De Tijger Brigade op Midden Java 1946 - 1949

2-13th Infantry Regiment

The 2-13th Infantry Regiment was a battalion of war volunteers raised from a guarding battalion in the Heerlen area. This battalion was attached to the US 9th Army and was used in München-Gladbach were it was used in a guard and security job.. Of the units who it was decided to send to Dutch East India the 2-13th Infantry Regiment was the first to leave the Netherlands. It left for England on 15th September 1945 to get the most necessary training and its equipment at Aldershot. On 12th October 1945 it left for Dutch East India onboard “Alcantara”. But because Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten Commander South East Asia Command had forbidden any landings on Java and Sumatra by Dutch troops they were redirected to Malacca. Here they stayed until the band was lifted in March 1946.
On 9th March 1946 the 2-13th Infantry Regiment arrived in Semarang. Here it was stationed in Djatingaleh and got the task to secure the southern approaches to Semarang. When 1st Regiment Stoottroepen arrived a few days later it also got the task to secure the Eastern part of Semarang. On 1st April 1946 it participated in the first Dutch action in the area operation “Primeur”. And later in April it took over the strategically important post at de Gombel from the British troops.
When the Tijger Brigade took the initiativ in August after the two huge attacks on Semarang. During operation “Lekas” the 2-13th Infantry Regiment seized the area south and southeast of Semarang with positions in among others Djatingaleh, Djangli, Karangredjo, Srondol and de Gombel. Afterwards the 2-13th Infantry Regiment participated in operations with 2-6th Infantry Regiment on the Westfront.
The 2-13th Infantry Regiment did not see action until the second day of the 1st Police Action on 22nd July 1947. When it left Oengaran to seize Bringin and Toentang. A few days later the 2-13th Infantry Regiment took over the securing of Salatiga and the water reserve close by from 1st Regiment Stoottroepen. In September 1947 it was transferred to West Java early on and stationed in Garoet. Here it was attached to the 7th December Division and together with the W-brigade it was put into action in operations often lasting several days. Like on 7th October 1947 when it searched and cleared the area around Darmaredja. On 24th October 1947 the 2-13th Infantry Regiment advanced from Garoet towards Pameungpeuk.via Tjikadjang and Soekamanah arriving on 28th October 1947 and seized the airfield close by. In November 1947 the 2-13th Infantry Regiment got the task to patrol in the area Gempol, Plered and Adjiwinangoen. In the start of 1948 the 2-13th Infantry Regiment returned “home” to Semarang from were it left for the Netherlands on 26th February 1948 onboard "Tabinta" and arrived back in the Netherlands on 24th March 1948.