| Original caption: “Imperial Naval Forces occupy the Natuna Islands, northwest of Borneo. The island was an important base for Allied submarines in the Western Pacific and has now become one of the key bases for the Imperial forces for close surveillance of Australia.” The Natuna Islands provided the Imperial Japanese Army with an airfield that controlled the South China Sea. After occupying Borneo in early 1942, Japan wanted an outpost that could monitor Allied advances against its new possession. They quickly built a concrete airstrip. Since Natuna comprises 154 islands, 127 of which were uninhabited, Special Operations Executive (SOE) set up 6 motorized junks to raid shipping in Bangkok and Saigon in July 1944. Soon, 60 craft operated in the South China Sea, landing guerrillas in Malaya, Thailand, and French Indochina. By June 1945, the Imperial Japanese Army’s 539th Independent Infantry Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Yoshio Sekiya garrisoned the Natuna Islands. The image appeared in Kokusai Shashin Joho (“The International Graphic”) on September 1, 1942. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1503.jpg |
| Image Size | 337.27 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2000 x 1524 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 22, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | Natuna |
| State or Province | Riau |
| Country | Borneo |
| Archive | Kokusai Shashin Joho |
| Record Number | Issue Number Nine, , September 1, 1942 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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