Captain van Randwijk was a Dutch kapitein der infanterie and commandant of the Pakan Atjeh post, whom Borel singles out for praise for having, on his own initiative, cleared the boschrand, built palissades of klapperstammen, randjoes and verhakkingen, and made the post “bewoon- en verdedigbaar” — and who, on 17 August 1874, marched his company out at dawn and seized the grafheuvel east of Pakan Atjeh at the double-quick by surprise, the action that became the occupation of the ooster-benteng.
The Pakan Atjeh Post
Pakan Atjeh, on the right bank of the Kroeng Daroe east of the Kraton, was one of the keystones of the strategische driehoek Kwala Atjeh–Kota Radja–Oeleh Leh that Borel credits to Pel rather than to van Swieten. The post, under van Randwijk’s command, was armed with 12 c.M. achterlaadkanonnen. On his own initiative — “op eigen initiatief” — van Randwijk cleared the boschrand around the post, built palissades of klapperstammen (coconut-palm trunks), randjoes (thorn-branch abatis) and verhakkingen (entanglements), and made the post bewoon- en verdedigbaar. Borel’s praise is explicit: van Randwijk is one of the subalterns whose enterprise compensated for the shortcomings of the opperbevelhebber.
The Ooster-Benteng
For several days before 17 August 1874 the Dutch had noticed extraordinary enemy activity. On the morning of the 17th van Randwijk marched his company out at dawn and seized the grafheuvel (burial mound) east of Pakan Atjeh at the double-quick by surprise. Sandbag parapets were thrown up at once. The Atjehneezen, realising that the Dutch intended to stay, raised the alarm on gongs and gathered from every side — including across the river from Lemboe, Langkroek and Pinang — and attacked strongly. The Dutch on the mound were caught in crossfire; one detachment after another was sent from headquarters. The whole garrison stood to arms; artillery on all bastions opened up; kartetsen (canister) were used at Pakan Atjeh. By six o’clock in the evening the mound was verdedigbaar. The cost was more than twenty dead and wounded. Borel laments that seven months after the Kraton’s capture a hard fight was needed for a scrap of ground within rifle-shot of the parapet — but the new post, named the ooster-benteng, immediately proved its worth: the Atjehneezen could do nothing against Pakan Atjeh, which enjoyed an unprecedented quiet thereafter.
See Also
- Occupation of the ooster-benteng (17 August 1874)
- Pakan Atjeh
- Strategische driehoek (Atjeh)
- Generaal Pel
- Achterlaadkanonnen van 12 c.M.
- Lemboe
- Langkroek
- Pinang (kampong)
- 1874
Source
Onze vestiging in Atjeh, critisch beschreven, by G. F. W. Borel, Kapitein der Artillerie. ‘s-Gravenhage: D. A. Thieme, 1878. pp. 129–131, 184–185.