Background

On 17 August 1945, Soekarno and Hatta declared the

independence of Indonesia in Jakarta, two days after the
Japanese emperor's surrender in the Pacific. As the news about
the independence declaration spread throughout the
archipelago, ordinary Indonesians felt a sense of freedom that
led most to regard themselves as pro-Republican. In the
following weeks, power vacuums existed, both from outside and
within Indonesia, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty, but
also one of opportunity. On 19 September 1945, a group of
Dutch internees supported by the Japanese raised the Dutch
flag outside the Hotel Yamato (formerly Hotel Oranje, now
Hotel Majapahit) in Surabaya, East Java. This provoked
nationalist Indonesian militia, who overran the Dutch and
Japanese and tore off the blue part of the Dutch flag, changing
it into the Indonesian flag. The leader of the Dutch group, Mr
Ploegman, was killed because of mass anger.
 Background

The senior Japanese commander in Surabaya, Vice Admiral Shibata

Yaichiro, threw his support for the Republicans and gave Indonesians
ready access to arms. On 3 October, he surrendered to a Dutch Navy
captain, the first Allied representative to arrive. Yaichiro ordered his
forces to hand over their remaining weapons to the Indonesians. The
Indonesians were expected to hand them to the newly-arrived Allied
troops but neglected or were unwilling to do so.
British forces brought in a small Dutch military contingent which it
termed the Netherlands Indies Civil Administration (NICA). The
British became worried about the increasing boldness and apparent
strength of the nationalists, who attacked demoralised Japanese
garrisons across the archipelago with rudimentary weapons such as
bamboo spears to seize their arms The main goals of British troops in
Surabaya were seizing weapons from Japanese troops and Indonesian
militia, taking care of former prisoners-of-war (POWs), and sending
the remaining Japanese troops back to Japan.
 Background

n September and October 1945 a series of incidents took place involving

pro-Dutch Eurasians, and atrocities were committed by Indonesian mobs
against European internees. In late October and early November, the
leadership of the mass Muslim organisations Nahdlatul Ulama and
Masyumi declared that war in defence of the Indonesian fatherland was
Holy War, and thus an obligation for all Muslims. Kyai and their students
began to stream into Surabaya from Islamic boarding schools throughout
East Java. The charismatic Bung Tomo made use of local radio to
encourage an atmosphere of fanatical revolutionary fervor across the city.
Six thousand British Indian troops were sent into the city on 25 October to
evacuate European internees and within three days fighting began. After
heavy fighting between the British Indian forces and around 20,000
Indonesian armed regulars of the newly formed People's Security Army
(TKR) and mobs of 70,000–140,000 people, the British flew in the
influential President Sukarno, Vice-President Hatta and his ministers
Amir Sjarifuddin, and a ceasefire was achieved on 30 October.
The Beginning of the Battle

On 27 October 1945, a British plane from Jakarta dropped

leaflets over Surabaya urging all Indonesian troops and militia
to surrender their weapons. The leaders of the Indonesian
troops and militia were angered, seeing it as a breaking of the
agreement reached with Mallaby earlier. On 28 October 1945,
they attacked the British troops in Surabaya, killing two
hundred soldiers. On 30 October the British flew Sukarno
(president of RI), Mohammad Hatta (the vice-president of RI),
and Amir Syarifuddin Harahap (the minister of information of
Indonesia) into Surabaya to possibly negotiate a cease fire. A
ceasefire was negotiated with Major General Hawthorn (the
commander of 23rd British Indian Division) and Brigadier
Mallaby and immediately adhered to. Fighting, however, soon
recommenced due to confused communications and mistrust
between the two sides, leading to the famed Battle of Surabaya.
 The Death of Brigadier
Mallaby
On 30 October 1945, Brigadier A. W. S. Mallaby, the British brigade commander in
Surabaya, was travelling about Surabaya to spread the news about the new agreement to
his troops. At this time, Mallaby's team were forbidden to carry any weapons except
hand grenades. Later while patrolling, they received information that there was a mass
of Indonesian militia advancing to International Bank near Jembatan Merah ("The Red
Bridge"). The team headed to the area but were trapped by shooting between Dutch
soldiers who guarded the bank and local militias. When his car approached the British
troops' post in the International building near the Jembatan Merah, it was surrounded
by Indonesian Republican militia. Shortly after, Mallaby was shot and killed by the
militia under confused circumstances.

Captain R. C. Smith, who was in the stationary car, reported that a young Republican
(teen) suddenly shot and killed Mallaby after a short conversation. Smith then reported
throwing a grenade from the car in the direction of where he thought the shooter had
hidden. Although he was not sure whether or not it hit its target, the explosion caused
the back seat of the car to ignite. accounts, according to the same source,[4] stated that it
was the explosion and not a shooter that killed Mallaby. The remaining members of
Mallaby's team ran and jumped into the Kalimas River. The death of Mallaby incited
instant reaction in the Allied army because they knew Mallaby was on a non-combat
mission that day. Regardless of its exact details, Mallaby's death was a significant
turning point in the hostilities in Surabaya, and a catalyst for the battle to come. The
British ordered an Indonesian surrender, and on 10 November they launched a large
retaliatory attack.
 Main Battle

Lieutenant General Sir Philip Christison was angered when he heard

that Brigadier Mallaby had been killed in Surabaya. During a lull in
the fighting, the British brought in reinforcements and evacuated the
internees. An additional two brigades (9th and 123rd Indian) of the
5th Indian Division led by Major General Robert Mansergh were
deployed with Sherman and Stuart tanks, 2 cruisers and 3 destroyers
(including HMS Cavalier) in support.
At dawn on 10 November, a day now commemorated in Indonesia as
Heroes' Day, British troops began a methodical advance through the
city under the cover of naval and air bombardment. Fighting was
heavy, with British troops clearing buildings room by room and
consolidating their gains. Despite the fanatical resistance of the
Indonesians, half of the city was conquered in three days and the
fighting was over in three weeks (29 November). Estimates of
Indonesian deaths range between 6,300 and 15,000, and perhaps
200,000 fled the devastated city.British Indian casualties totalled
approximately 600.[
 Aftermath
The Republicans lost much of their manpower, but it was the loss of weaponry that would
severely hamper Republican military efforts for the remainder of the independence struggle.[2]
The battle for Surabaya was the bloodiest single engagement of the war, and demonstrated the
determination of the rag-tag nationalist forces; their sacrificial resistance became a symbol
and rallying cry for the revolution. It also made the British reluctant to be sucked into a war,
considering how stretched their resources in southeast Asia were during the period after the
Japanese surrender; within a few years, in fact, Britain openly supported the Republican cause
in the United Nations. It was also a watershed for the Dutch as it removed any doubt that the
Republic was a well-organized resistance with popular support. In November 1946, the last
British troops left Indonesia. The "Heroes of the 10 November" statue in Surabaya
commemorates this battle. 10 November is now commemorated in Indonesia as "Heroes'
Day", in memory of the battle.

The Scottish-American Indonesian sympathiser K'tut Tantri also witnessed the Battle of
Surabaya, which she later recorded in her memoirs Revolt in Paradise. Prior to the fighting, she
and a group of Indonesian rebels associated with Bung Tomo had established a secret radio
station in the city which broadcast pro-Indonesian Republic messages that were directed at the
British soldiers in the city. She noted that several British soldiers were unhappy with the Dutch
for misleading them about the Indonesian Republicans being Japanese puppets and
extremists. Following the British bombardment of the city, Tantri contacted several foreign
diplomats and commercial attaches from Denmark, Switzerland, the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics, and Sweden. These countries had representatives in Surabaya. They
agreed to inform their respective governments about the fighting in Surabaya and to take part
in a joint broadcast protesting the British military operations.