The Battle of Balikpapan was the concluding stage of the Operation Oboe. The landings took place on 1 July 1945. The Australian 7th Division, composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th Infantry Brigades, with KNIL troops, made an amphibious landing, codenamed Operation Oboe Two a few miles north of Balikpapan, on the island of Borneo. The landing had been preceded by heavy bombing and shelling by Australian and US air and naval forces. The Japanese were outnumbered and outgunned, but like the other battles of the Pacific War, many of them fought to the death.
Major operations had ceased by July 21. The 7th Division's casualties were significantly lighter than they had suffered in previous campaigns. The battle was one of the last to occur in World War II, beginning a few weeks before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki effectively ended the war. Japan surrendered while the Australians were combing the jungle for stragglers.
Following the surrender the three Brigades were committed to occupation duties until around February 1946. The 21st Brigade was detached to Makassar in the Celebes Islands to accept surrender of the Japanese forces, release POWs and maintain civil order.
Land forces
7th Australian Division
Divisional Units
2/7 Cavalry (Commando) Regiment
2/1 Pioneer Battalion
2/1 Machine Gun Battalion
B Company 2/1 Guard Regiment (4 platoons)
Divisional Artillery
2/4 Field Regiment (Ordnance QF 25 pounder gun-howitzers)
2/5 Field Regiment (25 pounder guns)
2/6 Field Regiment (25 pounder guns)
2/2 Tank Attack Regiment
Divisional Engineers
2/4 Field Company
2/5 Field Company
2/6 Field Company
2/9 Field Company
2/25 Field Park Company
18 Infantry Brigade
2/9 Battalion
2/10 Battalion
2/12 Battalion
21 Infantry Brigade
2/14 Battalion
2/16th Battalion
2/27 Battalion
25 Infantry Brigade
2/25 Battalion
2/31 Battalion
2/33 Battalion
I Australian Corps units
(Attached to the 7th Division for operational purposes.)
1st Armoured Regiment (Matilda II tanks)
Armoured Squadron (Special Equipment) (Matilda tank specialist variant)
2/1 Composite Anti-Aircraft Regiment
2 Beach Group
2/2 Pioneer Battalion
2/11 Field Company
12 Aust. Light Wireless Section
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
1 Company, 1 NEI Battalion
United States Army
727th Amphibian Tractor Battalion (less one company)
One company, 672nd Amphibian Tractor Battalion
One boat company, Boat Battalion, 593rd Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment
Royal Australian Air Force
79 (General Reconnaissance – Bomber) Wing Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
No. 2 Squadron (North American Mitchell)
No. 18 (NEIAF, Australian-Dutch) Squadron (North American Mitchell)
78 (Fighter) Wing RAAF (from June 30)
No. 75 Squadron (Curtiss Kittyhawk)
No. 78 Squadron (Curtiss Kittyhawk)
No. 80 Squadron (Curtiss Kittyhawk)
No. 452 Squadron (Supermarine Spitfire)
82 (Bomber) Wing RAAF
No. 21 Squadron (Consolidated Liberator heavy bomber)
No. 23 Squadron (Consolidated Liberator)
No. 24 Squadron (Consolidated Liberator)
Detachment, 83 (Army Co-Operation) Wing
Detachment, No. 4 Squadron (CAC Boomerang)
Detachment, No. 16 Air Observation Post Flight
Det, 9 Local Air Supply Unit
No. 54 Squadron RAF (Supermarine Spitfire)
United States Army Air Forces
13th Air Force
42nd Bombardment Group (North American B-25 Mitchell)
69, 70, 75, 100, 390 Bombardment Squadrons (Palawan Island)
5th Bombardment Group (Consolidated B-24 Liberator)
23, 31, 72, 394 Bombardment Squadrons (Samar Island)
307th Bombardment Group (Consolidated B-24 Liberator)
370, 371, 372, 424 Bombardment Squadrons (Morotai Island)
868th Bombardment Squadron (Consolidated SB-24 Liberator, LAB: Low Altitude radar Bomb.) flew maritime surveillance patrols
18th Fighter Group (Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter)
67, 68, 339 Fighter Squadrons (Palawan Island)
419th Night Fighter Squadron (Northrop P-61 Black Widow) (Zamboanga and Palawan)
4 Reconnaissance Group (Lockheed F-5 Lightning and North American B-25 Mitchell)
17th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron Det. (Palawan Island)
5th Air Force
22nd Bombardment Group (Consolidated B-24 Liberator)
38th Bombardment Group (North American B-25 Mitchell)
Attached to 42nd Bombardment Group
90th Bombardment Group (Consolidated B-24 Liberator)
380th Bombardment Group (Consolidated B-24 Liberator)
United States Marine Corps
VMB-611 (North American PBJ Mitchell) flying from Zamboanga
Marine Air Group 2 (flying from the USN escort carriers)
Marine Escort Carrier Group 1 (MCVEG-1) on USS Block Island (CVE-106)
VMF-511 (Goodyear FG-1D Corsair) & Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat
VMTB-233 (Grumman TBM-3 Avenger)
Marine Escort Carrier Group 2 (MCVEG-2) on carrier USS Gilbert Islands (CVE-107)
VMF-512 (Goodyear FG-1D Corsair)
VMTB-143 (Grumman TBM-3 Avenger)
United States Navy
Fleet Air Wing 17 (Palawan Island)
Patrol Bombing Squadron 128 (VPB-128) (Lockheed PV-1 Ventura)
Patrol Bombing Squadron 106 (VPB-106) (Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer)
Patrol Bombing Squadron 111 (VPB-111) (Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer)
Navy Escort Carrier Group 40 (CVEG-40) on carrier USS Suwannee (CVE-27)
Fighter Squadron 40 (VF-40) (Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat)
Torpedo Squadron 40 (VT-40) (Grumman TBM-3 Avenger)
Attack Group 78.2
Transports: 1 AGC USS Wasatch, 1 CGC, 3 LSI (HMAS Manoora, HMAS Westralia, HMAS Kanimbla), 1 AKA (USS Titania), 1 LSD (USS Carter Hall), 5 APD (Newman, Liddle, Kephart, Lloyd, Diachenko), 1 LCF(F), 22 LSM, 35 LST, 16 LCI(L),19 LCT, 2 PC, 3 SC
Close Support: 10 LCS(L) (No. 8, 27, 28, 29, 30, 41, 43, 44, 48, 50), 8 LCI(R) (No. 31, 34, 73, 226, 230, 331, 337, 338), 6 LCI(G) (No. 21, 22, 24, 61, 66, 67), 3 LCI(M)
Screen: 10 Destroyers (USS Robinson, Saufley, Waller, Philip, Bailey, Frazier, Flusser, Drayton, Conyngham, Smith), 5 Destroyer Escorts (USS Chaffee, L.E. Thomas, E.A.Howard, J. Rutherford, Key), 1 Frigate (HMAS Gascoyne)
Minesweeping Group: 1 APD (Cofer), 3 AM (Sentry, Scout, Scuffle), 39 YMS, 1 LSM
Service, Salvage and miscellaneous units: Tugs Cable, ATR-61, Pinto, Oilers Chepachet, Sakatonchee, Gualala, Banshee, Cargo Poinsett, Repair ship Creon
Covering Force 74
Covering Group 74.1
Heavy Cruiser: HMAS Shropshire (from 27 June)
Light Cruiser: HMAS Hobart (from 27 June)
Destroyers: USS Metcalf, Hart
Covering Group 74.2
Light Cruisers: US Ships Montpelier (from 15 June), Denver (from 15 June), Columbia (from 23 June), Cleveland (30 June – 1st? July), HNLMS Tromp (From 19 June)
Destroyers: Conway, Cony, Eaton, Stevens, Killen, Albert W. Grant and HMAS Arunta
Covering Group 74.3
Light Cruisers: US Ships Phoenix (4–6 July), Nashville (4–6 July)
Destroyers: USS Charrette, Conner, Bell, Burns
Destroyers: 4 from 15 June, 7 from 27 June.
High Speed transport: USS Schmitt, Kline (from 23 June)
United States Navy Escort Carrier Group 78.4: (from 1–3 July)
Escort Carriers: US Ships Suwannee, Block Island, Gilbert Islands
Destroyers: USS Helm
Destroyer escorts: USS Mitchell, Donaldson, Cloues, Lamons and Kyne
8 USN PT boats arrived with the tender USS Mobjack on 27 June, and this force was expanded to two PT boat squadrons (10 and 27) on 6 July.
22 Base Force
454 Independent Infantry Battalion
