Demolishing in Wilhelmshaven
Two big airraid shelters in Wilhelmshaven will be demolished to make a place for a giant factory hall. Works will probably start as soon as April.
The two Kriegsmarine Truppenmannschaftsbunker 350 built in 1943 stand along the Hannoverschen Straße. Similar bunkers can be found in all German harbours, but they’re getting rare. So drive to Wilhelmshaven and get your pictures before it’s too late!
More info on these sort of bunkers via www.truppenmannschaftsbunker.de.
In: Demolition/Disappearing, Germany, News · Tagged with: abriss, blockhaus, bunker, concrete, danger, demolish, fort, sloop, t-350, wilhelmshaven
Crook arrested who squatted three bunkers
In Hoek van Holland a 47 year old man was recently arrested for digging out and redecorating underground bunkers.
The man started in 2009 by digging out a bunker in the centre of Hoek van Holland in the so called ‘Roomseduin’. A park which is now quit popular among dog owners, but in the war held two strongholds for the ‘Marine’ (Wn. 25 M) and ‘Heer’ (Wn. 22 H) with at least 13 Küverbunkers. The first squatted bunker was discovered by kids in 2009 who warned the police, because they were threatened by the man. The kids noticed that the bunker was being decorated with new windows, walls, trenches and even air fresheners… When the man noticed people were on to him he decided to use a new bunker, less then 20 meters away. There he started all over again, digging new trenches, marking his terrain with barbwire and even laying dangerous booby-traps with sharp long nails for unwanted visitors.
The new bunker, very well hidden under sand and bushes was a Küvertype 450b. The entrance was given a new trench constructed from stolen fences from the nearby soccer club. And for supporting beams wooden poles were used. Inside everything was cleaned perfectly, while one room used to be filled with sand about 1.80m high. All this sand was moved outside and camouflaged with bushes. The windows were given new frames and electricity and sewer pipes were stored ready for use. The entrance was given a new fence, including a lock.
A third bunker was also found, about another 20 meters away. But he only just began digging here, and now stolen material was found.
The police was never able to get the guy until last week after some stake-outs at night. He was caught visiting ‘his’ bunker, but has been released for a lack of evidence and a confession. The main question remains what the ‘crook’ was actually planning with his activities. As also in 2005 a strange camouflaged ‘hut’ was discovered in the dunes, including a self made covered trench and escape motorcycle with prepared route trough the bushes.
These photos are from the first discovery in 2009 and right after the arrest in 2012. The first picture also shows the situation of the first bunker before it was dug-out.
The paintings you see are in the third bunker, which like all the other bunkers, were reused after the war for housing and the boy scouts.
In: Holland, News, Uncategorized · Tagged with: Küver crook arrested squatted "hoek van holland" police
Lifting a plate, part two
Some time ago I’ve posted the video by Steve Powell of the Festungspak plate at Wn Schonbucht Mitte on Guernsey. This time I made my own video in Batterie Ørlandet, better known as Austrått Fort in Norway.
A group of Czech volunteers restored the gun and accessories to mint condition.
In: News, Norway · Tagged with: "World war two", 1938, 495P2, 631, 770P4, anti-tank, atlantic wall, atlantikwall, austrått, czech, festung, festungspak, fort, fortress, gun, noorwegen, norway, norwegen, world war ii, ww ii, ww2, ørland, ørlandet
Bunkersite.com update: Bunkeroptik
Besides the tour guide and bunker per locations we have more information for you. Bunkeroptik is one of them.
Bunkeroptik is not an official term but it’s obvious, optics used in bunkers. The German fortress design included fortress weapons like the MG-34 on a special mount (Schartenlafette 34) in both armoured turrets and behind armoured plates, the fortress grenade launchers/howitzers like the M19 and leichte Turmhaubitze and the Czech 4.7cm Festungspak 36 (t). For all of these, and more, weapons and armour special optics were designed which could observe 360 degrees, round a corner or right at the target.
The navy and airforce used optics as well for their coastal and Flak batteries. Much more bigger ones than the army optics but just as interesting.
The “don’t try this at home” section is the repair shop where Lenco gives you information on how to fix your dirty Flakglass, with examples.
Take a look at Bunkeroptik.
Panzerbeobachtungswinkelfernrohr in a Sechsschartenturm, great words. (Photo: Arthur van Beveren)
In: Bunkersite update · Tagged with: atlantikwall, bunkeroptik, Flak, optics, optik, panzer, panzerwinkelfernrohr, sechsschartenturm, sehrohr, vizier
Electronically driven ventilator
The guys of the 622 personnel bunker near the Moerdijk bridges have made a ventilator driven by motor working again. Here’s a little movie of them.
In: Holland, News · Tagged with: air, atlantic, atlantikwall, bunker, fresh, gas, hes, lüfter, moerdijk, stützpunktgruppe, ventilator, wall
Part of a German casemate found in Scheveningen
During construction works on the sea wall in Scheveningen, a part of an anti-tank gun casemate type 625 has been found. It’s been partially demolished just after the war.
It still shows some of its impressive camouflage painting. A part will be further demolished while the rest will be covered under the new dike. More photos here.
Remaining camouflage pattern on the bunker. (Photo: Stichting Atlantikwall Museum Scheveningen)
The actual bunker during the war. (Photo: Bundesarchiv, Koblenz)
In: Demolition/Disappearing, Holland, News · Tagged with: 625, bunker, den haag, found, gevonden, kazemat, ontdekking, pak, regelbau, scheveningen, stützpunktgruppe, vondst
Atlantic Wall Typology
Atlantic Wall Typology, by Rudi Rolf.
In: Books & Magazines, Photography · Tagged with: book, booklet, gras, grass, regelbau, rolf, rudi, typenheft, typologie, typology
Bunkersite.com update: Dieppe and Somme
There’s so much still to discover in Dieppe. The steep chalkstone coast and the concrete bunkers make some beautiful scenery.
We start at the inland Vaudricourt about 70 km east of Le Touquet at radar site “Skorpion” with a big L 479 night fighter control bunker and several radar emplacements. We go further south to Mers-les-Bains where the bunkers, just like everywhere along this coast, are dangerously close to the edge, some even overhanging. South of Dieppe is Le Pont Rouge, at a great spot with some rare bunker types. Back up north to Saint-Valéry-en-Caux and Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer overlooking the high cliffs.
Special 636 with armoured plate on the observation room at Mers-les-Bains. (Photo: Henk Adriaanse)
In: Bunkersite update · Tagged with: 410a, 411a, 479, atlantic wall, atlantikwall, blockhaus, bunkers, dieppe, skorpion, somme
Cupola 24P8 restored and on display
In June we posted about two ‘Kleinstglocken’ 24P8 found in the south of France. One of them was obtained by the Association de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Historique Militaire in Le Wantzenau, near Strasbourg.
And what they did was fantastic. They’ve meticulously renovated this turret to a mint condition and put it on display outside their museum, on a small room which allows visitors to see the inside.
A fabrication number was found on the inside which showed it was made by Gruson, as late as in 1941!
The whole renovation project was photographed and can be seen on the association website.
In: France, News · Tagged with: 1941, 24p8, alsace, armoured, cazaux, cupola, gruson, kleinstglocke, panzer, renovation, turret, wantzenau
Bunkersite.com update: Dieppe and Bergen
Together with the new layout come new photos. This time from a trip made by Henk Adriaanse to the Dieppe area and some updates in the Bergen area from back in 2007.
Dieppe got the honor to be the first part which was updated to the new layout. Locations were extended and added. Janval is a highlight in my opinion. But Mont Robin stays the big eyecatcher of Dieppe. Have a look I would say!
The Bergen area in Norway has been updated with some new pictures from Osøyro.
Beautiful number plack which is characteristic for this area. (Photo: Henk Adriaanse)
In: Bunkersite update · Tagged with: atlantikwall, bergen, blockhaus, bunkers, bunkersite, dieppe, france, frankreich, noorwegen, norway, norwegen, regelbau, somme