Voorne & Schouwen

Abschnitt Voorne (Stp.Gr. Oostvoorne)

The isle of Voorne lays just below Hoek van Holland, or to be more precise: it's located just south of the former isle De Beer. This wasthe heaviest defended terrain in the entire Atlantikwall with many interesting bunkers. Unfortunately it was dug away for the Europoort (the biggest Harbour in West-Europe). Abschnitt (department) Voorne with it's Stützpunktgruppe Oostvoorne (incorporating only the Stützpunkte XXI H and XXII H) were of special importanceas the southern part of the Festung Hoek van Holland. Many radar-installation were erected here. There was a night-fighter controlpost called Biber (the first letter (B) corresponding with that of the nearest biggest town: Brielle). In this controlpost two Würzburg-Riese (short-distance) radars were erected, as well as one or two Freya (medium-long distance) radars. For making observation over long distances a Klein-Heidelberg installation (in Stp. XXIV LM) and Wassermann 'M'  (in Stp. XXII H) installation were erected. For the German pilots to determine their positions there ware also two or three beaken-system called Adcock. 

Two coastal batteries were placed on the dunes: Marineküstenbatterie (naval coastal battery) Rockanje and Heeresküstenbatterie (army coastal battery) Nieuw-Helvoet. There were little resistance points for the protection of the other parts of the isle.

The Headquarters of the isle was located in Widerstandsnest 105 H, just south-west of the village of Oostvoorne.   

Anno 1999 about 40 St.-bunkers and many other (lighter) works remain on the isle. 

Widerstandsnest 105 H

We can still find a Bataillons-Headquarter on Baupkunt 59 (W.N. 105 H.) with 9 St.bunkers:

    -    1 commandbunker (Regelbau 117a)  with observationturret;
    -    1 bunker for recharging batteries etc. (Regelbau 142);
    -    1 Hospital (Regelbau 118c);
    -    4 Shelters for 20 men (Regelbau 502);
    -    1 Ammunionstorage(Regelbau134);
    -    1 Cassualty-assembly bunker (Regelbau 622/661).

The observationturret (type 486P2) on top of the commandbunker (type 117a)

A corridor inside the 117a. On the right you  can see an entrance to a radio-room.

	Construction number in the entrance of the hospital.
The main hospital for the isle of Voorne. This large bunker was a type 118c.

Entrance-side of the Regelbau 142. This type is very rare, because only two were built. (The other one is in Hoek van Holland)

The corridor inside the bunker

Widerstandsnest 104 H

• A complex for a reserve Infantery-unit at buildingpoint (Baupunkt) 58/ resistancepoint. The bunkers that were built are: 5 x R501, 1 x R134, 1 x R622/661)

Stützpunkt XXIII LH

• A night-fighter control post. The bunkers that were built are: 1 x L481, 2 x L409A, 1 x L487, 1 x R601)
  

	Constructionnumber of the Regelbau 601   Constructionnumber of the L481, Unterstand für Adcock
Entrance to the L481, Unterstand für Adcock		Entrance-side of the night-fighter control bunker (type L487)

Stützpunkt XXIV LM

A complex for a Klein-Heidelberg- Anlage. Bunkers: 1 x L480, 2 x L409A, 1 x L410, 1 x L413, 1 x R622)

View inside the  L480. Visible is the sockel for the generator.

Constructionnumber in a L409A A L409A with a fresco of the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin

A Fresco of the Dom of Cologne (Köln) in the L410

A bat in the gaslock of the L410

A Regelbau 622 with a fresco of a German church

A tunnel made of sewer-pipes, which leads to a Tobruk	The Tobruk to which  the tunnelsystem is connected.

	same
Some texts in a calculating-room

Stützpunkt XXII H

An Infantery-complex with the following bunkers still present: 1 x R610, 1 x R622, 1x R622/661, 1 x R501.

Stp.Gr. Schouwen

On the isle of Schouwen the Germans built 55 St.Bunkers in a so-called Stützpunktgruppe (Stp.Gr.). A Stützpunktgruppe is a concentration of resistance points. There were three coastal batteries located on the dunes: Marineküstenbatterie Renesse, Heeresküstenbatterie Haamstede and Marineküstenbatterie Westenschouwen. The airfield was of special importance the firts years of the war (it was later abbandoned) and many resistance points were placed on the first dunes surrounding the place. Some infantry strongpoints were also built along the coast. The HQ of the entire Stützpuntgruppe lay in Widerstandsnest 325 H.

From all the St.-bunkers built during the war only 20 remain. Most of them (10 objects) can be found in the woods ('het Slotbos') and dunes surrounding the castle (Slot Haamstede) of  the village Burgh-Haamstede. These object were part of the Headquarters of the Stützpunktgruppe (W.N. 325 H). 
The most important bunkers of this complex are the commandpost (Regelbau 117a) and a hospital (Regelbau 118a). The other 8 objects all had a supporting function. There were two ammunitionbunkers (Regelbau 134), four quarters for 20 men (Regelbau 502) and two quarters for 10 men (Regelbau 501). We can also find 19 other works of a lighter construction, which housed ammunition, watersupplies etc. The commandpost of the type 117a deserves special attention because its equiped with an armoured turret (486P2) and plate (78P9)

	The commandpost (type 117a) with the armoured observationturret on the roof.

The armoured plate (type 78P9) for machine-gun (MG. 34). It weighs around 20000kg. This is a bit over the top, becaue it was only used for close-defence. Normally a plate of around 100kg sufficed.

The second concentration of St.-Bunkers are located near the old airfield. Here we can find a hospital (Regelbau 638, Kleiner Sanitätsunterstand), a bunker for a radio-transmitter (Regelbau L 484, Unterstand für funksende Zentrale) and some quarters for 10 men (Regelbau 501 and a Regelbau 621). Close to the old flight-controlpost lays an early German bunker, used as headquarters for the troops that were stationed at the airfield.

Inside view of one of the shelters (type 501) near the airfield. On the right you can see the emergency-exit. On the left is the door to the gaslock.

 

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