Battle of Gemas

Battle of Gemas
Part of the Battle of Muar — Malayan Campaign — Pacific War — World War II
Gemencheh Bridge in 1945.
Date 14 January 1942 Location Sungei Gemencheh, Negeri Sembilan, Malaya Result Australian tactical victory
Belligerents
Australia	Japan
Commanders and leaders
Frederick Galleghan	Col. Mukaide
Units involved
2/30th Battalion	Japanese 5th Division
Strength
1 battalion	1 column
Casualties and losses
88+ casualties total 8 killed, 80 wounded, unknown captured, unknown missing	800 killed, wounded and missing[1] [2]

The Battle of Gemas—part of the wider Battle of Muar—took place during the Japanese invasion of Malaya in the Pacific Campaign of the Second World War. The action occurred on 14 January 1942 at the Gemencheh Bridge near Gemas and saw almost 800 troops of the Japanese 5th Division killed, wounded or missing during a fierce ambush initiated by Australian soldiers from 2/30th Battalion, assigned to the 27th Brigade of the 8th Division. It was the second and last Allied victory of the Malayan campaign. Overwhelmingly heavy losses in the ambush shattered the morale of hundreds of Japanese soldiers.