The city of Makassar is located at the southwest coast of Celebes Island and is today one of the most important harbors in Southeast Asia. The Indonesians called it Ujung Pandang.
In Makassar area was stationed approximately 1000 men, of whom half was professional and there were 200 men located in the Southwest Celebes. The commander of the Dutch forces was KNIL Colonel M. Vooren. He decided he couldn't defend himself well enough at the coast and was planning to fight a guerilla war inland. He had a depot built in Enrekang with supplies for that purpose and there also existed some fortifications at Tjama, 80 km northeast of Makassar.
In the meantime KNIL Lieutenant Colonel Jan Gortmans (nicknamed "Jan Oorlog") had arrived from Java Island and soon recruited ca. 400 natives for military purposes in Enrekang and started to train them for guerilla warfare.
At the end of January 1942, all the children and women of European origin had been evacuated to Java Island and the women and children of the native KNIL soldiers were evacuated to two mountain villages east off Makassar, Malino and Pakato where there were camps. On 9 February 1942 came the Japanese Invasion Force (during the Japanese landing Japanese destroyer Natsushio was torpedoed and sunk by US submarine S-37 (Lt. Dempsey) in Makassar Strait, 05 d. 10' S., 119 d. 24' E., causing the only Japanese naval loss in the entire action)).
About 8000 Japanese soldiers were were dropped off neat the town of Makassar and south of Makassar at Jeneponto. They immediately headed for Makassar, where they captured a bridge with some KNIL guardsmen. A company of KNIL native soldiers caused some casualties to the Japanese, so the bridge guards were immediately after being captured tied in groups of three with their legbandages and thrown from the bridge into the water.
On 6 February 1942 a small Japanese force landed and occupied the town of Gorontalo at Minahassa Peninsula, west of Menado.
In the town of Paloe were stationed 5 KNIL brigades in December 1941. Before the Japanese landing party arrived on an auxiliary cruiser on 12 April 1942 and occupied the town, they demolished the town's airfield by activating the stored aircraft bombs on the runway.
In the beginning of 1941 there also existed small KNIL garrissons in Poso and Loewok, but were redeployed between July and October 1941. After October 1941 there were no KNIL military units in those places. Later (date is unknown) were 3 KNIL brigades transferred from Poso to Kolonodale, increasing the town's garrison up to 5 KNIL brigades.
After the fighting around Menado a small number of KNIL troops escaped to Poso via several ways. At the end of February 1942 they numbered approximately 60 men. This force was renamed as "Detachment Poso". One KNIL brigade of this force was send to Ampana to stifle an uprising. They stayed there until 10 April 1942, when they were recalled back to Poso.
The garrison in Paloppo numbered 5 KNIL brigades.
The Dutch KNIL troops retreated to Tjamba as planned and prepared for action. About a week later Colonel M. Vooren received an ultimatum. If he didn't surrender the camps at Malino and Pakate would be bombed. He refused, but the pamphlets dropped by planes seriously damaged moral of KNIL troops. The Japanese decided to attack from the north and south. They drove with tanks to the northern part of the Gulf Boni where they encountered resistance, but that wasn't big enough to stop them. That was in Palopo and the surviving soldiers retreated again and now the Tjamba fortifications faced the enemy from two sides; north and south. The Japanese encoutered heavy resistance by KNIL troops for several days but in the night of 27 February-28 February 1942 KNIL Colonel M. Vooren had to decide to leave Tjamba. Two groups were formed, one of 60 men and another of 100 men. They were the strongest and allowed to make it to Enrekang. By that time the native supply carriers had left and many soldiers had thrown away their weapons. Both groups were overtaken by the Japanese troops and eventually captured. The forward had lost the Japanese two times, but there weren't any native KNIL soldiers left. They all deserted. KNIL Colonel M. Vooren was threatened and wanted to make him to go to Enrekang to persuade KNIL Lieutenant Colonel J. Gortmans to surrender. He refused that but later changed his mind when he heard that the main KNIL troops have already surrendered. He went to Enrekang with a Japanese staff officer and managed to delay the talks. In the meantime Gortmans had noticed he can't expect any help from the natives and decided to surrender together with the remaints of his force- ca. 300 KNIL soldiers. He had previously released ca. 400 natives meant for guerilla war. KNIL Lt-Col Gortmans was together with his officers taken to the Makassar POW camp, where he took command over Allied POWs. Later in the war he was beheaded by the Japanese guards.
Note RK - ''Reservekorps Oud Militairen".
Note KV - "Kort Verband" - short term volunteers.