The Genietroepen — also referred to as Engineers or Genie — was the combat engineer arm of the Oost-Indisch Leger in Atjeh during the spring of 1896, responsible for the construction and destruction of fortifications, the bridging of rivers, the demolition of enemy bentengs and versterkingen, and the building of campements and defense works at Koeta Radja. Detachments were commanded variously by Kapitein A. J. T. Zelle (colonne Lamtih), 1e Luit. A. S. Ruzette (Bergcolonne), 1e Luit. E. J. de Rochemont (colonne Veeren), 1e Luit. C. J. de Bruyn, and (in the planned March column) Luitenants N. Plantenga and A. S. Ruzette. The genietroepen’s most dramatic actions of the spring were the destruction of Teuku Umar’s house at Lam-Pisang with dynamite, tar, petroleum, the demolition of the Kroeng-Kali benteng, and the destruction of the bentengs Perampoean and Batoe near Toengkoeb.
Background and Formation
As the combat engineer arm of the colonial army, the genietroepen comprised European and indigenous minderen trained in demolition, bridging, fortification, and field engineering. In the early months of 1896 the genietroepen were already responsible for the construction of fortifications, bridges, palissadeering, campements, and defense works at Koeta Radja — including the new Ana’ Galong palissadeering and bastions. On 30 March 1896 the genietroepen worked to improve the defense of Koeta Radja: barbed wire standing fence around Nesoch; two gun stands on the south side of the campement; ~14 covered infantry positions; banketten and covered infantry positions along the enceinte of kampong Baroe and kampong Gedah; raised guardhouses made more storm-proof; 3 cm armor plates placed on different banketten; and a palissadeering placed behind the fence between the laboratory and the watch on the road to Oleh-leh.
Role in the Atjeh War
On 8 April 1896 a detachment of genietroepen under 1e Luit. A. S. Ruzette — 1 officer, 40 European and native men — formed part of Kolonel Stemfoort’s relief column for Biloel and Lamkoenjit, with orders to repair the first two bridges south of Tjot Goeë. On 2 May 1896 a detachment of genie under Luit. Ruzette formed part of the diversie to Montassik, restoring the brug over the Kroeng Lingkar at 4:30 AM with three brigades of marechaussée. On 4 May 1896 a detachment under Luit. de Rochemont formed part of the second expedition to XIII Moekims Toengkoeb. On 23 May 1896 a detachment under 1e Luit. A. S. Ruzette formed part of the Bergcolonne in the three-day offensive, and on 24 May 1896 a genietroepen detachement of 43 minderen under Kapitein W. A. Zelle destroyed Teuku Umar’s house at Lam-Pisang with dynamite, tar, petroleum. On 29 May 1896 a sectie genietroepen under luit.-adj. E. J. de Rochemont formed part of Luit.-kol. C. J. Laceulle’s colonne in the machtsvertoon in III Moekims Daroe. From 30 May to 2 June 1896 two sectien genietroepen led the demolition work in the razing of Lam-Asan, supported by 800 dwangarbeiders and 400 Chinese koelies. On 16 June–17 June 1896 the genietroepen destroyed the Kroeng-Kali benteng and the bentengs Perampoean and Batoe near Toengkoeb in the tuchtiging of V Moekims Montassik.
Composition and Strength
The genietroepen were commanded by various officers through the spring: Kapitein A. J. T. Zelle (colonne Lamtih); 1e Luit. A. S. Ruzette (Bergcolonne and various operations from 8 April through 23 May 1896); 1e Luit. E. J. de Rochemont (colonne Veeren and the 29 May machtsvertoon); 1e Luit. C. J. de Bruyn; and (in the planned March column) Luitenants N. Plantenga and A. S. Ruzette. On 8 April 1896 the detachment under Luit. Ruzette numbered 1 officer and 40 European and native men. On 24 May 1896 the detachement under Kapitein W. A. Zelle numbered 43 minderen. The genietroepen employed dynamiet, teer, petroleum, and the standard engineering tools of palissade-construction, bridging, and demolition.
Significance
The genietroepen were indispensable to the Dutch conduct of the spring 1896 campaign. Without their bridging of the Kroeng Lingkar at 4:30 AM on 2 May 1896, the diversie to Montassik could not have begun; without their demolition of Teuku Umar’s house at Lam-Pisang with dynamiet, teer, petroleum on 24 May 1896, the symbolic heart of Umar’s stelling would have remained standing; without their razings of Lam-Asan, Kroeng-Kali, and the bentengs near Toengkoeb, the Dutch punitive operations of May–June 1896 would have left the enemy’s fortified base intact for re-occupation. The genietroepen’s employment of 800 dwangarbeiders and 400 Chinese koelies in the razing of Lam-Asan illustrates the way engineer-led demolition operations mobilized coerced labor on an industrial scale.
See Also
- A. J. T. Zelle
- A. S. Ruzette
- E. J. de Rochemont
- C. J. de Bruyn
- W. A. J. F. Zelle
- Capture of Lam-Pisang and Oemar’s House (24 May 1896)
- Battle of Kroeng-Kali (23 June 1896)
- Razing of Lam-Asan (30 May – 2 June 1896)
- Tuchtiging der V Moekims Montassik (16–17 June 1896)
- Springmiddelen (concept)
- 1896
Account from Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu
Military engineers; associated with the old chocolate-brown paint colour of buildings (which has ‘gone out of fashion’).
Source: J. Jongejans, Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 86.
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, 78, 84, 101, 121, 183, 184, 219, 223, 245, 293–294.
Land en Volk van Atjeh Vroeger en Nu, by J. Jongejans, Oud-Resident van het Gewest Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden, with a foreword by Dr. H. Colijn (Baarn: Hollandia Drukkerij N.V., c. 1938), pp. 86.