14e Bataljon Infanterie

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tagsorganization, dutch, colonial, military, 19th-century, aceh-war
aliases14e Bataljon Infanterie, 14de Bataljon, 14e Bataljon, 14th Infantry Battalion

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The 14e Bataljon Infanterie — also written 14de Bataljon — was a Dutch colonial field infantry battalion of the Oost-Indisch Leger, present in Atjeh at the start of 1896 and engaged in nearly every major Dutch column of the spring, from Maj. G. P. M. van der Noordaa’s 30 March 1896 relief column for Senelop through the Battle of Senelop of 17 April 1896, the three-day offensive of 23–25 May 1896, and the Ladoeng landing of 22–23 June 1896. Commanded initially by Maj. G. P. M. van der Noordaa, later by Maj./Luit.-kol. F. C. Thomson, the battalion played a major — and costly — role in Lt.-Col. Van Heutsz’s column at Senelop on 17 April 1896, where the confusion in the retreat led to the loss of a 7 c.M. field gun and a mitrailleur. The battalion furnished troops for the buitenposten of Lamkoenjit and Tjot Goeë and was one of the largest in the theatre, with a 1 June 1896 strength of 15 officers and 516 minderen.

Background and Formation

As a veldbataljon of the colonial army, the 14e Bataljon combined European and indigenous companies armed with Beaumont rifles. In the early months of 1896 it furnished troops for Lamkoenjit and Tjot Goeë, sortied on 4 August 1895 against the besiegers, and formed part of the garrison of Koeta Radja. On 30 March 1896 it formed the hoofdmacht of Maj. G. P. M. van der Noordaa’s relief column to Senelop — 1 major, 1 adjutant-lieutenant, 2 captains, 6 lieutenants, 227 European and native NCOs/men — together with eight marechaussée brigades under 1e Luit. W. K. J. Stoop, 1e Luit. J. W. C. Vuijkk, and 1e Luit. H. M. Vis. Kapitein Bruynis commanded one infantry company and Kapitein Labotz the infantry peloton of the achterhoede. On 31 March 1896 two companies of the 14e Bataljon were sent by train to Lambaroe. On 8 April 1896 the battalion — 17 officers, 155 Eur. and 277 native men — formed one of the three infantry battalions of Kolonel Stemfoort’s relief column for Biloel and Lamkoenjit, with an ambulance under Off. van gesondh. 2e kl. J. L. W. F. van Leent (15 men).

Role in the Atjeh War

On 17 April 1896 the 14e Bataljon played a major role in Lt.-Col. Van Heutsz’s column at Senelop. The confusion in the retreat, however, led to the loss of a 7 c.M. field gun (without breech-block and sight) and a mitrailleur’s chest with barrels — a humiliation that Kruisheer singles out as the most serious material loss of the spring campaign. The same day the Vestingartillerie suffered two sergeants killed. On 20 April 1896 the battalion operated in the final phase of the evacuation of the buitenlinie. On 21 April 1896 its 5e compagnie (koloniale reserve) under Kapitein S. A. Drijber — at the time attached to the 12e Bataljon — conducted the evacuation of Tjot Rang. On 23 May 1896 the battalion — 16 officieren, 142 Eur. and 312 inl. minderen — formed part of the colonne Lamtih under Maj. G. P. M. van der Noordaa in the three-day offensive. On 24 May 1896 Maj. van der Noordaa commanded a separate colonne (the colonne v.d. Noordaa) operating against Lam-Roekam and Lam-Oedjoeng. The battalion’s peloton commander, 1e luit. Tetenburg, brought munitieaanvulling to the 12e Bataljon at Lam Manjang on 23 May. On 22 June–23 June 1896 the battalion marched in the 2e (land) Colonne under Kolonel Stemfoort in the Ladoeng landing and Glé Broeë attack.

Composition and Strength

The 14e Bataljon’s strength evolved through the spring. On 8 April 1896 it fielded 17 officers, 155 European and 277 native men under Maj. G. P. M. van der Noordaa. On 23 May 1896 it reported 16 officieren, 142 European and 312 indigenous minderen, again under van der Noordaa. The strength return of 1 June 1896 recorded 15 officers and 516 minderen. Command later passed to Maj./Luit.-kol. F. C. Thomson. Company commanders during the spring included Kapitein Bruynis, Kapitein Labotz, and Kapitein S. A. Drijber (5e compagnie, koloniale reserve). Medical support was provided by the ambulance under Off. van gesondh. 2e kl. J. L. W. F. van Leent (15 men). Casualties on 17 April 1896 at Senelop included two sergeants of the Vestingartillerie killed, while the loss of the 7 c.M. field gun and mitrailleur chest was a permanent material loss.

Significance

The 14e Bataljon Infanterie was a workhorse of the spring 1896 campaign and bore the most costly material humiliation of the semester: the loss of a 7 c.M. field gun and mitrailleur kast met loopen on 17 April 1896 at Senelop. That loss motivated the 2 May search operation for the lost geschut — yielding nothing — and contributed to the operational urgency with which Lt.-Gen. Vetter pressed the May–June counter-offensive against Teuku Umar’s stellingen. The battalion’s 5e compagnie (koloniale reserve) under Kapitein Drijber, conducting the evacuation of Tjot Rang on 21 April 1896, exemplifies the operational flexibility of Dutch colonial units, which were routinely detached from their parent battalion for ad hoc tasks.

See Also

Source

ATJEH ‘96, door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L., met 2 kaarten en 4 portretten (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913). Instituut Kern, Leiden. OCR-filename: 20260715_163243_DLP-89-Atjeh_96_Met_2_kaarten_en4_DOORA_KRUISHEER_Kapiteinder_Infanterie_nemoretriever-ocr-v1_OCR.txt, pp. 77, 84, 100, 117, 183, 234, 247, 294.

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