page_title: Battle of Leuwiliang
section_title: Battle
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Leuwiliang / Battle
caption_attribution_description: English: Captain D. D. Guild and Captain S. J. Handasyde, both members of the 2/2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion, getting a few minutes sleep during the action at Leuwiliang. Soon after this photograph was taken Captain Guild's Company was sent into a counter attack, and during this action A Company was cut off by the Japanese and forced to retreat.
context_page_description: The Battle of Leuwiliang was a battle during the Dutch East Indies campaign of the Pacific War that took place between 3 and 5 March 1942. Australian forces, supported by American artillery batteries and British tanks, launched a holding action starting at Leuwiliang, West Java, in order to cover the retreat of allied Dutch forces in face of the Japanese invasion of Java.
  Following a Japanese landing and a general collapse of Dutch KNIL resistance, Australian forces in Java led by Brigadier Arthur Blackburn prepared a defensive line ahead of a destroyed bridge in the village of Leuwiliang. Despite inflicting heavy Japanese casualties and delaying the Japanese advance for three days, Australian forces were eventually forced to withdraw towards Buitenzorg, and later further abandoned the city before capitulating after a general surrender of the Dutch forces on 8 March.
context_section_description: In the afternoon of 3 March, the advance armored car units of the 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment arrived in the vicinity of Leuwiliang, and found the demolished bridge shortly before the Australian defenders on the opposite bank opened fire with machine guns and antitank rifles, destroying the leading vehicles. The Regimental Commander, Noguchi Kin'ichi, deployed his units—two infantry companies forming the front line and two as reserves, and planned to cross the river south of the demolished bridge before launching a surprise night attack on the Australian positions. Blackburn anticipated this flanking maneuver, and stationed the C company from his Machine Gun battalion south of his positions, supported by one of the American artillery batteries. In an unfortunate turn of events for the Australians, the company commander and two of its four platoon commanders disappeared after leaving on an armored car patrol.
  Before the execution of Kin'ichi's plan, other elements of the Nasu Detachment (mainly the 16th Infantry Regiment) began arriving in Leuwiliang and reinforcing the Japanese position. That afternoon as well, the American batteries began firing at the rear of the Japanese vehicle column. After the initial surprise, the Japanese countered with their mortars and own artillery, causing some Australian casualties. As the night came, Nasu overrode Kin'ichi's plan to employ his regiment for the night raid, substituting the 16th regiment instead—as he judged that Kin'ichi's regiment had taken a significant amount of fighting after their landing. The 16th regiment's commander then ordered its 3rd battalion to make a crossing of the Tjianten three kilometers south of the bridge, supported by an artillery company and with the 2nd battalion as a reserve. The 3rd battalion's advance units crossed the river first, and the rest of the battalion arrived at the crossing point sometime after midnight. Due to the river being swollen by a squall, by 5:30 a.m. only two companies had largely managed to cross. The Australians had managed to spot the southerly movement of the Japanese units during the night due to lights from their trucks.
  As the Japanese were advancing to make their flanking maneuver after crossing the river, Australians from the C company opened fire on the unit, causing significant casualties including one of their company commanders and injuring the regimental commander. In response, the Japanese sent in their reserves and deployed two additional companies in the fighting, but could not initially break through or flank the Australian lines. The B company of the Australian Machine Gun Battalion and the A company of the Pioneers were also deployed to support the C company. After some more fighting in the surrounding paddy fields and an artillery barrage from Japanese guns, Japanese units managed to outflank the Australians and by 4 p.m. Blackburn ordered the C company to withdraw. By night, Blackburn ordered a reduction in the rate of fire, to reduce the likelihood of his retreat being detected by the Japanese (reminiscent of Gallipoli), and as they received news of the successful Dutch retreat from Batavia, he ordered a full withdrawal which was completed by 2:15 a.m. on 5 March.
caption: Two men of the Pioneers Battalion resting during the battle, shortly before being sent to reinforce the C company
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