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Battle of Arafura Sea

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Battle of Arafura Sea
Part of the West New Guinea dispute

Indonesian stamp commemorating the battle
Date15 January 1962
Location
Arafura Sea
Result Dutch victory
Belligerents
 Indonesia  Netherlands
Commanders and leaders
 Unknown
Units involved
 Indonesian Navy  Royal Netherlands Navy
Strength

3 Jaguar-class fast attack craft

  • HNLMS Evertsen
  • HNLMS Kortenaer
  • HNLMS Utrecht
  • Supported by a P-2 Neptune plane
    • Casualties and losses
    1 torpedo boat sunk
    2 torpedo boats disabled
    39 killed
    53 captured    		 None

    The Battle of Arafura Sea (Indonesian: Pertempuran Laut Aru), also known as the Battle of Vlakke Hoek (Dutch: Slag bij Vlakke Hoek), was a naval battle in the Vlakke Hoek Bay (Etna Bay) of the Arafura Sea in Western New Guinea on 15 January 1962, between Indonesia and the Netherlands.

    Background

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    The battle stopped an attempt by the Indonesian Navy to land 150 soldiers in Kaimana in Dutch New Guinea for sabotage and to incite the local population against the Dutch government. Commodore Yos Sudarso was in charge of the operation at sea, while Colonel Murshid commanded the infiltrators.[1]

    Battle

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    Three Indonesian torpedo boats left the Aru Islands in the middle of the night but were intercepted near the New Guinea coast by a Dutch Neptune reconnaissance plane, as the Dutch had anticipated the action for weeks. The torpedo boats responded to the flares sent off by the plane by shooting at it. The Dutch destroyer HNLMS Evertsen then joined the scene and sank RI Matjan Tutul, commanded by Sudarso. The other two ships, RI Matjan Kumbang and RI Harimau, fled, but one hit a reef, and the other was hit by gunfire and disabled. Evertsen was able to save most of the crew of Matjan Tutul, but at least three sailors died, among whom was Commodore Sudarso.[1]

    Aftermath

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    Matjan Tutul scaled-down replica at Satriamandala Museum, Jakarta

    The Indonesian action itself was an abject failure and General Nasution even refused to relay the bad news to President Sukarno, forcing Colonel Murshid to do this in person.[1] However, the small battle was partially responsible for the subsequent involvement of the Soviet Union and United States in the Western New Guinea dispute,[2] and it is honored in Indonesia by "Oceanic Duty Day" (Hari Dharma Samudera), an annual nationwide day of remembrance. Twelve years after his death, Yos Sudarso was officially added to the register of Indonesian heroes of the Revolution, while RI Harimau is now preserved at the Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.[3]

    References

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    1. ^ a b c Bruins Slot, Rob; Jansen Hendriks, Gerda (16 January 2012). "50 years after the Battle of Vlakke Hoek. Near-war with Indonesia about New Guinea". www.geschiedenis24.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
    2. ^ Djiwandono, Soedjati (1996). Konfrontasi Revisited: Indonesia's Foreign Policy Under Soekarno. Jakarta: Centre for Strategic and International Studies. pp. 133–5. ISBN 978-9798026522.
    3. ^ "KRI Harimau, Saksi Bisu Pertempuran Laut Aru". 19 March 2012.

    Further reading

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