Hello, and thank you for listening to the History of World War II podcast, Episode 266,

The Fall of Borneo.

Last time Japanese forces came to the oil-rich island, making land on December 16th.

Right away, Phase 1, the taking of the Meary and Saria oilfields along the northern coast

was accomplished.

Now it was time to go after the capital of Sarawak, Kuchin, to the west, which also had

an impressive airfield nearby.

Yet as the island was mostly inhospitable, except along some places of the coast, the

invading troops would have to go by boat and have to make another amphibious landing.

But more besides just south of the capital was Sarawak's border with the Dutch controlled

part of the island, collectively called Kalimitan.

And near that border was another modern air strip that the Dutch hoped the Japanese didn't

know about.

Either way, the defensive plan now was to deny the invaders both air strips and Kuchin,

as long as possible.

Lieutenant Colonel Charles M. Lane, commanding officer of Sarawak, made up of the Punjabis

unit and the Sarawak Rangers, totaling 2,565 men, saw that it was pointless to try to stop

the Japanese from coming ashore.

So pulled back to the airfield and asked General Archivald Wavel, commander-in-chief India,

if he could retreat into the jungle.

This was granted.

Still.

...