7 cm L.A. kanon, 8 cM veld geschut, 12 c.M. mortier, quick-firing cannon and Berggeschut were the principal Dutch artillery pieces deployed in the Atjeh-oorlog as described in Kruisheer’s ATJEH ‘96. The 7 cm L.A. kanon — a 7 cm mountain field gun — was the standard artillery piece of the Dutch buitenposten and the principal field piece of the mobile columns; one was lost without breech-block and sight on 17 April 1896 during the disastrous battle of Senelop. The 8 cM 8 cm bronze field gun, originally at Tjot Goeë was replaced by a 7 c.M. A. Veld gun on 12 April 1896. The 12 c.M. 12 cm mortar; one lost on 17 April was a heavier piece used for siege work. The rapid-fire gun — a 3.7 cm snelvuurkanon at Oleh-leh — was a more modern weapon. The mountain gun was a pack-artillery piece dismantlable for mule transport.
Etymology and Meaning
The Dutch artillery nomenclature is descriptive. 7 cm L.A. kanon: 7 cm calibre, L.A. of uncertain expansion (possibly lichte, “light”), gun, cannon. 7 c.M. A. Veld: 7 centimetre, A. of uncertain expansion, field. 8 cM veld geschut: 8 centimetre field gun. 8 c.M. Brons: 8 centimetre bronze gun — referring to the bronze construction of the earlier rifled muzzle-loading and breech-loading types. 12 c.M. mortier: 12 centimetre mortar. Snelvuurkanon: rapid-fire gun (Dutch snel = rapid, vuur = fire, kanon = gun). Berggeschut: mountain gun (Dutch berg = mountain). Veldstuk: field piece. Vuurmond: literally “fire-mouth” — a Dutch term for a gun or cannon. The various carriage types — mountain carriage, field carriage, breastwork carriage, pivot carriage — denote the mountings.
Historical Context
In the first semester of 1896 Dutch artillery was deployed in three principal modes. First, as fixed defensive armament of the buitenposten — each post typically had a 7 cm L.A. kanon and, in larger posts, a mitrailleur and a heavier piece. Second, as siege artillery at Lamdjamoe — where, from 25 April 1896, a battery of 8 mortieren 20 c.M., 6 kanonnen 12 c.M. and 6 kanonnen 7 c.M. was assembled for the bombardment of Lampisang (the bombardment fired 7,996 projectiles and produced “zeer gering” results). Third, as field artillery in the mobile columns — typically a section (2 vuurmonden) of 7 cm L.A. kanonnen on mountain carriage for pack transport. The battle of Senelop of 17 April 1896 saw the catastrophic loss of a 7 c.M. A. Veld without breech-block and sight, a the kast met loopen, and a 12 c.M. mortier — matériel subsequently brought by Panglima Polim to Senelop and used against the Dutch.
Examples in the Source
Kruisheer’s principal artillery references include: the 7 cm L.A. kanon — standard Dutch post and field piece, one lost without breech-block and sight on 17 April 1896 at Senelop. The 8 cM 8 c.M. Brons — originally at Tjot Goeë, replaced by a 7 c.M. A. Veld on 12 April 1896. The 12 c.M. mortier — one lost on 17 April 1896 at Senelop. The Snelvuurkanon — a 3.7 cm snelvuurkanon placed at Oleh-leh. The Berggeschut — mountain gun, dismantlable for pack transport. The Lamdjamoe battery of 8 mortieren 20 c.M., 6 kanonnen 12 c.M. and 6 kanonnen 7 c.M. — assembled on 25 April 1896 for the bombardment of Lampisang, which fired 7,996 projectiles over 27 April–23 May 1896. The affuit types — Bergaffuit, Veldaffuit, Borstweringaffuit, Pivôtaffuit — recorded at pages 106, 113, 115. The 7 cm L.A. kanon used by compagnie Linck at Kroeng-Kali benteng on 17 June and 23 June 1896. The 12 c.M. Brons kanonnen used by the belegeringsbatterij at Lamdjamoe.
Significance
The Dutch artillery was the principal force-multiplier of the colonial army, the means by which a small European force could hold positions and take Achehnese bentengs at acceptable cost. The loss of a 7 cm L.A. kanon, a mitrailleur, and a 12 cm mortier at Senelop was therefore a strategic event of the first order: the captured pieces were turned against the Dutch, and the 7 cm L.A. kanon reportedly shelled Senelop on 31 March 1896. The 7,996-projectile bombardment of Lampisang — and its “zeer gering” results — exposed the liprovided that of artillery against an enemy who could simply evacuate the target sone. The Dutch reliance on mountain artillery (berggeschut on bergaffuit) reflected the terrain of Groot-Atjeh: the guns had to be dismantlable for pack-animal transport across the sawah, kloof and boekit landscape that characterised the theatre of operations.
See Also
- Mitrailleur
- Dutch and Achehnese firearms
- Dutch and Achehnese ammunition and edged weapons
- Battle of Senelop (17 April 1896)
- Bombardment of Lampisang (27 April – 23 May 1896)
- Bergbatterijen
- Panglima Polim
- Lam-Pisang
- Lamdjamoe
Source
ATJEH ‘96, door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L., met 2 kaarten en 4 portretten (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913). Instituut Kern, Leiden. OCR-filename: 20260715_163243_DLP-89-Atjeh_96_Met_2_kaarten_en4_DOORA_KRUISHEER_Kapiteinder_Infanterie_nemoretriever-ocr-v1_OCR.txt, pp. 21, 27, 36, 47, 56, 81, 96, 106–114, 117, 138, 142–144, 167, 212, 219, 293–294, 323.