page_title: Battle of Surabaya
section_title: Main battle
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Surabaya / Battle / Main battle
caption_attribution_description: English: Bren gunners of the 3/9th Jats cover the advance of their regiment against Indonesian nationalists in Surabaya (Soerabaja). Nederlands: Bren schutters van het 3/9 Jats geven dekking aan hun regiment tijdens de slag om Soerabaja.
context_page_description: The Battle of Surabaya was fought between pro-independence Indonesian soldiers and militia against British and British Indian troops as a part of the Indonesian National Revolution. The peak of the battle was in November 1945. The battle was the heaviest single battle of the revolution and became a national symbol of Indonesian resistance. Considered a heroic effort by Indonesians, the battle helped galvanise Indonesian and international support for Indonesian independence. 10 November is celebrated annually as Heroes' Day.
  By the time the Allied forces arrived at the end of October 1945, the Pemuda foothold in Surabaya City was described as "a strong unified fortress". Fighting broke out on 30 October after the British commander, Brigadier A. W. S. Mallaby was killed in a skirmish. The British retaliated with a punitive sweep that began on 10 November, under the cover of air attacks. Although the Colonial forces largely captured the city in three days, the poorly armed Republicans fought for three weeks, and thousands died as the population fled to the countryside.
context_section_description: Lieutenant General Sir Philip Christison was angered when he heard that Brigadier Mallaby had been killed in Surabaya. During a lull in the fighting, the British brought in reinforcements and evacuated the internees. An additional two brigades (9th and 123rd Indian) of the 5th Indian Division led by Major General Robert Mansergh were deployed with Sherman and Stuart tanks, 2 cruisers and 3 destroyers (including HMS Cavalier) in support.
  At dawn on 10 November, a day now commemorated in Indonesia as Heroes' Day, British troops began a methodical advance through the city under the cover of naval and air bombardment. Fighting was heavy, with British troops clearing buildings room by room and consolidating their gains. Despite the fanatical resistance of the Indonesians, half of the city was conquered in three days and the fighting was over in three weeks (29 November). Estimates of Indonesian deaths range between 6,300 and 15,000, and perhaps 200,000 fled the devastated city. British Indian casualties totalled 295 killed and missing.
caption: Bren gunners of 3/9th Jat Regiment cover the advance of their regiment against Indonesian nationalists, circa 15–16 November 1945.
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