The Battle of Manado took place as part of the Japanese offensive to capture the Dutch East Indies. It occurred at Manado (also spelled Menado) on the Minahasa Peninsula on the northern part of Celebes Island (modern day Sulawesi in Indonesia), from 11–12 January 1942. The battle was noted as the first time in Japanese history that the country had deployed paratroopers in a military operation.
Background
Minahasa's strategic value
Even though the Minahasa Peninsula did not contain any raw materials or strategic technical installations, its military value remained essential. The sheltered bays of Manado and Lake Tondano provided good bases for seaplanes, and Dutch forces had established a naval base on the southeast side of Tondano Lake, near Tasoeka (Tasuka). A seaplane base was also established on the southern part of the Lake, near Kakas.
Aside from that, Dutch forces also constructed two airfields nearby. At the Kalawiran village near Langoan, the Menado II/Langoan Airfield was established. When the war broke out, Manado I Airfield, located just east of Manado City at Mapanget, was still under construction.
Japanese invasion plan
As part of Japan's plan to conquer the Netherlands East Indies, particularly the island of Java, air support from southern Sumatra, Kuching, Banjarmasin (south-eastern part of Dutch Borneo), Makassar and Kendari (both on southern Celebes) was required. Beforehand, however, in order to set up the aforementioned aerial support, specifically in southern Celebes and Banjarmasin, relay fields in Manado, Tarakan and Balikpapan had to be conquered as well.
The seizure of Manado was part of Japan's Eastern Offensive prong to capture the Dutch East Indies. Responsibility for conducting attacks on this prong fell to the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Dutch plans
The Dutch defense plan for Manado consisted of:
- Defend against a coup de main (sudden attack) by the Japanese force
- Put up a stiff resistance against the enemy landing. If the fight led to the destruction of most of the troops, proceed to conduct a guerrilla fight
- Defend the Tasoeka naval airbase and Langoan airfield
- Monitor a northern landing area west of the Ajermadidih (Airmadidi)-Tateloe (Tatelu) road
Between May 1940 and December 1941, the Dutch forces in Manado made necessary defense preparation. These preparations consisted of establishing several monitoring services (coast guards, airport surveillance as well as other vital objects), to which 2 Reserve Corps (RK) companies were assigned to conduct these services. In addition, the Dutch also worked to construct several defensive positions. However, due to limited funding, few of these positions were completed by the time the Pacific war broke out.
By 8 December 1941, Schillmöller arranged his troops to be stationed in these positions:
- Combined Force of Compagnie Menado, Stadswacht Menado and Landstorm Compagnie, one machine gun section and one 75 mm field gun based in Manado. If the Force failed to defend against the enemy landing on the beach, they had to delay their advance from Manado to Tomohon via the defense preparations in Tinoor and Kakaskasen
- A brigade of Radema's A Company stationed at Ajermadidih, with another two brigades stationed at Kema.
- A Mobile Colonne of 6 trucks mounted with the three 37 mm guns and 4 RK brigades in Poso stationed to defend Lake Tondano
- An RK brigade at Tasoeka Naval Base
- An RK brigade, Command of the defense of Lake Tondano and Langoan Airfield stationed at Kakas Seaplane Base
- Three RK brigades and an overvalwagen at Langoan Airfield
- A section of the KV Company stationed in Kakas stationed as reserve
- KV Company (min. 1 section) stationed in Langoan as reserve
- Staff of Schillmöller's Command with an RK company based in Tomohon
For the defense of Langoan airfield and Kakas Seaplane Base, Schillmöller established the Tactical Command Kakas, under the command of Captain W.C. van den Berg. Van den Berg had the available forces at his disposal:
- Command Post at Kakas
- Airfield defense by Reserve Korp D-Company under 1st. Lt. J.B. Wielinga:
- 1,5 brigade of C-Company as reserve under Wielinga, stationed at his command post in Langoan village
- 3,5 brigades of C-Company and the overvalwagen were stationed at Langoan airfield under Sgt-Maj. H.J. Robbemond
- Seaplane base defense by six brigades of Reserve Korps' C-Company (ca. 150 troops) under 1st. Lt. H. Fuchter, supported by the Mobile Colonne
- Two overvalwagens under of Sgt.-Maj. A.J. ter Voert placed as reserve in Kakas
Finally, to accommodate the guerrilla plan, nine underground warehouses were built to store supplies that would be needed during the action. The remaining Dutch troops were divided into six sections, where each was assigned to a specific warehouse. The sections were:
- Compagnie Menado with European Militia
- KV Company with E-Company RK
- A company RK
- B-company RK
- C-company RK.
- D-company RK.
Japanese plans
The Eastern Attack Unit was assigned as the Japanese fleet tasked with capturing Menado. Even though Rear-Adm. Takeo Takagi commanded this force, he left the operation details to Rear-Adm. Raizō Tanaka. The battle plan was intended for the Sasebo Combined Landing Force, as well as the Yokosuka 1st Special Naval Landing Force as a paratrooper unit.
Sasebo Combined Special Landing Force
The Sasebo Combined Special Landing Force's mission for the upcoming battle consisted of:
- Landing at both coasts on the north and south of Manado, envelop the Dutch forces in the town and destroy them, after which they shall leave Menado and advance towards the Kakas Base via Tomohon
- Landing at Kema and advance towards Tondano lake and Kakas airfield via Ajermadidih
- Together with the 1st Yokosuka Special Landing Force, which shall drop on the airfield, make a pincer attack on the Dutch forces in the airfield from the east and the west
- After destroying the Dutch forces in these areas, they shall reassemble in Manado, and prepare for the coming operation to seize Kendari
The Sasebo Force would depart Davao on 9 January, and the land in the early hours of the 11th.
1st Yokosuka Special Naval Landing Force (SNLF)
The 1st Yokosuka SNLF (under Commander Toyoaki Horiuchi), in conjunction with the Sasebo Force, would carry out a paradrop operation on the enemy airfield at 09:30 A.M. on 11 January with the support of the fighters of the 1st Air Raid Unit. Their objectives were to seize Langoan airfield and the Kakas Seaplane Base, two facilities that would support subsequent Japanese operations for the Dutch East Indies campaign.
The distribution of tasks and actions of each unit, were:
The Mitsubishi G3M transport aircraft of the 1st Yokosuka SNLF would fly with an interval of 1,500 m (4,900 ft) between each company. Carrying 12 paratroopers and seven cargo containers each, 10 planes would carry the 1st Drop Group, while eight would carry the 2nd Group. The drops would occur at an altitude of 500 ft (150 m) and at a speed of 100 kn (120 mph; 190 km/h).
The battle
Landing on Manado (1st Force)
Following the sighting of Japanese transport ships on 10 January, Schillmöller immediately garrisoned the troops in their quarters as planned. He also ordered Capt. Kroon's Combined Force (ca. 400 troops in total) to occupy the Manado coastlines and guard it against possible landings. On Kroon's left flank, in the Sario District, he placed Masselink's European Militia, while Lt. de Man's Stadswacht dug in on the right. Engineers were placed on standby, waiting for the order to destroy vital installations; NCOs and members of local government were also informed of the looming Japanese landing.
Mori's 1st Sasebo Force landed on the northern and southern coast of Manado at 04:00 A.M on 11 January. Upon hearing reports about the landing, Kroon's Compagnie Menado immediately withdrew to the rear positions at Pineleng and Tinoör, without knowing what was happening on the beach, as Mori's troops overran the 75 mm gun that was firing at the landing boats. Yet they also ran into stout opposition from Masselink's militias, forcing them to bring all their automatic fire to bear. Japanese pressure forced Masselink to withdraw to Pineleng, only to find that the 1st Force had bypassed them into the town at 05:00, pressing him to move further southward.
When Kroon's troops arrived half an hour later, Mori's troops forced him to withdraw southward along the Manado-Tomohon road to Roeroekan (Rurukan). When Masselink reported his positions to Schillmöller, he ordered him occupy the bridge at Pineleng instead, even though Japanese troops had already occupied it. Masselink eventually continued the retreat, reaching Tinoör by 07:00. After battling the Combined Force, Mori's 1st Force occupied Manado by 08:30. As reports of the landing began to come in, Schillmöller sent five RK brigades under Lt. van de Laar in Tomohon to Tinoör to support the retreating Combined Force. Immediately after capturing Manado, Mori advanced southward to Tomohon at 09:45, bypassing the Dutch line of retreat.
Soon, Schillmöller pulled three brigades from van de Laar's force back to Tomohon to reinforce the town, prompted by a false report of a Japanese landing in Tanahwangko, further west of Manado. Despite this withdrawal, van de Laar was reinforced by stragglers from Compagnie Menado and an overvalwagen as well as Stadswacht troops under Lt. de Man. To provide protection against Japanese tanks, Dutch troops swiftly cut down a heavy tree that would fall on the road the moment the tanks came. As Mori's vanguard of four Type 95 tanks approached the town at 10:30, the falling tree and concentrated machine gun fire knocked out three of them and repelled Mori's troops. van de Laar's troops held on to Tinoor until about noon, when the shortage of ammunition forced them back to Kakaskasen.
Now supported by overvalwagens, van de Laar set up a new defensive position just north of Kakaskasen. 1st Force engaged them again at 16:00, but Dutch troops managed to stem their advance and caused substantial casualties before retreating again. Yet, since Mori continued to bypass them, once the Dutch arrived in Tomohon, they found themselves immediately fighting the 1st Force. The Combined Force attempted a defense against the Japanese advance, but they could not stop Mori from seizing Tomohon by 19:30. van de Laar's troops moved eastwards to Roeroekan, arriving at 22:00. By morning of the 12th, Mori advanced to Langoan Airfield by way of Tomohon to Kawangkoan. By 12:30, his troops established contact with the 1st Yokosuka paratroopers and arrived at Langoan and Kakas at 14:00. Dutch forces had, by then, retreated to Amoerang (Amurang) further west, while blowing up bridges and warehouses, making no attempts of counterattack in the meantime.
Landing on Kema (2nd Force)
Lt. Radema's A Company, tasked with defending the eastern coast, was spread along the road between the coastal cities of Kema and Ajermadidih. In addition to the brigades at both aforementioned cities, three brigades were stationed at Mapanget Airfield, and one brigade each was stationed in Likoepang and Bitoeng, further north from Kema. Radema also constructed machine gun casemates and tank barricades along the road from Kema to Ajermadidih.
At the same time as the 1st Force landing, Commander Uroku Hashimoto's 2nd Sasebo Force landed at Kema on the east at 04:20 and engaged Radema's two brigades. When notified about the Landing, Radema ordered the dispersed A-Company to gather at Ajermadidih, but only the troops from Likoepang eventually came. Meanwhile at Kema, the two brigades under Sgt. Soenda retreated after destroying the town bridge; Hashimoto, sparing no time, continued to advance to Ajermadidih. Near Kasar the brigades clashed with the 2nd Force and had to withdraw again after inflicting modest casualties.
By 09:00, the 2nd Force, supported by three Type 95 tanks, advanced to the east of Ajermadidih and engaged Radema's Company, now reinforced with its remaining brigades (ca. 300 troops). Even though Radema's troops managed to cause considerable casualties, Japanese tanks eventually broke through and threatened to outflank the Dutch defense, forcing Radema to retreat by 14:00. To cover their withdrawal, Sgt. Roemambi and Pvt. Iniray and Poesoeng continued to fire from their casemate until it was destroyed by tank shells.