Kazemat (B10), Op het Hoornwerk ten noorden van de Nude Rhenen

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in Dutch. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

Description

Introduction:

The Grebbelinie is a water line approximately 60 kilometres in length, which makes use of the wet conditions in the western, lowest-lying part of the Gelderse Vallei. It is a unique example of a water line constructed in the eighteenth century. Because no major interventions have taken place in the structure of the line since then, the majority of the line embankment, the weirs and the earthen defensive works have been preserved. The Grebbelinie comprises embankments, earthen forts, locks, casemates, outposts, anti-tank ditches, inundation areas, trenches, bunkers etc. Because it was always assumed that the line had to be defended by a temporary field army, no permanent accommodation for military personnel was built in the Grebbelinie.

The line was directed against a possible advancing enemy from the east. By inundating land, enemy troops could be halted. The Grebbelinie was meant to ensure that this happened in a controlled manner. The water in the inundated area had to be deep enough to prevent enemy vehicles and artillery from passing, but not so deep that the enemy could approach the line with vessels. At places that were too high to be inundated, defensive works were constructed. In laying out the inundation areas, use was made of the lower-lying fields. In order to flood the area as efficiently as possible, the line was divided from south to north into 11 basins. The water was dammed up in each basin with the help of a weir dam that lay across the line embankment.

Although fortifications had been constructed sporadically in this area since the end of the 16th century, in 1744, on the proposal of the then Director-General of Fortifications B.J. de Roy, work began on the construction of the earthen embankment which would later become the Grebbeliniedijk. The embankment had to hold back the water, so that the Gelderland side of the dike could be inundated. Furthermore, because of the height difference between the Nederrijn and the Zuiderzee, the plan provided for the construction of weir dams or cross dikes that could hold back the water. In this way a series of water-filled basins was created, which descended northward like a series of steps. In total, eight weir dams were constructed to enable the area to be flooded in a controlled manner. In 1786, further fortifications were constructed.

The first time the line was put on alert was in 1793 when France declared war on the Netherlands. However, the water level in the Rhine was too low at that moment to flood the line. Because the advance was not continued, the French did not reach the line at that time. However, when the French under General Pichegru returned at the end of 1794, the line could be flooded. But a severe frost period in early 1795 meant that French armies could cross the frozen rivers and inundations without difficulty.

Ultimately, the French gave the line its final form in 1799. They paid considerable attention to improving the defence of the weir dams and constructed earthen outposts there. Because Napoleon wrongly believed in 1809 that there was no longer any threat from the east, the Grebbelinie was abolished as a defensive work.

Not until 1846 did the importance of the Grebbelinie for national defence begin to be recognised. To protect the railway line Utrecht - Arnhem, this was laid directly through the fort at the Buursteeg. In 1860, it was determined that the Grebbelinie should be one of the most important defensive lines of our country. Following this, new dam locks were placed in the most important weir dams, so that the area in front of the line could be flooded more quickly. In 1866, the Omleidingskanaal was constructed to the east of Veenendaal, which reduced the inundation time from 20 to 12 days. Nevertheless, the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie became the most important defensive line, because inundations there could be brought about more quickly and easily.

Only during the mobilisation of 1939-1940 did the Grebbelinie, under the name Valleilinie, become the main defensive line of our country. Because the Valleikanaal had been dug shortly before to improve drainage in the Gelderse Vallei, a continuous canal had now been created between the Nederrijn and the IJsselmeer, which could also serve as an anti-tank ditch and also offered better possibilities for inundating the area.

Large areas on the eastern side were now flooded and farms that were in the field of fire were demolished. Around Veenendaal, extensive trenches and anti-tank ditches were dug and 271 concrete machine-gun casemates were built. In March 1940, the main defence of the eastern front of the Vesting Holland was relocated from the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie to the Grebbelinie. This led to the construction of even more trenches, anti-tank ditches and wire obstacles, particularly in the non-inundable areas between Woudenberg - Renswoude and Veenendaal. On 10 May, German troops invaded our country. Although the fighting at the Grebbeberg became the most well-known, there was also heavy fighting at other places on the line. The Germans ultimately made the final adjustment to the line in 1944. The line now received the name Pantherstellung. The purpose of the line was to stop an enemy advancing towards Germany and the main direction of fire was this time towards the west and south. More than 20 gun casemates were built, of which 12 have now been preserved. In 1951, the Grebbelinie was finally abolished as a defensive line.

The casemate was built in 1939-1940 in the context of the strengthening of the Valleilinie and is situated on the Hoornwerk at the Grebbe. It is one of a total of 4 casemates from this period that still remain on this section of the Valleilinie.

Description:

DEFENSIVE WORK constructed in 1939-1940, consisting of a concrete machine-gun casemate of type S3. The casemate was built in the context of the strengthening of the Valleilinie and is situated in the front of the northernmost bastion.

This is a light casemate of type S3 or Stekelvarken 3 (so-called because of the iron pins on the outside to which camouflage material could be attached) and the three gun embrasures. The casemate was designed for one light machine-gun for frontal and flanking fire. The three gun embrasures together had a field of fire of 110 degrees. The two unused gun embrasures could be closed with a 2cm steel shutter if desired. There were no provisions for observation. The casemate has a rectangular floor plan with a straight front and rear. The dimensions are: rear 5.20 metres, side walls straight 1 metre, side walls sloped 2 metres and front 2.50 metres. The height including floor slab is 3 metres. The casemate consists only of a combat chamber with a rear exit, three rifle embrasures and has walls of 80 cm reinforced concrete. Bevels are made in the perimeter of the roof to achieve ricochet of grenades.

Valuation:

The casemate is of general importance because of:

Cultural-historical value through its memorial value because of the role during the combat operations in 1939-1940.