Battle of Ambarawa

                On October 20, 1945, Allied forces under the command of Brigadier Bethell landed in Semarang with the intention of taking care of prisoners of war and Japanese soldiers who are in Central Java. The Central Java Governor Mr. Wongsonegoro who was not suspicious about their side-purpose of their arrival openly welcomed them. However, when the Allied forces and NICA have reached the Ambarawa and Magelang to free the captives Dutch troops, instead of arming them, giving rise to anger the Indonesian side. Armed incidents arising in the town of Magelang, until the fighting. But they saved from destruction thanks to the intervention of President Sukarno, who managed to calm the atmosphere. Allied troops then secretly left the city of Manila to the fortress Ambarawa. As a result of these events, the Middle Kedu Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel M. Sarbini immediately called the pursuit of them. Backward movement of Allied troops stranded in the village of Jambu as confronted by the forces under the leadership of the Young Oni Sastrodihardjo reinforced by the joint forces of Ambarawa, Tell and Surakarta.

Indonesia troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Isdiman seeking the release of the two villages, Lieutenant Colonel Isdiman fall. Colonel Soedirman, the Commander of 5th Division of Banyumas, having lost one of his best officers, decided to take over the battle leadership himself. On 23 November before the day break, with the support from recruited troops coming from Jogjakarta, Solo, Salatiga, Purwokerto, Magelang and Semarang, Soedirman launched simultaneous swift attacks at all sectors. The Allies, however, were able to defend their stronghold within the city, thanks to the back up of the rearmed Japanese detainees fortified by their previous battle tanks. On 12 December, Soedirman coordinated his subordinates to drive the Allies out of Ambarawa at all costs. By then, he used the technique called the Shrimp Pincer, derived from Bharata Yudha epic.

During the 4-day continuous battle, the Allied troops were totally cut-off from their headquarters in Semarang. Indonesian soldiers supported by the recruited civilians fought fiercely against the Allied troops: British troops, NICA and the rearmed Japanese detainees combined. The British Royal Air Force intensively bombarded Ungaran  to open the road to Semarang which then held by the Indonesian troops and strafe Ambarawa from the air repeatedly. The Allies also launch air raids upon Solo and Jogjakarta aiming  to destroy the local radio stations from where the fighting spirit was sustained.By 15 December the battle initiated by the Allied troops ended at last in a debacle. Ambarawa became sea of fires as the retreated Allied troops burnt local houses before they withdrew to Semarang. The balance of the battle: 2,000 Indonesian troops and 100 Allied troops died together with 75 Allied prisoners of war and internees. 

General Soerdiman


monument issued by President Soekarno to remember the battle of Ambarawa