Paratroops Descending on Palembang
This wartime painting by Tsuruta Goro captures the dramatic moment Japanese paratroopers landed on Palembang in 1942. It’s one of the most iconic scenes frequently depicted in Japanese propaganda art during World War II.
Year
1942
Artist
Tsuruta Goro
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.
