Battle of Beaufort (1945)
Battle of Beaufort (1945) | |||||||
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Part of the Pacific Theatre of World War II | |||||||
A 2/43rd Battalion mortar crew firing on Japanese positions near Beaufort on 28 June 1945 | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Australia | Japan | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Selwyn Porter | Taijiro Akashi | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Two battalions | 800–1,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
7 killed, 38 wounded | ~ 93 killed, 2 captured |
The Battle of Beaufort took place during the
Background
At the time of World War II,
Allied operations to
At this time, several Japanese units were at Beaufort. These included the 368th Independent Infantry Battalion, which formed part of the 56th Independent Mixed Brigade, as well as that brigade's engineer and signals units. Other units at Beaufort included the 1st Battalion of the 25th Independent Mixed Regiment, the 20th Independent Machine Gun Battalion, part of the 103rd Field Road Unit, the 11th Southern Army Hospital and the 3rd Company of the 10th Sea Transport Battalion.[7] The 368th Independent Infantry Battalion had just completed a difficult march across the interior of Borneo during which it had suffered heavy casualties.[8]
After the
The purpose of the landing was to clear the area around Brunei Bay, so that it could be used as an advanced naval base for future operations. The
Battle
About 800 to 1,000 Japanese held Beaufort,
The resistance from the Japanese defenders was not co-ordinated and as a result the Australians had secured their objectives by nightfall on the evening of 27/28 June.[19] Throughout the night, however, the Japanese launched six counterattacks. These were eventually repulsed, although in places they broke down into hand-to-hand combat. During the course of these actions, one Australian company became isolated and the next morning, 28 June, another was sent to its aid to attack the Japanese force from the rear. Fighting its way through numerous Japanese positions throughout the afternoon, the company reached their objective in the early evening and launched its assault. The Australians landed a troop of tanks from the river, and engineers worked to clear a route forward for them to exploit; ultimately, the fighting ended before the way was cleared. Meanwhile, heavy artillery and mortar fire fell on the Japanese and they began to withdraw throughout the evening of 28 June. In doing so, many – at least 81 – were killed in the ambush that had been set by the Australians.[20]
By 29 June, the Australians had captured the town; mopping up operations continued throughout the day. Meanwhile, a platoon from the 2/28th Infantry Battalion patrolled to Lumadan, where they came under fire from the hills to the east; in response, artillery was called down and another platoon was dispatched to assist. In the days immediately following the fighting, the Australians maintained pressure on the Japanese, and pushed them further east through a series of patrol actions.[21] With the capture of Beaufort, the Australians were able to open the Weston–Beaufort railway line; improvised rolling stock – carriages pulled by jeeps – were pressed into service to bring supplies forward.[9] The jeeps were supplemented in early July by a steam engine, and were used to carry follow on elements of the 2/28th Battalion to Lumadan. This was followed by further advances commencing on 6 July to secure Papar using barges and the train line between Beaufort and Membakut.[21] The 2/32nd Infantry Battalion entered the town on 12 July and began using it as a patrol base.[22]
Aftermath
Casualties during the fighting around Beaufort amounted to seven killed and 38 wounded for the Australians, while at least 93 Japanese were killed and two captured.[21] Private Tom Starcevich of the 2/43rd received the Victoria Cross for his actions during the battle.[9][23] Following the war, the units involved in operations in British North Borneo between 17 and 30 June 1945 were awarded the battle honour "Beaufort".[24]
The fighting around Beaufort was the only occasion Japanese forces attempted to resist the Australian advance in British North Borneo.[3] It was also last significant action fought in North Borneo, although minor engagements continued in the following months. The withdrawing Japanese were followed up with artillery and aerial attacks, as the Australians exploited another 7 kilometres (4.3 mi). Patrol clashes indicated increased Japanese resistance was likely beyond Tenom.[25] The 24th Brigade undertook containment operations to the east of Beaufort, pushing along the railway track only as far as Tenom. This advance aimed to secure Beaufort. The Australian commanders took great care to minimise casualties. For example the 2/28th Battalion used deception and harassing fire to secure an important knoll without any casualties; they held the position until 3 August when the Japanese launched a counterattack that was defeated with one Australian and 11 Japanese being killed.[26]
Elsewhere in North Borneo, the 20th Brigade consolidated their gains around Brunei town at the southern end of Brunei Bay and began exploiting the area southwest, advancing towards Kuching, Miri, Lutong and Seria. The fighting in North Borneo ceased in mid-August 1945. Further afield, on 1 July, the Australian 7th Division landed at Balikpapan on the east coast of Borneo.[17]
Notes
- ^ a b Johnston 2018, p. 375.
- ^ Long 1963, p. 453.
- ^ a b Pratten 2018, p. 46.
- ^ a b MacArthur 1994, pp. 378–379.
- ^ Dennis 1995, pp. 112–114.
- ^ Long 1963, p. 459.
- ^ Dredge 1998, p. 587.
- ^ Dredge 1998, p. 575.
- ^ a b c Dennis 1995, p. 114.
- ^ a b c Pratten 2016, p. 304.
- ^ Shindo 2016, pp. 70–71.
- ^ Dredge 1998, p. 574.
- ^ Long 1963, pp. 472 & 475.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 453.
- ^ a b c Keogh 1965, p. 454.
- ^ Long 1963, pp. 478–479.
- ^ a b Coulthard-Clark 1998, p. 253.
- ^ Long 1963, p. 479.
- ^ Long 1963, pp. 479–480.
- ^ Long 1963, pp. 481–482.
- ^ a b c Long 1963, p. 482.
- ^ Keogh 1965, p. 455.
- ^ Odgers 1988, p. 184.
- ^ "Beaufort". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
- ^ Pratten 2016, p. 305.
- ^ Long 1963, p. 483.
References
- Coulthard-Clark, Chris (1998). Where Australians Fought: The Encyclopaedia of Australia's Battles (1st ed.). St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86448-611-2.
- Dennis, Peter (1995). The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History. Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-553227-9.
- Dredge, A.C.L. (1998). "Order of Battle: Intelligence Bulletin No. 237, 15 June 1946". In Gin, Ooi Keat (ed.). Japanese Empire in the Tropics: Selected Documents and Reports of the Japanese Period in Sarawak Northwest Borneo 1941–1945. Vol. 2. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press. pp. 572–598. ISBN 0-89680-199-3.
- Johnston, Mark (2018). An Australian Band of Brothers: Don Company, Second 43rd Battalion, 9th Division. Sydney: NewSouth. ISBN 978-1-74223-572-1.
- OCLC 7185705.
- Long, Gavin (1963). The Final Campaigns. Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army. Vol. VII. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. OCLC 1297619.
- MacArthur, Douglas, ed. (1994) [1966]. The Campaigns of MacArthur in the Pacific. Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History. )
- Odgers, George (1988). Army Australia: An Illustrated History. Frenchs Forest, New South Wales: Child & Associates. ISBN 0-86777-061-9.
- Pratten, Garth (2016). "'Unique in the History of the AIF': Operations in British Borneo". In Dean, Peter J. (ed.). Australia 1944–45: Victory in the Pacific. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press. pp. 298–319. ISBN 978-1-107-08346-2.
- Pratten, Garth (2018). "Exploring Oboe". Wartime (83): 44–48. ISSN 1328-2727.
- Shindo, Hiroyuki (2016). "Holding on to the Finish: The Japanese Army in the South and South West Pacific 1944–45". In Dean, Peter J. (ed.). Australia 1944–45: Victory in the Pacific. Port Melbourne, Victoria: Cambridge University Press. pp. 51–76. ISBN 978-1-107-08346-2.