Lampriet was an Atjehnees kampong between Langkroek and Pinang on the right bank of the Atjeh-rivier, described by Borel as “like an oasis in the sawah,” which majoor Romswinckel conquered without resistance on 4 February 1875. The new post, built to replace Langkroek-oost, gave command of the extensive terrain on the banks of the Kroeng Broek and was an important point close to the enemy’s line-fortifications at Pinang.
The conquest
The taking of Lampriet had been intended on 28 September 1874 — the day of the conquest of Langkroek — but was postponed. Borel criticises overste Wiegand for not pressing on from Langkroek to Lampriet, which would have fallen almost without a blow. By February 1875 the Dutch 12 c.M. shells had criss-crossed the terrain, and the enemy was unlikely to defend it. On 4 February 1875 majoor Romswinckel marched with a column to take Lampriet, “like an oasis in the sawah.” Romswinckel took it without resistance and immediately began a new fortification to replace the Langkroek-oost post. With Lampriet in Dutch hands, the eastern side of the Dutch perimeter at the Pedir-dijk was considerably strengthened; from the new post the Dutch could observe and shell the enemy’s line-fortifications at Pinang and prevent the enemy from crossing the Kroeng Broek.
In the stelling-Pel and after
Lampriet became one of the eastern-side posts of the stelling-Pel. By May 1875 the east side of the continuous line around K. Radja ran from Blang Tjoet through Kota Alam, Lemboe O. en N.O., Lampriet, Langkroek O., Lamara Z.O. en N.O., Tiban to Moesapi. Lampriet’s exposure made it a frequent target of enemy harassment: in September 1875 a Dutch detachment south of K. Radja and at Lampriet was “in groot gevaar om afgesneden en in de pan gehakt te worden” — in great danger of being cut off and chopped to pieces. On 26 November 1875 Lampriet was one of the chief points of the enemy’s attack along the entire ooster-linie, an attack that cemented Pel’s conviction that the afwachtende stelsel had to be abandoned and that the great winter offensive of 1875–1876 had to be launched.
Account from Verstege’s Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk (1886)
Verstege names Lampriet in the chain of posts of the garrison’s position at the end of April 1875, between Kota Alam and Langkroek-Oost on the way to Kota Moesapie (see Verstege’s folding map of Groot-Atjeh (1886)).
See Also
- Langkroek
- Pinang
- Atjeh-rivier
- Pedir-dijk
- Moesapi
- Majoor Romswinckel
- Kolonel Wiegand
- Conquest of Langkroek (28 September 1874)
- Stelling-Pel
Source
Onze vestiging in Atjeh, critisch beschreven, by G. F. W. Borel, Kapitein der Artillerie. ‘s-Gravenhage: D. A. Thieme, 1878. pp. 200–201, 248, 263, 322.
Een beroep op het Nederlandsche volk in zake het Atjeh-vraagstuk, door J. J. W. E. Verstege (Amsterdam: J. H. de Bussy, 1886), p. 53. OCR: DLP-158.