North Borneo. Sqn 31 RAAF.

Edited July 21 by Heliopause

[Heliopause]

July 21st
Two P-40's Sqn 120 NEI escort the L12A on a photo reconnaissance flight to Mamberamo and Rouffaer Rivers. On the 20th six machines under command of Maurenbrecher flew an armed recon, strafing Japanese personnel at Moemi.

The 19th saw six P-40's under command of Capt. Simons bomb and strafe targets of opportunity along the north coast of New Guinea. The plane of Simons was damaged during bombing and strafing at Sarmi. Although his plane barely missed the treetops he made it back to nearby Wakde Island (some 190 km west of Hollandia) for an emergency landing.

 

Engine change for P-40 at Canberra, Australia. It is readied for shipment to Biak.

Edited July 22 by Heliopause

[Heliopause]

July 23rd
Ground personnel of No. 79 Wing RAAF (incl. Sqn 18 NEI) at Balikpapan, Borneo defend themself as a number of enemy troops try to infiltrate the area. Nine Japanese Marines are killed without losses to 79 Wing personnel.
 

[Heliopause]

July 24th
Four P-40's Sqn 120 NEI bomb and strafe the landing stage at Babo destroying some small ships and targets of opportunity.

 

Anti shipping patrol by Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF. At Boengoes Bay near Padang (west coast Sumatra) an enemy freighter (3000T) is observed and successfully attacked. It is left burning and in a sinking state.

 

Anti shipping patrols and recon missions are now part of the B-24's of Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF. operating out of the Cocos Islands.

 

Lt/sea Juta seen shortly before a B-24 mission, Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF. He later recorded: "Sweep low level in Soenda strait. Attack 100 tons ship in Lampong Bay with machinegun fire and 8 bombs. Ship sunk. Spotted by Jap a/c code VAL. Returned to COCOS I, flying time day 09.55."

Edited July 24 by Heliopause

[Heliopause]

July 25th
Dutch submarine O 21 attacks and damages two enemy coasters by means of the deck gun.

[Heliopause]

July 27th
Dutch submarine O 21 sinks an enemy fishing vessel by means of the deck gun on Java's NW coast.
 

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July 30th
15 P-40's Sqn 120 NEI bomb and strafe targets in the Manokwari area, including the power station of Manokwari. Nine Beauforts, Sqn 15 RAAF follow up attacking a bridge and the power station. Yesterday the command of Sqn 120 NEI was handed over from Maj. Maurenbrecher to Capt. Simons.

 

P-40's at Biak.

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July 31st
15 P-40's Sqn 120 NEI attack targets at Manokwari. This is later followed by an attack with 16 P-40's. Both missions in conjunction with nine Beauforts of Sqn 15 RAAF. The latter bombing barracks, warehouses, houses and camouflaged huts.

 

Two Beaufighters of Sqn 31 RAAF perform an armed recco to Kuching, Borneo. Yesterday two machines were ordered to Labuan for operational duties.
 

[Heliopause]

Aug 1st
Sqn 120 NEI attacks Manokwari. Three sections of five P-40's bomb and strafe targets with big fires being observed. The heavy and accurate AA fire resulting in two planes having to ditch, one MIA (Pilot Hirdes) and four planes making emergency landings (three at Numfur and one at Biak). Pilot Hirdes successfully knocked out an enemy AA gun position before getting shot down. He is buried with military honour by the Japanese.

 

Sqn 31 RAAF has two Beaufighters carry out a rocket attack at Kuching, Borneo. Another two machines perform a coastal recco Pusa, Molahan, Siri. Both missions out of Labuan.

 

The air echelons of Sqn 18 NEI and Sqn 2 RAAF in Australia (at Batchelor and Hughes resp.) receive the order to relocate to Balikpapan, Borneo. Both units equipped with the B-25.

 

B-25 of Sqn 2 RAAF seen here over Timor in 1944.

[Heliopause]

Aug 2nd
Armed recce by Sqn 120 NEI. Four P-40's led by pilot Idzerda towards the Manokwari area.

[Heliopause]

Aug 3rd
Sortie flown by Sqn 120 NEI. Twelve P-40's bomb and strafe AA positions and other targets at Manokwari.

 

Engine maintenance on a bombed up P-40.

[Heliopause]

Aug 4th 
Three B-24's perform a mission towards Java's south coast out of the Cocos Islands. Two machines from Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF and one from Sqn 203 RAF attack Tjilatjap harbour. The leading B-24 (Sqn 321) under command of De Bruyn puts three bombs on a ship (3000T) and two bombs on a floating crane. The other two Liberators also bomb and machinegun vessels and buildings.

 

Sqn 120 NEI performs a mission in the Waren area. Four P-40's attacking a Japanese encampment. The aircraft flown by Lt. Esser receiving damage by AA fire and a landing at Numfur is performed.

 

Sqn 321 (Dutch) RAF crew in front of "Soerabaja express" at the Cocos Islands.

 

Close up of the Nose Art and bomb symbol.