The Japanese castles are scattered in the underground Weh Island. (Photo: the atjeh)
Japan entered through Sabang at the invitation of Aceh to expel the Netherlands.
Japan built the bulls, the people of Aceh so romusa.
Nurlis E Meuko / NEF Wednesday, February 14, 2018 | 14:30 pm
Like a lonely impression flanked by the Strait of Malacca and the Indian Ocean, Weh Island spread its charm. Not only in the land area of 156 kilometers per facet that's it, the sea is very charming, even underground Sabang City-city center on Weh Island, Aceh-also keep a mystery.
The island's stomach is full of exotic stories about turtles. This is not about a land bug called an undur-undur in the Acehnese language called kurok-kurok, but a trace of the history of the Japanese army still here.
Dai Nippon fortresses are still scattered under the city of Sabang to the shore. Among them can be entered, some are already buried in the soil and shrubs.
There is no official name for Japanese fortresses built in the period 1942-1945, but the behavior of building a land-like hideaway is what makes the Acehnese call it "tortoises".
It is estimated, the Japanese dig hiding places as well as to stalk the enemy after controlling parts of Southeast Asia. History notes, Japanese Prime Minister Hideko Tojo issued an order to control natural resources in Southeast Asia.
This was done after the oil embargo from America. Hideko's decision followed the sending of troops to every target heading in October 1941.
Southeast Asia is a target of Japan is none other than the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Java. The South African encoded invasion deploys the forces of 11 infantry divisions, seven tank regiments, and 795 combat aircraft.
It was during this time that the Japanese troops entered Weh Island.
The historian of Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, told The Atjeh magazine, Japan came to Aceh in fact for the Acehnese. "The goal is to drive the Dutch out of war for too long," he said.
The invitation was welcome, the Japanese landed in Aceh in March 1942. They went into three areas. First to Sabang, then Ujong Batee in Aceh Besar, then in Peureulak, East Aceh.
Japan indeed expelled the Netherlands, but Dai Nippon exploited the people of Aceh involved in the Greater East Asia War. Besides fighting, the people of Aceh are also forced to work.
"In Java it is called romusa, the people are mobilized to work like setting up defensive forts, bunkers and even airfields," said Rusdi. "So speaking the turtles in Sabang, it was built when they were in Aceh."
According to Rusdi, Japan went to Aceh not to fight, but made it as its defense territory, especially facing the onslaught of allied (US-Dutch-British) allies who were targeting Japan.
Sign Post, above Sabang Hill, to get here need to climb three terraced hills with different names. At the base stairs there is Sabang Fair right on the edge of Sabang Bay, directly overlooking Klah, Rubiah and Seulako islands opposite.
Climbing through a paved path on green hillsides will meet Sabang Hill's resort. Presumably, this name is then attached to the second step.
At the next turn, the journey ends in a locked iron-locked building. Constructed concrete two levels, behind it there is a tower equipped with lights, cables, and antenna pointed sky.
According to the records of the Sabang Heritage Society, here too many Japanese fortresses. Serves as a signal delivery as well as security post door Sabang Bay. Now the remaining two Japanese bunkers.
Right on the side of the hillside, there is a wide sloped land aisle to the intersection of two bunkers on the left and right. There is a ladder to an underground passage that culminates in two rooms surrounded by sturdy concrete from mountain stone construction.
In the dungeon's 4x2 meter room, the sultry air ambushed. In the right corner, a waist-high metal pipe protrudes from the ground.
Wrapped with rust ends with holes bent, this pipe is like a periscope of a submarine that is used for communication devices between bunkers. The pipe, indicating there might be more space under this room.
Another 1x0.5 meter room without a ceiling. From here can see penetrate to the surface of the ground. Free air comes in. On the wall stuck to the iron staircase. This is a command room.
One more bunker, the room with a sturdy wall of 50kg intact cement layers intentionally hardened. Here there are also two separate rooms that have been given a light, like a dungeon.
Overlooking the Bay of Sabang, the park is turned against three buildings: the Military Police Detachment Office, Mess Pamen Samudera (Home Administrator Sabang Negara 1899), and Double House (Double House). The last two names are old buildings of the Dutch colonial period which later used Japan as its military command center.
Located on Jalan Diponegoro, Kota Atas Sabang, enlivened with lush and soothing trees. Strategic location on the hill. Underneath, the shophouses and residential houses in the shopping center are clearly visible.
In the middle of the garden lay a mossy wall like a dysfunctional, concrete-like symmetric whose existence is alienated and without planning. In a gaping tank wide as a semeter, there is a ladder to descend this dark hole.
In the basement of the basement is directly like entering in a beam-shaped concrete pipe. The underground road turns south there is a passage on the right side. On the left and right side of this hallway, there is a 30 centimeter thick wall into a baffle separating the two pairs of rooms facing each other.
Not far away from these four spaces, there is a ladder to the access door to the outside of the tunnel. This bunker was previously buried, members of the Sabang Heritage Society to dig it again in July 2011. But after the clean, there are people who throw garbage into this bunker.
From the surface of the ground, only three air holes as a marker that in the area of the city park there is a bunker defense of Japanese heritage.
In Cot Bak U, which lies to the southeast of Sabang, there is another Japanese defense trail located on a 700-square-meter plot bordered by a barbed wire fence tied with barbed wire.
From here the Bay of Sabang is clearly visible. The striking sight of this vacant lot is the former abandoned Japanese meteorological office building. Behind him lay a huge bunker with a solid wall.
Just like any other bunkers, there is a ladder to the underground. Basically right facing the main bunker. The 1.5 meters wide ditch becomes access to other bunker that surrounds this location. This 1.8 meter deep trench is full of bushes.
The main bunker is sturdy walled as thick as 50 centimeters. Inside there are four spaces concrete blocked 30 centimeters thick. On the wall of the room in front of the main door there are paintings of two human faces whose color is worn.
Nevertheless, the scratches are still clear. Nose, eyes, lips, and ears resemble the faces of most Japanese people. From Cot Bak U, crossing the Natural View Road to Aneuk Laot Lake, on some slopes there are four artificial caves that are all buried in the ground.
Not far from here, there is an area that has become a garbage dump that almost covers all the concrete bunkers, still visible on some sides a number of holes 20 centimeters in diameter. Believed, there are a number of interconnected bunkers spread across Sabang.
Down the northeast of Sabang through the seaside streets there is a Japanese defense fortress in the form of pilboks that all face the sea.
Along the path of the three points of the fort located in three different areas, namely pilboks in Tapak Gajah, Ie Meulee, and Anoi Itam.
All the castles have almost identical shapes. Form of thick-walled buildings and a one-meter wide entrance with a polygon building formation over an area of about 50 square meters.
In the Tapak Gajah area, one fortress has been restored. In front of him erected a monument with Japanese Coastal Fortress writing on it.
The fort is located on the beach overlooking the Straits of Melaka. From its position, this is a calibration cannon that is just a trace of a crew of 16 pacakan bolts on the ground floor in the form of a circle.
From this position, it can be estimated also the muzzle cannon directed to the right and left side following the shape of the viewfinder fort.
In the area of Sumur Tiga Ie Meulee Village, a Japanese naval defense fortress still looks solid. Located on the left side of a bend of Jalan Ujong Kareung, right at the corner of a plot of land full of coconut trees.
Beside the fort, stands the house of the inhabitants. The fort also overlooks the Straits of Melaka located on top of the famous Sumur Tiga Beach with its white sand. From the top of the castle, stretches a cluster of white sand that extends with calm waves ripple.
The fort located in Anoi Itam area is better condition. Located about 13 kilometers from the city of Sabang, the hills and the edge of the Strait of Melaka has become one of the tourist destinations.
Go to the location of the castle must be through a hillside seafront overgrown with various types of trees. Entering the cobbled streets of Jalan Ujong Kareueng as the main access point, we rotated past a path.
Up at the end, in the grass there is a climbing path that has been dipaving. On the left-hand side of the road, a concrete-walled mound with its overgrown grass roof seemed to hide among some large trees.
There is a door on the concrete wall. Go inside, we realize this is a scout room overlooking a marine nook that lies between two large corals. There are two reconnaissance holes in the hillside slopes.
At the top of the hill there is a fort standing firm with open front like a wide open mouth wanting to catch the wind that blows from the Strait of Malacca. Be here as if standing in a war machine.
Mouth of the building form a semicircle, cannon snout can comb the three directions of the wind, south on the right side, east in front, and north left side.
While behind, the base of defense is a rock, as for the trees to camouflage hide the western castle.
From the top of this polygon-shaped fortress, the spectacular landscape lies in plain sight. The sun that began to shake in the west flooded the rays of the sea blue waters of the Strait of Malacca.
Sunlight that hit the building like coming from behind the hills backing to Maimun Saleh airfield, Sabang.
http://www.beritasatu.com/histori/478508-misteri-bawah-tanah-sabang-yang-eksotik.html