Highly detailed and colourful, this account illustrates the struggle of Indonesian forces in their War of Independence against the Netherlands, following the surrender of occupying Japanese forces in 1945. Following on from MAA 521 Royal Netherlands East Indies Army 1936-42 and completing the coverage of the post-World War II wars of decolonization, The Dutch-Indonesian War 1945-49 describes the Japanese surrender in September 1945 which left a power vacuum in the colonial Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). Using vivid colour illustrations and rare photos, this title depicts the various forces involved in the struggle for Indonesia: the British Indian Army troops sent to key areas to disarm Japanese garrisons, the Indonesian nationalists who immediately proclaimed an independent Republic, remaining Japanese troops, and the Dutch forces which arrived in 1946. The wide dispersion of populations, and their ethnic, religious and political differences ensured that the struggle which followed was complex. Fragmented bands of nationalist permuda insurgents were slowly brought together under command of a republican army (the BKR, later TKR, and finally the TNI, complete with naval and air elements), but stubborn negotiations alternated with bouts of major fighting. This book details how the nationalists were defeated by Dutch and Dutch-led local forces in urban areas (e.g. during Operations Product and Crow, 1947 and 1948), but how their guerrillas evaded Dutch troops in the jungle hills and swamps. Illustrating a wide range of uniforms, insignia, personal weapons and equipment, this study showcases the troops and armour involved in the conflict.

At the end of 1941, Imperial Japan targeted The East Indies in an attempt to secure access to precious oil resources. The Netherlands East Indies Campaign featured complex Japanese and Allied operations, and included the first use of airborne troops in the war. This highly illustrated study is one of the less well-known campaigns of the Pacific War. Imperial Japan's campaigns of conquest in late 1941/early 1942 were launched in order to achieve self-sufficiency for the Japanese people, chiefly in the precious commodity of oil. The Netherlands (or Dutch) East Indies formed one of Japan's primary targets, on account of its abundant rubber plantations and oilfields. The Japanese despatched an enormous naval task force to support the amphibious landings over the vast terrain of the Netherlands East Indies. The combined-arms offensive was divided into three groups: western, centre and eastern. The isolated airfields and oilfields were, however, picked off one by one by the Japanese, in the rush to secure the major islands before major Allied reinforcements arrived. This superbly illustrated title describes the operational plans and conduct of the fighting by the major parties involved, and assesses the performance of the opposing forces on the battlefield, bringing to life an often-overlooked campaign of the Pacific War.

Until 1945, Indonesia was a Dutch colony known as the Netherlands East Indies. In 1930, the area had over 60 million inhabitants and was a major exporter to Japan, providing some 13 per cent of its oil needs - second only after the United States. Following Germany's occupation of the Netherlands in May 1940, Japan decided to expand its influence in the Netherlands East Indies.

Defending the colony was the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (KNIL). This force, designed primarily for colonial policing, underwent a series of cutbacks in the interwar years before adopting a modernisation programme in 1936, which focused on building up a strike air force, introducing tanks and increasing the firepower of the infantry and artillery.

Fully illustrated with period photographs and full-colour artwork, this book examines the dress, insignia, equipment, organization and combat performance of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army as it faced the all-conquering Japanese forces in World War II.