Yos Sudarso had always wanted to be a soldier since he was a child, despite his parents’ preference for him to become a teacher. His dream came true when the Japanese government needed more military personnel for the Greater East Asia War.
He attended the Naval Academy in Semarang and received naval military education with the Japanese Navy, graduating as one of the top students. He then served on a Japanese military ship.
After Indonesia declared independence on August 17, 1945, Yos Sudarso joined the People’s Security Agency in the marine sector (BKR Laut), which later became part of the Indonesian Navy.
Throughout his career, Yos Sudarso was involved in various military operations to eliminate insurgencies in Indonesia. He commanded several Indonesian Navy Ships (KRI) such as KRI Rajawali, KRI Alu, KRI Gajah Mada, KRI Pattimura, and KRI Macan Tutul. In 1958, he also served as a judge on a military court for four months.
In late 1961, President Sukarno issued the Tri Komando Rakyat (TRIKORA), which included an operation in the Aru Sea near Maluku to support the mission to free West Papua from Dutch control. Yos Sudarso, who was then the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (KSAL), led three KRIs in a covert operation in the waters of Maluku. The Dutch war fleet, consisting of three large warships, detected the movement of Yos Sudarso and the three KRI units. Despite Yos Sudarso ordering a temporary retreat, the Dutch mistook it for an attack maneuver and opened fire.
When the engine of the KRI Macan Tutul, led by Yos Sudarso, suddenly failed during the rescue mission, he made a quick decision to sacrifice his own ship to save the other two KRIs. The KRI Macan Tutul acted as a shield between the Dutch warships, allowing the other two KRIs to escape. The Dutch ship’s second shot hit the KRI Macan Tutul, causing it to catch fire and sink slowly.
Yos Sudarso, along with 24 other men, lost his life in the battle of the Aru Sea with the KRI Macan Tutul. He bravely sacrificed himself in the line of duty for his country at the young age of 36.
