Battle of Sungei Koemba

Battle of Sungei Koemba
Part of the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
An Australian soldier from 3RAR with an L4A4 Bren light machine-gun, on patrol near the Sarawak-Kalimantan border, 1965.
Date 27 May – 12 June 1965 Location Sungei Koemba river, Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) Result Australian military success
Belligerents
Australia Supported by:  Malaysia	Indonesia
Commanders and leaders
William Broderick Ivor Hodgkinson Tunku Osman	Unknown
Units involved
3 RAR	440 Battalion
Strength
~120 men	Unknown
Casualties and losses
2 Wounded	~31 killed

The Battle of Sungei Koemba (27 May – 12 June 1965) took place during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. Involving Australian and Indonesian troops, the battle consisted of a series of ambushes launched by the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR), along the Sungei Koemba river in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). The ambushes were part of the wider Operation Claret which involved cross-border operations by British-Commonwealth units from bases in Sarawak, penetrating up to 10,000 yards (9,100 m) into Indonesian territory with the aim of disrupting the movement and resupply of Indonesian forces and to keep them off balance.

The first ambush was conducted by two platoons from B Company on 27 May 1965 and resulted in significant Indonesian casualties, for no loss to the Australians. The second ambush was conducted a fortnight later and was set a little further downstream from the last one, this time by a platoon from C Company, occurring on 12 June 1965 and again resulting in heavy Indonesian casualties for no loss to the Australians.