| “Divine Japanese Soldiers Descend on Palembang,” oil on canvas by Goro Tsuruta (July 8, 1890 – January 1, 1969). This was the 1st airborne drop by Army paratroopers, and was only partially successful, although the Japanese forces ultimately prevailed. The airborne troops were equipped with standard rifles that were dropped in separate canisters and ended up landing in swamps some distance from the men, who then had to fight with just pistols, bayonets and grenades. Plaju Oil Refinery was owned by the Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij (BPM) company (known as Royal Dutch Shell until 2022) was a source of oil for the Netherlands, America and its allies. The Japanese began the invasion of Palembang on February 14, 1942, by deploying thousands of troops via parachute. Seaborne infantry landed 2 days later. Many propaganda painters such as Goro Tsuruta and many others have immortalized this attack through traditional Japanese art styles. Plaju is now owned and operated by Indonesia’s state-owned Pertamina Oil Company. This painting is now exhibited at the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1505.jpg |
| Image Size | 140.97 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1000 x 716 |
| Photographer | Goro Tsuruta |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | February 14, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | Palembang |
| State or Province | South Sumatra |
| Country | Netherlands East Indies |
| Archive | National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo |
| Record Number | X00093 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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