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At the end of 1941, Imperial Japan targeted The East Indies in an attempt to secure access to precious oil resources. The Netherlands East Indies Campaign featured complex Japanese and Allied operations, and included the first use of airborne troops in the war. This highly illustrated study is one of the less well-known campaigns of the Pacific War.Imperial Japan's campaigns of conquest in late 1941/early 1942 were launched in order to achieve self-sufficiency for the Japanese people, chiefly in the precious commodity of oil. The Netherlands (or Dutch) East Indies formed one of Japan's primary targets, on account of its abundant rubber plantations and oilfields.
The Japanese despatched an enormous naval task force to support the amphibious landings over the vast terrain of the Netherlands East Indies. The combined-arms offensive was divided into three groups: western, centre and eastern. The isolated airfields and oilfields were, however, picked off one by one by the Japanese, in the rush to secure the major islands before major Allied reinforcements arrived.
This superbly illustrated title describes the operational plans and conduct of the fighting by the major parties involved, and assesses the performance of the opposing forces on the battlefield, bringing to life an often-overlooked campaign of the Pacific War.
List of contents
Origins of the CampaignChronology
Opposing Commanders
Opposing Forces and Orders of Battle
Opposing Plans
The Campaign
Aftermath
Further Reading
Index
About the author
MARC LOHNSTEIN holds an MA in History and his main areas of interests are the equipment, uniforms and tactics of the army and police organization in the former Dutch colonies in Indonesia and Surinam. He has published several studies on these subjects and various titles for Osprey including CAM 364: The Netherlands East Indies Campaign 1941–42: Japan's Quest for Oil and MAA 521: Royal Netherlands East Indies Army 1936–42. He works as assistant curator at the Royal Home for Retired Military Personnel & Museum Bronbeek at Arnhem in the Netherlands.Graham Turner is a leading historical artist, specializing in the medieval period. He has illustrated numerous titles for Osprey, covering a wide variety of subjects from the dress of the 10th-century armies of the Caliphates, through the action of bloody medieval battles, to the daily life of the British Redcoat of the late 18th century. The son of the illustrator Michael Turner, Graham lives and works in Buckinghamshire, UK.
Summary
A compact study of one of the less well-known campaigns of the Pacific War, which featured complex Japanese and Allied operations, and included the first use of airborne troops in the war.
Foreword
At the end of 1941, Imperial Japan targeted The East Indies in an attempt to secure access to precious oil resources. The Netherlands East Indies Campaign featured complex Japanese and Allied operations, and included the first use of airborne troops in the war. This highly illustrated study is one of the less well-known campaigns of the Pacific War.
