JAPANESE AIR RAID TO TJILATJAP/ CILACAP IN WW II.

JAPANESE AIR RAID TO TJILATJAP IN WW II

        As a young boy of 11 when I visited my grandmother who had moved to Cilacap in 1951, I was amazed of seeing so many ship wreckages in the Strait of Nusakambangan. Later I was told that those scrapped iron were torpedoed Allied ships fleeing from the harbor of Cilacap on the 4th and 5th of March in 1942 during the World War II.

 

 

 

 Picture 1: Damaged ships after  10 years.

       The harbor of Cilacap is located at the south coast of Java and is shielded from the open Indian Oceans by a small island named Nusakambangan. From this port Allied forces planned to evacuate all personnels.

     On December 7th 1941 Japan Navy with radio silence stealthily attacked Pearl harbor and sank USSs Arizona, Oklahoma, California, and West Virginia, and later HMSs Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk near the harbor of Singapore. Not long after that HNLMS De Ruyter went down in Java Sea with its commander Admiral Karel Doorman. HMAS Perth and USS Houston were sunk in Sunda Strait, USS Langley and USS Pecos were bombed, damaged and sunk in Indian Oceans in a relatively very short time.

     The advancement of Japan industries needed raw materials and energy. Preparations to fill this needs were made at least 10 years prior to their aggressions. First many Japanese traders and professionals were sent to many Asian countries including to the Nederland's East Indie by Japanese Kingdom. They were disguised of their real purposes. Their duties were to influence the people then under the Dutch colonialism to have fellow feeling with the Japanese Kingdom whom they said will help the people to get freedom from their colonizer. Covertly those political intelligent agents told Indonesian people that "Asia is for Asians", "Japan is elder brother of Indonesians" and some more spark of life slogans. Dutch anti intelligent department, IVG, (Inlichtingen en Veiligheidsgroep) did'nt find any evidences that those Japanese traders and other professionals were dangerous to the Dutch Government. Ten years later when the Japanese Army landed in many parts of the Nederland's East Indie, the influence of those agents showed its results. Japanese Army were hailed, at least for a very short period of time, as freedom fighters. No resistances were made by local people against them. And that was enough for the Japanese to make a foothold in this country.

       Two to three years before the Japanese onslaught to the Nederland's East Indie, new waves of military informers came to this country with different kind of assignments that were gathering various Dutch military information such as number and kind of armaments, number of personnel, organizations, civil defenses, and volunteers. Also under their surveillance were airport and harbors conditions, locations, condition of roads and timing of dry and wet seasons and even ebb tides and full moons. One year later those agents received unassambled transmitter and receiver radio equipments through secret dispatching methods. Meanwhile the topographical shape of the very narrow Nusakambangan Strait, where ship must pass it from west to east or vice versa, when they enter or out of the port had been known and memorized by the Japanese pilots.

       Fierce fighter planes with flying range of 1,800 km and speed at 400 km/ hour which Allied called Val or Aichi D3A1 made by Mitsubishi with single 250 kg bomb under their bellies were standby somewhere, possibly in Yogyakarta. When time came, within 30 minutes those fighters could raid the fleeing ships mercilessly like had happened four months before when this kind of airplane destroyed Pearl Harbor.

       On February to beginning of March 1942 many families of Dutch government officials and America-British-Dutch-Australia Command (ABDACOM) came to Cilacap in their preparation to flee from Java to India or Australia if situation gone wrong. The high ranking officers stayed at Bellevue Hotel (now Hotel Wijayakusuma), the lower officers stayed in other other few buildings. Tents were erected at not many squares and open fields. Many of the wives became much worried when they heard that Singapore surrendered to the Japanese. 
       On the 4th and 5th of March 1942 some convoys of passenger ships and cargo ships embarked from the harbor escorted by warships.

       Hearing the enemy's radio commotions and seeing the embarkations, Japanese agents who had been ready with their radio transmitter sent their coded messages to their contacts.
 

 

Picture 2: Val aircrafts attacked the fleeing Ally's ships east of Cilacap

       When the convoys were almost reached the open sea, more than 20 Val dive bombers in 3 formations groups attacked the fleeing ships from the north to obtain wider target range but with shorter time to aim (Picture 2).Javanese fishermen who had just coming back from the sea were amazed, shocked and frightened seeing and hearing the exploding torpedoes around them, they were in the middle of real fightings -not from film scenes in the cinema where two high tech Aliens were fighting- but between two groups of human kinds their armament beyond the imaginations of those poor and primitive colonialized fishermen. Because of the air raid, thousands of civilian passengers were wounded and died with minimum of helps. Later high altitude bombers Mitsubishi G3M Nell, the kind of bomber which sank HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, bombed the harbor of Cilacap.
       Three days later Dutch Government in East Indie capitulated to the Japanese Army.In the pleated-bamboo walled mosque in the fishermen village the Imam explained the prayers that Lord the Supreme Planner turns the glories and dooms among human kinds. 



....and that We rotate the glory and doom among men......
  Qur'an, Aali 'Imraan (3):140


       The signs of the Dutch Government crumbling in the East Indie were showing. The national activists were asking to themselves what would they do to free their people from greed, discrimination and ignorance.*
 

Sardjono Angudi  
angudiwatugiri@gmail.com
03/2010 revised 10/2015 revised 02/2023 

References: Some Indonesia history books; Japanese & Italian Aircraft, Bill Gunston; Personal travel to Cilacap.
Al Qur'an, Terjemah Indonesia, TimDebintal TNI AD, 1995.
Koran English Translation by 'Abdullah Yusuf 'Ali.

SOME BEAUTIFUL HISTORICAL SITES AT JATINANGOR.

       

 BEAUTIFUL HISTORICAL SITES AT JATINANGOR.

  Jatinangor is the place where Padjadjaran University (UNPAD), Winaya Mukti University (UNWIM), Cooperative Management Institute (IKOPIN), and Interior Educational High School (STPDN) are located. Besides some beautiful structures remnants of colonial era worth to be protected and cared for are also found in this place.

 
 

Picture 1: Colonial type building of Winaya Mukti University then Bandung Institute of Technology.

       When you drive from Bandung to Sumedang in W. Java, at kilometer 20, at the left side of the road you will find a big mosque with a minaret. This is STPDN mosque, a sign that you are nearing to what we are talking about. You proceed further about 300 meters and you will find a junction, you turn left. One hundred meters from the junction you will find Rectorate Building of UNWIM (now become Bandung Institute of Technology building). The beautiful building is of the beginning of XX century style architecture.

       The roofs of traditional Indonesian style are large to protect the building from sun and rain. For hundreds of years, familiar with heavy rains and intensive sunlights, Indonesians made broad roofing for their houses. Combination of broad roofings and strong bricks walls is called Indo-Europeesche Architectuur Stijl by the Dutch. UNPAD, UNWIM, Bandung Giri Gahana Hotel with a golf course are of this type of architecture. If Dutch architects did'nt built this  style, sooner or later, Indonesian architects will, especially the broad roofings has been made by Indonesian ancestors for generations. 
     One hundred meters north of UNWIM Rectorate building you will find a Romantic style siren and clock tower with decorations on the four sides of its walls. According to a woman, daughter of the plantation worker, from this tower, long time ago, the rubber estate management announced when to tap the rubber and when to take the rubber bowl from the rubber trees by the siren sound every day.

      Cultur Ondernemingen van Maatschapaij Baud was erected in 1841 by Baron Baud, a German investor who came to the Nederland's East Indie to build rubber Jatinangor plantation. Now at the back of the tower is Red Cross building built in 2010. 

                                                                                                                                   Vacant land north of the tower was formerly where Baron's Baud house and office were. People called it Loji, means castle. Cement made at that time was consisted of mixture of sand, lime powder, brick powder and yellow soil. Nobody knows what yellow soil was. The bricks are solid, bigger size, less air pores weighted 2.1 kg compared with local people made bricks which are porous, smaller and weighted 1.1 kg. People made bricks are of mud from rice fields which contain small particles of straws and organic matters. It seemed that Loji's brick were made of less humic soil and possibly was ground before patterned and burned in the kiln. After bricks were taken from the kiln, they were washed and brushed before being applied to make the walls. The groundplan of the Loji was an L shape with 13 rooms. Around the Loji many rare tropical fruit trees were planted. Fifty meters west of the tower under the very old Ki Hujan, mahagony, and pinus trees you will find Baron Baud and Mimosa gravestones.

 

Picture 3: Mimosa and Baron Baud graves..

 Picture 4: Turning rail bridge of Cikuda built in 1920.

Kuswandi a historian devotee of PT. Perkebunan XIII, have submitted an article and photos which showed Mimosa and her father's friends in an outdoor meeting in Pikiran Rakyat newspaper some years ago. Mimosa was a tall Asian face woman of bloods mixture of Baron Baud's and a Sundanese woman originated from Bogor whose name was Inciah. Mrs. Inciah's gravestone have vanished at the bottom of STPDN building.
     Looking to the south from Bandung Giri Gahana golf course you'll see Geulis Hill at the left side, textile industrial areas of Rancaekek and lowland of large rice fields. These ricefields were formerly the floor of Ancient Bandung Lake which was existed between 125,000 to 5,000 years b.C. East of UNPAD campus there is an old Cikuda train bridge which was built in 1918 by Dutch Kingdom's Staat Spoorwegen.
This bridge was made only of bricks, no iron and the bridge is turning, not a sraight bridge.

       The tracks connected Bandung-Rancaekek-Jatinangor-Tanjungsari to carry plantation products from around Bandung to the harbor of Cirebon. The rail never reached Cirebon because of the Great Economic Depression in 1930.
According to Haryoto Kunto in Wajah Bandoeng Tempo Doeloe this Cikuda bridge had not existed anymore. People carry their merchandises and students go and comeback from UNPAD campus pass this beautiful turning old bridge. The siren tower and the bridge and the graveyard are worth to be preserved for education and tourism purposes.*

Sardjono Angudi 
angudiwatugiri@gmail.com
12/2010 revised 11/2015 revised 02/2023
References: Wajah Bandoeng Tempo Doeloe by Haryoto Kunto; Personal surveys and interviews.

REMEMBERANCE TO 127 YEARS OF KRAKATAU ERUPTIONS.

       August 127 years ago was a sad moment for people who lived near Sunda Strait and its vicinities. About 30,000 people died because of a very horrifying disaster when Mount Krakatau erupted. The active volcano which one the crater lies submerged in the sea, have a profound interest among geologists. Before May 1883 this volcano had shown its increasing activities.
According to Neuman van Padang, the eruptions had spewed cloud of dust and vapor as high as 1,100 meters. At the beginning, the activities were from Perbuatan crater and then were followed by other craters. On August 27, 1883 at 10 a.m. Krakatau exploded and spewed ash, debris, pumice and vapor (Picture).
       Central crater, smaller and the submerged one, exploded at about the same time. Sea water blown by the eruptions resulted deluges in all directions to make first tsunami. The spaces vacant under the sea were then rushed by surrounding sea water. Surging shocks of sea water under the surface made another deluge of sea waves to shores. According to K. Kusumadinata, an Indonesian vulcanologist, the ejecta volume spewed was 18 cubic kilometers as high as 80 km to the atmosphere. The sound of the eruptions were heard 200 km away. Exploitations were heard in Singapore and Australia. National Geographic Magazine wrote that there was decreasing of earth temperatures because of the blocking of sunlight by the ash clouds. 
       The explosions were number three in term of ejecta volume spewed to the sky. The number one was from Mount Tambora, also an Indonesian volcano, which blew 80 cubic kilometers of ash and pyroclastic in 1815. The explosions made by Tambora decreased significant earth temperatures so that in 1816 was a year without summer in the US and other parts of the world and causing decreasing agricultural harvests. Number two explosions was from Mount Mazama in Japan in 4,600 years b.C. which puked 42 cubic kilometers of debris and ash.
       Tsunami waves made by Krakatau eruptions was as high as 30 km at the speed of 800 km/ hour rushed to Lampung and Banten shores. A steamship Berouw cruising Sunda Strait was washed to the forest 3 km from the shore of Lampung. Nobody remember how many passengers lost and died in this ship. Railways in Banten near the shore were twisted like toys. Human, cattles and pet corpses laid everywhere. According to a vulcanologist whose name I don't remember, the explosions of the submerged crater and the crumbling of the crater's walls beneath the sea surface made the most destructive tsunami and made a large caldera. Long distance weaker tsunami reached South America.
Without knowing of the history, tourists will wonder of seeing a fallen lighthouse that located far from the shore of Lampung.
       Some informations stated that 36,417 people died instantly because of the tsunami. More victims were starved, injured, sickened and finally died. Luckily 127 years ago population was not as dense as it is today, otherwise the victims would be many more. According to Stehn, a geologist, Danan, Perbuatan and Rakata islands and their craters vanished from sight and only a small hill left after the explosions.
        After those horrifying occurences it didn't mean that Krakatau would be inactive. Max Sons an oil company employee who flew passing Krakatau on June 1972 reported an eruption which blew smoke of ash as high as 3 km. Next morning the cloud was seen from 80 km distance. A flying company navigator who flew from Jakarta to Singapore on December 1972 reported sparks from Krakatau crater. On the same month K. Kusumadinata saw two sources of sparks from Carita beach and Pasauran. Usman Sadili, a policeman reported that he saw 1,600 meter smoke soared to the atmosphere on January 1973. At the same month another witness, Hamidi, saw 1,500 meter high mushroom shape cloud from the short cone of Krakatau. The smoke is very dangerous to airplanes since if it is sucked it can block the machines. Geologists whose profession are monitoring the volcanoes always at the ready to contact Department of Transportation which in turn will make notice to the airmen and pilots when there were emergency situations.
       Krakatau is still and always active. It has everlasting intermittent explosions which attracts domestic and foreign tourists. In 1979 Harry Stockley of Dow Chemical Company sailed to Krakatau with his Indonesian friends, landed on its beach, took photographs of smoldering debris fallen near him and sailed back to Carita within one day travel. I don't know whether Harry knew that the temperature of debris was 600 centigrade and can kill.
On Nonember 2010 European tourists boarded some ketches and sailed near the beach of the volcano to see the eruptions.
       After producing a caldera in 1883 eruptions geologists stated that similar eruptions might happen again after 2,000 to 3,000 years to come. Some other geologists stated that no volcanoes in the world will produce a caldera twice. Directorate of Vulcanology and its personnel should have adequate number of modern equipments and they should have proper take home pays so that they can focus on their jobs. Their posts are located at lonely and dangerous places, and they have responsibilities to save people when the bad things come. By facilitating to make them focus on their jobs, unnecessary possible victims can be avoided*

 
Sardjono Angudi 
angudiwatugiri@gmail.com
11/2010 revised 11/2015 revised 02/'2023
Reference: Catalogue of Reference on the Indonesian Volcanoes with Eruptions in Historical Time. Mining and Energy Department. Directorate General of Mining. Directorate of Vulcanology of the Republic of Indonesia; Newspapers; H.Stockley's story.