Jakarta, IDM – Bandung was arguably one of the Dutch’s favorite cities when they colonized Indonesia. It was built by the Dutch East Indies governor William H. Daendels in 1810 on an elevation of 730 meters above sea level. As a result, it has a pleasantly cool weather, making it a preferred destination to live among the Dutch. Topographically, it was also considered very strategic as a strong natural fortress to repel potential attacks.
Gradually, the Dutch began to move their military base to the Cimahi, along with the Artillerie Constructie Winkel (arms factory) from Surabaya to Kiaracondong on the east of Bandung. Today, the factory is known as PT Perindustrian Angkatan Darat (PT Pindad). A number of fortifications were also built, such as the one in Dago Pakar, north of Bandung, and up in the mountains in Sumedang. The region also has several caves used by the Japanese when they entered Bandung after the second World War broke out.
The Dutch Cave
Dago Pakar is only seven kilometers away from Bandung City. Situated at an altitude of 800-1,350 meters above sea level in a forested hill, the area was chosen by the Dutch as one of their military bases. In 1906, Bandoengsche Electriciteit Maatschappij (BEM) built a tunnel as part of a hydropower plant construction to generate electricity by harnessing the current from Ci Kapundung River.
In 1918, the tunnel was repurposed for military use by adding extra space on the left and right wings of the main entrance. Meanwhile, the hydropower plant system was revamped so the water no longer flowed through the tunnel but instead the underground water channel to be then collected by the reservoir. Today, it is called Pakar Pond, roughly five kilometers from the tunnel.
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At the outset of World War II, the Dutch made Bandung their last line of defense. The tunnel changed its function again; this time it became a communication radio station replacing the Malabar radio on Mount Puntang. After Indonesia gained its independence, the tunnel was taken over by Indonesian freedom fighters and used as an armory. Now the tunnel, which has changed its name to Gua Belanda (Dutch Cave), is still standing strong and becomes a popular tourist attraction.
Upon arriving at the mouth of the cave, visitors will be greeted by hordes of monkeys. They nimbly swing from one tree to another. The cave face looks solid and sturdy. Its main entrance is small but very high, about five meters.
There are three main entrance in this cave — the logistics door, the door for the ventilation path, and the exit at the back. The distance between the main door and the exit is approximately 750 meters. On the left- and right-hand side there are about 14 rooms comprising examination room, central interrogation room, four detention cells, room to the ventilation door and a guard room at the front.
In the Pacific War, occupying the Philippines was a critical move for General Douglas MacArthur who was assigned as commander of the US Army in Southwest Pacific. The Japanese forces stationed in the Philippines, however, managed to force MacArthur and the allied forces to retreat to Australia. He needed a chain of islands as stepping stones to the Philippines. And Morotai Island, north of Halmahera, Maluku, was the perfect choice. From intelligence information, the Allied forces learned that the Japanese had built a strong garrison in Halmahera, while the military defense in Morotai was relatively weak.
Right after entering the main door, one would feel a pervasive cold damp air. The cliff wall looks neatly plastered in cement. The pathway inside the cave also look well-kept. One of the aisles even has rail. There is also good water drainage system. In the examination and interrogation room, there are several curved irons still attached to the walls. The iron bars stand rather high and neatly lined up. The door to this room is missing, but the door frame made of steel still looks intact.
Unlike the other rooms, the floor of the detention cell is still dirt with several mounds shaped like chairs and beds. The door to the cell is very small, only as tall as an average adult, thus one have to stoop to enter.
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The Japanese Cave
Gua Jepang (Japanese Cave) is located in the same area as the Dutch cave, only about 1.5 kilometers apart. Unlike the Dutch Cave, the passage looks pristine, not covered with cement and has no water drainage. Additionally, it only has two main doors which also double also the exit doors, and one small lookout door the height of an adult.
Upon entering the main door, one will see that the road to the cave is paved with stones, but slightly covered with dirt. Inside, there are many passages and one main path that will lead to the exit. These alleys are dead ends, like a maze to trick the enemy. A historian from Yogyakarta’s Sanata Dharma University, Aji Cahyo Baskoro, said the characteristics of this particular Japanese Cave are the same as those in other regions around Java.
“During World War II, several regions in Indonesia actually never experienced war except in eastern Indonesia, which was the major route used by the US to move northward. So, if we look at the Japanese Caves in Java, even though they had been built, many of them were never been used,” said the lecturer who has researched the Japanese Cave in Kaliurang, Yogyakarta.
The construction of the Japanese Caves back then only relied on forced labor (romusha). According to Aji, Japan chose to build caves in Java based on their prediction that if the war with the allies was prolonged, Indonesia would become their base. The one in Dago Pakar is a typical mountain cave that serves as a hideout. “Meanwhile, there are several other Japanese Caves built in the coastal plain to spy on enemies,” said Aji. (Ricardo Ronald)