Kali‑Anget was a fortified kampong (village) on the outskirts of Bandjar in Acheh that featured prominently in the Dutch marine landing expeditions of the late 1860s. The settlement’s defensive works, consisting of high stone walls and block‑filled passages, were the focus of several assaults by the Marine Landings Division under officers such as Lieutenant P. Spanjaard and Lieutenant D. A. van Vuuren.
1868 Assault
On 24 October 1868 the Dutch marine landing division, reinforced by 11 officers and 170 marines, attacked the kampong. The defenders employed “a rain of large stones” against the attackers, but the Dutch forces succeeded in “taking block after block” until the kampong fell. The capture of Kali‑Anget was followed by the surrender of the local leader Ida Madé Rahi (see related entry).
Aftermath
Following the capture, the Dutch troops expressed gratitude for the “complete safety” of returning to Kali‑Anget, noting that the village had been cleared of enemy resistance. The episode highlighted the challenges of urban warfare in Aceh’s fortified settlements.
Significance
Kali‑Anget exemplifies the type of fortified Acehnese villages that resisted Dutch colonial incursions, illustrating the tactical difficulties faced by the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and the importance of artillery and disciplined infantry in subduing such positions.
See Also
- Bandjar
- Kampong Djentarek
- Marine Landings Division
- Royal Netherlands Marine Corps
- Lieutenant P. Spanjaard
- Ida Madé Rahi
Source
De geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche Korps Mariniers van 1665‑1945, OCR transcription, pp. 118‑119.