Major F. J. E. Mekern was a Dutch majoor of the Indische leger who, on 26 December 1875, took the stelling between Mibouw and the Kroeng Daroe in the opening move of generaal Pel’s great offensive against the VI, IV and IX Moekims, and was doodelijk gewond (mortally wounded) the same day. In Borel’s narrative he is the first of the officers whose blood purchased the conquests of the aanvallende phase of 1876.
The Launch of the New Offensive
Pel returned to Atjeh on 9 November 1875 from his Buitenzorg planning session with the gouverneur-generaal van Lansberge’s endorsement of his plan to “den oorlog met Atjeh op de meest doortastende wijze te voeren.” After repulsing the night attack on Longbatta-Mesigit (22 November) and the enemy attack along the entire ooster-linie (26 November), and after receiving reinforcements — the bataljon Barissans on 10 December and the 9th battalion on 21 December 1875 — Pel launched on 26 December 1875 the drie-colonne offensive. Three colonnes in verbond moved against the VI, IV and IX Moekims: Vetter bezette Mibouw; F. J. E. Mekern took the stelling between Mibouw and the Kroeng Daroe; lt.-kol. Engel advanced along the right bank of the Kroeng Daroe.
Mortal Wounding and the Offensive Continued
Mekern was doodelijk gewond on the very day of the opening movement, 26 December 1875. His death did not halt the offensive. By the next day Ketapang Doewa — bitterly fought over on 15 February 1874 — had fallen “andermaal en nu voorgoed” into Dutch hands. On 28 December 1875 Engel bezette Pakan Badak, and the kampongs Lamtermin and Bital were ontruimd by the enemy, as were Toekoe Nanta’s geduchte versterkingen west of Sinangri. “Nergends hadden de Atjehneezen ernstigen tegenstand geboden,” Borel records. Mekern’s brother (or relative) B. E. Mekern would command the rechter-colonne at the three-colonne operation against the III Moekims of 13 February 1876, and would be the officer who, on hearing of the catastrophe, changed route, marched on Atoch, zuiverde the terrain, and recovered the bodies of kapitein van Swieten’s massacred detachment.
See Also
- Pel’s offensive against the VI, IV and IX Moekims (1875–1876)
- Mibouw
- Kroeng Daroe
- Majoor Vetter
- Majoor B. E. Mekern
- Luitenant-kolonel Engel
- Generaal Pel
- 1875
Source
Onze vestiging in Atjeh, critisch beschreven, by G. F. W. Borel, Kapitein der Artillerie. ‘s-Gravenhage: D. A. Thieme, 1878. p. 313.