page_title: Battle of Tarakan (1942)
section_title: Dutch Plans
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Tarakan (1942) / Dutch Plans
caption_attribution_description: English: Dutch defense plans of Tarakan, 1942
context_page_description: The Battle of Tarakan took place on January 11–12, 1942, a day after the Empire of Japan declared war on the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Although Tarakan was only a small marshy island off northeastern Borneo in the Netherlands East Indies, its 700 oil wells, refineries, and airfield made it a crucial objective for Japan in the Pacific War.
context_section_description: Early Dutch plans before 1941 called for the defense of the oil fields and installations at all costs. If it deemed impossible to do so, Dutch forces must deny the enemy the usage of Tarakan's oil-producing machineries, before withdrawing into mainland Borneo.
  One major hindrance in the defense of Tarakan was the unsuitability of its airfield to accommodate both fighters and bombers. However, the plan also called for a persistent defense of the airfield, a task that, considering the airfield's size and the Japanese military strength — in particular the overall sea and air balance; — will bring limited results.
  The deployment of the Tarakan Garrison was orchestrated to prevent enemy occupation of the port complex on the western part of the island. Defense positions consisted of several "fronts" of double fence barriers:
  Lingkas Front, defending the port complex
  North Front (NoordFront), defending access point to the airfield
  Support points in and around Tarakan Airfield
  Eastern Front (OostFront), defending the Pamoesian oil field (this front had no direct connection to the North Front; special units guard the gap between both fronts)
  On the East Coast, Dutch troops prepared a platoon-strength support point at the mouth of the Amal River. This unit is intended to impede the enemy landing for a brief moment, before retreating to the Eastern Front. Additional infantry cover force were established at the Djoeata, Peningki and Karoengan batteries.
  The support points, on which the front is established, were occupied with 25 troops, supported by two light and two medium machine guns each. Housed in concrete pillboxes, each support point was surrounded by a double fence, yet the scarce manpower made it impossible to occupy all support points at the same time.
  The coastal batteries monitored the minefields and the entrances to the harbor. Artillery in the Lingkas Front could also be utilized to support inland battles.
  Initially, the airport was only defended with 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and machine guns. Abandoned before the Japanese landing, two sections of 40 mm anti-aircraft gun (minus one gun) stood at the airfield; the 20 mm guns were relocated to defend the Peningki and Karoengan batteries.
  The Dutch Navy (Koninklijke Marine) laid extensive minefields at the approaches to the port. In the event of an attack, any sea lanes that were still open would be blocked by the minelayer Hr. Ms. Prins van Oranje.
  Despite all of these preparations, in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack, a certain defeatist atmosphere had already enveloped the defenders even well before any signs of invasion.
caption: Dutch defensive positions on Tarakan, 1942
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