The night attacks on Lamara N.O. and Lamara Z.O. (28–29 May 1876) were two nearly simultaneous Atjehnese attempts to surprise, by way of the gates, the small Dutch posts on the left bank of the Kroeëng Titi Pandjang, north of the Atjeh River. Both were stopped at the gate by the two young post commanders — First Lieutenants Verploegh and Mahne — and cost the enemy his element of surprise, two dead at Lamara Z.O., and the Dutch one fusilier. The events were described by H. F. Meijer in Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876 (1883).
Lamara N.O.
At Lamara N.O. (Northeast), First Lieutenant of Infantry Verploegh was about to make his round at half past two when he was surprised by an enemy shot on the west face, where the gate stood. Reaching the gate, he heard one of the attacking Atjehers call “siin, siin” (“here, here”) — from which it was clear that the enemy meant to force an entry through the gate; and he saw that a number of Atjehers already stood before it. As he fired his revolver at one of them, he received, almost at the same moment from two others, two lance thrusts: one on the nose close to the eye, one in the breast — luckily of little consequence, so that he could retain command of the garrison, which had come under arms at the alarm and soon drove the enemy off. Sharpest fire came from a party stationed farther back that appeared to form the reserve. Losses: 1 native fusilier killed, and 2 wounded including the post commander. Of the enemy no dead or wounded were found, only 2 blunderbusses.
Lamara Z.O.
At Lamara Z.O. (Southeast), First Lieutenant of Infantry Mahne had just come in from his round at two o’clock when he heard rifle shots in the direction of Lamara N.O. He at once had the alarm blown and the garrison come under arms, went to the gate himself, and saw — as Verploegh had seen at the other post — that the so-called outer gate had already been destroyed by the enemy and that four Atjehers were busy mastering the main gate. A shot from his revolver, the fire of the European corporal Mulder standing beside him, and Mulder’s bayonet thrust at one of the intruders brought them to a stand. Fire opened on all sides by the alarm-posted garrison at once told the bold enemy that his plan was foiled, and he quickly broke off, leaving 2 dead and some weapons. Mahne had been knocked to the ground by two blows with a piece of wood struck on his skull by one of the intruders, but was not wounded. Dutch losses: none.
Assessment
Meijer presented the twin attacks as proof of the enemy’s constant readiness with a new device: flooded terrain, mud walls and obstacle belts all around these isolated posts in the swamp did not prevent bold men from approaching within metres at midnight. Only the wakefulness of the two commanders — both, characteristically, already on their feet when the enemy showed — had prevented a repetition of Lemboeq N.O. The same posts had been alarmed again a few days later, in mid-June, when the enemy tried once more to creep up on Lamara N.O.
See Also
Source
Atjeh van 26 December 1875 tot 4 September 1876, door H. F. Meijer (Breda: P. B. Nieuwenhuijs, 1883), chapter VII, pp. 194–196.