It occurred at Manado (also spelled Menado) on the Minahasa Peninsula on the northern part of Celebes Island (modern day Sulawesi in Indonesia), from 11–12 January 1942.

[6] Beforehand, however, in order to set up the aforementioned aerial support, specifically in southern Celebes and Banjarmasin, relay fields in Manado, Tarakan and Balikpapan had to be conquered as well.

Van den Berg had the available forces at his disposal:[12][13] Finally, to accommodate the guerrilla plan, nine underground warehouses were built to store supplies that will be needed during the action.

The 1st Yokosuka SNLF (under Commander Toyoaki Horiuchi), in conjunction with the Sasebo Force, will carry out a paradrop operation on the enemy airfield at 09:30 A.M. on 11 January with the support of the fighters of the 1st Air Raid Unit.

Their objectives are to seize Langoan airfield and the Kakas Seaplane Base, two facilities that will support subsequent Japanese operations for the Dutch East Indies campaign.

Engineers are placed on standby, waiting for the order to destroy vital installations; NCOs and members of local government were also informed of the looming Japanese landing.

As reports of the landing began to come in, Schillmöller sent 5 RK brigades under Lt. van de Laar in Tomohon to Tinoör to support the retreating Combined Force.

[1][21] Soon, Schillmöller pulled three brigades from van de Laar's force back to Tomohon to reinforce the town against a false intelligence about Japanese landing in Tanahwangko, further west of Manado.

The Combined Force attempted a defense against the Japanese advance, but they could not stop Mori from seizing Tomohon by 19:30. van de Laar's troops moved eastwards to Roeroekan, arriving at 22:00.

[1][24] By 09:00, the 2nd Force, supported by three Type 95 tanks, advanced to the east of Ajermadidih and engaged Radema's Company, now reinforced with its remaining brigades (ca.

When Tomohon informed him again at 05:00 of the Japanese landing in Manado and Kema, a brigade from the reserve KV section at Kakas moved to Papakelan to close the roads leading to Tondano.

[1][27] While the flight approached northern Celebes, a group of Mitsubishi F1M "Pete" that was covering the naval invasion force mistakenly attacked them, shooting down a G3M and killing all 12 paras aboard.

[1] Van den Berg immediately ordered the rest of the reserve KV section to take position west of Kakas to defend against another possible landing.

[28] Several paras were dropped close to Dutch pillboxes, and they had to destroy them with pistols and hand grenades, while giving time for the rest of the group to gather weapons from the cargo container.

[1] As the battle progresses, Van den Berg called Lt. Fuchter's Company, along with the Mobile Colonne to attack the paras from a westerly direction, via Panasen.

[3] The 1st Yokosuka SNLF, on the other hand, continued to be stationed at the Langoan Airfield until 24 April, when they were assigned in small groups to attack nearby islands on landing crafts.

Yet when his only radio broke down, Schilmöller marched his group westwards to Kotamobagoe (Kotamobagu), where the Menadonese Militia Company was located, to establish communication with KNIL Headquarter based in Java.

[35] Schillmöller arrived in Kotamobagoe on 26 January, where he was able reestablish radio communication and report his conditions to the Dutch General Headquarters in Java (Bandoeng).

[37] With few options remaining, Schillmöller decided to continue to wage guerrilla warfare in Central Celebes, bolstering his group with Dutch detachments from Poso, Paloe (Palu) and Kolonedale (Kolonodale).

The high rate of desertion by Menadonese soldiers left Kroon with only 9 men, when Japanese troops captured his group and take them to Kembes, before eventually transporting them to Manado.

Abbink's group headed southwest to start their guerrilla fighting in the Amoerang area, yet the similar wave of desertion left him with only four soldiers.

Hoping to connect with other guerrilla forces, Abbink traveled from 17 January to 1 February, when his group met with 8 RK soldiers under Lt. Masselink at northeast of Amoerang.

The group is also joined by civilians, among them Mrs. Hoffman (née Paratasis), the spouse of a retired MWO (Militaire Willems-Orde) Knight who was executed for aiding Dutch guerrilla troops.

[42] Before this endeavor could be conducted, 60-80 Japanese troops – aided by the local population – encircled van den Berg's base just southwest of Kasar on 17 February.

By 20 February, leaving the sick and elderly behind, the group moved to the mouth of Kali Rakar, where they began the trek south along the coast using wooden boats.

Admiring their persistent resistance and heroic stand, the Japanese War Council in Langoan spared Van den Berg's group from execution.

On 9–10 June, de Jong's group came upon a National Administration's radio station in Kolonedale and establish contact with Dutch representatives in Australia, requesting food, weapons and ammunition.

Responding to the newly-established contact, a "party" was created in Australia, whose task is to infiltrate Celebes and came back with intelligence or conduct sabotage operation.

The group had initial hit-and-run successes, but as the local population's support for the Japanese grew and more troops were being allocated to fight them, the effectiveness of the guerrilla war eventually dwindled away.

[52] After the war, de Jong was made Knight Commander of the Militaire Williams-Orde, 4th Class and van Daalen received the Bronze Lion, both posthumously.