page_title: Battle of Samarinda
section_title: Sanga Sanga Oilfield Demolition
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Samarinda / The Battle / Sanga Sanga Oilfield Demolition
caption_attribution_description: Nederlands: Repronegatief. Sanga-sanga rivier met B.P.M. emplacement
context_page_description: The Battle of Samarinda was a mopping up operation in the series of the Japanese offensive to capture the Dutch East Indies. After capturing the oil refineries at Balikpapan, Japanese forces advanced north to capture the strategic oil drilling site in and around Samarinda and the oil pipelines that linked both cities.
context_section_description: On 18 January, Col. C. van den Hoogenband, commander of Dutch forces in Balikpapan telephoned Monteiro, informing him that the demolition of oilfields in Balikpapan will commence, after Dutch planes spotted the Japanese invasion fleet near Cape Mangkalihat. Based on the phone call, Monteiro also decided to begin the demolition process of the Sanga Sanga oilfield. Under the command of Lt. Naber, and aided by conscripted BPM employees, the demolition began at 09:00 on 20 January. The well-organized and properly executed plan means that by 18:00, Sanga Sanga oilfield had been thoroughly and systematically destroyed. The demolition teams then left for Samarinda II Airfield, before being evacuated to Java.
caption: Sanga Sanga Oilfield before the war
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