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– A Ted Henkle YouTube Project
On 23 January 1942, a Japanese convoy consisting of 14-15 transports was spotted by aerial reconnaissance.
This formation was carrying the 56th Infantry Regiment and the 2nd Kure Special Naval Landing Force,
along with supplies and ammunition. Admiral Nishimura commanded the 4th Destroyer Flotilla escorting
the transports: The Dutch oil refineries of Balikpapan, Borneo.
The Dutch meanwhile, felt their position in Borneo was untenable so they set fire to the refineries
before evacuating Balikpapan. Despite this scorched earth policy, elements of ABDA
(Australian-British-Dutch-American) attempted to stop, or at least delay, the Japanese advance.
The first effort was made at dusk by 9 RNAF (Royal Netherlands Air Force) B-10 bombers. The Dutch air
attack sank one unidentified transport and damaged another, but the convoy steamed onward.
Later that night, RNN (Royal Netherlands Navy) submarine K-XIV closed-in and fired a torpedo spread
that sank the Jukka Maru. The convoy proceeded to its objective and shortly before 2100
hours Japanese troops landed near Balikpapan.
While the 56th Infantry Regiment made its way to the still-burning oil refineries, RNN submarine
K-XVIII approached the Japanese anchorage. The Dutch sub’s attack sunk the Tsuruga Maru,
but stirred-up the proverbial hornet’s nest. Admiral Nishimura received a report—later
proved to be false—of several more Dutch submarines approaching his position. So the entire 4th
Destroyer Flotilla set-off in pursuit of the plucky Dutch sub and her phantom cohorts.
As the 4th Destroyer Flotilla chased after the one real and several ghost Dutch subs, the US
Navy’s Destroyer Division 59 (DesDiv-59), slipped into Balikpapan Harbor. (Some sources refer to
this unit as DesDiv-29). Originally this unit consisted of 6 Clemson-Class “flush-decker”
destroyers reinforced by the light cruisers Boise and Marblehead. However, en-route to
engage the Japanese, the Boise struck an uncharted pinnacle at Sapeh Strait and turned back
escorted by a destroyer. Then the Marblehead burned out a turbine and had to turn back as well,
requiring yet another destroyer for escort. By the time DesDiv-59 approached Balikpapan at 0245 hours,
it was comprised of only the John D Ford, Pope, Parrot and Paul Jones.
Masked by the oil-smoke Commander Talbot was hoping to wreck havoc among the transports, now guarded
only by patrol boats and a minesweeper. The destroyers made several high-speed runs against the
stationary transports silhouetted against the flames. Unfortunately out of the 48 torpedoes fired
during the battle, only 6 hit and detonated. While many of the warheads were defective, a problem that
would plague the US Navy until 1943; however, the speed of the destroyer attack-runs were considered
too high to be effective. In spite of these shortcomings, DesDiv-59 managed to sink the
Tatsukami Maru, the Kuratake Maru and PC-37, while finishing-off the
Tsuruga Maru and damaging several other vessels.
And what were the Japanese doing while US destroyers were blazing away at their transports? Due to the
smoke and darkness they weren’t aware of the attack until a torpedo hit—and
detonated—against the Sumanoura Maru. Once the Japanese realized they were under attack,
they managed to return fire and inflicted some minor damage to the USS Ford. Upon hearing the
news, Admiral Nishimura turned his destroyer flotilla around. However, by the time his ships returned to
Balikpapan, the Americans were gone.
Despite this valiant attempt, the US & Dutch counter attack at Balikpapan didn’t stop, nor
even slow down, the Japanese invasion of Borneo.
This movie, a World War II Naval Miniatures game, is based on the Battle of Balikpapan fought on
23-24 January 1942. The movie is divided into 6 episodes, each illustrating a different phase of the
desperate fight against Imperial Japan’s rapid advances in the Pacific.
All of the episodes will be posted here so check back as they are released.
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