Sir John Valentine Carden Survives. Part 2.

[allanpcameron]

12 January 1942. Borneo

Singkawang II airfield now hosted not only the 750 strong Dutch garrison but had been more than doubled with the arrival of the best part of the two Indian Battalions (3/16th and 5/14th Punjab Regiments) that had been defending Kuching. Word had reached the Dutch commander that the island of Tarakan had fallen to the Japanese, but that the oil wells had been destroyed beforehand.

Direct contact with the other Indian Battalion (2/15th Punjab Regiment) had been lost. The latest message from Singapore was that Colonel Lane’s force was still resisting but running short of rations and ammunition. Since they were under General Percival’s command, his orders had been to withdraw towards Jesseltown. After that it wasn’t clear what would happen to them.

The fact that the Japanese had invaded the Dutch East Indies, once again aiming for an oil producing area, had given the senior commanders in the area a clue as to Japanese intentions. There were obvious objectives, not just the oil. Their attacks tended to be looking for airfields, and so far, in Malaya and Borneo, these airfields provided air support for the next phase, taking another resource rich area, with air-power giving their fleet and transport the cover needed to leapfrog from one objective to the next. The Japanese obviously had enough strength to capture Menado on Celebes the same day as on Tarakan. The use of paratroopers came as a surprise that brought back memories of the fall of the Netherlands in 1940.

From his Headquarters in Java, Hein Ter Poortan, Commander-in-Chief of Netherlands East Indies forces looked at the map of Borneo and recognised that Balikpapan was likely to be the next objective. While Menado didn’t have oil, the airfields there was obviously the main target. That being the case, then Kendari would have to be considered as the next Japanese objective on Celebes. Ter Poortan wasn’t entirely when these movements would happen, but he thought it likely to be around two weeks, probably a bit less. Consulting with Vice-Admiral Conrad Helfrich (CO Zeemacht Nederlands-Indië (Royal Dutch Navy)) and the American Admiral Thomas Hart, Ter Poortan wanted a plan to intercept the Japanese fleets and sink them. It didn’t take long to identify the problems. The Makassar Strait (Tarakan, Balikpapan) and the Molucca Passage (Celebes) would need two separate naval forces, unless a combined fleet could act effectively in one, then the other.

The Dutch and American naval staffs, along with their British and Australian allies attempted to put together a strong enough force, with submarines and aircraft for reconnaissance, and air cover for the ships.

Ter Poortan focussed next on the defences of Balikpapan and Kendari. Major-General Ludolph Oyen, (CO Militaire Luchtvaart, KNIL (Air Force)) was requested to do what he could to hamper the Japanese use of Tarakan’s airfield. Oyen knew that it wasn’t a very well developed facility, and that making it difficult to be used was something that his limited forces might be able to achieve. Oyen began plans to organise as many bombers as he could to concentrate, using some of the airbases on Borneo that had been built for that very purpose. Hitting the airfields at Menado would be problematic, but he knew defending Kendari would be crucial. Oyen would have his work cut out to do so. He asked if he could strip some of his units from Java and Sumatra to defend Borneo and Celebes. Ter Poorten and the Civilian Governor, Van Starkenborgh disagreed over this, but as head of the armed forces, Ter Poorten gave Oyen permission to concentrate his force to fulfil the mission required.

On Borneo, now that Tarakan had fallen, the Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger (KNIL Army) only had two Battalions available. One was based at Pontianak, the other, over a thousand strong, defended Balikpapan. Getting reinforcements to Balikpapan in time would be a problem, and the only large enough professional force on Borneo were the Indian Battalions at Singkawang II. From there, they would need to move to the coast at Pontianak, then be shipped to Balikpapan, a dangerous venture at this time. Ter Poorten had consulted Lt General Percival who agreed that if the Dutch could do it, then acting Brigadier Henry Moorehead would come under Ter Poorten’s direct command.

Another alternative was to do the same with the KNIL Army as with the KNIL Air Force. So far, the local defensive units at Tarakan and Menado had proven too small and isolated to fulfil their task. By putting a larger force together that could go toe to toe with the Japanese risked them being by-passed, but seeing something of the Japanese methodology, it was possibly a risk worth taking. Running down the list of assets Ter Poorten identified at Surabaya a Marine Battalion and 6th Regiment KNIL in addition to the Surabaya Garrison Regiment. If these could be moved to Kendari, it would give the Battalion there a real chance to resist.

Looking at the notes, Ter Poorten saw an addendum. Calling one of the staff to ask about it, he was informed that some Americans had arrived at Surabaya the day before. Originally bound for the Philippines, the 2nd Artillery Battalion of 131st American Field Artillery Regiment of the Texas National Guard was currently unattached. The fact that the Americans had their artillery and ammunition with them was a bonus. Whether Ter Poorten could get them under his command and sent to Kendari was something he’d need the Americans to agree to and he immediately got in contact with Admiral Hart, the senior American officer in the Dutch East Indies, who told him he’d find out and get back to him.

Ter Poorten realised he was in a race against time. To increase his forces at Balikpapan and Kendari before the Japanese got there would hopefully slow the Japanese. If the allied navies could knock out one of the Japanese invasion fleets, that would hamper the enemy further. If the air force could make it more difficult for the Japanese to have control of the air, that would be even better. There were a lot of ‘ifs’ in that thought. Ter Poorten had to do something to regain some initiative, otherwise the Japanese would just overrun his home one airfield at a time.

 

[Garrison]

Sorry....can you elaborate on the 500,000?

We're they exclusively from Northern Ireland? Or were meaningful numbers drawn from the South as well?

That is exclusively from the South, and doesn't count the 5,000 soldiers who deserted the Irish Army to join up with the British.

 

[MattII]

If they can stop, or at least slow the Japanese at Balikpapan, that will seriously hurt them.

 

[kelgar04]

The Japanese right now are burning the candle at both ends more so than they did OTL. They are going to run out much quicker at least in the Malaysian, Burma and Indonesian Theaters.

 

[Merrick]

If they can stop, or at least slow the Japanese at Balikpapan, that will seriously hurt them.

True, though OTL the Dutch managed a good enough job of demolishing the oil facilities that it took the Japanese until June (well after the end of the East Indies campaign) to get them back into production. But every week the Dutch can hold Balikpapan is another week the IJN doesn't get its oil.

The first risk of the strategy TTL is that to get the concentrations at Balikpapan and Kendari the Dutch have had to throw in pretty much every formed unit in the theatre, plus reserves as well - and they've only ended up with an ad-hoc brigade (3 battalions) at Balikpapan and maybe an understrength division at Kendari, mostly composed of light infantry with little in the way of support weapons or artillery let alone armour or transport. If the Japanese get ashore in strength and particularly if they have tanks, those forces are likely to go down hard - and there goes not just the remaining effective defending forces in Borneo and Celebes but a chunk of the strategic reserve as well.

The second risk of the strategy is that concentrating forces at Balikpapan and Kendari means pulling them out of other places (like Singkawang II airfield). If the Japanese spot what's going on, they may be able to bypass and isolate the concentrations to mop up later. The plan depends heavily on the Allies being able to at least contest sea and air control around eastern Borneo and the Celebes.

Gripping hand, though, is that the current (and OTL) strategy of scattering defenders in penny packets around multiple potential invasion targets and hoping the Japanese don't have the ability to conduct multiple regiment-sized landings in quick succession is blatantly not working, so best try something else while resources are still available.

 

[MattII]

Do remember though, they're looking at naval (particularly submarine) interdiction and air cover, so even if the Japanese do bypass Balikpapan itself, it would likely still cost them badly.

 

[Icedaemon]

In my mind, air power and strategic awareness will decide what happens in Borneo. If Japan manages to strike before the forces concentrating in Balikpapan are organized or bypass them, they might end up winning as hard as and even gaining more intact infrastructure than OTL. If they are not aware of the concentrated forces, I can well see a smaller Japanese force than they used OTL be quite unprepared.

It might be amusing if Texan national guardsmen are the first US soldiers to take part in a major victory in this war.

 

[MattII]

In my mind, air power and strategic awareness will decide what happens in Borneo. If Japan manages to strike before the forces concentrating in Balikpapan are organized or bypass them, they might end up winning as hard as and even gaining more intact infrastructure than OTL. If they are not aware of the concentrated forces, I can well see a smaller Japanese force than they used OTL be quite unprepared.

It might be amusing if Texan national guardsmen are the first US soldiers to take part in a major victory in this war.

That fleet is coming through the Makassar Strait, which looks to be a good hunting ground for submarines.

 

[Winged-One]

For increasing tank production by creating an additional factory in Britain, I think it could happen, not by importing more laborers but by optimizing other industries so as to free up additional workers made redundant. Portions of British industry were quite behind the times during WWII; and the War provides a good reason to push for modernization and optimization; the unions can't complain as much (well, their complaints won't matter as much) as Britain is fighting for national survival.

 

[marathag]

For increasing tank production by creating an additional factory in Britain, I think it could happen, not by importing more laborers but by optimizing other industries so as to free up additional workers made redundant. Portions of British industry were quite behind the times during WWII; and the War provides a good reason to push for modernization and optimization; the unions can't complain as much (well, their complaints won't matter as much) as Britain is fighting for national survival.

missed opportunity to do open pit coal mining that they did postwar with Dragline Excavators. Higher production, and fewer workers needed. Tech existed since before WWI

 

[Stark]

Loving the fight in East Indies. Great story

 

[ArtosStark]

missed opportunity to do open pit coal mining that they did postwar with Dragline Excavators. Higher production, and fewer workers needed. Tech existed since before WWI

IIRC the geology is not right for open pit. The same thing happened to much of the coal mining on the North American east coast. Some could be done the easier way, some couldn’t. I know Cape Breton would have been overjoyed if Coal mining could have continued much past WW2 with less likelihood of mine disasters, but the Geology was not correct to do that.

 

[vizzer]

For increasing tank production by creating an additional factory in Britain, I think it could happen, not by importing more laborers but by optimizing other industries so as to free up additional workers made redundant. Portions of British industry were quite behind the times during WWII; and the War provides a good reason to push for modernization and optimization; the unions can't complain as much (well, their complaints won't matter as much) as Britain is fighting for national survival.

A lot of the lack of modernisation in UK industry was down to the reluctance of management to invest in new tools & techniques.

 

[Mark1878]

A lot of the lack of modernisation in UK industry was down to the reluctance of management to invest in new tools & techniques.

Or was it just - reluctance of management to invest

 

[MattII]

Don't blame it all on the management, the unions were often just as bad. Remember, the union is there to protect the workforce, so anything that threatens the jobs that workforce does, like modernisation, will be fiercely resisted.

 

[Salamander]

A lot of the lack of modernisation in UK industry was down to the reluctance of management to invest in new tools & techniques.

Or was it just - reluctance of management to invest

Don't blame it all on the management, the unions were often just as bad. Remember, the union is there to protect the workforce, so anything that threatens the jobs that workforce does, like modernisation, will be fiercely resisted.

Don't forget the reluctance of Britain's investment banks to invest in British industry, when they could get higher returns from foreign investments. Or Government austerity policies post-WW1. Or the acceptance of German products as war reparations.

 

[MattII]

Don't forget the reluctance of Britain's investment banks to invest in British industry, when they could get higher returns from foreign investments. Or Government austerity policies post-WW1. Or the acceptance of German products as war reparations.

Those too. Really, there was virtually no-one interested in modernisation, and the few that were couldn't get backing anyway.

Hopefully, some of the development in this TL will percolate down. Welding as I recall does seem to be happening in a couple of shipyards, which will probably have an effect down the line.

 

[kelgar04]

That fleet is coming through the Makassar Strait, which looks to be a good hunting ground for submarines.

For the dutch and the british boats, the USA will probably not sink any given all the multiy layered problems with their torpedoes

 

[focus9912]

For the dutch and the british boats, the USA will probably not sink any given all the multiy layered problems with their torpedoes

Perhaps at least this time the failures will be well known (just a bit) earlier than IOTL, and this time while being shown to the Commonwealth (and the Dutch)? But I do not think that affect the development of US torpedoes , other than potentially being the butt of jokes by the Dutch Navy(never mind the British).

 

[vizzer]

Perhaps at least this time the failures will known earlier, and this time while being shown to the Commonwealth (and the Dutch)? But I do not think that affect the US torpedoes , other than potentially being the butt of jokes by the Dutch Navy.

Be interesting if a US sub made an attack & had all their torpedoes fail then a Dutch or RN sub attacked the same target and their torpedoes all go off.
Would probably make for a particularly irate US sub skipper. 😋