The Capture of Kaloet by Toekoe Oemar (August 1893) was the bloodless capture of the Atjehnese fortification of Kaloet by the Dutch-allied Atjehnese warlord Toekoe Oemar in the early days of August 1893 — an operation that succeeded where the failed Dutch assault of 1 October 1892 had failed, and that did not cost een druppel bloeds meer — another drop of blood. The capture was the principal Dutch-Atjehnese auxiliary success of the late concentratie period, and the principal evidence — in the Atjeh-Album of 1896’s reading — of the operational effectiveness of General Deykerhoff’s policy of co-opting Atjehnese warlords as Dutch auxiliaries.
The context
The Atjeh-Album of 1896 records that, after the failed Dutch assault on Kaloet of 1 October 1892, General Deykerhoff had Kaloet voorloopig ongemoeid (provisionally left Kaloet alone) — refusing to risk further Dutch lives in a renewed assault. The fortification was, however, a continuing provocation: the Atjehnese garrison continued to fire on the Dutch spoorbaan (railway line) and on the Dutch posts at Lambaroe and Lamreng. The capture of Kaloet by Toekoe Oemar in August 1893 was, in the album’s narrative, the resolution of the problem — and the principal operational success of the Dutch-Atjehnese auxiliary system that Deykerhoff had introduced.
The operation of August 1893
The Atjeh-Album records that Toekoe Oemar — supported by Dutch artillery and with Dutch infantry as reserve — had, in de eerste dagen van Augustus 1893, de geheele XXV Moekims had zuiverd van vijandelijke benden, en eenige sterke bentings buiten de linie had veroverd, o.a. Boekit Trieng, Boekit Daroe, Kasoemba en Tjot-Goe — in the first days of August 1893, had purified the entire XXV Moekims of enemy bands, and had conquered some strong bentings outside the line, among others Boekit Trieng, Boekit Daroe, Kasoemba and Tjot-Goe. The capture of Kaloet was the next operation.
The Atjeh-Album records that Toekoe Oemar omsingelde den 4en Augustus het geheele terrein, waarin de benting lag, en sloot alle toevoerwegen af — invested on 4 August the entire terrain in which the benting lay, and cut off all supply routes. The 4th Mountain Battery from the Kraton and a large number of troops — approximately 1000 men — supported him krachtig (forcefully). The artillery of Lamreng, but especially of Lambaroe, kept the surrounding enemy kampongs continually under fire. The album records that den geheelen dag was het een oorverdoovend gepaf, doch wijselijk liet men een stormaanval achterwege, wel wetende dat deze weinig kans van slagen had en veel nutteloos gebrachte offers zou kosten — all day it was a deafening bang, but wisely a storm-attack was refrained from, knowing well that this would have little chance of success and would cost many useless sacrifices.
The morning of 5 August 1893
The Atjeh-Album records that, on the morning of 5 August 5 August 1893, the Dutch meenden dat de pret weer zou beginnen, doch alles bleef kalm — thought that the fun would begin again, but everything remained calm. Al bij het krieken van den dag liet Oemar weten dat hij rustig en wel in Kaloet zat te dejeuneeren — Already at the crack of dawn Oemar let [us] know that he was sitting quietly and well in Kaloet at breakfast. The album records that, the night before, Toekoe Oemar had sent a briefje (note) to the panglima of Kaloet with the vriendelijk verzoek (friendly request) to met zijne bezetting uit wandelen te gaan (to go for a walk with his garrison); the note added that, if the garrison did not withdraw along a designated path before sunrise, Toekoe Oemar would apply a hongerkuur (hunger-cure), keep the benting invested, and bij de overgave allen over de kling jagen (at the surrender put all to the sword). The Atjehnese garrison — judging that the briefje was meant seriously — withdrew in the night, and Toekoe Oemar found the benting abandoned on the morning of 5 August 5 August 1893.
The Dutch entry into Kaloet
The Atjeh-Album records that, after Toekoe Oemar’s capture of Kaloet, the Dutch kwamen door Oemar in het bezit der benting, en konden nu dezen steen des aanstoots slechten — came through Oemar into possession of the benting, and could now demolish this stone of stumbling. The Dutch immediately opengekapt (cleared) the voorterrein (foreterrain), while a detachment tijdelijk als bezetting diende (temporarily served as garrison). A few days later, the Dutch managed to take some photographiën of the benting — the principal published images of Atjehnese fortification practice in the late nineteenth century. The album records that Ieder officier, die maar eenigszins de gelegenheid kon vinden, ging naar Kaloet om dit kunstwerk van Atjehsche versterkingsbouwkunde te bezichtigen en … te bewonderen — Every officer who could in any way find the opportunity went to Kaloet to inspect and … to admire this artwork of Atjehnese fortification construction.
Significance
The Capture of Kaloet by Toekoe Oemar is significant in the documentary record of the Atjeh-oorlog as the principal Dutch-Atjehnese auxiliary success of the late concentratie period — the operation that succeeded where the failed Dutch assault of 1 October 1892 had failed. The capture was, in the album’s reading, the principal evidence of the operational effectiveness of General Deykerhoff’s policy of co-opting Atjehnese warlords as Dutch auxiliaries — the policy that would, three years later, collapse with Toekoe Oemar’s defection of March 1896. The capture was also the occasion of the principal published photographic record of Atjehnese fortification practice — the photographs of Kaloet taken by Lieutenant J. P. Verweij a few days after the capture.
See Also
- Kaloet
- XXV Moekims
- Groot-Atjeh
- Lambaroe
- Lamreng
- Boekit Trieng
- Boekit Daroe
- Kasoemba
- Tjot-Goe
- Battle of Kaloet (1 October 1892)
- Reconnaissance of Kaloet (23 August 1892)
- Toekoe Oemar
- Toekoe Oemar’s defection (1896)
- Deykerhoff
- J. P. Verweij
- Concentratie-stelsel (1884-1896)
- Geconcentreerde linie
- Aceh War
- 4 August
- 5 August
- 1893
- Atjeh-Album (Eigen Haard, 1896)
Source
Atjeh-Album van Eigen Haard, uitgave van de N.V. Het Tijdschrift “Eigen Haard”, Amsterdam, 1896, pp. 33–34 (De Strijd om Kaloet — Eene herinnering uit den Atjeh-oorlog).