Paratroopers in Palembang
This wartime painting, created by a different artist in a distinct style, also captures the dramatic moment when Japanese paratroopers descended on Palembang in 1942. The scene became a recurring subject in Japanese propaganda art during World War II. Its repeated depiction, beyond Tsuruta Goro’s work, shows how various artists immortalized this major military operation as a symbol of Japan’s power and triumph.
Year
1942
Artist
N/A
Object Detail
Oil on canvas
Type
Artwork
Collection
LeBoYe Private Collection
Did you know?
Japan’s arrival in Indonesia was framed as a mission to liberate the nation from Dutch colonial rule and usher in prosperity for Asia. One of the most frequently commemorated events in wartime art was the Japanese assault on Palembang, South Sumatra. The city’s strategic importance lay in its Plaju Oil Refinery, then owned by the Bataafsche Petroleum Maatschappij (now Royal Dutch Shell), a crucial supplier of oil to the U.S. and its allies. On February 14, 1942, Japanese forces captured the city through aerial attacks and a massive parachute landing operation.
