2de (IIde) Divisie Marechaussee

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tagsorganization, military, dutch, colonial, knil, marechaussee, atjeh, world-war-ii, westkust, military-unit, aceh, aceh-war, 20th-century, koeala-beh, tripa, 2e-divisie
aliases2e Divisie Marechaussee, Tweede Divisie Marechaussee, IIde Divisie Marechaussee, Westkust Maréchaussee divisie, 2e Divisie Maréchaussée, IIde Divisie Maréchaussée, 2nd Division Maréchaussée, Koeala Beh division, Tripa division, Divisie Doewa djaga koeala

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The 2de (IIde) Divisie Marechaussee was the Westkust division of the Korps Maréchaussee van Atjeh en Onderhorigen during 1940–1942, under the command of Captain L. H. J. Kloprogge at Meulaboh, and the only Maréchaussee division to conduct sustained Dutch resistance during the Japanese invasion of March 1942. In the Dutch staff history’s account (Deel VI, Hoofdstuk V), the IIde Divisie is the staff history’s principal narrative unit of the Westkust campaign — the formation that evacuated 3,000 women and children over 600 km of Westkust road, fought the Battle of Blang Pidië on 17 March 17 March 1942, and capitulated at Lae Boetar on 29 March 29 March 1942.

Organisation as of 1 January 1940

As of 1 January 1940, the IIde Divisie Marechaussee was grouped as follows (each brigade of Maréchaussee numbering 20 men):

Total: 8 brigades (about 160 men).

The IIde Divisie was the only Maréchaussee division on the Westkust after the 1940 reductions. By December 1941 the Westkust Maréchaussee strength was down to 11 brigades — four at Koeala Bee (Iste Divisie), three at Djeuram, and four at Meulaboh (one detached to Tjalang).

Command

The IIde Divisie was commanded throughout the Westkust campaign by Captain L. H. J. Kloprogge. When, on 10 March 10 March 1942, Kloprogge marched with two brigades to relieve Tjalang, he handed acting command of the remaining division to 1st Lt A. Zijlmans. Lt H. R. van Ham at Djeuram commanded the Djeuram detachment.

Operations of March 1942

The IIde Divisie’s operations of March 1942 are the staff history’s principal Westkust narrative, organised around the evacuation of 3,000 women and children from the Westkust outposts to Lae Boetar. The principal engagements were:

Significance

The IIde Divisie is, in the staff history’s Atjeh chapter, the principal Dutch formation of the Westkust campaign, and the only Maréchaussee division to conduct sustained resistance during the Japanese invasion. The staff history’s contrast between the IIde Divisie’s sustained resistance — achieved under Captain Kloprogge’s calm and judicious leadership — and the panic that overtook the 2de Garnizoensbataljon on the noordkust under Lt-Col Bekkers is the compilers’ principal evidence that the structural cause of the noordkust collapse was not the Maréchaussee’s fighting spirit in general, but the 2de Garnizoensbataljon’s specific demoralisation.

Sources

Atjeh, door H.C. Zentgraff. Gedrukt bij Drukkerij “De Unie”, 1938, Batavia. OCR-filename: 20260709_002148_DLP-81-Atjeh_OCR.txt.

See Also

Source

Nederlands-Indië contra Japan, Deel VI: De strijd op Ambon, Timor en Sumatra, bewerkt door C. van den Hoogenband en L. Schotborgh (‘s-Gravenhage: Staatsdrukkerij- en Uitgeverijbedrijf, 1959), Hoofdstuk V (“De strijd in Noord-Sumatra (Atjeh)”), pp. 114–137.

The 2de (IIde) Divisie Marechaussee was the Westkust division of the Korps Maréchaussee van Atjeh en Onderhorigen during 1940–1942, under the command of Captain L. H. J. Kloprogge at Meulaboh, and the only Maréchaussee division to conduct sustained Dutch resistance during the Japanese invasion of March 1942. In the Dutch staff history’s account (Deel VI, Hoofdstuk V), the IIde Divisie is the staff history’s principal narrative unit of the Westkust campaign — the formation that evacuated 3,000 women and children over 600 km of Westkust road, fought the Battle of Blang Pidië on 17 March 17 March 1942, and capitulated at Lae Boetar on 29 March 29 March 1942.

Organisation as of 1 January 1940

As of 1 January 1940, the IIde Divisie Marechaussee was grouped as follows (each brigade of Maréchaussee numbering 20 men):

Total: 8 brigades (about 160 men).

The IIde Divisie was the only Maréchaussee division on the Westkust after the 1940 reductions. By December 1941 the Westkust Maréchaussee strength was down to 11 brigades — four at Koeala Bee (Iste Divisie), three at Djeuram, and four at Meulaboh (one detached to Tjalang).

Command

The IIde Divisie was commanded throughout the Westkust campaign by Captain L. H. J. Kloprogge. When, on 10 March 10 March 1942, Kloprogge marched with two brigades to relieve Tjalang, he handed acting command of the remaining division to 1st Lt A. Zijlmans. Lt H. R. van Ham at Djeuram commanded the Djeuram detachment.

Operations of March 1942

The IIde Divisie’s operations of March 1942 are the staff history’s principal Westkust narrative, organised around the evacuation of 3,000 women and children from the Westkust outposts to Lae Boetar. The principal engagements were:

Significance

The IIde Divisie is, in the staff history’s Atjeh chapter, the principal Dutch formation of the Westkust campaign, and the only Maréchaussee division to conduct sustained resistance during the Japanese invasion. The staff history’s contrast between the IIde Divisie’s sustained resistance — achieved under Captain Kloprogge’s calm and judicious leadership — and the panic that overtook the 2de Garnizoensbataljon on the noordkust under Lt-Col Bekkers is the compilers’ principal evidence that the structural cause of the noordkust collapse was not the Maréchaussee’s fighting spirit in general, but the 2de Garnizoensbataljon’s specific demoralisation.

See Also

Source

Nederlands-Indië contra Japan, Deel VI: De strijd op Ambon, Timor en Sumatra, bewerkt door C. van den Hoogenband en L. Schotborgh (‘s-Gravenhage: Staatsdrukkerij- en Uitgeverijbedrijf, 1959), Hoofdstuk V (“De strijd in Noord-Sumatra (Atjeh)”), pp. 114–137.

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