A History of Tjilatjap (Cilacap) in Battle of Java 1942

REF : Tjilatjap (Cilacap)

This article concerns the land battle of Java in 1942 and the fall of important cilacap port to Japan. For the preceding naval battle see Battle of the Java Sea. The Battle of Java was a battle of the Pacific theatre of World War II. It occurred on the island of Java, between February 28 and March 12, 1942. It involved forces from the Empire of Japan, which invaded on February 28 1942, on one side and Allied personnel. Allied commanders signed a formal surrender at Japanese headquarters at Bandung on 12 March.

Date
February 28, 1942–March 12, 1942

Location
Java

Result
Japanese Victory

Combatants
NetherlandsUnited KingdomAustraliaUnited States
Empire of Japan

Commanders
Hein ter Poorten
Hitoshi Imamura

Strength
Netherlands: 25,000; Britain: about 3,500; Australia: about 2,500; U.S. about 1,000
about 35,000 troops

Casualties
Netherlands: 4500+ dead and wounded;Britain: 100 dead;Australia: 36 dead, 60 wounded;U.S.: ?
Unknown

Netherlands East Indies campaign 1941-42
Borneo 1941-42 – Manado – Tarakan 1942 – Balikpapan 1942 – Ambon – Makassar Strait – Palembang – Badung Strait – Timor – Java Sea – Sunda Strait – Java

East Java Campaign moving southward

The Sakaguchi Detachment from Balikpapan joined the East Java Invasion fleet as well. After landing they were divided into 3 units with 1 battalion each:
Kaneuji Unit : Major Kaneuji
Yamamoto Unit : Colonel Yamamoto
Matsumoto Unit : Lieutenant Colonel Matsumoto
and moved southward with main objective to occupy Tjilatjap (Cilacap) in order to capture the harbour and blocked the retreat to Australia. In one week, they advanced rapidly and overcame all Dutch army defence found in Blora, Soerakarta (Surakarta), Bojolali (Boyolali), Jogjakarta (Yogyakarta), Magelang, Salatiga, Ambarawa and Poerworedjo. Kaneuji and Matsumoto Unit moved through mainland, captured Keboemen and Purwokerto, north of Cilacap on the 8th. Yamamoto Unit moved along the beach, made two pronge attack. On the 8th, the Yamamoto Unit entered Cilacap, but the Dutch had withdrawn to Wangon. Wangon is a small town located in the middle between Purwokerto and Cilacap.
While Japan was preparing attack to Wangon, on March 9, Maj.Gen. Pierre A. Cox, the Dutch Central Army District commander was ordered by headquarter to surrender to Japan.
The Dutch surrendered
By March 7, the Japanese had occupied Cilacap; Surabaya was being evacuated and the Japanese troops were converging on Bandung from both west and north. At 9 a.m. on the 8th the Commander-in-Chief of the Allied forces, Lieutenant General Hein Ter Poorten, announced that the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army in Java surrendered.

Source : ibiblio.org

Wijayakusuma Kembang Raja-Raja Tanah Jawa

Peristiwa terjadinya kembang Wijayakusuma pada jaman Prabu Aji Pramosa dari Kediri itu setelah bertahun-tahun menimbulkan kepercayaan bagi raja-raja di Surakarta dan Yogyakarta. Menurut cerita, setiap ada penobatan raja baik Susuhunan di Surakarta maupun Kesultanan di Yogyakarta mengirim utusan 40 orang ke Nusakambangan untuk memetik kembang Wijayakusuma. Sebelum melakukan tugas pemetikan, para utusan itu melakukan ziarah ke makam-makam tokoh leluhur di sekitar Nusakambangan seperti pasarehan Adipati Banjaransari di Karangsuci, Adipati Wiling di Donan, Adipati Purbasari di Dhaunlumbung, Kyai Singalodra di Kebon Baru dan Panembahan Tlecer di Nusakambangan.

Tempat lain yang juga diziarahi yaitu pasarehan Kyai Ageng Wanakusuma di Gilirangan dan Kyai Khasan Besari di Gumelem (Banjarnegara). Selain ziarah atau nyekar, mereka melakukan tahlilan dan sedekah kepada fakir miskin. Malam berikutnya “nepi” (bermalam) di Masjid Sela. Masjid Sela adalah sebuah gua di pulau Nusakambangan yang menyerupai Masjid. Pemetikan kembang Wijayakusuma juga dilakukan pada masa pemerintahan Susuhunan Pakubuwono XI, yaitu saat Sunan Pakubuwono XI baru “jumenengan” (dinobatkan sebagai raja). Bahkan adat leluhur ini konon sudah dilakukan jauh sebelum itu.

Menurut Babad Tanah Jawi, Adipati Anom, Sunan Amangkurat II pernah mengirim utusan untuk memetik kembang Wijayakusuma, yaitu setelah ia rnenobatkan dirinya sebagai raja Mataram menggantikan ayahandanya. Menurut seorang sejarawan Belanda H.J. de Graaf, peristiwa jumenengan tersebut dilaksanakan di Ajibarang pada tanggal 7 Juli 1677 dalam perjalanannya ke Batavia saat dikejar Trunojoyo. Menurut keterangan, cara memetik bunga Wijayakusuma tidak dengan tangan tetapi dengan cara gaib melalui samadi. Sebelumnya para utusan raja melakukan upacara “melabuh" (sedekah laut) di tengah laut dekat pulau Karang Bandung. Sebelum dipetik, pohon itu dibalut terlebih dahulu dengan cinde sampai ke atas. Dengan berpakaian serba putih utusan itu bersamadi di bawahnya, jika memang samadinya terkabul, kembang Wijayakusuma akan mekar dan mengeluarkan bau harum. Kemudian bunga itu jatuh dengan sendirinya ke dalam kendaga yang sudah dipersiapkan. Selanjutnya kembang tersebut dibawa para utusan ke Kraton untuk dihaturkan ke Sri Susuhunan / Sri Sultan. Penyerahan itu pun dilakukan dengan upacara tertentu, konon kembang itu dibuat sebagai rujak dan disantap raja yang hendak dinobatkan, dengan demikian raja dianggap syah dan dapat mewariskan tahta kerajaan kepada anak cucu serta keturunannya.

Mithe tentang kembang Wijayakusuma ini sangat berpengaruh pada kehidupan nelayan di pantai selatan. Ada sejenis ikan yang mereka keramatkan yaitu ikan Dawah (dawah artinya jatuh). Ikan ini dianggap jelmaan dari daun pohon Wijayakusuma yang berjatuhan di laut. Para nelayan itu sangat berpantang memakan ikan Dawah, mereka takut mendapat bencana atau malapetaka. Umumnya mereka menolak rezeki Tuhan yang satu ini padahal dagingnya empuk dan rasanya lezat. Pengaruh Mithe ini juga melahirkan upacara budaya sedekah laut yang dilaksanakan setiap bulan Sura, mereka melarung rezekinya ke laut pantai selatan.

Salah Sijining Mithos Wijaya Kusumah

( Bahasa Cilacap-an ) Jere, dong jaman gemiyen banget nang daerah Jawa Timur (Kediri) ana maharaja sing gelare Prabu Aji Pramosa. Raja kuwe duwe watek atos, dheweke wegah tunduk maring sapa baen. Raja kuwe ora seneng angger ana wong nang nagarane sing ketone nonjol utawa duwe pengaruh. Petugas sandi (intel) kerajaan disebar ming kabeh penjuru kerajaan tur akhire jere ana laporan nek nang kerajaan kuwe pancen ana Resi sing wis kesohor merga sekti pisan.

Resi kuwe jenenge Resi Kano gelare Kyai Jamur. Kesekten Kyai Jamur akhire krungu nang kuping raja. Raja Prabu Aji Pramosa kesuh banget ning nek arep nangkap rakyat sing ora duwe salah kuwe kudu ana alesane. Akhire raja ngundang patih, hulubalang, senapati karo pejabat utama kerajaan maksude nggolet cara nggo ngatasi kyai sakti kuwe. Bar olih saran sekang petinggi kerajaan, raja langsung mutusna: Kanggo njaga keselametan kerajaan karo raja, Kyai Jamur kudu diusir sekang kerajaan utawa dipateni sisan, kaya kuwe titah sang raja.

( Bahasa Indonesia ) Rupanya berita pengusiran ini cepat terdengar Kyai Jamur, “sebelum utusan kerajaan datang, saya harus meninggalkan negeri ini lebih dahulu” demikian gumam Kyai Jamur dalam hatinya. Mendengar Kyai Jamur sudah tidak berada di tempat, sang Aji Pramosa bertambah murka. Raja pun memerintahkan para punggawa kerajaan mengejar dan menangkap sang Resi, Resi itu harus dihukum. Sekedar alasan untuk kedok, Resi dianggap bersalah karena pergi tanpa seijin raja.

Sang Resi berjalan terus ke arah barat menyusuri pantai selatan sampai akhirnya tiba di suatu daerah yang disebut Cilacap, dia menganggap bahwa daerah ini cukup aman, tersembunyi dari pantauan raja. Pencarian dan pengejaran sang raja rupanya tak kenal berhenti, Resi Kano harus tertangkap. Setelah dicari ke seluruh pelosok, persembunyian Resi akhirnya dapat diketahui.

Ketika sang Resi sedang bersamadi, Aji Pramosa dan punggawanya datang, kesempatan itu tidak mereka sia-siakan, sang Resi langsung ditangkap dan dibunuh. Berkat kesaktiannya, jasad sang Resi menghilang (muksa), ini membuat raja sangat terkejut takut dan keheranan. Belum hilang rasa herannya, sang raja dikejutkan lagi oleh suara gemuruh serta angin ribut dari tengah laut. Aji Pramosa berusaha tetap tenang menghadapi berbagai peristiwa yang mengerikan itu. Suara gemuruh dan anginpun reda, namun pada saat yang sama datanglah seekor naga besar mendesis-desis seolah-olah hendak melahap Aji Pramosa. Gelombang laut menjadi besar bergulung-gulung, hingga banyak penyu (kura-kura) minggir ke tepi pantai. Pantai itu dikemudian hari disebut Pantai Telur Penyu. Dengan sigapnya sang Aji Pramosa segera melepaskan anak panahnya, ternyata tepat mengenai sasaran, perut nagapun robek terkena panah dan naga hilang tergulung ombak.

Rupanya naga tadi jelmaan dari seorang putri cantik yang muncul dengan tiba-tiba sambil berlarian di atas gulungan ombak dari arah timur pulau Nusakambangan. Sang putri ayu menghampiri Aji Pramosa sembari mengucapkan terima kasih karena berkat panahnya ia bisa menjelma kembali menjadi manusia. Sebagai rasa terima kasih, putri cantik tadi menghaturkan bunga Wijayakusuma kepada sang Aji Pramosa. Sang putri mengatakan “kembang Wijayakusuma tidak mungkin bisa diperoleh dari alam biasa, barang siapa memiliki kembang itu bakal menurunkan raja-raja yang berkuasa di tanah Jawa”. Selanjutnya putri cantik memperkenalkan diri, namanya Dewi Wasowati. la berpesan, kelak pulau ini akan bernama Nusa Kembangan. Nusa artinya pulau dan Kembangan artinya bunga. Seiring pergantian jaman, nama Nusa Kembangan akhirnya berubah menjadi Nusakambangan. Prabu Aji Pramosa sangat girang hatinya menerima hadiah kembang itu, kemudian dengan tergesa-gesa ia mengayuh dayungnya untuk kembali menuju daratan Cilacap, tetapi karena terlalu gugup dan kurang hati-hati, kembang itu jatuh ke laut dan hilang tergulung ombak, dengan sangat menyesal sang Aji Pramosa pulang tanpa membawa kembang.

Beberapa lama setelah sang Prabu berada di kerajaan, terbetik berita bahwa di pulau karang dekat Nusakambangan tumbuh sebuah pohon aneh dan ajaib, beliau pun ingin menyaksikan pohon aneh yang tidak berbuah itu dan ternyata benar bahwa pohon itu tidak lain adalah Cangkok Wijayakusuma yang ia terima dari Dewi Wasowati. Melihat pohon itu, sang Aji Pramosa teringat akan kata-kata Dewi Wasowati bahwa siapa yang memperoleh kembang Wijayakusuma akan menurunkan raja-raja di tanah Jawa.

Bunga Wijayakusuma : Makna

Sorry, ini bahasa Cilacap-an.
Disadur dari Wikipedia.

Nang crita pewayangan, kembang Wijayakusuma kuwe azimat utawa senjata ampuh Sri Bathara Kresna putra panengah Prabu Basudewa sekang kerajaan Mandura. Kresna kuwe raja sing bijaksana sekang negara Dwarawati. Kembang Wijayakusuma kuwe mung dienggo kanggo ngewangi para putra Pandawa angger agi kedesak.
Kata Wijayakusuma dhewek jane asale sekang rong kata, Wijaya kuwe artine menang, Kusuma kuwe artine kembang, dadi Wijayakusuma kuwe artine kembang kemenangan. Nang crita rakyat, Sri Bhatara Kresna sing nang donya wayang dianggep titisan Sang Hyang Wisnu, kuwe muksa (mati ngilang). Dheweke mbalangna kembang Wijayakusuma nang segara kidul utawa samudera Indonesia pedhek karo pulau Nusakambangan siki. Kembang kuwe dibalangna bareng karo kendaga utawa wadahe. Tutup kendaga sing bentuke bulat kuwe njelma dadi pulau Majeti, terus wadah bagian ngisore dadi pulau Bandung. Loro pulau kuwe anane pedhek karo Pulau Nusakambangan. Konon nang pulau Bandung kuwe anane kembang Wijayakusuma.

Tjilatjap During World War II (1939-1945)

Initially Holland was again neutral, until invaded by Germany on the 10th May 1940.

• A week later, Holland was lost. The Dutch Royal Family was evacuated to England, as was a Dutch Government-in-exile.
• The first KPM wartime loss was the 3,000 ton “Rantaupandjang”, sunk on the 22nd February 1941, by the German Pocket Battleship “Admiral Scheer” north of Madagascar, homeward bound from South Africa with a full cargo of coal.
• On the 7th December 1941, Japan entered the war with the attack on Pearl Harbour.
• Three days later, the British battleships “Repulse” and “Prince of Wales” were lost off the east coast of Malaya.
• On the 12th December 1941, “Patras” and four other KPM ships embarked Australian troops at Darwin and landed them safely several days later at Ambon, escorted by HMAS “Adelaide”.
• During January and February 1942, the unarmed and unescorted Allied ships were at the mercy of the Japanese Navy and Air Force and losses came thick
and fast
• On the 15th February 1942, Singapore, the cornerstone of the Allied defence of South East Asia, fell to the Japanese and all Allied resistance in the area, except the small Allied Naval Force, had been snuffed out.
• Fifteen days later, that too, was obliterated in the Battle of the Java Sea.
• That was just about it!
• For the Allied ships, there was then nowhere to go in the whole of the Far East, South East Asia and a large slice of the Pacific, but Tjilatjap, the small port on the mid-south coast of Java.
• On the 4th and 5th March 1942, came the first heavy air raids on Tjilatjap and the end was nigh. The KPM supply and repair ship “Barentsz” was totally destroyed, as well as a number of other KPM ships and the floating dock and floating crane, which had been towed from Batavia.
• Finally, on the 7th March 1942 – exactly 3 months after Pearl Harbour – Japanese land forces reached Tjilatjap and it was all over!
• The Netherlands East Indies had held out just three more weeks after Singapore fell on the 15th February 1942. It had cost the Allies dearly.

Tjilatjap : History of Navy

Edited from Netherland Navy

INTRODUCTION

In the few years before the second world war, the Dutch finally began clearing up the long period of inactivity, especially when it came to the defences of the Netherlands East Indies. The defence of this colony was based on the fact that Java would be the centre of it, comparable to Singapore in Malaya. Taking the weakness of the Navy, Army and Airforce in consideration, it was not unthinkable that the waters north of Java would be controlled by an invader. Now a fundamental problem comes to light. The only two ports capable of dealing with the immense amounts of supplies and warmaterials, Batavia (Tandjong Priok) and Soerabaja, were located on the northern shore. In case of an enemy controlling the Javasea, the defenders of Java could not be supplied with the materials vital for their survival. This problem was recognized in 1940 when a start was made with the improvement of the defences in the archipelago. One of the measures taken was that Tjilatjap, the only port of size on the southern coast was to be made suitable of handling a large amount of goods.

TJILATJAP

The port itself was the only one of importance on the southern coast, and therefore very vulnerable. But before it would be capable of handling this task, there was a lot of work to be done. The port itself was in fact not a good "natural" harbor. The entrance was very narrow and tortuous, with shallows, rocks and currents. The port was capable of handling ships with a maximum draught of a little less than 30 feet. There were only four piers suitable for larger ships, and only one usable for tankers (owned by BPM). The defence against ships consisted of a fortress housing three 75 mm and two 150 mm guns, protection against aircraft was virtually non-existent.

PREPARATION

After May 1940, the civil and military organizations had the impossible task of making the NEI ready for war, but the task was even more difficult because the motherland had become unreachable. The NEI, not having an industry of any importance itself, was forced to use whatever was available. Nevertheless, most alterations were completed before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, mostly as a result of hard work by the Staatsmobilisatie-raad. This board was erected in 1940 to combine the efforts of the military and civil organizations, in order to improve the defences. And it did quite a good job during the early war years, as it managed to successfully overcome countless problems.

The alterations of the port itself included both strenghtening the defences as making the port suitable for handling about 250.000 tons of cargo each month. The latter was in fact the most difficult and costly job, as it included deepening the entrance by one metre and the addition of new facilities. Navigation lights were placed along the entrance, a dozen mooring- buoys were laid in the port near the island Noesa Kambang and new piers with electric cranes were built for unloading the ships. These alterations ofcourse meant that the population increased considerably, and large numbers of dockworkers (and their families) had be accommodated. For them, new barracks, hospitals and cantines were built. Besides them, new pilots to guide the ships through the entrance were found, specially trained and accommodated.

But, in spite of the enormous efforts put into the task, there were still some evident shortcomings. For example, the new piers were too short to handle all the ships at once, so the cargo had to be brought ashore by lighters ( 100 of which were routed to Tjilatjap in 1941 ), and the mooringbuoys used to keep the ships in place were too lightly built. Their mooringwires were expected to snap easily, causing large ships to go adrift.

But the main problems was the fact that the combined organizations didn't get the time to increase the transportcapacity of the railway from and to Tjilatjap. The Staats- mobilisatieraad estimated that about 8000 tons of goods were to be delivered inland, all of which had to be transported over a single railway. This created the danger of empty wagons going to Tjilatjap blocking the way for loaded wagons going inland, which happened quite frequently.

THE WAR

Despite all these disadvantages, Tjilatjap appeared to have functioned properly, supplying the defenders of Java with equipment and stores even after Batavia and Sourabaja had become unreachable to anything except submarines. Last moment improvements were the arrival of an 8000-ton drydock of the Drydock Co. Tandjong Priok in mid December, and the arrival of the Royal Netherlands Navy repair ship Barentsz in early January 1942.

Unfortunately, the port itself was only lightly protected against attacks from the sea and air, and it is surprising that the first air attack occured as late as March 5 1942, only a few days before the surrender of the Allied forces on Java. This was in fact not an indication the Japanese underestimated the value of Tjilatjap. They judged the fleettrain from and towards this port valuable enough to deploy a large squadron, the bulk of which were six carriers and four battleships, south of Java. By this time ( in late February ), the situation in the NEI had worsened dramatically, and preparations were made to evacuate most personnel. When the evacuation ships started leaving the port, most of them met their doom. Torpedoed or shelled, and packed with evacuees, many went down with heavy loss of life. The exact toll is unknown, but one can say with certainty that many hundreds of people lost their lives in this final stage...

Sources:
L.L. von Münching "De Nederlandse koopvaardijvloot in de Tweede Wereldoorlog"
Unpublished manuscript by Tom Womack
L. de Jong "Het koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog Volume 11"