Battle of Tarakan (1945)

Battle of Tarakan (1945)
Part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II
Australian infantry advancing through wrecked oil storage tanks at Tank Hill, Tarakan.
Date 1 May – 21 June 1945 Location Tarakan Island, Dutch East Indies Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Allies  Australia  United States  Netherlands Dutch East Indies	Japan
Commanders and leaders
David Whitehead	Tadao Tokoi
Strength
15,532	2,200
Casualties and losses
251+ dead, 669+ wounded	1,540 dead, 252 captured prior to 15 August 1945
At least 100 civilians killed or wounded[1]

The Battle of Tarakan was the first stage in the Borneo campaign of 1945. It began with an amphibious landing by Allied forces on 1 May, code-named Operation Oboe One; the Allied ground forces were drawn mainly from the Australian 26th Brigade, but included a small element of Netherlands East Indies personnel. The main objective of the landing was the capture of the island's airfield. While the battle ended with success for the Allied forces over the Japanese defenders, this victory is generally regarded as having not justified its costs. The airfield was so heavily damaged that it ultimately could not be repaired in time to make it operational for other phases of the Allied campaign in Borneo.