Angus Konstam, Borneo 1945 (Osprey, 2024)
It was perhaps inevitable that Borneo would fall under Japanese control as they extended their Asian empire in the opening stages of World War II. They took the island in early 1942, but by late 1944, it was obvious that the Japanese empire was receding under Allied pressure. In October 1944, the Australians accepted the mission of retaking Borneo, which led to a series of amphibious assaults in May 1945. The campaign would last three months and cost 2,000 Australian lives. But was it worth it? In this new addition to Osprey’s Campaign series, the prolific Angus Konstam gets to the heart of the matter while telling a compelling story.
Konstam begins with the decision to retake Borneo and the planning that went into the operation. In his comparison of the commanders and forces involved on both sides, Konstam highlights the Australian advantages, particularly in resources and logistics, over an isolated Japanese force that was further separated by the internal geography of the massive island. The Japanese also did not know where the assault would arrive so had to distribute their forces, while the Australians held the initiative. The Japanese plan, therefore, was not to oppose the landings but withdraw into the hills from where they could counter-attack or make a last stand. And that is how all the Australian landings played out to varying degrees. Konstam narrates the landings at Tarakan, British Borneo, and Balikpapan, working his way through the preparatory bombardments, the steady drive inland against light opposition, and then the fierce fighting that ensued when the last Japanese position had been reached. In the end, the island fell to a superior Australian ground force backed by US muscle at sea and in the air. Konstam acknowledges the political and military victory though he argues it was not worth the wasted manpower to achieve it.
This is an informative and entertaining overview, Konstam seldom lets his readers down in that regard, and it is a story worth telling. Konstam covers the main events and sets them in their operational and strategic context. He is ably supported by excellent maps and photographs, and the colour illustrations of combat add flavour. Those who enjoy reading about the war against Japan will want to add this to their collection, but any student of World War II will gain a useful insight into the closing stages of the war in the Far East, and they can decide for themselves if the invasion of Borneo was worth the sacrifice.
