Baha — written in Dutch as Baha — was a kampong and fortification in the Lamkrak complex and the site of combat on 9 June 1896 during the 1e colonne’s advance in the tuchtiging of the Lamkrak Moekims. As described in Kruisheer’s ATJEH ‘96, Baha was attacked by the 3e compagnie (luit. S. v. Hulstijn) of the 3e Bataljon advancing with maréchaussée; the right peloton (luit. M. Campioni) faced the benting “Baha”; after salvoes the benting was stormed, and the Koeta Baha garrison of 5 Atjehers fled into the hands of the maréchaussée. A newly built koeta with mosque at Baha was a target of the 9 June 1896 attack.
Description and Location
Baha lay in the Lamkrak complex in the country “streek tusschen Biloel en Ana Galoeng en benoorden het gebergte gelegen” (between Biloel and Ana’ Galong, north of the mountains). The kampong had a fortification — the “benting Baha” — that was the principal Achehnese defensive position. A newly built koeta with mosque at Baha was a target of the 9 June 1896 attack, indicating that the Achehnese had recently fortified the kampong with a combined koeta-mosque complex. The Koeta Baha was the inner fort of the kampong, with a garrison of 5 Atjehers at the time of the 9 June 1896 attack. The kampong was bounded on the north by the Lam-Lheuë mukim (with its Kling fortification of Mon Selassa / Mon Seulassa) and on the south by the Ateuh moekim. The Lam-Lheuë bivak and the Binasah Baroe / Binasa Baroe place near Lam-Lheuë bivak were nearby.
Historical Background
Baha had been part of the hostile Lamkrak complex throughout the Atjeh-oorlog. The kampong had been a base for hostile benden operating against the buitenposten of the buitenlinie — particularly Biloel and Lamkoenjit. The benting Baha was a recently constructed Achehnese fortification, and the newly built koeta with mosque at Baha indicated the recent Achehnese investment in the kampong’s defences. The 1878 campaign of Generaal van der Heiden had passed through the Baha country, and the 1893 legioen of T. Djohan had operated in the area.
Role in the 1896 Operations
Baha was the site of combat on 9 June 1896 during the 1e colonne’s advance in the tuchtiging of the Lamkrak Moekims. The 3e compagnie of the 3e Bataljon under luit. S. v. Hulstijn advanced with maréchaussée against Baha; the right peloton under luit. M. Campioni faced the benting “Baha”. After salvoes the benting was stormed, and the Koeta Baha garrison of 5 Atjehers fled into the hands of the maréchaussée. The newly built koeta with mosque at Baha was a target of the 9 June 1896 attack, and was presumably destroyed in the course of the tuchtiging. The fall of Baha, together with the fall of Ateuh Raja and Lam-Djamé on the same day, broke the back of organised Achehnese defence in the Lamkrak complex. On 10 June 1896 the Dutch operations continued with the destruction of remaining versterkingen in the Lamkrak.
Significance
Baha was one of the three principal Achehnese strongpoints in the Lamkrak complex attacked on 9 June 1896 — together with Ateuh Raja and Lam-Djamé — and its fall was one of the decisive acts of the tuchtiging of 9–10 June 1896. The nieuw opgerichte koeta met missigit at Baha demonstrated the recent Achehnese investment in the kampong’s defences, and its capture was a notable Dutch operational success. The flight of the Koeta Baha garrison of 5 Atjehers into the hands of the maréchaussée was a minor but symbolic episode of the tuchtiging.
See Also
- Tuchtiging of Lam-Krak Moekims (9–10 June 1896)
- S. v. Hulstijn
- M. Campioni
- Pelitimoe
- Sergeant Stemfoort
- Lamkrak Moekims
- Ateuh Raja
- Lam-Djamé
- Biloel
- benteng
- Masdjid
- 1896
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. 255, 554.