Battle of Java ( 1942 ) The Battle of Java ( Invasion of Java , Operation J ) was a battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II . It occurred on the island of Java from 28 February - 12 March 1942 . It involved forces from the Empire of Japan , which invaded on 28 February 1942 , and Allied personnel . Allied commanders signed a formal surrender at Japanese headquarters at Bandung on 12 March . ABDA Order of battle . Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger ( KNIL Army ) : Lieutenant - General Hein Ter Poorten Forces . The Japanese forces were split into two groups : the Eastern Force , with its headquarters at Jolo Island in the Sulu Archipelago , included the 48th Division and the 56th Regimental Group . The Western Force , based at Cam Ranh Bay , French Indochina included the 2nd Division and the 230th Regiment ( detached from the 38th Division ) . The Allied forces were commanded by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army ( KNIL ) commander , General Hein ter Poorten . Although the KNIL forces had , on paper , 25 , 000 ( mostly Indonesian ) well - armed troops , many were poorly trained . The KNIL forces were deployed in four sub - commands : Batavia ( Jakarta ) area ( two regiments ) ; north central Java ( one regiment ) ; south Java ( one regiment ) and ; east Java , one regiment . The British , Australian and United States units were commanded by British Major General H . D . W . Sitwell . The British forces were predominantly anti - aircraft units : the 77th Heavy AA Regiment , 21st Light AA Regiment and 48th Light AA Regiment . The only British armoured unit on Java was a squadron of light tanks from the British 3rd Hussars . Two British AA regiments without guns , the 6th Heavy AA Regt and the 35th Light AA Regiment were equipped as infantry to defend airfields . The British also had transport and administrative units . The Australian formation — named " Blackforce " after its commander , Brigadier Arthur Blackburn V . C . — included the Australian 2 / 3rd Machine Gun Battalion , the Australian 2 / 2nd Pioneer Battalion , a company from the Royal Australian Engineers , a platoon from the 2 / 1st Headquarters Guard Battalion , about 100 reinforcements diverted en route to Singapore , a handful of soldiers who had escaped from Singapore following its fall to the Japanese , two transport companies , a casualty clearing station , and a company headquarters unit . Blackburn decided to re - organise his troops as an infantry brigade . They were well - equipped in terms of Bren gun s , light armoured cars , and trucks , but they had few rifles , submachineguns , anti - tank rifle s , mortars , grenades , radio equipment or Bren gun carrier s . Blackburn managed to assemble an HQ staff and three infantry battalions based on the 2 / 3rd Machine Gun , the 2 / 2nd Pioneers , and a mixed " Reserve Group " . The only U . S . ground forces in Java , the 2nd Battalion of the 131st Field Artillery ( a Texas National Guard unit ) was also attached to Black Force . Japanese landings . The Japanese troops landed at three points on Java on 1 March . The West Java invasion convoy landed on Bantam Bay near Merak and Eretan Wetan . The West Java convoy had previously fought in the Battle of Sunda Strait , a few hours prior to the landings . Meanwhile , the East Java invasion convoy landed on Kragan after having defeated the ABDA fleet in the Battle of the Java Sea . West Java Campaign . West Java Campaign from Merak and Bantam Bay . After discussing the war preparation on 21 January with the commander of the 3rd Fleet and inspected the 48th Division at Manila , Lieutenant General Hitoshi Imamura received an order to attack Java on 30 January . The convoy consisted of 56 transport ships with troops aboard from 16th Army Headquarters , 2nd Division and 230th Infantry Regiment . The convoy left Cam Ranh Bay at 10 : 00 on 18 February , and the commander - in - chief Lieutenant General Hitoshi Imamura was aboard on the transport ship " Ryujo Maru " . The convoy escort was under the command of Rear Admiral Kenzaburo Hara . At 23 : 20 on 28 February , the transport ships carrying the Nasu and Fukushima detachments commenced landing operations at Merak . Ten minutes later they were joined by the other transport ships ; the one carrying the Sato detachment dropped anchor at Bantam Bay . By 02 : 00 on 1 March , all ships had reached their designated positions . The KNIL Merak Coastal Detachment , made up of a section from the Captain F . A . M . Harterink ' s 12th KNIL Infantry Battalion , machine - gunned the invaders but was quickly defeated . On 1 March , the invaders set up new headquarters at Serang . The troops of the 2nd Division led by Lieutenant - General Masao Maruyama were divided into the following detachments : The Nasu detachment was ordered to capture Buitenzorg to cut the escape route from Batavia to Bandoeng . The Fukushima and Sato Detachments would in the meanwhile head for Batavia through Balaradja and Tangerang . On 2 March , the Nasu detachment arrived at Rangkasbitung and continued to Leuwiliang , west of Buitenzorg . The Australian 2 / 2nd Pioneer and 2 / 3rd Machine Gun Battalions were positioned along a riverbank at Leuwiliang and put up a vigorous defence . Highly accurate volleys from " D " Battery , U . S . 2 / 131st Field Artillery , destroyed many Japanese tanks and trucks . Blackforce managed to hold up the Japanese advance for two full days before being forced to withdraw to Soekabumi , lest it become trapped by Japanese flanking manoeuvres , and was ordered to retreat to Soekabumi . Around the same time , the Fukushima and Sato units headed westwards to Madja ( Maja ) and Balaradja ( Balaraja ) . They found many of the bridges already destroyed by the retreating Dutch and were forced to find other routes ; some units took the opportunity to make for Buitenzorg . On 4 March , Ter Poorten decided to withdraw his forces from Batavia and Buitenzorg to reinforce the defence of Bandoeng . The following evening Dutch troops in Batavia surrendered to the Sato Detachment . By dawn of 6 March , the Japanese troops had attacked Buitenzorg , which was guarded by the 10th Company , KNIL 2nd Infantry Regiment ; 10th Company , 1st Infantry Regiment ; Landstorm troops and a howitzer unit . In the morning Buitenzorg was occupied , while a large number of Allied soldiers had retreated to Bandoeng . The Nasu Detachment pursued them through Tjiandjoer and ( Tjimahi ) , entering the city on 9 March . The Shoji Detachment also entered Bandoeng on the same day , arriving from the north , having travelled via Lembang . West Java Campaign from Eretan Wetan . On 27 February , the unit 230th Infantry Regiment , led by Colonel Toshishige Shoji , separated from the main convoy and landed on 1 March , at Eretan Wetan , near Soebang on the northern coast of West Java . The unit ' s objectives were to capture the important Kalidjati airfield and weaken the Allied air arm , while the 2nd Division attacked Batavia . At dawn on 1 March , nine Brewster and three Glenn Martins from the KNIL Air Force , together with 12 Hurricanes from the 242nd and 605th RAF Squadrons , carried out attacks on Japanese troops at Eretan Wetan . Using motor vehicles , the Japanese rapidly advanced to Soebang . At noon , the Kalidjati airfield was finally occupied following a tenacious defence carried out by 350 British troops . Meanwhile , other Japanese units led by Major Masaru Egashira bypassed Allied defences and headed for Pamanoekan ( Pamanukan ) , and from then on to ( Tjikampek ) , where they were able to cut the road link between Batavia and Kalidjati . The fall of Kalidjati airfield greatly alarmed the Dutch , who set about planning hasty and ill - prepared counterattacks . On 2 March , a KNIL armoured unit ( the " Mobiele Eenheid " ) , commanded by Captain G . J . Wulfhorst with approximately 20 tanks , and supported by the 250 men of Major C . G . J . Teerink ' s 5th KNIL Infantry Battalion , launched a counterattack against the Shoji unit outside Soebang . The attempt initially went well , but in the afternoon the attack was repulsed . Afterwards , the main force of the Japanese 3rd Air Brigade arrived at Kalidjati airfield . By the night of 7 March , Japanese troops had arrived at the plateau of Lembang , which is only north from Bandoeng . At 10 : 00 on 8 March , Major - General Jacob J . Pesman , the commander of " Stafgroep Bandoeng " , met Colonel Toshishige Shoji at the Isola Hotel in Lembang and surrendered . Japanese Order of battle . 2nd Division : Lt . Gen . Masao Maruyama East Java Campaign . Moving eastward . The East Java campaign was composed of the 48th Division from the Philippines . On 8 February , the 48th Division departed from Lingayen Gulf , Luzon Island ( Philippines ) protected by the 4th Destroyer Squadron . On 22 February , the convoy arrived at Balikpapan and the Sakaguchi Detachment joined the 48th Division aboard the ships . On 25 February , the convoy left Balikpapan , and sailed southward to Java . On 27 February , the ABDA fleet under command of Rear - Admiral Karel Doorman was detected and attacked by the 5th Destroyer Squadron and other units of the 3rd Fleet in the Battle of the Java Sea . The Japanese won the battle and at 00 : 15 on 1 March , the fleet landed in Kragan , a small village in East Java , approximately west of Surabaya . The 3rd ( Motorised ) Cavalry Squadron of the 1st Dutch KNIL Cavalry Regiment , under the command of Ritmeester C . W . de Iongh , resisted the landing force but was quickly subdued . Meanwhile , the flying boat Dornier X - 28 of the 6th GVT ( " Groep Vliegtuigen " or Aircraft Group ) from MLD , B - 17 bombers of the U . S . 7th Bomber Group , A - 24 dive bombers of the U . S . 27th Bomb Group and Vildebeest torpedo - bombers from the 36th RAF Squadron worked round the clock to harass the invaders . After landing , the 48th Division was divided into : The Tanaka Unit was ordered to occupy Tjepoe ( Cepu ) to secure the oilfields there and the Kitamura Unit was to occupy Bodjonegoro , near Tjepoe . The whole unit planned a two - pronged attack on Surabaya from the west through Lamongan and from south through Djombang and Modjokerto . The Tanaka Unit occupied Tjepoe on 2 March , while the Kitamura Unit occupied Bodjonegoro on 3 March . The Japanese proceeded further and overwhelmed the Dutch defences at the Ngawi Regency , Tjaroeban ( Caruban ) , Ngandjoek , Kertosono , Kediri and Djombang . At Porong , near Surabaya , the Dutch infantry from 8th , 13th Battalion , 3rd Cavalry Unit and the American 131st ( Texas ) " E " Field Artillery Regiment gave fierce resistance to the incoming Japanese . Eventually the Allied troops under Major - General Gustav A . Ilgen had to retreat to the island of Madura upon the completion of demolition of the city ' s infrastructure . On the evening of 9 March , Major - General Ilgen , commander of the KNIL in East Java , signed the instrument of surrender . Moving southward . The Sakaguchi Detachment from Balikpapan joined the East Java Invasion fleet as well . After landing , they were divided into three units with one battalion each : Kaneuji Unit , Major Kaneuji commanding ; Yamamoto Unit : Colonel Yamamoto commanding ; and Matsumoto Unit , Lieutenant Colonel Matsumoto commanding ; these units moved south with the objective to occupy Tjilatjap in order to capture the harbour and block the retreat to Australia . In one week , they advanced rapidly and overcame all Dutch army defence found in Blora , Soerakarta , Bojolali , Jogjakarta , Magelang , Salatiga , Ambarawa and Poerworedjo . The Kaneuji and Matsumoto Detachments moved through the mainland , captured Keboemen and Purwokerto , north of Tjilatjap on 8 March . The Yamamoto Unit fanned out along the beach and mounted a two - pronged attack , entering Tjilatjap on 8 March . By then , however , the Dutch had withdrawn to Wangon , a small town located between Purwokerto and Tjilatjap . On the following day , Major - General Pierre A . Cox — the Dutch Central Army District commander — surrendered his troops to the Japanese . Japanese Order of battle . 48th Division : Major - General Yuitsu Tsuchihashi Sakaguchi Detachment : Major - General Shizuo Sakaguchi Allied surrender . By 7 March , defeat was inevitable , with Tjilatjap already in Japanese hands . Soerabaja was being evacuated while Japanese troops were rapidly converging on Bandoeng from both the north and the west . At 09 : 00 on 8 March , the Commander - in - Chief of the Allied forces — Ter Poorten — announced the surrender of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in Java . At 23 : 00 , the Dutch radio station NIROM ( " Nederlandsch Indische Radio Omroep Maatschappij " ) broadcast the last news from a temporary transmitter at Ciumbuluit . The announcer Bert Garthoff ended the broadcast with the words " " Wij sluiten nu . Vaarwel tot betere tijden . Leve de Koningin ! " " ( We are closing now . Farewell till better times . Long live the Queen ! ) The Dutch Governor , Jonkheer Dr . A . W . L . Tjarda Van Starkenborgh Stachouwer and Lieutenant - General Ter Poorten , together with Major - General Jacob J . Pesman , the commander of the Bandoeng District , met the Japanese Commander - in - Chief , Lieutenant - General Hitoshi Imamura at Kalidjati that afternoon and agreed to the capitulation of all the troops . Aftermath . On 3 March , the U . S . Navy Gunboat was sunk south of Java . On 10 March , Lieutenant - General Hitoshi Imamura became the new governor of Java and Madura , thus becoming the highest authority in the occupied Dutch East Indies . He stayed in this position for approximately eight months , until 11 November 1942 . Imamura was subordinated to Field Marshal Count Hisaichi Terauchi , the Supreme Commander of the Southern Army , headquartered in Saigon , French Indochina . He was also the governor of the so - called " Southern Territories " ( Malaya , Burma , the Philippines , Hong Kong , Java , Sumatra , and Borneo ) and directly subordinated to the Imperial Headquarters in Tokyo , Japan . On 12 March , the senior British , Australian and American commanders were summoned to Bandoeng where the formal instrument of surrender was signed in the presence of the Japanese commander in the Bandoeng area , Lieutenant - General Masao Maruyama , who promised them the rights of the Geneva Convention for the protection of prisoners of war . Immediately after this , the widely - spread Japanese troops were reorganised . The 16th Army ( 2nd Division and 48th Division ) was ordered to guard Java , while the eastern territory ( Lesser Sunda islands , Celebes , Ambon and Netherlands New Guinea ) became the responsibility of the Imperial Navy . The other units were deployed to other combat areas in the Pacific or returned to Japan . The surrender of the Dutch marked the end of the ABDA defence in the Dutch East Indies and the collapse of the " Malay Barrier " ( or " East Indies Barrier " ) . Because the Allied naval force had been destroyed , the Indian Ocean and the approach to Australia lay open to the Imperial Japanese Navy .