 Instead, in January 1942 the division was transferred to the control of the IJA 16th Army in eastern Java, where it was assigned the capture of Surabaya and its strategic oil fields on 7 March 1942.Afterwards, the IJA 48th Division was assigned to garrison of the island of Timor as part of the IJA 19th Army.Although the island had been captured by Japan in the Battle of Timor, much of the island was still in the hands of Australian and Dutch commandos.