Allied missions against Balikpapan and Balikpapan Harbor
January 22, 1942–July 11, 1945

January 22, 1942
(USN) PBY Catalina spots the Japanese invasion force from Tarakan steaming southward via the Celebes Sea and Makassar Strait bound for Balikpapan.

January 23, 1942
(USAAF, NEIAF) Battle of Balikpapan at 10:50am bombed by U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) B-17 Flying Fortresses ineffectively. At 4:25pm attacked by Netherlands East Indies Air Force bombers including nine Martin 166 (B-10) bombers and four light bombers escorted by twenty Brewster Brewster 339s from 2-VLG-V and 3-VLG-V bombed the convoy sinking Nana Maru and damaging Tatsugami Maru and Sanyo Maru. By 8:45pm the Japanese invasion force was southeast of Balikpapan and by 9:30pm begins landing troops of the "Sakaguchi Brigade" including the 56th Mixed Infantry Group and Kure No. 2 Special Naval Landing Force (No. 2 SNLF).

January 24, 1942
(USN) Battle of Balikpapan in the early morning, the escorting Japanese destroyers were searching for a Dutch submarine. Meanwhile at at 3:16am four U.S. Navy (USN) destroyers from Destroyer Division 59 (DesDiv 59) including USS Paul Jones (DD-230), USS Parrott (DD-218), USS Pope (DD-225) and USS John D. Ford (DD-228) attack the Japanese transports with gunfire and torpedoes. Although many of the Mark 15 torpedoes they released ran too deep, the managed to sink Kuretake Maru, Nana Maru, Sumanoura Maru, Tatsukami Maru and Patrol Boat P-37 plus damage two other transports. During the attack, Ford was damaged by gunfire before withdrawing at 4:00am.

January 29, 1942
(5th AF) B-17s attack Japanese shipping in Balikpapan Harbor. Returning, attacked by Japanese fighters and lost is B-17E 41-2476 (MIA).

February 3, 1942
(5th AF) B-17s bomb shipping off Balikpapan.

August 14, 1943
(5th AF) On August 13, 1943 at 5:00am twelve B-24's from 380th Bombardment Group took off armed with six 500 lbs bombs and overloaded with fuel on a bombing mission against the oil center at Balikpapan. Flying individually to the target, half the bombers planned to bomb the refineries and the other half would bomb shipping in Balikpapan Harbor from minimum height. Inbond to the target, the B-24s encountered three weather fronts and two B-24s aboarted the mission. Nine B-24s arrived over the target after midnight and bombed by moonlight. Returning, force landed is B-24D "Shady Lady" 42-40369 (crew survived) the only bomber lost. At the time, this was the longest bombing mission of the war that would cover a total of 2,700 miles. References: Air Force Magazine "Valor: First at Balikpapan" by John L. Frisbee vol. 71, no. 6 June 1988.

August 15, 1943
(5th AF) Two B-24s piloted by Lt. Jack Banks and Howard Hahn flew a daylight photographic mission over Balikpapan to photograph the results of the prior raid and also dropped bombs onto the target. Banks was intercepted by enemy fighters and claimed four shot down. Hahn's crew claimed one shot down. References: Air Force Magazine "Valor: First at Balikpapan" by John L. Frisbee vol. 71, no. 6 June 1988.

August 17, 1943
(5th AF) Eleven B-24's of the 380th Bombardment Group took off for a followup strike on Balikpapan. Inbound to the target, two aborted the mission. In bad weather, nine bombed the oil facilities at Balikpapan. B-24 piloted by Soderberg was hit and set on fire, then extinguished. B-24 piloted by Shek suffered three wounded. B-24 piloted by Fleming wounded bombardier Lt. Mellinger and started a fire in the nose and knocked out their no. 1 engine and the no. 2 engine quit over Timor. References: Air Force Magazine "Valor: First at Balikpapan" by John L. Frisbee vol. 71, no. 6 June 1988.

December 11, 1943
(5th AF) B-24's bomb Balikpapan.

January 12, 1944
(FEAF) B-24s attack Balikpapan.

September 30, 1944
(FEAF) B-24s strike oil installations at Balikpapan

October 3, 1944
(FEAF) For the second time B-24s bomb oil refineries in the Balikpapan area

October 10, 1944
(FEAF) B-24s strike oil refineries and an airfield in the Balikpapan area; the B-24s and escorting P-47s and P-38s claim 30+ Japanese fighters downed.

October 14, 1944
(FEAF) B-24s again bomb oil refineries and associated industries in the Balikpapan area.

October 18, 1944
(FEAF) Bad weather curtails a major strike on Balikpapan of 120+ B-24s and fighters, only 8 B-24s and 8 P-38s reach the target.

April 23, 1945
(USN) PB4Y-2 Privateer from Patrol Bombing Squadron 109 (VPB-109) piloted by Lt.Cdr. Hicks and Lt. Kennedy release two ASM-N-2 Bat glided bombs against Japanese shipping in Balikpapan Harbor in the first combat employment of the only automatic homing bomb to be used in World War II.

May 10, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb targets at Balikpapan.

May 16, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb Balikpapan.

May 20, 1945
(FEAF) B-25s hit shipping at Balikpapan harbor and a nearby barracks area and sawmill.

May 28, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s, B-25s, and fighters hit gun positions and other targets at Balikpapan.

June 4, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb Balikpapan.

June 8, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s and B-25s and P-38s attack gun positions at Balikpapan.

June 13, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb the Balikpapan-Sepinggang area.

June 14, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb AA positions at Balikpapan.

June 15, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s blast gun positions at Balikpapan.

June 16, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb Balikpapan gun emplacements.

June 17, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s pound Balikpapan area oil targets and gun positions.

June 18, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s blast troop concentrations in Balikpapan.

June 19, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb fortifications and AA guns at Balikpapan.

June 20, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s again pound AA positions in the Balikpapan area.

June 21, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s pound the Balikpapan town area.

June 22, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s pound Balikpapan area gun and defensive positions.

June 23, 1945
(FEAF) 150+ B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers continue heavy strikes against the Balikpapan area concentrating on gun emplacements and defensive positions.

June 24, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb Balikpapan town and coastal guns.

June 25, 1945
(FEAF) Oil facilities, shore defenses in the Balikpapan area are bombed by B-24s, B-25s, and fighter-bombers.

June 26, 1945
(FEAF) Strikes against the Balikpapan area continue by B-24s and B-25s hitting oil targets.

June 27, 1945
(FEAF) For the 15th consecutive day, B-24s pound Balikpapan destroying oil facilities and shore defenses.

June 28, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s hit defenses near Balikpapan.

June 29, 1945
(FEAF) Continuing the offensive against Balikpapan, B-24s, B-25s, and fighter- bombers bomb defensive positions and oil installations.

June 30, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s again pound Balikpapan.
(USN) US Navy ships land Australian Army troops at Balikpapan.

July 1, 1945
(USN, USMC) Marine Corps and Navy squadrons, aboard three escort carriers of Task Group 78.4 commanded by Rear Admiral W. D. Sample, provided close air support, local combat air patrol, and strikes on military installations, in support of landings by Australian troops at Balikpapan.
(FEAF) B-24s pound defenses at Balikpapan in support of the landings by the Australian Army.
(Australian Army) The Australian Army 7th Division, composed of the 18th, 21st and 25th Infantry Brigades, with support troops, made an amphibious landing, codenamed Operation Oboe Two a few miles north of Balikpapan.

July 2, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb defenses in the Balikpapan area, P-38s support Australian forces as they complete the capture of Balikpapan and its oil installations.

July 3, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s bomb defensive positions near Balikpapan in support of the Australian drive inland.

July 4, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s again pound defenses near Balikpapan.

July 5, 1945
(FEAF) Australian troops cross Balikpapan Bay and land on the west shore.

July 6, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s over Borneo bomb the Balikpapan area.

July 7, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s, B-25s, and P-38s support Australian ground forces in the area near Balikpapan.

July 8, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s and B-25s, supporting Australian forces, hit the Balikpapan area defensive positions.

July 9, 1945
(FEAF) B-24s and P-38s supporting Australian forces, hit Japanese forces in areas near Balikpapan.
(Australia and Dutch) Forces complete the encirclement of Balikpapan Bay.

July 11, 1945
(FEAF) B-25s and P-38s pound highway targets in the Balikpapan area.

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