Indonesian nationalists declared independence on August 17 and vowed to resist their return, the fiercest and deadliest conflict in the countrys history. After British forces defeated Japan to end World War II, they were ordered to surrender, repatriate prisoners of war, and pave the way for the return of colonial Dutch.nThe newly liberated population of what would later become Indonesia faced great uncertainty as the British army tried to deal with the surrender of Japanese troops and restore Dutch colonial rule. The Japanese forces, in a state of limbo waiting for the arrival of Allied troops, collected all available weapons. The youths of Surabaya took up arms and repelled the troops sent to occupy the city.nThe wellequipped and trained British forces fought alongside the hastily formed militias in what is commonly seen as a brutal suppression of freedom fighters in Indonesia. British reinforcements held their own and fought with tanks and heavy artillery in the streets of Surabaya and other cities in East Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi. In Indonesia, Heros Day is an annual celebration of those who upheld the Declaration of Independence from the Dutch on 17 August, with museums, books and films, in many cases sponsored by national governments.nSurabaya is symbolic of the broader struggle that lasted four years before Indonesias independence was recognized by the Dutch in late 1949.nThere was an epic battle that took place in Surabaya on November 10, 1945, but the rest of this conflict is a national moment that is easily remembered.nThe Allied forces, led by the British Army, launched a massive assault and used all the weapons at their disposal, including tanks, artillery and air power, to occupy the city. It was reported that they dropped about 500 bombs on the first day alone, but it took the Allies three weeks to secure them.nWithin three days, half of the city had been conquered, and after three weeks the fighting was over on November 29. Estimates of their deaths ranged from 6,300 to 15,000, but perhaps 200,000 fled the devastated city.nThe Battle of Surabaya was the bloodiest single operation of the war and demonstrated the determination of a nationalist force. Republicans have lost much of their manpower, and it was this loss of weapons that would severely hamper their efforts against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the future. Indonesian flag and became a symbol and rallying cry for the revolution as well as a symbol of Indonesias independence from France.nBy defeating Surabaya, the fledgling Indonesian nationalist movement proved to the British and the world that they would not accept Indonesias surrender to France or any other country in Southeast Asia. Within a few years, Britain actually openly supported the Republican cause at the United Nations. This made them reluctant to be drawn into another war, given how depleted their resources were in Southeast Asia during the period of Japanese surrender.nIn an unequal battle, Surabaya upheld the spirit of the Anzacs, who maintained their untested troops to maintain an unwinnable battle against entrenched Turkish positions through sheer determination. Thousands of young men were slaughtered in battle, many of them innocent civilians, and many more in later battles.nBritish troops succeeded in conquering Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, on behalf of the Netherlands, despite fierce resistance. The Battle of Surabsaya was part of the Indonesian National Revolution and the first major battle in the struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire.nSurabaya, the first Allied representative to arrive, capitulated on October 3 and Soekarno Hatta declared the independence of Indonesia. The struggle galvanized Indonesian and international support for Indonesian independence and helped reflect Indonesians heroic efforts.nRecognizing the reality of Indonesian control of the city, the armed forces were ordered to hand over their remaining weapons to the Indonesians.nBritish forces brought with them a small Dutch military contingent, which they called the Dutch Indian Civil Administration and the Dutch East Indian Army.nThe Battle of Surabaya was part of the Indonesian National Revolution and was the most serious single battle of the revolution and became a national symbol of Indonesian resistance. British and Indian soldiers used a combination of heavy machine gun fire, knockout Indonesian nationalist militias and a modified universal carrier.n