The 3de (IIIde) Divisie Marechaussee was the Takengon-oriented division of the Korps Maréchaussee van Atjeh en Onderhorigen during 1940–1942, commanded in March 1942 by Captain F. Wetzels, and the principal Dutch formation of the central-Atjeh theatre of the Japanese invasion of March 1942. In the Dutch staff history’s account (Deel VI, Hoofdstuk V), the IIIde Divisie is the staff history’s principal narrative unit of the Bireuën–Takengon three-position defence — the formation that fought the first stelling south of Bireuën under Lt Van Pesch and conducted the only successful Dutch guerrilla action of the central-Atjeh campaign.
Organisation as of 1 January 1940
As of 1 January 1940, the IIIde Divisie Marechaussee was grouped as follows (each brigade of Maréchaussee numbering 20 men):
Total: 15 brigades (about 300 men).
Operations of March 1942
In Palmer van den Broek’s three-position defence of the Bireuën–Takengon road, the IIIde Divisie supplied the troops of both the first stelling (three brigades under Lt Van Pesch, with four machine guns and two pieces of light field artillery) and the second stelling (five brigades under Captain Wetzels as IIIde divisie commander). The IIIde Divisie’s troops at the first stelling conducted the staff history’s only Dutch tactical success of the central-Atjeh campaign — the engagement of 15 March 15 March 1942, in which the Japanese suffered approximately 40 killed for no Dutch loss — and the staff history’s only successful Dutch guerrilla of the central-Atjeh campaign (Lt Van Pesch and sergeant Haveman’s two-week ambush campaign of 16 March 16 March–1 April 1 April).
Significance
The IIIde Divisie is, in the staff history’s Atjeh chapter, the staff history’s principal narrative unit of the central-Atjeh campaign, and the formation whose troops conducted the only Dutch tactical success and the only successful Dutch guerrilla of the central-Atjeh theatre. The staff history’s emphasis on the IIIde Divisie’s exemplary function — set against the panic that overtook the 2de Garnizoensbataljon on the noordkust — frames the IIIde Divisie’s troops as the staff history’s principal evidence that the central-Atjeh Maréchaussee, when competently led, was still capable of effective resistance in March 1942.
See Also
- Nederlands-Indië contra Japan
- Korps Marechaussee van Atjeh en Onderhorigen
- 1ste Divisie Marechaussee
- 2de (IIde) Divisie Marechaussee
- 4de (IVde) Divisie Marechaussee
- 5de (Vde) Divisie Marechaussee
- 6de (VIde) Divisie Marechaussee
- F. Wetzels
- W. van Pesch
- Haveman
- First stelling south of Bireuën (15 March 1942)
- Takengon
- Lam Meulo
- Bireuën
- 1942
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. 114–147.
The 3de (IIIde) Divisie Marechaussee was the Takengon-oriented division of the Korps Maréchaussee van Atjeh en Onderhorigen during 1940–1942, commanded in March 1942 by Captain F. Wetzels, and the principal Dutch formation of the central-Atjeh theatre of the Japanese invasion of March 1942. In the Dutch staff history’s account (Deel VI, Hoofdstuk V), the IIIde Divisie is the staff history’s principal narrative unit of the Bireuën–Takengon three-position defence — the formation that fought the first stelling south of Bireuën under Lt Van Pesch and conducted the only successful Dutch guerrilla action of the central-Atjeh campaign.
Organisation as of 1 January 1940
As of 1 January 1940, the IIIde Divisie Marechaussee was grouped as follows (each brigade of Maréchaussee numbering 20 men):
Total: 15 brigades (about 300 men).
Operations of March 1942
In Palmer van den Broek’s three-position defence of the Bireuën–Takengon road, the IIIde Divisie supplied the troops of both the first stelling (three brigades under Lt Van Pesch, with four machine guns and two pieces of light field artillery) and the second stelling (five brigades under Captain Wetzels as IIIde divisie commander). The IIIde Divisie’s troops at the first stelling conducted the staff history’s only Dutch tactical success of the central-Atjeh campaign — the engagement of 15 March 15 March 1942, in which the Japanese suffered approximately 40 killed for no Dutch loss — and the staff history’s only successful Dutch guerrilla of the central-Atjeh campaign (Lt Van Pesch and sergeant Haveman’s two-week ambush campaign of 16 March 16 March–1 April 1 April).
Significance
The IIIde Divisie is, in the staff history’s Atjeh chapter, the staff history’s principal narrative unit of the central-Atjeh campaign, and the formation whose troops conducted the only Dutch tactical success and the only successful Dutch guerrilla of the central-Atjeh theatre. The staff history’s emphasis on the IIIde Divisie’s exemplary function — set against the panic that overtook the 2de Garnizoensbataljon on the noordkust — frames the IIIde Divisie’s troops as the staff history’s principal evidence that the central-Atjeh Maréchaussee, when competently led, was still capable of effective resistance in March 1942.
See Also
- Nederlands-Indië contra Japan
- Korps Marechaussee van Atjeh en Onderhorigen
- 1ste Divisie Marechaussee
- 2de (IIde) Divisie Marechaussee
- 4de (IVde) Divisie Marechaussee
- 5de (Vde) Divisie Marechaussee
- 6de (VIde) Divisie Marechaussee
- F. Wetzels
- W. van Pesch
- Haveman
- First stelling south of Bireuën (15 March 1942)
- Takengon
- Lam Meulo
- Bireuën
- 1942
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. 114–147.