Indies Military Navy

The Indies Military Navy was a Dutch naval force that was permanently based in the Dutch East Indies. It was established on 16 November 1866 and operated exclusively in the waters of the colony. The navy consisted of fast small-sized warships with credible firepower that were used to enforce Dutch authority in the archipelago and to promote the general interests of the Dutch East Indies. In 1930 the IMM was disbanded.

History

The Indies Military Navy was established by royal decree on 16 November 1866 by splitting the existing Dutch Squadron of the Royal Netherlands Navy. This led to most warships being transferred from the Dutch Squadron to the IMM, while the ships that remained became part of the newly formed Auxiliary Squadron. Administratively the IMM was placed under the Department of the Navy in Batavia. Its ships were also paid for by the Dutch East Indies government and permanently stationed in the colony. The IMM became operational on 1 January 1868.

Aceh War

At the start of the Aceh War in 1873 most of the ships of the IMM were in poor condition.

Personnel

The personnel of the IMM consisted of both Europeans and native Indonesians, with the Europeans outnumbering the Indonesians. While the European personnel came from the Royal Netherlands Navy, the native Indonesians were recruited and trained in the Dutch East Indies.