Menado (124.847E 1.531N) is a port on the northeastern tip of Celebes Island. There were two nearby airfields (Langoan and Mapanget), among the best in the Netherlands East Indies, that were coveted by the Japanese as stepping stones towards Java. These were protected by just two 75mm coastal guns and a force of about 1500 infantry, 75% of whom were militia.
The Japanese seized Menado on 11 January 1941 in a combined parachute and amphibious assault.
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia (c) 2007-2008 by Kent G. Budge. Index