Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Surabaya

Battle of Surabaya was a battle fought on 27 October 1945 at Surabaya, in what is now Indonesia; it lasted 24 days. It was part of the Indonesian National Revolution, which ran from 1945 to 1949. The recorded result: British victory. Recorded strength: 20,000 infantry troops; 100,000–140,000 youth volunteers against 30,000; ~48 tanks; 24 aircraft; 2 cruisers; 3 destroyers.

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en:Surabaya pro-Independence youths fly en:Indonesian red and white flag in Hotel Oranje/Hotel Yamato, en:September 19, en:2006. Taken from en:East Java provincial government archive gallery. As a pic
en:Surabaya pro-Independence youths fly en:Indonesian red and white flag in Hotel Oranje/Hotel Yamato, en:September 19, en:2006. Taken from en:East Java provincial government archive gallery. As a pic. The original uploader was Nielswik at English Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought27 October 1945lasted 24 days
WhereSurabaya, Indonesia7.260S, 112.740E
OutcomeBritish victory
BelligerentsIndonesiaagainstUnited Kingdom; British Raj
Casualties and losses6,300–16,000+ deadand295–2,000 dead
Part ofIndonesian National Revolution1945 to 1949

Where it sits in the Indonesian National Revolution

Battle of Semarang, 1945Battle of Surabaya, 1945Battle of Ambarawa, 1945Battle of Pagatan, 1946Battle of Petaling, 1946Battle of Medan, 1946Siege of Surakarta, 194919451949Battle of Surabaya, 1945
7 placed engagements of the Indonesian National Revolution in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date27 October 1945
to 20 November 1945
PlaceSurabaya, Indonesia
7.260S, 112.740E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Territorial changeBritish military forces successfully occupy Surabaya until November 1946
Strength20,000 infantry troops; 100,000–140,000 youth volunteers30,000; ~48 tanks; 24 aircraft; 2 cruisers; 3 destroyers
Casualties and losses6,300–16,000+ dead295–2,000 dead
Commanders
  • Ario Soerjo
  • Sutomo
  • Moestopo
  • Muhammad Mangundiprojo
  • Muhammad Yasin
  • Joop Warouw
  • Aubertin Walter Sothern Mallaby
  • Robert Mansergh
Battle of SurabayaBattle of SurabayaBattle of GegodogBattle of GegodogMalangJemberPasuruanKediriMadiunBlitarMojokertoSumenep100 km7.260S, 112.740E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1945

Battle of Surabaya is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 69 in present-day Indonesia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q26496, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Surabaya, revision 1382325249, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.