Militair Commando van Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden

The Militair Commando van Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden — the Military Command of Atjeh and Dependencies — was the operational headquarters of the K.N.I.L. in the Residency of Atjeh en Onderhorigheden, exercising operational command over all Dutch military forces in the residency throughout the Atjeh-oorlog and the colonial period. The Militair Commando is the principal military headquarters of ATJEH ‘96 (1913) and the institutional frame within which every Dutch military operation of 1896 was planned and executed.

Organisation

The Militair Commando was headed by the Leger-commandant (in his capacity as Regeeringscommissaris) when present, and otherwise by the Civiel en Militair Gouverneur. The principal staff officers were the chef van den gewestelijken staf (chief of the regional staff) and the gewestelijke staf (regional staff), responsible for the planning and execution of operations. In 1896 the chef van den gewestelijken staf was Lt.-Kol. C. P. J. van Vliet (who later that year became the Civiel en Militair Gouverneur himself). The Militair Commando exercised operational command over the infantry battalions, the cavalry, the artillery, the engineers, the marechaussée, and the medical service in the residency.

The 1896 order of battle

The Militair Commando’s order of battle in Atjeh on 1 January 1896 is printed as Bijlage I (A) of the 1e Deel of ATJEH ‘96 — the Staat aangevende de sterkte der troepen in Atjeh en hunne legering op den 1e Januari 1896 (Statement showing the strength of the forces in Atjeh and their legering on 1 January 1896). The principal units under command were:

• Infantry: the 3rd, 6th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 14th, and 15th Battalions, and the garnizoensbataljon.
• Cavalry: the 4th Escadron.
• Artillery: the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Bergbatterijen.
• Engineers: the genietroepen.
• Marechaussée: the Korps Marechaussee under 1e Luit. H. M. Vis.
• Medical Service: the geneeskundige dienst with two ambulances.
• Military Administration: the militaire administratie and the intendance.

The total strength was approximately 5,000 men. The strength on 30 June 1896 is printed as Bijlage VIII of the 1e Deel.

The principal operations of 1896

The principal operations of the Militair Commando in 1896 were:

• the relief of Biloel and Lamkoenjit on 8 April 1896;
• the evacuation of Biloel and Lamkoenjit of 12 April 1896 and the evacuation of the outer line of April 1896;
• the bombardment of Lampisang of 27 April–23 May 1896;
• the great tuchtiging of the IV and VI Moekims of 23–25 May 1896;
• the tuchtiging of the V Moekims Montassik of 16–17 June 1896;
• the tuchtiging of the Lam-Krak Moekims of 9–10 June 1896;
• the surprise of Ana’ Galoeng of 29 June 1896;
• the expedition to Lepong of August 1896;
• the first Selimoen expedition of September 1896;
• the second Selimoen expedition of November 1896;
• the expedition to Indrapuri of October 1896;
• the cholera epidemic of December 1896 which prevented the colonne tegen Oemar from taking the field.

Significance

The Militair Commando is the principal military headquarters of ATJEH ‘96 and the institutional frame within which every Dutch military operation of 1896 was planned and executed. The order of battle in Atjeh on 1 January 1896 is the only published nominal return of the Dutch occupation force on the eve of the 1896 campaign, and the order of battle on 30 June 1896 is the only published nominal return at the midpoint of the year.

See Also

• ATJEH ‘96 (book by A. Kruisheer)
• 1896
• K.N.I.L.
• Gewestelijke Staf
• Civiel en Militair Gouverneur
• Regeeringscommissaris
• Gouvernement Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden
• Derde Bataljon (Atjeh-Bataljon)
• 6e Bataljon Infanterie
• 7e Bataljon Infanterie
• 9e Bataljon Infanterie
• 12e Bataljon Infanterie
• 14e Bataljon Infanterie
• Bergbatterijen
• Korps Marechaussee van Atjeh en Onderhorigen
• C. P. J. van Vliet
• J. A. Vetter
• J. W. Stemfoort
• J. B. van Heutsz
• G. C. E. van Daalen
• G. A. Hansen
• G. F. Soeters
• Bijlage I (A) — State of forces in Atjeh and their legering on 1 January 1896
• Bijlage VIII — State of forces in Atjeh and their legering on 1 June 1896
• Atjeh en Onderhorigheden
• Aceh War

Source

ATJEH ‘96. 1e Deel, door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L. (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913), Bijlage I (A), Staat aangevende de sterkte der troepen in Atjeh en hunne legering op den 1e Januari 1896; Bijlage VIII, Staat aangevende de sterkte der troepen in Atjeh en hunne legering op den 30sten Juni 1896.

ATJEH ‘96. Tweede Deel (2c Deel), door A. Kruisheer (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913), Bijlage VI, Militair Commando van Atjeh en Onderhoorigheden, KOETA-RADJA, 4 April 1896, No. 37, COMMANDEMENTSORDER.