Battle of Kaloet (1 October 1892)

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tagsevent, battle, aceh-war, 1892, aceh, kaloet, xxv-moekims, groot-atjeh, dutch-defeat, hoolboom, drijber
aliasesthe battle of Kaloet, the 1 October 1892 assault on Kaloet, the failed assault on Kaloet, the October 1892 Kaloet engagement

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The Battle of Kaloet (1 October 1892) was the principal Dutch military assault on the Atjehnese fortification of Kaloet in the XXV Moekims of Groot-Atjeh — an assault by a strong column from Lambaroe under a captain and three lieutenants, supported by 75 men from Lampermej and 50 men of the 14th Battalion, that was repulsed with 7 killed and more than 30 wounded, including Lieutenant Hoolboom (mortally wounded) and Lieutenant Drijber. The engagement was the principal Dutch military failure of the late concentratie period, and the Atjeh-Album of 1896 characterises the failure as evidence that the benting of Kaloet could not be taken by assault — even with a force five times stronger than the one that was actually employed.

The previous reconnaissance

The Atjeh-Album of 1896 records that the battle of Kaloet (1 October 1892) was preceded by two earlier operations against the fortification. The first was the night-patrol of Lieutenant Brant of the maréchaussée on the night of 22-23 August 1892, which lay in ambush in the dry bed of the Kroeng Kali opposite Kaloet but was surprised by the Atjehnese garrison’s versliepen zich (oversleeping) and had to return to Lamreng at 7 a.m. without having caught anyone. The second was the reconnaissance of 23 August 1892 — a reconnaissance column under Captain Jhr. Graafland with Lieutenant Brant as guide, which set out from Lamreng up the Kroeng Tandjong and destroyed the Atjehnese fortifications in the river before approaching to within 50 metres of Kaloet’s vóórwal (front wall) and withdrawing. A further attempt was made on 27 September 1892 — when a company from Lambaroe attempted to take the benting by surprise and was repulsed.

The assault of 1 October 1892

The Atjeh-Album records that the battle of Kaloet (1 October 1892) was a krachtige poging (forceful attempt) at the verovering (capture) of the benting. The assault was undertaken by a strong column from Lambaroe under a captain and three lieutenants — supported by 75 men from Lampermej, 50 men of the 14th Battalion, and a detachment of maréchaussées — which approached Kaloet from the north-east at 5 a.m. and was in stelling (in position) by 5 a.m. A second detachment, from Lamreng, attempted to approach the west side of the benting.

The Dutch repulse

The Atjeh-Album records that the assault was repulsed. The album’s narrative describes the Atjehnese defensive works — vol met allerlei verdedigingswerkjes en hindernissen — full of all kinds of defensive works and obstacles: open earthworks 1 to 2 metres broad and man-high, with parapets, on the flanks bent backwards; some with geschutstand (gun-positions) for lilas (swivel-guns); deep pits waarin punjoes, glasscherven enz. (in which bamboo stakes, glass shards etc.) were placed, with the opening zooveel mogelijk bedekt (as much as possible covered); Weerbarstige sterke plant, met doorns — Stubborn strong plant, with thorns; Scherp aangepunte stokjes, die vooral voor de ongehoede inlanders hoogst gevaarlijk zijn — Sharply pointed stakes, that are especially dangerous for the incautious natives.

The column was repulsed at all points. Lieutenant Drijber veroverde hier een drietal poorten (captured here three gates), but in den nauwen gang werden zijne mannen van uit ter zijde aangebrachte bamboekokers als muizen neergeschoten (in the narrow lane his men were shot down like mice from bamboo-tubes placed at the side). Drijber himself was zwaar gekwetst (severely bruised). With much effort he managed to withdraw with all the wounded, dead and weapons. Lieutenant Hoolboom kreeg een doodelijk schot in het hoofd (received a mortal shot in the head) and died the next day. The total casualties were 7 killed and more than 30 wounded — mostly severely.

The Dutch response

The Atjeh-Album records that, after the failed assault of 1 October 1892, General Deykerhoff wilde niet op nieuw kostbare menschenlevens wagen (did not want to risk precious human lives again) — even though van verschillende zijden stemmen opgingen, die eischten dat het échec gewroken zou worden (from various sides voices were raised demanding that the failure be avenged). The album characterises Deykerhoff’s refusal as an act of moral courage: Voor het weigeren van dit verlangen, daar waar de eer het niet strikt noodzakelijk maakte, is misschien meer moed noodig geweest, dan voor het toestaan — For the refusal of this demand, there where honour did not strictly require it, perhaps more courage was necessary than for the granting.

The album records that Kaloet was voorloopig ongemoeid (provisionally left alone) until Toekoe Oemar het in onze handen speelde, zonder dat het een druppel bloeds meer kostte (played it into our hands without costing another drop of blood) — a reference to the bloodless capture of Kaloet by Toekoe Oemar in August 1893.

Significance

The Battle of Kaloet (1 October 1892) is significant in the documentary record of the Atjeh-oorlog as the principal Dutch military failure of the late concentratie period — the engagement that demonstrated the impossibility of taking the benting of Kaloet by assault, even with a strong column. The engagement cost the life of Lieutenant Hoolboom and severely wounded Lieutenant Drijber, and it produced General Deykerhoff’s refusal to risk further lives — the principal documented Dutch act of military restraint of the late concentratie period. The engagement was followed, eleven months later, by the bloodless capture of Kaloet by Toekoe Oemar — the principal Dutch-Atjehnese auxiliary success of the same period.

See Also

Source

Atjeh-Album van Eigen Haard, uitgave van de N.V. Het Tijdschrift “Eigen Haard”, Amsterdam, 1896, pp. 30–33 (De Strijd om Kaloet — Eene herinnering uit den Atjeh-oorlog).

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