Following Dutch withdrawal from most urban centers in Java in the aftermath of Japanese landings and the loss of the Kalijati airfield, remaining units of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL) established a defensive perimeter in the mountain passes around Bandung in the hopes of regrouping with retreating KNIL and Australian units abandoning Batavia and Buitenzorg.

[2] From Japanese-controlled territories in Subang, there were two paths leading to the Bandung plateau - through Purwakarta, or through the less-developed roads of the Tjiater Pass on the foothills of the Tangkuban Perahu.

[10] Both passes which allowed motor access into Bandung were fortified by the Dutch,[7] and the men guarding the fortifications were commanded by Colonel W.J.

[11] Shōji's forces had been expected by the command of the Sixteenth Army to simply hold onto captured positions in Kalijati and onto crossings for the Citarum River, and to wait for further reinforcements in form of the 2nd Division, approaching from the west.

[20] The land battle for the pass began around noon of 5 March, when Japanese vanguard light tanks encountered Dutch fortifications in form of pillboxes and a 5-cm gun.

[22] After around three hours of combat, Japanese infantrymen had approached the forward defenses and around 50 men were withdrawn, with the 5-cm gun being destroyed and a bridge crossing the ravine ahead of the fortifications blown up.

[30] There were also a large number of Japanese air raids, with hundreds of bombs being dropped, destroying vehicles and eroding Dutch morale.

Japanese commanders, however, followed with a third wave supported by mortar fire and three tanks, which was successful in breaking the two infantry companies holding the section under attack.

[37] In the afternoon, the Japanese had managed to outflank the defenses, launching an attack against the defenders which was pushed back by a Dutch counterattack.

However, de Veer was killed in the counterattack and the fortifications were evacuated after the assault was repelled, and the remaining defenders were ordered to withdraw to Lembang.

[38] Once the positions were captured, the Japanese were in control of the ridgeline of the mountain pass, and the Dutch forces were left in poor reserve defenses.

[39][35] Fighting on 7 March largely consisted of Japanese mopping-up operations, eliminating Dutch units close to the ridgeline.

[13] At night on 7 March, the Japanese forces moved in and occupied Lembang, and there at around 7:30 PM they received a Dutch messenger carrying a flag of truce.

There, governor-general Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer and Dutch East Indies military commander Hein ter Poorten initially refused a total capitulation.

[44] Due to the threat of continued fighting in Bandung, which was filled with a large number of refugees,[46] the Dutch authorities broadcast their general surrender on noon on 9 March.