In 1946 ordered the Dutch supreme commanding officer
in the Far East by order no. 62 to investigate the harbours including shipyards
in the Dutch East Indies and Netherlands New Guinea. In those so-called Sitraps
(Situation reports) was information collected dealing with the available
facilities, personnel and vessels/boats. The Dutch East Indies fell in Japanese
hands in the Second World War when the Dutch forces surrendered on 8 March 1942
until Japan surrendered on her turn on 15 August 1945. On 17 August 1945
declared nationalistic leaders like Soekarno and Hadda the independence of what
was called the Republik Indonesia. The result was a struggle for years before
the Netherlands forced by international pressure accepted the Indonesian
independence on 29 December 1949.
There was were an old government quay with a length of
60 feet and a large quay with a length of 182 feet available, although just
suitable for small vessels. The storage consisted of 600 square metres open
storage, a large covered storehouse of 280 and 1 small storehouse of 200 square
metres. There was refrigerating storage available. The (un)loading daily
capacity was around the 100 tons. The available motor crane with a lifting
capacity of 10 ton could be used on the quay which was indicated as swampy. The
dock workers numbered 50-100 Indonesian kaja kaja collies.
There was one small slipway available for ships with a
maximal size of 40 tons. Small repairs could be done in the workshop of the
Department Verkeer of Waterstaat.
No common electricity net or telephones or gas
available.
Source
Archive Dutch Marinestaf (1942) 1945-1948 inventory
number 195, National Archive, The Hague.
