Battle of Manado

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. Even though the Minahasa Peninsula does not contain any raw materials or strategic technical installations, its military value remained essential. The sheltered bays of Manado and Lake Tondano provide good bases for seaplanes, as Dutch forces 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. As part of the 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 outlined as part of Japan's Eastern Offensive prong to capture the Dutch East Indies. Responsibility for conducting attacks on this prong falls to the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Dutch defense plan for Manado consists of: Defend against a coup de main (sudden attack) by the Japanese force Putting up a stiff resistance against the enemy landing; If the fight had led to the destruction of most of the troops, proceed to conduct a guerrilla fight Defense of the Tasoeka naval airbase and Langoan airfield Monitoring of 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.