Bomvrij militair object, Betonnen werken Diefdijk-Zuid Culemborg

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

Cluster 64.

NEW HOLLANDIC WATERLINE

Introduction

GROUP SHELTERS TYPE P as part of linear and access defence with trench systems, casemates and similar structures. At several locations along the Diefdijk between Fort Everdingen and the Fort at Asperen there are small concrete defensive works. Due to the Rijksweg 2 (now A 2), designed shortly before the Second World War, which crosses the Diefdijk at Zijderveld, a number of concrete defensive works were built at this access, including Group Shelters Type P. (Concrete) group shelters were a response to the arrival of heavy projectiles and high-explosive grenades. The latter have a high-explosive charge. Depending on the weight of the gun and the protection against it, there is a classification into resistance or protection classes, consisting of two numbers, e.g. W 12-15. The first indicates that the protection is sufficient for impacts of projectiles up to that calibre (in cm); the second indicates that there is also protection against one or at most a few impacts up to this higher calibre. The earliest types of concrete (group) shelters only offered protection against grenade fragments and were called 'splinter-proof'. The Group Shelters Type P were built according to more or less uniform or standard design (especially) in the years 1939-1940 in several places in the Netherlands. The total number of built specimens is approximately 700, of which around 570 in the New Hollandic Waterline; the majority (approximately 400) of which still exist. The building programme for Group Shelters Type P was not completed when the Second World War broke out and a number of specimens have remained visibly unfinished. Type P (because of its striking shape also called 'the pyramid') is presumably the most well-known type of concrete defensive work in the Netherlands. The type stemmed from the so-called VIS 77 (Instruction for Setting up Positions no. 77), from 1928, and had among other things the purpose of being part of the defence of a number of new accesses, in particular (motorways). The Group Shelter Type P usually came into being in the direct vicinity of already existing or contemporary casemates, gun emplacements, fortifications or trenches. The historically completely closed front or face side of the Group Shelters Type P was intended to be covered by earthworks, which could be part of a glacis to protect the trench or a covered way. These earthworks are now mostly no longer present or only recognisable with difficulty, but particularly on forts or in terrain otherwise characterised by relief there is sometimes still cover.

There are various variants of Type P, both in terms of dimensions and protection class as well as in execution and detailing. For example, specimens were built in protection classes W 12-15 and W 21-28 with dimensions ranging from approximately 5.50 x 7.20 x 4.70 m to 6.50 x 8.20 x 4.90 m (w x d x h). Numerous specimens of Type P were built in inundatable areas, in some cases with a visible pile foundation, while often a retaining wall or trough with stairs was introduced against inundation water in the then elevated, square entrance and in yet others a concrete foundation plate projecting all around is present.

The Group Shelters Type P in the complex Intermediate Position Diefdijk - South are, with one exception, on the east side of the Diefdijk, at the edge of the foreground inundatable polders.

Description

GROUP SHELTERS TYPE P are single-storey, usually in reinforced, approximately 100 to 180 cm thick cast concrete, grenade-proof military shelters, which could provide protection for 10-12 infantry / artillery personnel. Group Shelters Type P are built on a rectangular floor plan. The visible height above ground level varies. Both blind side walls and the throat side are executed vertically up to approximately 3 m in height. Above this these walls slope inward at approximately 45 degrees, then transition into a flat roof. On the right in the throat side there is an entrance opening at locally varying height above ground level (later either sealed or not). The entirely vertical, closed front side reflects the 45 degree angles and thus ends as a 'truncated gable'. In some cases iron hooks are cast into the wall(s) which could serve to attach camouflage material. A characteristic component on top of the Type P shelter is the conical, concrete 'outlet', which was intended for the use of a periscope. These periscopes were never actually installed in practice. The interior of the Group Shelters Type P consists of a short passage (usually with a concrete retaining wall or balustrade and usually a few descending steps) and from there a 'lock' directed to the left which could be sealed by a heavy steel door (consisting of several parts) with bolts. Via a second, similar door, one could turn right into a rear, almost square space, the actual shelter. The entrance could be covered from this space via a firing aperture. The doors were, however, rarely or never installed in practice. The ceilings located at approximately two metres above floor level are flat and rectangular. In some cases interior components are still present, such as (remains of) wooden benches or a support for the firearm for covering the entrance. The specimens within the complex Intermediate Position Diefdijk - South are all reasonably to well observable in the field; the interior of none of them has been visited.

Valuation

The GROUP SHELTERS TYPE P within the complex Intermediate Position Diefdijk - South are of general interest because of:

* Cultural-historical values as part of the New Hollandic Waterline as it was designed by C.R.T. Kraijenhoff and first developed from 1815 by him, Jan Blanken and major-engineer Willem Offerhaus and subsequently strengthened and improved by others for approximately 125 years.

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

These are components from the period 1939-1940, namely personnel shelters of type P (pyramid).

* Ensemble value and situational values as part of the New Hollandic Waterline in general and because of the mutual functional, functional-spatial and physical coherence with the other components of the complex.

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

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