Battle of Ambon

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The Battle of Ambon was a World War II clash in early 1942 in which Japanese forces overwhelmed Dutch and Australian defenders on the Indonesian island of Ambon, resulting in a decisive Japanese victory and subsequent atrocities against prisoners of war.

All labels observed (4)

Label Occurrences
Battle of Ambon canonical 2
Ambon campaign 1
Ambonese soldiers 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II battle
battle
aftermath Japanese occupation of Ambon Island
mass execution of prisoners of war at Laha
attacker Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Navy
belligerent Australia
Japan
surface form: Empire of Japan

Netherlands
category Battles of World War II involving Australia
Battles of World War II involving Japan
Battles of World War II involving the Netherlands
Military history of Indonesia during World War II
combatantStrength larger and better-equipped Japanese invasion force
outnumbered Dutch and Australian defenders
conflict World War II
countryInvolved Australia
Japan
Netherlands
date early 1942
defender Australian Army
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
endDate 1942-02-03
followedBy further Japanese advances in the Dutch East Indies
garrison Gull Force
Royal Netherlands East Indies Army
surface form: Netherlands East Indies troops
hasPart Siege of Laha Airfield
location Ambon Island
Dutch East Indies
present-day Indonesia
notableEvent Laha massacre
notableFor overwhelming Japanese superiority in air and naval power
severe casualties among Allied defenders
war crimes against prisoners of war
objective capture of Ambon Island
seizure of airfields on Ambon
partOf Dutch East Indies campaign
surface form: Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies

Pacific War
perpetratorOfAtrocities Armed Forces of the Empire of Japan
surface form: Imperial Japanese forces
precededBy Japanese landings in the Moluccas
result Japanese victory
startDate 1942-01-30
strategicSignificance provided air base for Japanese operations in eastern Indonesia
secured Japanese control over approaches to the Banda Sea
theatre South West Pacific Area
surface form: South West Pacific theatre
victimGroup Australian prisoners of war
Dutch prisoners of war

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Royal Netherlands East Indies Army recruitedFrom Battle of Ambon
this entity surface form: Ambonese soldiers
Gull Force notableEvent Battle of Ambon
this entity surface form: fall of Ambon
Siege of Laha Airfield partOf Battle of Ambon
Laha massacre relatedTo Battle of Ambon
this entity surface form: Ambon campaign