Battle of Tarakan (1945)

The Battle of Tarakan was an engagement fought between Allied and Japanese forces on the island of Tarakan off Borneo during May and June 1945. It formed the first stage in the World War II Borneo campaign. The Allies' main goal in attacking Tarakan was to capture the island's airfield and develop it into a base to support further offensives in the Borneo area.

After several weeks of preparatory air and naval bombardments Allied forces comprising the Australian 26th Brigade and a small Netherlands East Indies contingent conducted an amphibious landing in south-west Tarakan on 1 May 1945. This operation was heavily supported by Australian and United States air and naval units. The Japanese garrison had expected an attack and after several days of fighting withdrew to defensive positions in the centre of the island. It took several weeks of tough fighting for the Australian troops, who continued to be supported by Australian and US air units, to secure Tarakan. Most Japanese resistance ended in mid-June.

The airfield on Tarakan which was the main objective of the invasion was so heavily damaged by the pre-invasion bombardments that it could not be brought into service until the last phase of the Borneo Campaign. As a result, the battle is generally regarded as having not justified its costs to the Allies.