Battle of Ambon

Laha airfield, Ambon (as seen in 1945). The Bay of Ambon and the Laitimor Peninsula are in the background. (Photographer: Staff Sergeant R. L. Stewart.)

Date	30 January-3 February 1942
Location	Ambon, Moluccas, Netherlands East Indies
Result	Japanese victory

Belligerents

Netherlands

Australia

United States

Empire of Japan

Commanders and leaders

Joseph Kapitz (POW)

Ibo Takahashi (naval force)

Takeo Ito (land forces)

Strength

3,900
2 aircraft

5,300
10 aircraft

Casualties and losses

Netherlands:
Unknown
Australia:
15 killed
35 wounded
US:
Unknown

55 killed
135 wounded

300+ Australian and Dutch personnel were executed after surrendering

The Battle of Ambon (30 January–3 February 1942) occurred on the island of Ambon in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), during World War II. Japan invaded and conquered the island in a few days, facing Dutch, American, and Australian forces. The chaotic and sometimes bloody fighting was followed by a series of major Japanese war crimes.

During 1941, as the Allies perceived the possibility of war with Japan, Ambon was seen to be a strategic location, because of its potential as a major air base. The Australian government and military commanders saw that it could be used in raids on northern Australia and decided to reinforce the Dutch forces on the island. On 14 December 1941, a convoy composed of escorts HMAS Adelaide and Ballarat with the Dutch ships Both, Valentijn, and Patras carrying 1,090 troops of "Gull Force" departed Darwin and arrived at Ambon on 17 December. HMAS Swan escorting Bantam arrived with reinforcements on 12 January 1942, remaining through raids on 15—16 December until 18 December.

Ambon is located in the Maluku (Moluccas) islands, just south of the much larger island of Seram (Ceram). Ambon has what might be described as a "figure eight" or "hourglass" shape, and consists of two peninsulas separated by a narrow isthmus, with long narrow bays on either side of the isthmus. The key airport at Laha is in the west of the Hitu Peninsula — northern part of the island — facing the Bay of Ambon. The town of Ambon is at the opposite side of the bay, on the southern part of the island, Laitimor Peninsula.

At the outbreak of war on 8 December, Ambon was garrisoned by the 2,800-strong Molukken Brigade of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) garrison, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Kapitz and consisting of Indonesian colonial troops, under European officers. The garrison was poorly equipped and trained, partly as a result of the Netherlands having been defeated and occupied by Nazi Germany. The KNIL units were not equipped with radios and relied on landlines and written communications. They included 300 partly trained reservists.

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