Kwala Titipandjang was the site of the new Dutch fort built on 17 February 1875 opposite the kampong Tiban, in order to better cover the banks of the Kroeng Broek and prevent the line being broken on the Moesapi side. Its construction was part of kolonel Pel’s effort to close the eastern arc of the stelling-Pel after the conquests of Mandarsa Poeti (28 January 1875), Lamara Olejlo (14–15 February 1875), and Lampriet (4 February 1875) had extended the southern and middle arcs.
The strategic problem
The completion of the continuous line around K. Radja in May 1875 required closing the eastern arc as well as the southern and western arcs. The eastern arc ran from Blang Tjoet through Kota Alam, Lemboe O. en N.O., Lampriet, Langkroek O., Lamara Z.O. en N.O., Tiban to Moesapi. The weak point of this line was the Kroeng Broek — a stream or watercourse along which the enemy could move unseen and break the line on the Moesapi side. To prevent this, the new fort at Kwala Titipandjang was built opposite the kampong Tiban, whose guns could enfilade the Kroeng Broek’s banks and whose garrison could sally against any attempt to verschansen (entrench) along the stream.
Construction and function
The new fort at Kwala Titipandjang was built on 17 February 1875 as a permanent post, with the typical Dutch Atjeh-war layout: earthen parapet, schanskorven (gabions), bamboo-doeri entanglements, and a small garrison of infantry with an artillery section. From the fort the Dutch could observe the kampong Tiban across the Kroeng Broek and prevent the enemy from crossing. The construction was, Borel notes, the natural complement of the K. R. Bedil fort at the downstream end of the Pedir-dijk and of Moesapi at the north-eastern corner of the stelling. With Kwala Titipandjang in place, the eastern arc of the stelling-Pel was effectively closed; the enemy could no longer break the line on the Moesapi side. The new post at Kwala Gigieng and the island post of Kota Pohama in the Gigieng lagune, established in February 1876 by Engel, were the seaward extensions of the same defensive logic.
See Also
- Moesapi
- Tiban
- Kota Radja Bedil
- Lampriet
- Lamara
- Kwala Gigieng
- Kota Pohama
- Stelling-Pel
- Luitenant-kolonel Engel
- Generaal Pel
Source
Onze vestiging in Atjeh, critisch beschreven, by G. F. W. Borel, Kapitein der Artillerie. ‘s-Gravenhage: D. A. Thieme, 1878. pp. 253, 263, 322–323.