Atlas of Battles

campaign, notable, Cold War

Operation Kraai

Operation Kraai was a campaign fought in 1948 at Sumatra, in what is now Indonesia. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Sumatra. It was part of the Indonesian National Revolution, which ran from 1945 to 1949. The recorded result: Dutch victory; Indonesian government exiled.

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Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Dienst voor Legercontacten Indonesië Reportage / Serie : [DLC] Balige, Taroetoeng, Si Borong-Brong en op weg naar Padang Sidempoean [2e Politionele Actie, acties "H
Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Dienst voor Legercontacten Indonesië Reportage / Serie : [DLC] Balige, Taroetoeng, Si Borong-Brong en op weg naar Padang Sidempoean [2e Politionele Actie, acties "H. Huisman, B. / DLC, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1948
WhereSumatra, Indonesia0.299S, 101.271E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeDutch victory; Indonesian government exiled
BelligerentsIndonesiaagainstNetherlands
Casualties and losses4,000 casualties; (including in Operation Product)and300 killed
Part ofIndonesian National Revolution1945 to 1949

Where it sits in the Indonesian National Revolution

Battle of Semarang, 1945Battle of Surabaya, 1945Battle of Ambarawa, 1945Battle of Pagatan, 1946Battle of Petaling, 1946Battle of Medan, 1946South Sulawesi Campaign, 1946Police Actions (Indonesia), 1947Operation Product, 1947Operation Kraai, 19481 March General Offensive, 1949Siege of Surakarta, 194919451949Operation Kraai, 1948
12 placed engagements of the Indonesian National Revolution in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1948 (year precision)
to 1948
PlaceSumatra, Indonesia
0.299S, 101.271E
KindCampaign, Cold War
Territorial changeYogyakarta captured by the Dutch
Strength3 Mitsubishi Zero; 100,000 soldiers800–900 paratroopers; 10,000 soldiers–130,000 soldiers; 23 Douglas DC-3s; Dutch fighter aircraft and bombers
Casualties and losses4,000 casualties; (including in Operation Product)300 killed
Commanders
  • Simon Spoor
  • Dirk Reinhard Adelbert van Langen
Operation KraaiOperation KraaiPadangPekanbaruBukittinggiSawahluntoPadangpanjang100 km0.299S, 101.271E
Placed at Sumatra; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1948

Operation Kraai is one of 4,429 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 106 in present-day Indonesia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q7891770, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Operation Kraai, revision 1370693298, read 2026-11-15, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.