Australasia 1943: Battle of Timor

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Australians and Dutch took over the weakly-defended Portuguese colony in eastern Timor. While most of Timor fell to Japan in February 1942, the mostly-Australian Allied forces continued to hold out in eastern Timor, fighting a guerrilla war against the Japanese until early 1943.

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Main Events

16 Nov 1942–22 Jan 1943 Battle of Buna-Gona ▲

Following the conclusion of the Kokoda Trail campaign, Australian troops of the 30th Brigade advanced on Japanese-occupied Buna and Gona, on the north coast of the island of New Guinea. They were joined by the US 32nd Division, arriving via the Kapa Kapa Trail, and together expelled the Japanese despite suffering substantial casualties from both combat and disease. in wikipedia

11 Dec 1942–10 Feb 1943 Allied withdrawal from Timor ▲

In the early morning of 1 December 1942, Japanese aircraft sank the Australian corvette HMAS Armidale while it was transporting fresh Dutch troops to support the extended Allied guerrilla campaign against the Japanese in Timor. This disaster, and the increasing numbers of Japanese troops arriving, prompted the Allies to wind down their campaign on the island, and, on 11-12 December, the mostly-Australian Sparrow Force—the main Allied force in Timor—was evacuated with Portuguese civilians by the Dutch destroyer HNLMS Tjerk Hiddes. The other Allied units in eastern Timor—Lancer Force, S Force, and Z Special Unit—all withdrew in early 1943. in wikipedia

14 Jan–9 Feb 1943 Operation Ke ▲

On 12 December 1942, the Japanese Navy proposed that Guadalcanal be abandoned. After discussions with the army staff and the formal endorsement of the Emperor, the evacuation—Operation Ke—began on 14 January 1943. Misinterpreting the Japanese evacuation fleet movements as a buildup for a new offensive, the US pulled back its forces on the island, allowing the Japanese to leave largely unmolested. in wikipedia

31 Jan–2 Feb 1943 Surrender of the Sixth Army ▲

On 31 January Soviet forces advancing on the remaining German positions in Stalingrad reach the headquarters of German Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus, commander of the Sixth Army, in the southern pocket and capture him. Two days later,on 2 February, the remainder of the Sixth Army under General Strecker surrenders to the Soviets, ending organized Axis resistance in the city. in wikipedia