G. F. Soeters — Luitenant-Kolonel (Lieutenant-Colonel) of the Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger — was the commandant of the 12e Bataljon and one of the principal Dutch field commanders of the second semester of 1896 in Kruisheer’s ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel. As commandant der 2e colonne at the surprise of Ana’ Galoeng of 29 June 1896, Soeters commanded the three-bataljon force — 70e Bataljon, 12e Bataljon and 14e Bataljon — which formed the eastern arm of the three-colonne night attack on the benteng (fort) of Ana’ Galong. His later command record in the second semester of 1896 includes the reconnaissance of the XXVI Moekims of 24 July 1896 — the principal Dutch probe into that sagi (territorial confederation (sagi)) in the post-De Moulin period — and the trip to the XXII Moekims of 23–27 August 1896, in which the XXII Moekims were systematically traversed and their political disposition assessed.
The 2e Colonne at the Surprise of Ana’ Galoeng (29 June 1896)
The composition of the 2e colonne at the surprise of Ana’ Galoeng is recorded by Kruisheer in detail. 2e colonne: Comd. Luit.-Kol. G. F. Soeters. Kap. H. C. Kronouer. 1e Luit.-Adj. H. C. van Bremen. Chef v/d. Staf. Adjudant. Acht ordonnansen. Half. 70 Bat. Inf. Comd. Maj. J. R. Jacobs. Sterkte: 9 off. en 277 ond. off. en minderen. 12e Bat. Inf. Comd. Kap. J. A. W. Weustmann. Sterkte: 14 off. en 487 ond. off. en minderen. 14 Bat. Inf. Comd. Majoor F. C. Thomson. Sterkte: 14 off. en 467 ond. off. en minderen. Artillerie. 1e en 3e sectie 1 Bergbatterij: Comd. Kap. G. J. E. Nauta. Sterkte: 2 off., 57 ond. off. en minderen, 8 off.- en rijpaarden, 24 trek- en draagdieren. Genietroepen. Een detachement: Comd. Kap. W. A. J. T. Zelle. Sterkte: 53 ond. off. en minderen. Cavalerie. Twee pelotons: Comd. Jhr. L. D. C. de Lannoy. Sterkte: 3 off. en 50 minderen. Trein. Per bataljon: een ambulance. Per compagnie: een mandoer en 24 dragers. Soeters’s colonne thus comprised some 36 officers and 1,231 ond. off. en minderen (NCOs and men) of infantry alone, plus a section of the 1e Bergbatterij, a detachment of genietroepen, two pelotons of cavalerie, and the customary ambulances and transport — a force nearly equal in strength to the entire pre-reinforcement garrison of Koeta-Radja at the start of the year.
The role assigned to the 2e colonne in the operation was to hare terugtocht op den linker- [oever der Atjeh-rivier] — to cover its retreat on the left bank of the Atjeh-rivier — while the 1e colonne under Van Heutsz stormed the benteng (fort) of Ana’ Galoeng by surprise, and the 3e colonne under Laceulle covered the right bank. To this end, de 2e colonne moest daartoe eene opname-stelling in den Oostrand van Ana Baté en Glieng kiezen, die in het noorden aangeleund was legen den Ana’ Galoengdijk en verder een deel van den noordrand van Kling bezetten — the 2e colonne was to take up a position in the eastern edge of Ana Baté and Glieng, leaning in the north against the Ana’ Galoengdijk and further occupying part of the northern edge of Kling. The hour of departure of the 2e colonne was fixed at 5:30 AM from Lambaroe — extra-treinen zorgden voor het overbrengen naar dien post (extra trains provided the transport to that post). The 2e colonne’s role was thus to form the eastern cordon of the surprise attack — to prevent the enemy’s escape eastward and to support the 1e colonne’s attack by occupying the high ground east of the benteng (fort).
The Reconnaissance of the XXVI Moekims (24 July 1896)
After the death of Generaal-Majoor De Moulin on 7 July 1896 and the restoration of Stemfoort as wd. Civiel en Militair Gouverneur on 11 July 1896, the Dutch command entered the slow phase of reconnaissance and consolidation which characterised the second semester of 1896. On 24 July 1896, idem in de XXVI Mockims door eene colonne onder Luitenant-Kolonel G. F. Soeters — a reconnaissance was conducted in the XXVI Moekims by a colonne under Luitenant-Kolonel G. F. Soeters. The reconnaissance was the principal Dutch probe into the XXVI Moekims in the post-De Moulin period, and was undertaken in conjunction with the reconnaissance in the XIII Moekims Toengkoeb ordered by Stemfoort on 11 July 1896. The XXVI Moekims — the easternmost sagi (territorial confederation (sagi)) of Groot-Atjeh — had been the scene of Tjoet Nja Din’s family lands and the centre of Toekoe Nanta Tocha’s influence; the reconnaissance was thus both a military and a political probe, designed to ascertain the disposition of the hoeloebalang (territorial chief (uleebalang)) class and the extent of Umar’s following in that region.
The Trip to the XXII Moekims (23–27 August 1896)
The principal command exercised by Soeters in the second semester of 1896 was the trip to the XXII Moekims of 23–27 August 1896 — a five-day expedition which systematically traversed the XXII Moekims and assessed the political disposition of that sagi (territorial confederation (sagi)). The expedition formed part of the broader Dutch strategy of the second semester of 1896 — the slow extension of effective control beyond the geconcentreerde linie (concentrated line) by means of repeated machtsvertoon (shows of force) and reconnaissance, in preference to the permanent occupation of points beyond the line. The XXII Moekims were the sagi (territorial confederation (sagi)) of Panglima Polim — one of the principal Acehnese commanders of the war — and the reconnaissance was thus a direct engagement with the political base of one of the principal adversaries of the Dutch.
The Construction of Blang Bintang Camp (7 September 1896)
On 7 September 1896, begin van den bouw van een kampement op de Blang Bintang (Tjot Mantjang) — the beginning of the construction of a camp at Blang Bintang (Tjot Mantjang). The construction of this camp — which would serve as the advanced base for the first Selimoen expedition of 6–11 September 1896 and for the second Selimoen expedition of 3–6 November 1896 — was a significant departure from the policy laid down in the Notulen der conferentie van 18 Juni 1896, which had specified that tot een postenstelsel, behalve dat van onze geconcentreerde stelling, niet mag worden overgegaan. The construction of Blang Bintang was thus a voorloopige (provisional) occupation, justified by the explicit authorisation of the Governor-General’s telegram of 18 July 1896 for the temporary occupation of points beyond the geconcentreerde linie (concentrated line). Soeters’s role in the construction of the camp — and in the subsequent operations based upon it — places him at the centre of the Dutch forward movement of the second semester of 1896.
Significance
Soeters’s significance in the documentary record of ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel is that of the principal Dutch veldcommandant of the second semester of 1896 — the officer whose command record, alongside that of Van Heutsz and Laceulle, defines the operational tempo of the period. His command of the 2e colonne at the surprise of Ana’ Galoeng placed him at the eastern arm of the most ambitious Dutch operation of the second semester; his reconnaissance of the XXVI Moekims on 24 July 1896 was the principal Dutch probe into that sagi (territorial confederation (sagi)) in the post-De Moulin period; and his trip to the XXII Moekims of 23–27 August 1896 was the most extensive Dutch engagement with the political base of Panglima Polim in the second semester of the year. His name appears in the Dagorders granting military decorations for Atjeh ‘96, where de kapiteins der Infanterie … J. A. M. M. Schauroth and others are honoured, but the bulk of the officer honours for the second semester went to the junior officers of the surprise attack — the Luitenants Stoop, Wagener, Dijkstra and Rijnen of the snelladers compagnie.
See Also
- ATJEH ‘96 — Tweede Deel (book by A. Kruisheer)
- J. W. Stemfoort
- J. J. K. de Moulin
- J. B. van Heutsz
- C. J. Laceulle
- H. C. Kronouer
- H. C. van Bremen
- J. R. Jacobs
- J. A. W. Weustmann
- F. C. Thomson
- G. J. E. Nauta
- W. A. J. T. Zelle
- Jhr. L. D. C. de Lannoy
- 12e Bataljon
- 7e Bataljon
- 14e Bataljon
- Surprise of Ana’ Galoeng (29 June 1896)
- Tuchtiging of Sibreh and Rahat (29 June 1896)
- Reconnaissance in the XIII Moekims Toengkoeb (11 July 1896)
- Reconnaissance of the XXVI Moekims (24 July 1896)
- Trip to XXII Moekims (23–27 August 1896)
- Construction of Blang Bintang Camp (7 September 1896)
- XXVI Moekims
- XXII Moekims
- Ana’ Galong
- Lambaroe
- Aceh War
- 1896
Source
ATJEH ‘96. Tweede Deel (2c Deel), door A. Kruisheer, Kapitein der Infanterie O.I.L., met 3 kaarten en 6 portretten (Weltevreden: N.V. Boekhandel Visser & Co, 1913). Instituut Kern, Leiden. OCR-filename: 20260715_163243_DLP-90-Atjeh_96_DLP-89-Atjeh_96_Met_3_kaarten_en_6_DOORA_KRUISHEER_Kapiteinder_Infanterie_nemoretriever-ocr-v1_OCR.txt., pp. 7, 15–16, 24, 71, 92, 109, 142, 176, 222.