Battle of Balikpapan (1945)

{{otheruses|Battle of Balikpapan (disambiguation)}} The '''Battle of Balikpapan''' was the concluding stage of the [[Borneo campaign (1945)]]. The landings took place on 1 July 1945. The [[Australian 7th Division]], composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th [[Infantry]] [[Brigades]], with support troops, made an [[amphibious landing]], codenamed '''Operation Oboe Two''' a few miles north of [[Balikpapan]], on the island of [[Borneo]]. The landing had been preceded by heavy [[bombing]] and shelling by Australian and US air and naval forces. The Japanese were outnumbered and out gunned, but like the other battles of the [[Pacific War]], many of them fought to the death. Major operations had ceased by July 21. The 7th Division's casualties were significantly lighter than they had suffered in previous campaigns. The battle was one of the last to occur in [[World War II]], beginning a few weeks before the [[bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]] effectively ended the war. Japan surrendered while the Australians were combing the jungle for stragglers. Following the surrender the three Brigades were committed to occupation duties until around February 1946. The 21st Brigade was detached to [[Makassar]] in the [[Celebes Islands]] to accept surrender of the Japanese forces, release [[POWs]] and maintain civil order. ====Land forces==== [[File:Balikpapan ops 1945.jpg|thumb|A map of the battle]] [[File:Infantry Balikpapan (AWM 110383).jpg|thumb|Members of the 7th Division at Balikpapan]] * [[Australian 7th Division|7th Australian Division]] ** Divisional Units *** [[2/7th Cavalry Commando Regiment (Australia)|2/7 Cavalry (Commando) Regiment]] *** 2/1 Pioneer Battalion *** [[2/1st Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)|2/1 Machine Gun Battalion]] *** B Company 2/1 Guard Regiment (4 platoons) ** Divisional Artillery *** 2/4 Field Regiment ([[25 pounder]] guns) *** 2/5 Field Regiment ([[25 pounder]] guns) *** 2/6 Field Regiment ([[25 pounder]] guns) *** 2/2 Tank Attack Regiment ** Divisional Engineers *** 2/4 Field Company *** 2/5 Field Company *** 2/6 Field Company *** 2/9 Field Company *** 2/25 Field Park Company ** [[18th Brigade (Australia)|18 Infantry Brigade]] *** [[2/9th Battalion (Australia)|2/9 Battalion]] *** [[2/10th Battalion (Australia)|2/10 Battalion]] *** [[2/12th Battalion (Australia)|2/12 Battalion]] ** [[21st Brigade (Australia)|21 Infantry Brigade]] *** [[2/14th Battalion (Australia)|2/14 Battalion]] *** [[2/16th Australian Infantry Battalion|2/16th Battalion]] *** 2/27 Battalion ** [[25th Brigade (Australia)|25 Infantry Brigade]] *** [[2/25th Australian Infantry Battalion|2/25 Battalion]] *** [[2/31st Battalion (Australia)|2/31 Battalion]] *** 2/33 Battalion * [[Australian I Corps|I Australian Corps]] units **''(Attached to the 7th Division for operational purposes.)'' *** [[Australian 4th Armoured Brigade|1st Armoured Regiment]] ([[Matilda II]] tanks) *** [[Australian 4th Armoured Brigade|Armoured Squadron (Special Equipment)]] (-) *** 2/1 Composite Anti-Aircraft Regiment *** 2 Beach Group **** 2/2 Pioneer Battalion ***** 2/11 Field Company ****** 12 Aust. Light Wireless Section * [[Royal Netherlands East Indies Army]] ** 1 Company, 1 NEI Battalion * [[United States Army]] ** 727 Amphibious Tractor Battalion (less one company) ** One company, 672 Amphibious Tractor Battalion ** One boat company, Boat Battalion, 593 Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment ====Air Units==== [[Royal Australian Air Force]] * 79 (General Reconnaissance – Bomber) Wing Royal Australian Air Force ([[RAAF]]) ** [[No. 2 Squadron RAAF|No. 2 Squadron]] ([[B-25]]) ** [[No. 18 (NEI) Squadron RAAF|No. 18 (NEIAF, Australian-Dutch) Squadron]] (B-25) * 78 (Fighter) Wing RAAF (from June 30) ** [[No. 75 Squadron RAAF|No. 75 Squadron]] ([[P-40|Kittyhawk]]) ** [[No. 78 Squadron RAAF|No. 78 Squadron]] (Kittyhawk) ** [[No. 80 Squadron RAAF|No. 80 Squadron]] (Kittyhawk) ** [[No. 452 Squadron RAAF|No. 452 Squadron]] ([[Supermarine Spitfire|Spitfire]]) * 82 (Bomber) Wing RAAF ** [[No. 21 Squadron RAAF|No. 21 Squadron]] ([[B-24]]) ** [[No. 23 Squadron RAAF|No. 23 Squadron]] (B-24) ** [[No. 24 Squadron RAAF|No. 24 Squadron]] (B-24) * Detachment, 83 (Army Co-Operation) Wing ** Detachment, [[No. 4 Squadron RAAF|No. 4 Squadron]] ([[CAC Boomerang]]) ** Detachment, [[No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight RAAF|No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight]] * Det, 9 Local Air Supply Unit * [[No. LIV Squadron RAF|No. 54 Squadron]] [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] (Spitfire) [[United States Army Air Forces]] *[[Thirteenth Air Force|13th Air Force]] ** [[42d Air Base Wing|42d Bombardment Group]] (B-25) *** 69, 70, 75, 100, 390 Bombardment Squadrons ([[Palawan]] Island) ** [[5th Operations Group|5th Bombardment Group]] (B-24) *** 23, 31, 72, 394 Bombardment Squadrons ([[Samar (island)|Samar Island]]) ** [[307th Bombardment Group]] (B-24) *** 370, 371, 372, 424 Bombardment Squadrons ([[Morotai]] Island) ** [[868th Tactical Missile Training Squadron|868th Bombardment Squadron]] (SB-24, LAB: Low Altitude radar Bomb.) flew maritime surveillance patrols ** [[18th Operations Group|18th Fighter Group]] ([[P-38]]) *** 12, 44, 70 Fighter Squadrons ([[Zamboanga Peninsula|Zamboanga]]) ** [[347th Rescue Group|347th Fighter Group]] (P-38) *** 67, 68, 339 Fighter Squadrons (Palawan Island) ** [[419th Night Fighter Squadron]] ([[P-61 Black Widow|P-61]]) (Zamboanga and Palawan) ** 4 Reconnaissance Group ([[P-38 Lightning|F-5]] and B-25) *** 17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron Det. (Palawan Island) *[[Fifth Air Force|5th Air Force]] ** [[22d Operations Group|22d Bombardment Group]] (B-24) ** [[38th Bombardment Group]] (B-25) ***Attached to 42nd Bombardment Group ** [[90th Operations Group|90th Bombardment Group]] (B-24) ** [[380th Expeditionary Operations Group|380th Bombardment Group]] (B-24) [[United States Marine Corps]] * [[VMB-611]] ([[B-25|PBJ]]) flying from Zamboanga * [[Marine Air Group 2]] (flying from the USN escort carriers) ** Marine Escort Carrier Group 1 (MCVEG-1) on [[USS Block Island (CVE-106)]] *** [[VMF-511]] ([[F4U Corsair|FG-1D Corsair]]) & [[F6F Hellcat|F6F-5N Hellcat]] *** [[VMTB-233]] ([[TBF Avenger|TBM-3]]) ** Marine Escort Carrier Group 2 (MCVEG-2) on carrier [[USS Gilbert Islands (CVE-107)]] *** [[VMF-512]] (FG-1D) *** [[VMTB-143]] (TBM-3) [[United States Navy]] * Fleet Air Wing 17 (Palawan Island) ** Patrol Bombing Squadron 128 (VPB-128) ([[Lockheed Ventura|PV-1]]) ** Patrol Bombing Squadron 106 (VPB-106) ([[PB4Y Privateer|PB4Y-2]]) ** Patrol Bombing Squadron 111 (VPB-111) (PB4Y-2) * Navy Escort Carrier Group 40 (CVEG-40) on carrier Suwannee ** Fighting Squadron 40 (VF-40) ([[F6F Hellcat|F6F-5]]) ** Torpedo Squadron 40 (VT-40) (TBM-3) ====Naval Forces==== * Attack Group 78.2 ** Transports: 1 AGC [[USS Wasatch|USS ''Wasatch'']], 1 CGC, 3 LSI ([[HMAS Manoora (1935)|HMAS ''Manoora'']], [[HMAS Westralia (1939)|HMAS ''Westralia'']], [[HMAS Kanimbla (1936)|HMAS ''Kanimbla'']]), 1 AKA ([[USS Titania (AKA-13)|USS ''Titania'']]), 1 LSD ([[USS Carter Hall (LSD-3)|USS ''Carter Hall'']]), 5 APD, 1 LCF(F), 22 LSM, 35 [[Tank landing ship|LST]], 16 LCI(L), 2 [[List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy#PC- Submarine Chaser|PC]], 3 [[List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy#SC Submarine Chaser|SC]] ** Close Support: 10 [[Landing Craft Support|LCS(L)]], 8 LCI(R), 6 LCI(R), 3 LCI(M) ** Screen: 10 Destroyers (USS [[USS Robinson (DD-562)|''Robinson'']], [[USS Saufley (DD-465)|''Saufley'']], [[USS Waller (DD-466)|''Waller'']], [[USS Philip (DD-498)|''Philip'']], [[USS Bailey (DD-492)|''Bailey'']], [[USS Frazier (DD-607)|''Frazier'']], [[USS Flusser (DD-368)|''Flusser'']], [[USS Drayton (DD-366)|''Drayton'']], [[USS Conyngham (DD-371)|''Conyngham'']], [[USS Smith (DD-378)|''Smith'']]), 5 Destroyer Escorts (USS [[USS Chaffee (DE-230)|''Chaffee'']], [[Leland E. Thomas (DE-420)|''L.E. Thomas'']], [[USS Edwin A. Howard (DE-346)|''E.A.Howard'']], [[USS Jesse Rutheford (DE-347)|''J. Rutheford'']], [[USS Key (DE-348)|''Key'']]), 1 Frigate ([[HMAS Gascoyne (K354)|HMAS ''Gascoyne'']]) ** Minesweeping Group: 1 APD, 5 AM, 12 YMS, 1 LSM ** Service, Salvage and miscellaneous units * Covering Group 74.2 ** Heavy Cruiser: [[HMAS Shropshire|HMAS ''Shropshire'']] (from 27 June) ** Light Cruisers: US Ships [[USS Montpelier (CL-57)|''Montpelier'']] (from 15 June), [[USS Denver (CL-58)|''Denver'']] (from 15 June), [[USS Columbia (CL-56)|''Columbia'']] (from 23 June), [[USS Cleveland (CL-55)|''Cleveland'']] (30 June – 1st? July), [[USS Phoenix (CL-46)|''Phoenix'']] (4–6 July), [[USS Nashville (CL-43)|''Nashville '']] (4–6 July), [[HMAS Hobart (1939)|HMAS ''Hobart'']] (from 27 June), [[HNLMS Tromp (1937)|HNLMS ''Tromp'']] (From 19 June) ** Destroyers: 4 from 15 June, 7 from 27 June. ** High Speed transport: USS Schmidt (from 23 June) * United States Navy Escort Carrier Group 78.4: (from 1–3 July) ** Escort Carriers: US Ships [[USS Suwannee|''Suwannee'']], [[USS Block Island (CVE-106)|''Block Island'']], [[USS Gilbert Islands|''Gilbert Islands'']] ** Destroyers: [[USS Helm (DD-388)|USS ''Helm'']] ** [[Destroyer escort]]s: USS ''Mitchell, Donaldson, Cloues, Lamons and Kyne'' * 8 USN [[PT boat]]s arrived with the tender [[USS Mobjack (AGP-7)|USS ''Mobjack'']] on 27 June, and this force was expanded to two PT boat squadrons (10 and 27) on 6 July. ==External links== *[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=60814 British Pathe newsreel of the Battle: 'Australians from Balikpapan'] *[http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=13332 British Pathe newsreel of the Battle: 'Pacific Island Warfare'] {{coord missing|Indonesia}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Balikpapan, Battle of}}