 SUMATRA, JAVA CAMPAIGNS |
After occupying Borneo and the islands of the Celebes and Ambon, Japanese forces turned their attention to securing Sumatra and Java. The occupation of these areas would mark the completion of the first phase of operations in the southern area and bring the abundant natural resources of the region under Japanese control. Units for the operation from the 2nd, 38th, and 48th Divisions staged from nearby islands and French Indo-China.
The animation takes approximately 1–2 minutes. Click on the numbered tabs to view (or print) the individual frames.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Campaign name | Sumatra and Java campaigns | ||||||||||||||||||
Campaign dates | February – March 1942 | ||||||||||||||||||
Campaign codename | Sumatra: T Operation Java: H Operation | ||||||||||||||||||
Campaign overview |
| ||||||||||||||||||
Notes | |||||||||||||||||||
Campaign strength | Southern Sumatra Army 16th Army 38th Division Lt Gen Sano Tadayoshi
229th Infantry Regiment (Col Tanaka Yoshisaburō) 38th Infantry Regiment (part strength) Other units 3rd Army Air Corps Lt Gen Sugawara Michio
11th Sentai (fighters)
59th Sentai (fighters) 64th Sentai (fighters) 27th Sentai (minus part strength, assault aircraft) 75th Sentai (light bombers) 90th Sentai (light bombers) Navy 1st Southern Expeditionary Fleet Vice Adm Ozawa Jisaburō
Yura, Shimushu
7th Squadron (Kumano, Suzuya, Mikuma, Mogami) Aircraft carrier (Ryūjō), 2 special submarine tenders, 6 destroyers, etc
Paratrooper Unit (Palembang landing)
Northern Sumatra Army 25th Army Imperial Guards Division Lt Gen Nishimura Takuma
Imperial Guards Reconnaissance Regiment Imperial Guards Engineer Regiment Imperial Guards Field Artillery Regiment (minus part strength) 6th Imperial Guards Tank Regiment (minus part strength) Other units Maj Gen Kobayashi Takeshi
3rd Imperial Guards Infantry Regiment 1st Imperial Guards Field Artillery Battalion Other units Kunishi Detachment Col Kunishi Kentarō
5th Mortar Battalion 6th Tank Regiment (one company) 15th Independent Engineer Regiment (minus part strength) Other units Yoshida Detachment Col Yoshida Katsu
15th Independent Engineer Regiment (one company) Other units Java Army 16th Army Lt Gen Imamura Hitoshi (Chief of Staff: Maj Gen Okazaki Kiyosaburō) 2nd Division Lt Gen Maruyama Masao
4th Infantry Regiment 16th Infantry Regiment 29th Infantry Regiment 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment 2nd Supply and Transport Regiment Other units 38th Division Lt Gen Sano Tadayoshi
230th Infantry Regiment 38th Mountain Artillery Regiment 38th Engineer Regiment Light Armoured Car Unit 38th Supply and Transport Regiment Other units Shōji Detachment Col Shōji Toshishige
4th Tank Regiment, 1st Company 38th Mountain Artillery Regiment, 3rd Battalion 2nd Independent Rapid-fire Gun Battalion (minus one company) Engineer company Anti-aircraft company
Maj Gen Itō Takeo
228th Infantry Regiment (Col Doi Sadashichi) 38th Mountain Artillery Regiment, 2nd Battalion (minus one company) 48th Division Lt Gen Tsuchibashi Yūitsu
1st Formosan Infantry Regiment 2nd Formosan Infantry Regiment 47th Infantry Regiment 48th Reconnaissance Regiment 48th Mountain Artillery Regiment 48th Engineer Regiment Other units Kanemura Detachment Maj Gen Kanemura Matabei
One mountain artillery platoon One independent engineer platoon Sakaguchi Detachment Maj Gen Sakaguchi Shizuo
56th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Battalion Armoured car unit Other units Attached units
4th Tank Regiment 17th Field Heavy Artillery Regiment (armoured) 2nd Independent Rapid-fire Gun Battalion 5th Independent Rapid-fire Gun Battalion 18th Field Air Defence Headquarters 16th Anti-aircraft Regiment 23rd Anti-aircraft Regiment (minus searchlight company) 44th Field Anti-aircraft Battalion 45th Field Anti-aircraft Battalion 48th Field Anti-aircraft Battalion 168th Motor Park Headquarters 138th Motor Park Headquarters 15th Signals Regiment 2nd Field Transport Headquarters 39th Independent Motor Car Battalion 102nd Independent Motor Car Battalion 28th Motor Car Regiment 45th Independent Motor Car Battalion Other units 3rd Army Air Corps Lt Gen Sugawara Michio
11th Sentai (fighters)
59th Sentai (fighters) 64th Sentai (fighters) 27th Sentai (minus part strength, assault planes) 75th Sentai (light bombers) 90th Sentai (light bombers) Southern Area Force Vice Adm Kondō Nobutake
3rd Squadron (Hiei, Kirishima, Kongō, Haruna) 4th Destroyer Squadron Mobile Carrier Fleet Vice Adm Nagumo Chūichi
2nd Air Flotilla (Sōryū, Hiryū) 4th Squadron (Takao) 8th Squadron (Tone, Chikuma) 1st Torpedo Squadron
17th Destroyer Squadron 27th Destroyer Squadron [minus part strength]) Malaya Force Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburō
7th Squadron (Kumano, Suzuya, Mikuma) 4th Air Flotilla (Ryūjō, 2 special submarine tenders, etc) 3rd Torpedo Squadron 22nd Air Flotilla 11th Air Flotilla (joined later) Netherlands East Indies Force Vice Admiral Takahashi Ibō
Rear Adm Kubo Kyūji
11th Destroyer Squadron 8th Destroyer Squadron
Vice Adm Nishimura Shōji
2nd Destroyer Squadron 9th Destroyer Squadron 24th Destroyer Squadron (minus part strength) 2nd Base Force Itsukushima, Chitose (submarine tender), etc.
Rear Adm Hara Kensaburō
5th Destroyer Squadron 22nd Destroyer Squadron 6th Destroyer Squadron (minus part strength) Other units
11th Air Fleet Vice Adm Tsukahara Nishizō
23rd Air Flotilla (2nd Air Attack Force) 22nd Air Flotilla (3rd Air Attack Force, formed from part of Malaya Force) 2nd Air Flotilla (Hiryū, 7th Destroyer Squadron, other units) | ||||||||||||||||||
Campaign casualties | Sumatra campaign: ? Java campaign: 950 killed and wounded |
Campaigns
Malaya Philippines Hong Kong, Pacific Borneo Celebes, Ambon, Timor New Britain Sumatra, JavaReference links
 | Dispositions–Deaths | |
| Campaigns | |
| Sources |  | |
The AJRP has wound up its activities at the Memorial for the moment. Please contact the relevant officer of the Australian War Memorial for assistance. Internet implementation by Fulton Technology and AJRP staff . Visit the Australian War Memorial home page. |