Operation Nunusaku

Last updated
Operation Nunusaku
Part of Permesta Rebellion
Date15 May – 9 June 1958
Location
Result
  • Indonesian government victory
  • Taiwan mercenaries' aircraft were destroyed
  • Successful airstrike on Mapanget Airfield
  • Many Permesta aircraft were disabled or shot down by government forces
Belligerents
Flag of Indonesia.svg  Indonesia Minahasa vlag Flag.jpg Permesta
Mercenaries from:
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Taiwan
Commanders and leaders
Flag of Indonesia.svg Leo Wattimena Unknown
Units involved
Flag of the Indonesian Air Force.svg Indonesian Air Force AUREV
Strength
5 P-51 Mustang
4 B-25 Mitchell
1 PBY Catalina
Unknown
Casualties and losses
2 P-51 Mustang destroyed Most ofpermesta aircraft were disabled
2 Taiwan C-45 were destroyed

The Operation Nunusaku (Indonesian: Operasi Nunusaku) was an aerial operation aimed to strike Permesta airfields in Mapanget airfield and Morotai airfield; this operation was also known as the largest aerial operation conducted by the Indonesian Air Force. The operation resulted in a successful air strike by the government forces and lead to the destruction of the Permesta air forces also known as AUREV.

Contents

Background

A few days before Pope was shot down and the CIA withdrew its assets from Mapanget, an AURI operation called Operation Nunusaku was carried out to destroy AUREV aircraft. Five P-51 fighter planes, four B-25 bombers, and one PBY Catalina were assembled for this operation however this operation was led by Captain Leo Wattimena, this operation targeting Mapanget and Morotai airfield (Permesta largest airfield) to weaken Permesta airforces and disabled their aircraft. Before the attack was carried out, the planes flew to several airfields around Ambon in the late afternoon to avoid the AUREV attacks that were usually carried out earlier in the day. [1]

Operations

At 4:00 am on 15 May 1958, the planes set out for their target. Some went to Mapanget, while the others went to Kalawiran. In Mapanget, they carried out an attack under command of Leo Wattimena in which the B-25s bombarded the runway and P-51s fired and attacked the parked AUREV aircraft. [2]

A rocket hit a PBY Catalina on the ground and it immediately caught fire. After the attack, the remaining AUREV planes that were still functioning at Mapanget were only one B-26 bomber and one P-51 fighter. Meanwhile, the attack on the Kalawiran airfield destroyed the two C-45 transport planes originating from Taiwan. [3]

On 9 June 1958, AURI planes returned to attack Mapanget airfield. The P-51 fighter planes came from Morotai (which had fallen back into the hands of the TNI). However, this attack did not produce the same results like the previous attack. This time the Permesta strengthen their defense at Mapanget with anti-aircraft guns was better prepared. Two AURI P-51s were shot down in which one pilot was killed. [4]

Aftermath

After this operations the AUREV suffered heavy casualties and many their plane were disabled after this attack, however Leo Wattimena was success to promote after he conducted an successful airstrike on Mapanget. However he has an good career after the operations, and this operations also marked as suppression of the Permesta airstrike and the Permesta can not launched aerial combat or bombing on government regions . [5]

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References

  1. Gusti Fikri Noor (November 2015), p. 31.
  2. Martin, Sitompul (2020-10-27). "Leo Wattimena:Si Gila Kebanggaan AURI". historia.id (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2025-01-11.
  3. Conboy dan Morrison (1999), pp. 135–137.
  4. Conboy dan Morrison (1999), p. 159.
  5. "Kisah Dibalik Nama Leo Wattimena, Jagoan di Udara Kebanggaan TNI AU". indonesiadefense.com. 2023-01-15. Retrieved 2025-01-21.

Citations