Bomvrij militair object, Geldermalsen

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 66. See also object number 531847.

NEW HOLLANDIC WATERLINE

Introduction

GROUP SHELTERS TYPE P of the complex Intermediate Position Surroundings Work on the Railway, as 20th-century, serially built, additions to the existing fortification. The group shelters Type P were built according to more or less uniform or standard design in the years 1939-1940 in multiple locations in the Netherlands. The total number of built examples is approximately 700, of which in the New Hollandic Waterline approximately 570; the majority (ca. 400) of these still exist. The building programme of the group shelters Type P was not completed at the outbreak of the Second World War and a number of examples are known never to have been completed. Type P (also called 'the pyramid' because of its distinctive form) is presumably the most well-known type of concrete defensive work in the Netherlands. The type originated from the so-called VIS 77 (Regulation for Arranging Positions no. 77) from 1928 and had among other things the purpose of forming part of the defence of a number of existing and new accesses, including especially (motorway) roads. The group shelter Type P usually came into being in the direct vicinity of already existing or at the same time realised casemates, gun emplacements, fortifications or trenches. Because the trenches and other (earthen) works were later almost everywhere levelled or demolished, the concrete shelters nowadays sometimes lie partly below ground level. The entirely closed front or forward side of the group shelters Type P was in many cases covered by earthworks which could form part of a glacis to protect the trench or a covered way. These earthworks are now mostly no longer present or only with difficulty recognisable, but particularly on forts or in otherwise irregular terrain they are sometimes still present. Numerous examples of Type P were built in inundatable areas, whereby in a number of cases a visibly become pile foundation was applied; in others a protruding foundation slab all around or also a trough against inundation water is visible.

The group shelters type P belonging to the complex Intermediate Position Surroundings Work on the Railway lie on both the west and east sides of the Diefdijk, namely the examples near the pumping station De Oude Horn with sluice, mainly on the east side, and the shelters near the railway and to the north thereof, mainly on the west side. A previously unnoticed example is located to the southwest of the pumping station, in the area outside the dike to the south of the bend in the Horndijk-Meerdijk.

Description

GROUP SHELTERS TYPE P are single-storey, usually in reinforced, approximately 100 to 180 cm thick cast concrete executed, shell-proof, military quarters, which could provide shelter to 10-12 troops of infantry/artillery, at protection class W 12-15 or W 21-28. The group shelters Type P were built on a rectangular plan, with dimensions ranging from approximately 5.50 x 7.20 x 4.70 m to 6.50 x 8.20 x 4.90 (w x d x h). The visible height above ground level varies, however. Both blind side walls and the rear wall are executed vertically to approximately 3.00 m height. Above this these walls go inward with a break of approximately 45 degrees, to then transition to a flat roof. Right in the rear wall is at locally varying height above ground level an (later either filled in or not), usually square entrance opening. The entirely vertical, closed front wall reflects the angles of 45 degrees and thus ends as a 'truncated pointed gable'. In a number of cases iron hooks or brackets were cast into the wall(s) that could serve to fasten camouflage material. A characteristic component on top of the shelter type P is the conical, concrete 'outlet', which was intended for the use of a periscope. These periscopes were in practice, however, rarely or never installed. The interior of the group shelters Type P consists of a short passage (usually with a concrete retaining wall or balustrade and normally a few descending steps) and a 'lock chamber' directed from there to the left which could be sealed by a (consisting of multiple parts) heavy, steel door. Via a second, similar door a rear, almost square room could be reached, the actual shelter. Access could be covered from this room by a rifle loophole. The steel doors were, however, rarely or never placed and the entrances were often later filled in with brick and plastered. The ceilings located just over two metres above floor level are flat and rectangular. In a number of cases interior components are still present, such as (remains of) wooden benches or a support for the hand firearm for the covering of the entrance. All examples belonging to the complex Intermediate Position Surroundings Work on the Railway are reasonably to well observable in the field.

Valuation

The GROUP SHELTERS TYPE P of the complex Intermediate Position Surroundings Work on the Railway are of general importance because of:

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

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

These are here components from the period 1939-1940, namely examples of reinforced concrete troops shelters, now without earthen covering.

* Ensemble value and situational values as part of the New Hollandic Waterline. Also because of the functional and physical coherence with the other components of the complex and in particular with the pumping station and sluice works De Oude Horn and the complex Work on the Railway at the Diefdijk.

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

* The components are kept fairly well preserved and can be recognised as built components predominantly well in the field.