The convoy ambush near Atoë (21 March 1876) was a heavy attack by the Atjehnese enemy on a Dutch transport with sick men, free coolies, forced-labourers and soldiers’ wives, escorted by 62 men under First Lieutenant of Infantry Baron Van Heeckeren van Molecaten, on the sawah between the posts of Atoë and Kajoe-Lē. It was described by H. F. Meijer in Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876 (1883).
The stretch
The terrain between Atoë and Kajoe-Lē was the muddiest of the whole south-east line, and in March 1876 there were still no roads. The heavy rains of that month had made marches through sawahs and kampongs extremely difficult; the still densely wooded and populous kampong Lamkrah offered the enemy every opportunity for ambush. Convoys therefore marched in the early morning and returned in the afternoon, always escorted.
The ambush
On 21 March Lieutenant Van Heeckeren was ordered by the post commander of Atoë, Major J. Visser, to escort a transport of 5 sick men and 65 free coolies and forced-labourers to Kajoe-Lē with a detachment of one second-lieutenant (Vorst) and 60 bayonets, divided into four sections: two as advance and rear guards, two as main body, with the stretchers (tandoes), coolies, forced-labourers and a few soldiers’ wives — who had asked to travel along — between the rear guard and the main body. Sergeant Suiringa commanded the advance guard.
The march went unmolested until the sawah between the kampongs of Atoë and Kajoe-Lē. Hardly had the rear guard debouched on that sawah, or the whole transport was suddenly fired upon in the flanks and rear: from a ditch on the right and from behind a living fence (pagar) on the left. The advance guard and the first section of the main body faced east, the second section of the main body west, the rear guard south, answering the fire and keeping the enemy at a distance; all the coolies, forced-labourers and women lay flat on the ground. Some klewang-waving champions showed that the Atjehers intended hand-to-hand work, and to continue the march over the muddy sawah with its standing paddy was impossible without heavy losses. Van Heeckeren therefore decided to return to Atoë.
The fighting withdrawal
The advance-guard commander had to keep the enemy off the transport while the sick, wounded and non-combatants withdrew — a movement followed by the first section and the rear guard. Van Heeckeren, who had intended to keep command of both covering sections, was wounded and had to hand command to sergeant Suiringa, who acquitted himself honourably, keeping the enemy at a respectful distance by cool and well-aimed volleys. Second Lieutenant Vorst, with the second section of the main body — only fifteen men strong — received orders to drive the enemy from behind the pagar by a bayonet charge so that the non-combatants could regain the road to Atoë; the charge succeeded, at a cost of 3 wounded.
Major Visser at Atoë, convinced by the well-sustained firing that a sharp engagement was going on, at once sent 25 bayonets under First Lieutenant Van Puffelen to the rescue; his detachment met the retiring convoy, whose ammunition was nearly exhausted, took a covered position and gave the pressing enemy a few powerful volleys, under cover of which the withdrawal continued to Atoë, though the enemy kept firing on it until close to the post.
Losses and assessment
Dutch losses were 5 killed — non-commissioned officers, men, coolies and forced-labourers — and 8 wounded including 1 officer. The dead had to be left on the field, but the wounded and the weapons were brought in: Meijer credits the European artillery corporal Keizer above all with the saving of the wounded, and the European sergeant Christiani with the saving of the weapons. The affair at Atoë, in which the troops had once again suffered a sharp check, made necessary the immediate execution of the order of 10 March to build the intermediate post of Atoë Noord — begun the very next morning, and attacked by the enemy the following night.
See Also
- Van Heeckeren van Molecaten
- Majoor J. Visser
- Night attack on Atoë Noord (22-23 March 1876)
- Zuidoosterlinie
- Atoeh
- Kajoe-Lē
- Guerilla warfare in Groot-Atjeh
Source
Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876, door H. F. Meijer (Breda: P. B. Nieuwenhuijs, 1883), chapter VII, pp. 147–151.