The Bergartillerie — also written Bergbatterijen in the plural, comprising the 1e Bergbatterij, 2e Bergbatterij, 4e Bergbatterij, and 5de Bergbatterij — was the mountain artillery arm of the Oost-Indisch Leger in Atjeh during the spring of 1896, employing guns that could be dismantled and transported on pack-animals through the difficult sawah, kreupelbosch, and ridge terrain of the Groot-Atjeh interior. The four batteries were commanded variously by Kapitein G. J. E. Nauta (1e), Kapitein M. G. J. Kempers (2e), Kapitein A. Bangert (4e), and an unnamed kapitein (5de), with sections under Luitenants Steenkamp, Deibert, son, Hoolboom, Vrijdag, van der Waarden, Stufken, and Kempers. The batteries provided the close artillery support that allowed Dutch infantry to storm prepared Acehnese versterkingen at Senelop on 17 April, Tjot Tjako on 23 May, and the stelling Daman on 25 May.
Background and Formation
The bergbatterijen of the colonial army were equipped with 7 c.M. A. Veld mountain guns — vuurmonden capable of being broken down for mule transport — and employed both shells, shrapnel shells, and canister shot against enemy fortifications. Two sections of the 4e Bergbatterij under Kapitein A. Bangert were already present in Atjeh before Teuku Umar’s defection of 29 March 1896; on the afternoon of 29 March 1896 two sections of the 4e Bergbatterij were marched out to reinforce Lamdjamoe at 5 PM as part of Gen.-Maj. C. Deykerhoff’s counter-measures. The 1e Bergbatterij under Kapitein G. J. E. Nauta arrived on 8 April 1896 aboard the General Pel alongside the fourth company of the 6e Bataljon, and was initially encamped in and around the manege at Nesoch in Koeta Radja. The 2e Bergbatterij under Kapitein M. G. J. Kempers and the 5de Bergbatterij arrived with the second tranche of reinforcements aboard five KPM steamers later in April 1896, the second bergbatterij being encamped on the high ground enclosed by the laboratory-Deijkerhofflaan-Oleh-leh road-Ketapan Doewa railway.
Role in the Atjeh War
The bergbatterijen were engaged in nearly every Dutch column of the spring. On 8 April 1896 two sections of the 4e Bergbatterij under Kapitein A. Bangert — 3 officers, 34 European and 26 native men, plus 32 riding/draft horses and pack animals — formed the artillery of Kolonel Stemfoort’s relief column for Biloel and Lamkoenjit. On 17 April 1896 the 4e Bergbatterij (under Kapitein A. Bangert, with sections under Lts. Steenkamp and Deibert, 6 vuurmonden) supported Lt.-Col. Van Heutsz’s column at Senelop — Lt. Deibert’s bergartillerie section came into position west of the road and opened fire together with the infantry, and Lt. Steenkamp’s 2nd berg section talso position at height 25 to support the 2nd column. On 2 May 1896 the 4e Bergbatterij again supported the diversie to Montassik. On 4 May 1896 two sections of the 1e Bergbatterij under Kapitein Nauta supported the second expedition to XIII Moekims Toengkoeb. On 23 May 1896 the 2e Bergbatterij under Kapitein Kempers — with two sections destined for Van Heutsz (only one made it up the mountain) — supported the Battle of Tjot Tjako, and on 25 May 1896 the bergbatterijen supported the bestorming van de stelling Daman. On 22 June–23 June 1896 the 2e and 4e Bergbatterijen supported the 2e (land) Colonne under Kolonel Stemfoort in the Ladoeng landing and Glé Broeë attack.
Composition and Strength
The bergbatterijen fielded the following strengths in the spring of 1896: the 1e Bergbatterij under Kapitein G. J. E. Nauta — 3 officers, 60 minderen, 4 with sections under Lts. son and Hoolboom; the 2e Bergbatterij under Kapitein M. G. J. Kempers — 2 officers + 1 d.d. + 63 minderen + 4 vuurmonden; the 4e Bergbatterij under Kapitein A. Bangert — 3 officers, 88 minderen, 6 with sections under Lts. Steenkamp and Deibert; and the 5de Bergbatterij listed in the forces table of 1 June 1896. Sections were commanded variously by Luitenants Steenkamp, Deibert, son, Hoolboom, Vrijdag, van der Waarden, Stufken, and Kempers. Ammunition types fired included granaten, granaatkartetsen, and kartetsen — the latter employed in canister-fire against storming parties of djahats.
Significance
The bergbatterijen were indispensable to Dutch column warfare in Atjeh: without the ability to dismantle the guns for mule transport across sawah and ridge, no Dutch column could have assaulted prepared Acehnese versterkingen at ranges effective enough to suppress enemy fire. The 7 c.M. A. Veld gun was the workhorse piece of the spring 1896 campaign — though one was lost (without breech-block and sight) at Senelop on 17 April 1896 in the confusion of the retreat. The arrival of four bergbatterijen by May 1896 reflects the scale of the Dutch artillery reinforcement programme summoned after Teuku Umar’s defection of 29 March 1896.
See Also
- G. J. E. Nauta
- A. Bangert
- P. A. Schrassert Bert
- Kempers
- Battle of Senelop (17 April 1896)
- Battle of Senelop (2 May 1896)
- Slag bij Tjot Tjako (23 May 1896)
- Bestorming van de Stelling Daman–Lam Tjroeng–Lam Poelau (25 May 1896)
- Ladoeng Landing and Glé Broeë Attack (22–23 June 1896)
- Vuurmond (concept)
- Snelvuurkanon
- 1896
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. 73, 77, 78, 83, 100, 119, 120, 183, 191, 209, 227, 245, 293–294, 323.