Eugène Lacomblé
Encyclopedia
Eugène Edouard Bernard Lacomblé (Arnhem
, 26 October 1896 - Java Sea
, 28 February 1942) was an officer in the Royal Netherlands Navy
from 1914 to 1942. He began and ended his career on board the cruiser De Ruyter
.
in Willemsoord in 1914. In 1917 he was promoted to lieutenant (Luitenant ter Zee or LtZ) 3rd class and was posted to the East Indies. There he was put on board the De Ruyter
, then under the command of LtZ N. Maats. Three months later he was made lieutenant second class and posted to the torpedo-service on board the torpedo-training-ship Koningin Emma der Nederlanden. He then moved into submarines until the end of 1927, making some trips back to the Netherlands. In 1928, as lieutenant second-class, he was made first officer on board the Brino and within a year rose to lieutenant first-class.
In 1931 he went to the East Indies for the third time, this time on the mail-ship Christiaan Huygens. Upon arrival in Surabaya
he was, as first officer, placed in the Naval Barracks at Goebeng. At the start of 1932 he was transferred to HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën and in the summer was made equipagemeester of the Surabaya Naval Establishment. Three years later he returned to the Netherlands and at the end of 1935 was put in command of the minelayer Douwe Aukes
, stationed at Ostend
and Rouen
. He then spent a few months on the naval staff at the Department of Defence. In 1938 Lacomblé went to the East Indies for the fourth and final time, now on board M.S. Mamix van Sint Aldegonde. After arriving there he was made first officer of the cruiser HM De Ruyter, then commanded by KtZ H.J. Bueninck. On 1 February 1940 Lacomblé was promoted to Kapitein-LtZ. During the Japanese invasion of the East Indies he was the commander of the De Ruyter, from which Karel Doorman
commanded the 'Combined Striking Force'. On 27 February the De Ruyter was hit by a Japanese torpedo during the Battle of the Java Sea
and Doorman and Lacomblé got the crew off the ship, though they went down with it themselves.
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, 26 October 1896 - Java Sea
Java Sea
The Java Sea is a large shallow sea on the Sunda Shelf. It was formed as sea levels rose at the end of the last ice age. The Java Sea lies between the Indonesian islands of Borneo to the north, Java to the south; Sumatra to the west, and Sulawesi to the east...
, 28 February 1942) was an officer in the Royal Netherlands Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
The Koninklijke Marine is the navy of the Netherlands. In the mid-17th century the Dutch Navy was the most powerful navy in the world and it played an active role in the wars of the Dutch Republic and later those of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
from 1914 to 1942. He began and ended his career on board the cruiser De Ruyter
HNLMS De Ruyter (1935)
HNLMS De Ruyter was a light cruiser of the Royal Netherlands Navy, the lead ship of her class. She was originally designed as a ship with a lighter armament due to financial problems and the pacifist movement. Later in the design stage, an extra gun turret was added and the armor was improved...
.
Life
After the HBS, Lacomblé trained in navigation at the Royal Netherlands Naval CollegeRoyal Netherlands Naval College
The Royal Netherlands Naval College in Den Helder is the service academy of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The KIM offers a program of four or five years and also a short course of sixteen to twenty-two months...
in Willemsoord in 1914. In 1917 he was promoted to lieutenant (Luitenant ter Zee or LtZ) 3rd class and was posted to the East Indies. There he was put on board the De Ruyter
HNLMS De Ruyter (1935)
HNLMS De Ruyter was a light cruiser of the Royal Netherlands Navy, the lead ship of her class. She was originally designed as a ship with a lighter armament due to financial problems and the pacifist movement. Later in the design stage, an extra gun turret was added and the armor was improved...
, then under the command of LtZ N. Maats. Three months later he was made lieutenant second class and posted to the torpedo-service on board the torpedo-training-ship Koningin Emma der Nederlanden. He then moved into submarines until the end of 1927, making some trips back to the Netherlands. In 1928, as lieutenant second-class, he was made first officer on board the Brino and within a year rose to lieutenant first-class.
In 1931 he went to the East Indies for the third time, this time on the mail-ship Christiaan Huygens. Upon arrival in Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
he was, as first officer, placed in the Naval Barracks at Goebeng. At the start of 1932 he was transferred to HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën and in the summer was made equipagemeester of the Surabaya Naval Establishment. Three years later he returned to the Netherlands and at the end of 1935 was put in command of the minelayer Douwe Aukes
HNLMS Douwe Aukes
HNLMS Douwe Aukes was a minelayer of the Royal Netherlands Navy. She was built in the Gusto shipyard at Schiedam as the lead ship of the Douwe Aukes class, and one of her early commanders was Eugène Lacomblé.-Second World War:...
, stationed at Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
and Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. He then spent a few months on the naval staff at the Department of Defence. In 1938 Lacomblé went to the East Indies for the fourth and final time, now on board M.S. Mamix van Sint Aldegonde. After arriving there he was made first officer of the cruiser HM De Ruyter, then commanded by KtZ H.J. Bueninck. On 1 February 1940 Lacomblé was promoted to Kapitein-LtZ. During the Japanese invasion of the East Indies he was the commander of the De Ruyter, from which Karel Doorman
Karel Doorman
Karel Willem Frederik Marie Doorman was a Dutch Rear Admiral who commanded ABDACOM Naval forces, a hastily-organized multinational naval force formed to defend the East Indies against an overwhelming Imperial Japanese attack. Doorman was killed and the main body of ABDACOM Naval forces destroyed...
commanded the 'Combined Striking Force'. On 27 February the De Ruyter was hit by a Japanese torpedo during the Battle of the Java Sea
Battle of the Java Sea
The Battle of the Java Sea was a decisive naval battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II, that sealed the fate of the Netherlands East Indies....
and Doorman and Lacomblé got the crew off the ship, though they went down with it themselves.
Namesakes
- Hr. Ms. Lacomblé, a Van Straelen class minesweeper is named after Eugène Lacomblé.
Honours
- He won the eereteeken for long service as an officer.
- On 28 May 1949 he was made knight, 4th class in the Military William Order, with the following citation: