Japan Occupied Kendari

VIVAnews - 66 years ago today, on 25 January 1942, the Japanese invasion forces moved southward and occupied the city of Kendari.

After successfully overrunning Manado, Tarakan, and Balikpapan, on 24 Januari 1942, the Japanese forces advanced southward to Kendari.

Despite its remote location and relatively small size, Kendari was considered important from the military point of view since it possessed an air and naval base. From this airfield, Japanese bombers could assault and bomb nearly all major cities in East Indonesia, including Surabaya and Ambon.

On 23 January 1942, the Japanese Naval Landing Unit went ashore north of Kendari. A couple hours later they reached their main objective, the Kendari airfield. Being caught off guard, the Dutch garrison in the airfield could only offer little resistance to the Japanese and were soon capitulated.

A day later, the Japanese main invasion force appeared off Kendari. After a brief resistance, the whole KNIL army in Kendari surrendered to the Japanese, including their commander, Captain F. B. van Straalen. A few soldiers managed to escape and offered stiff resistance for a while, but soon had to retreat to the countryside.

By 25 January 1942, the Japanese occupation of Kendari was completed.

Soon after, the Kendari air base was put into operation again by the Japanese and their bombers began to attack the cities of Ambon and Surabaya.