[gumalangi]

The Battle of Surabaya was fought between pro-Independence Indonesian soldiers and militia against British and the Netherlands troops as a part of Indonesian National Revolution. The peak of the battle was in November 1945. facing fierce resistance, yet British troops managed to conquer Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, on behalf of the Netherlands. The Battle was the heaviest single battle of the Revolution and became a national symbol of Indonesian resistance. Considered a heroic effort by Indonesians, the battle helped galvanise Indonesian and international support for Indonesian independence. 10 November is celebrated annually as Heroes Day (Hari Pahlawan).

Allied forces arrived at the end of October 1945, the pemuda ('youth') foothold in Surabaya city was described as "a strong unified fortress". Heavy fighting erupted when 6,000 British Indian troops landed in the city to evacuate European internees. Following the killing of British Brigadier General Mallaby on 30 October, British retaliated with a punitive sweep beginning on 10 November under the cover of air attacks. Although the European forces largely captured the city in three days, the poorly armed Republicans fought for three weeks and thousands died as the population fled to the countryside.

Despite the military defeat suffered by the Republicans and a loss of manpower and weaponry that would severely hamper Republican forces for the rest of the Revolution, the battle and defence mounted by the Indonesians galvanised the nation in support of independence and helped garner international attention. For the Dutch, it removed any doubt that the Republic was not simply a gang of collaborators without popular support. It also had the effect of convincing Britain that wisdom lay on the side of neutrality in the Revolution; next a few years, in fact, Britain would support the Republican cause in the United Nations.