Japanese Forces

POWs

australian soldiers surrending to japanese tank crew of the Itoh Detachment in timor island, during the japanese invasion Australians prepared AT-guns positons, but the Japanese tankettes rushed into the column of the Australian HQ unit and stopped among them. Australians could not open fire against these tankettes. If they had fired, they would have hit friend soldiers. While they were embarrassed with the situation, a Japanese commander of the head tankette raised a hatch and shouted, "Surrender !". Australians unwillingly held up thier hands. A Japanese officer required an Australian commander to surrender the entire Australian force. Threatened by the Japanese, an Australian commander accepted it and orderd his troops to surrender. the Hayakawa unit followed to the tankettes received the Australian POWs. They were about one thousand men.