Bomvrij militair object, de Zilveren Schaats e.o. Utrecht

English translation

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Description

Cluster 301. Group Shelters Type P.

NEW HOLLANDSE WATERLINIE

Introduction

GROUP SHELTERS TYPE P are 20th-century, mass-produced additions to the existing defence. The Group Shelters Type P were built according to more or less uniform or standard design (especially) in the years 1939-1940 at multiple locations in the Netherlands. The total number of built examples is approximately 700, of which about 570 in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie; the majority (approximately 400) of these still exist. The building programme for the Group Shelters Type P was not completed at the outbreak of the Second World War and it is known that a number of examples were never finished. Type P (also called 'the pyramid' because of its distinctive shape) is presumably the most well-known type of concrete defensive work in the Netherlands. The type originated from the so-called VIS 77 (Voorschrift Inrichten Stellingen no. 77) from 1928 and had as its purpose, among other things, to be part of the defence of a number of existing and newly realized accesses, including in particular (motorway) roads. The Group Shelter Type P usually came into being in the immediate vicinity of already existing or contemporaneously realized gun emplacements, artillery positions, fortifications or trenches. Because the trenches and other earthworks were subsequently levelled or demolished almost everywhere, the concrete shelters nowadays lie at quite varying levels relative to the ground. The entirely closed front or forward side of the Group Shelters Type P was in many cases covered by earthworks that could form part of a glacis for the protection of the trench or a covered way. These earthworks are now mostly no longer present or only barely recognizable, but in particular on forts or in otherwise uneven terrain they are sometimes still present. Numerous examples of Type P were built in inundatable areas, in some cases with a distinctive, now visible pile foundation; in other examples a projecting foundation slab all around or also a trough against flood water can be seen. At least three Group Shelters Type P remain within the Complex Works between Fort De Bilt and the Lunettes. This trio is located generally north of the former Fort Vossegat on the south side of the Ridderschapsvaart in a few private gardens - formerly part of the covered way lay here - behind the present Prins Hendriklaan (opposite the Albert van Dalsumlaan), north of the canal. It cannot be ruled out that more (remnants) of this type of works are hidden within the complex.

Description

GROUP SHELTERS TYPE P within the Complex Works between Fort De Bilt and the Lunettes, of which (certainly) three are in gardens behind the present Prins Hendriklaan (opposite the Albert van Dalsumlaan). Group Shelters Type P, such as these, are one storey high and are usually constructed in reinforced concrete of approximately 100 to 180 cm thick cast concrete. They formed a shrapnel-proof, military shelter that could provide protection for 10-12 infantry / artillery personnel, at cover class W 12-15 or W 21-28. On the Eastern Front most belong to the heaviest class. Group Shelters Type P were built on a rectangular ground 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, however, varies. Both blank side walls and the rear side are executed vertically to a height of approximately 3.00 m. Above this, these walls slope inwards at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, then transition into a flat roof. On the right in the rear side is an (later either sealed or not), usually square access opening at locally varying heights above ground level. The entirely vertical, closed front side reflects the 45-degree angles 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 attach camouflage material. A characteristic component on top of the Group Shelter Type P is the conical concrete 'exhaust', 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 corridor (usually with a concrete retaining wall or balustrade and usually a few descending steps) and from there a 'vestibule' directed to the left that could be sealed off by a (consisting of multiple parts) heavy steel door. Via a second, similar door, a subsequent, almost square space could be reached on the right, the actual shelter. Access from this space could be covered by a rifle loophole. The steel doors were never installed, however, and the entrances were later often sealed with brick and plastered. The ceilings, located just over two metres above floor level, are flat and rectangular. Interior components may still be present, such as (remains of) wooden benches or a support for the small arms for the covering of the entrance.

Valuation

The GROUP SHELTERS TYPE P within the Complex Works between Fort De Bilt and the Lunettes are of general interest because of:

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

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

This concerns here (at minimum) three components from the period 1939-1940, namely concrete personnel shelters.

* Ensemble value and situational values as part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie 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 recognizably added to the existing fortification system.

* The components are reasonably well preserved and as built elements they can be recognised relatively easily in the field.