The Battle of Batu Ili occurred in July 1880 during a military expedition led by General Karel van der Heijden against the fortified mountain position of Batu Ili in Samalanga.
Detailed Narrative
In July 1880, Dutch troops launched three successive infantry assaults against the cliffside fortress of Batu Ili in Samalanga. Acehnese defenders repulsed all three infantry storming attempts, inflicting heavy casualties.
Unable to breach the stone ramparts by direct assault, General Van der Heijden concentrated heavy artillery batteries to bombard the fort continuously. Terrified by the prolonged artillery bombardment, local chieftains surrendered in early August 1880.
See Also
Source
De expeditiën naar Atjeh 1873-1874, W.W.F. Herfkens, Koninklijke Militaire Academie, 1900, p. 75.