Battle of Banjarmasin | |||||||
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Part of World War II, Pacific War, Dutch East Indies Campaign | |||||||
First flight from Royal Netherlands East Indies Airways (KNILM) landed at Oelin Airfield, Banjarmasin, 1935. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Netherlands | Japan | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Henry Halkema |
Kyōhei Yamamoto Yoshibumi Okamoto | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
ca. 500[1] | ca. 1,000[2] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Troops deserted, evacuated to Java, or surrendered later on |
9 killed or died from sickness 80% (ca. 800) stricken with Malaria |
The Battle of Banjarmasin (31 January – 10 February 1942) took place as part of the Japanese offensive to capture the Dutch East Indies. The Japanese conducted a pincer attack from sea and land to capture a strategic airfield in Banjarmasin (old spelling: Bandjarmasin or Bandjermasin) in preparation for the capture of Java Island.