Buuxi weedhan soo socota: Horumarka Japan ee Baasifigga waxaa joojiyay horaantii 1943, ciidamada Australia ee New Guinea iyo ciidamada Mareykanka ee Guadalcanal, kadibna xulufada ayaa weerar ku qaaday, iyagoo ku sii gudbay New Guinea iyo Solomon Islands dhanka Filibiin. Guud ahaan sanadkii 1944, xulufada waxay bilaabeen inay qorsheeyaan dib u qabsashada Borneo. Madaxtooyada Guud ee Jeneraal Douglas MacArthur ee Koonfurta Galbeedka Aagga Baasifigga ayaa mas'uul ka ahaa qorsheynta howlgalka, laakiin ka dib ballanqaadkii ciidamada Mareykanka ee dib u qabsashada Filibiin, hawsha dib u qabsashada Borneo waxaa ugu horreyn loo qoondeeyay ciidamada dhulka ee Australia. Howlgalada xulufada ee Borneo waxay ka koobnaayeen soo degista Tarakan,
Labuan, iyo Balikpapan. Asal ahaan, MacArthur wuxuu damacsanaa inuu Borneo u adeegsado inuu ku bilaabo dib u qabsashada Java, laakiin howlgalkan ayaa markii dambe la joojiyay oo mas'uuliyadda Dutch East Indies waxaa loo wareejiyay Taliska Koonfurta Bari Aasiya ee uu hoggaaminayo Ingiriiska. Marxaladda qorshaynta, taliyaha Ciidamada Milatariga Australia, General Thomas Blamey wuxuu ka soo horjeestay soo degitaanka Balikpapan, isagoo aaminsan in aysan u adeegi doonin ujeedo istiraatiiji ah. Ka dib markii ay ka fiirsadeen, Dowlada Australia waxay ogolaatay in ay ciidamo siiso howlgalkan. Madaxda Ciidamada Mareykanka ayaa sidoo kale walaac ka muujiyay baahida istiraatiijiyadeed ee howlgalka, laakiin sida uu sheegayo taariikhyahan Garth Pratten, MacArthur wuxuu ku dhaqaaqay labadaba Dowladda Australia iyo Madaxda Ciidamada si ay u oggolaadaan qabsashada Balikpapan. Ujeedada howlgalka ayaa lagu sheegay, sida uu sheegay taariikhyahan Chris Coulthard-Clark, "in la sugo dekedda iyo dhuxusha shidaalka ee aagga, iyo in la dhiso saldhig laga bilaabo" hawlgallada mustaqbalka. Waxaa intaa dheer, in la soo celiyo maamulka dowladda ee Dutch East Indies.