Kazemat, nabij 't Hemeltje Houten

English translation

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Description

Cluster 48.

Introduction

SHELTERS TYPE 1918/II in the area around the forts at Vechten and at 't Hemeltje as part of linear and access defence based on trench systems, covered roads and similar. Shelters Type 1918/I and Type 1918/II were built according to more or less uniform or standard design in 1918 at multiple locations in West Netherlands. Both types occur in any case within the Stelling van Amsterdam (among others at Spaarndam) and at various locations in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie (among others at Naarden, at Fort Everdingen and in the area between the Fort at Rijnauwen and the Fort at Vechten (= the Houtense Vlakte). Most still existing specimens on the Houtense Vlakte can be easily identified in the field, whereby this complex component can be considered as typical. The total number of built specimens in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie amounts to approximately 225; the majority (approx. 165) of these still exist. The greatest concentration of shelters Type 1918/I and /II is located on the Houtense Vlakte, where 147 have been realised. The shelter Type 1918/I (approx. 125 pieces) usually came into being at the front of double trench systems. The shelter Type 1918/II (approx. 100 pieces) was usually built along the rear trench. Because the trenches and other earthworks were subsequently levelled almost everywhere, the concrete shelters nowadays lie almost always partly below ground level. The from old times entirely closed front side of the shelters was usually entirely covered by earthworks which were part of a glacis for protection of the trench or of a covered road. These earthworks are now mostly no longer present or recognisable only with difficulty. In a number of cases the earthing on the front side or the flank in the years 1936-1938 was deliberately (partly) removed or not restored again to transform the 20 year old shelters Type 1918/I and 1918/II into machine-gun casemates. There are dozens of such rebuilt specimens in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie. Variants of Types 1918/I and 1918/II exist, which can be recognised among others in the slope angle of the rear side and through differently executed access openings. A number of still existing objects within the cluster Intermediate position 't Hemeltje-Vechten are now situated between later development.

Description

SHELTERS TYPE 1918/II are single-storey, usually constructed in approx. 100 cm thick reinforced cast concrete, grenade-proof, military shelters, which could provide protection for 16 infantrymen / artillerymen, at protection class W 15-21. The shelters 1918/II are built on a rectangular ground plan, with measurements of approximately 10.00 x 5.50 x 3.70 m, (w x d x h), of which the base is rarely visible. The visible height above ground level varies. Both blind side walls and the closed front / front side are executed vertically, to transition with a sharp bend to the roof surface sloping slightly backward. This roof surface descends after a blunt angle under a slope of approximately 45 degrees to the often not, or only partly visible, low, vertical wall at the rear side. A variant of Type 1918/II has here a less steep slope. In a number of cases iron hooks were cast into the walls which could serve for attachment of camouflage material. The shelters Type 1918/II are constructed as monolithic concrete structures and were accessible via two access openings, left and right, on the trench side - the rear side. These entrances are surrounded by a thickened concrete frame, which is arranged in the same plane as the rear, sloping roof surface. Variations occur in these frames, among others with a thickening at the top. The low executed entrances were later mostly sealed by means of brickwork or concrete, but also specimens stuffed with rubble occur. In a few cases the shelters are still open or have been reopened. (Remains of) doors or shutters have not been found and are in any case extremely rare; however, iron hooks are still present in the ceilings at the entrances, in which presumably iron shutters could be hung. The interior of shelters Type 1918/II consists of a rectangular space, located approximately halfway below ground level, which is accessible in a hunched position via concrete stairs of a few steps located in the corners. The ceilings, located at approximately two metres above floor level, are approximately one metre thick, flat and rectangular.

Valuation

SHELTERS TYPE 1918/II are of general interest because of:

* Cultural-historical values as part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie as designed by C.R.T. Kraijenhoff and initially from 1815 realised by him, Jan Blanken and major-engineer Willem Offerhaus and subsequently strengthened and improved by others over approximately 125 years.

* Military-historical values as part of a continuous military defence line between the former Zuiderzee and the Biesbosch. This consisted mainly of a coherent system of inundation fields and associated inundation means and of fields of fire. This system was supplemented with various types from different periods of built or constructed (defence) works which served to or contributed to the blocking of terrain not to be inundated or other accesses.

* Architectural-historical values, in particular as an expression of military-strategic building, which is based on: a. the system of inundation and access defence (19th and 20th century), b. the race with increasingly strengthening offensive means (19th and 20th century) c. the system of 'living' field fortification in depth (20th century)

This concerns components from the period 1914-1918. These components are examples of reinforced concrete shelters.

* Ensemble value and situational values as part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie. Also because of the functional and physical coherence with the other components of the complex and in particular as a relic associated with a trench system.

* The components are representative (characteristic) because they are clearly recognisable as components added to the existing fortification system as part of a deconcentrated defence line.

* The components are reasonably well preserved and can still be easily identified in the field as built components.