Hurumende dzeDutch neAustralia dzakarangarira kubvisa nzvimbo yacho, asi mukuru wayo woruwa, Jean Victor de Bruijn, akanga akatsunga kugara ndokurwisana kuti achengete zvishoma zveDutch East Indies zvakanga zvasara. Muna July de Bruijn akaenda kuAustralia kunomhan'ara mhaka yake. Panguva iyoyo, ndege dzose muAustralia dzaidiwa naGeneral Douglas MacArthur kana kuti hurumende yeAustralia kuti dzirwe muEastern New Guinea
uye Solomon Islands. Izvi zvakaita kuti zvive zvisingabviri kuti de Bruijn agamuchire vashandi. Zvakabvumwa kuti aizodzokera kumakomo nepfuti nezvombo, asi kuti hapana rumwe rubatsiro rwaigona kupiwa nokukurumidza. Mangwanani aNovember 5, 1942, ndege yakamuendesa kubva kuMerauke kuenda kuEnarotali.