HKB Groenendijk - AOK 15 KVA A3

[myt1prod]

Hello

The day before yesterdat I've already had a look at the bunkers of this stronghold and the ones in the near surroundings. Sadly the surveillors of the strictly off-limits domain of the HKB Groenendijk were around so I couldn't visit the actual stronghold... yet (this site is protected by law... only sheep can walk the domain and crap all over these protected structures ). I had to sadisfy myself with the other bunkers laying in the immediate proximity, which I was granted access by the private owners... or those of which the surveillors were not around. The largest part of the HKB and it's surroundings I will be visiting in the near future, so why not already create this topic to keep you updated as I proceed. ... Let's kick off with those structures of which I've got the chance to have a closer look;

As I notice before, it seems like the exact boundaries of the HKB Groenendijk are uncertain, due to some discussion on specific bunkers in the surroundings wether them being part of the HKB, yes or no. Therefore this topic will include all structures in the surroundings of the actual (known boundaries) HKB which could have been part of the HKB Groenendijk at time of WW2.

On the below map I divided the area in 4 zones, one of which (yellow) shows the boundaries of the HKB as commonly accepted and known. The other zones (orange) contain the nearby structures which could also have been part of the HKB or formed a WW2 stronghold (Stp./Wn.) of it's own.



Based on this map alone and due to the fact that the structures in zone D are clearly FlaK-emplacements, I guess we can be shure about zone D being a possition on it's own. (AFAIK this was Always the case on the AW; that artillery positions - zone C - and FlaK positions - zone D - were Always given a seperate name and had it's own command even If they were laying next to each other or overlapped)
Who can provide me with a name or any other information on this FlaK-emplacement?

... but as the alfabeth demands, let's proceed with zone A.

ZONE A:



I guess not many people dared (or managed) to jump the fence here... well I did.
This far we don't have much information on this zone; was it part of the HKB or was it a stronghold on it's own? Do all structures here date back to WW2 or do some date back to WW1 (= Allied) ... and if so, was it re-used by the Germans during WW2? ...

This first bunker is in my opinion without a doubt a WW2 wellblechbunker. Many other examples of this exact type to be found in the area, mostly HKB-positions; the HKB Groenendijk (zone C) itself, HKB Westende (Cosmos), HKB Duinhoek (De Panne), ...
The fact that it is the only structure in this zone of which we're shure it dates back to WW2 and it is single standing, seems rather convincing to me that this was actually still part of the HKB Groenendijk itself. Who can provide in some answers?



Sadly the bunker can't be entered



it has a nice emergency exit (... which is very tempting to try and remove the loosly fitted concrete coverstones), it is also a quite long type of wellblechbunker



...

[myt1prod]

...

the second bunker of zone A (left on detailmap of zone A) is a rather strange one. Before I had a closer look, I've admired this bunker several times before trough the fencing... perhaps some of you did too. Eversince I've seen this bunker for the first time it seemed logic that the 4 slits served as shootingholes for the men inside the bunker... perhaps those who know the bunker did too. Well now it seems that these slits have no fysical connection with the inside of the bunker at all. On the other hand a closer look learns that these slits/shafts are all 4 connected to each other by means of concrete shafts in which the wooden casings still remain nicely intact (see photos). I've never seen such a construction before and can only guess to what the purpose of this bunker was... I can think of nothing more then that from each slit departed communication wires leading to telephonepoles (or other)??? Someone any other ideas... or perhaps 'real' answers to what the purpose of such a bunker was (could have been)?

Oh yes... for this specific bunker it seems not established if it is a WW1 or a WW2 construction... all information is welcome.

the photos:
some outside views of this oddly shaped bunker;





the backside, notice the steel I-beams sticking out the backside of the bunker, they indicate the inside ceiling level;



the leftside entrance;



in the entrancelock, next to the doorway leading to the one room this bunker has, this I-don't-know-what... the top seems to be cemented afterwards (recently)... was it a hole for communication wires? a drain? a sitting bench? ...



insideviews of the room, nothing much inside, but notice the niches in the entrances to the room; it seemed to have been fitted with doors originally (possibly wooden doors and framework due to the lack of anchorpoints for metal bolts and/or traces of them).





a view of a shootinghole... which isn't one so it seems now



inside the slit we see the interconnecting shafts (both sides) leading to the neighboring slit, the wood inside these shafts is nicely preserved



...

[myt1prod]

...

in the field of this zone A we can find 5 large concrete boxes, all laying 'nicely' in line to each other with the above bunker in the middle. These boxes are entirely closed on all sides, besides one of course. The open sides of the boxes all show distinctive markings of being fitted at the time with wooden embracures... perhaps to fit a wooden doorframe with a door so these boxes could be closed off and protect whatever was inside of them. What could have been the purpose of these concrete boxes... do we find them elsewere?? (I don't think they served as drinkingtroggs for horses, because - as the photos will show - you could easily fit a small horse inside these boxes)

Three boxes in a row facing the street and thus laying in front of the bunker;



two more of them just behind the bunker;



a single shot of one of these concrete boxes;



... as I said, you could easily fit a small horse in such a concrete box... although a pony that is, a very small pony, a shetlandpony



that's it for the zone A...



Jean

[myt1prod]

...

Yesterday I returned in the pooring rain, as I thought - due to the weather - nobody was around, so I skipped 'zone b' (for now) and took advantage of the opportunity to jump the fence(s) of the domain in which lies the actual HKB Groenendijk (Zone C).

So let's continue with 'Zone C'... awaiting my photos to be uploaded, I post already these two aerials;

ZONE C:

and one in grey because it gives more contrast with the translucent colours I've used to indicate the different types of structures to be found inside the stronghold;

on the above aerial I used the terms 'type 1 & 2' to indicate the two different types of wellblechbunkers to be found here, of course this has nothing to do with any German indications for those wellblechs, but only for my to say the following;

type1: Short type of wellblechbunker with no entrancestructure, only a direct access. On the backside an unprotected emergency exit (or other purpose) with on each side 2 'unseen' slits in the concrete (see photos to follow). The wellblechsteel has dissapeared from all/most of these bunkers. Although not measured, some of these bunkers seem to be slightly broader, lenghtwise they seem the same as for the other details. (on the domain clearly identifiable remains can be found of yet another bunker of this type)
type2: I'd like to call this the 'standard' wellblechtype, because it is very common along the Belgian coast (at the time), although we find them in different lenghts and small differences in the details. But the main charachteristics are the same; a protected entrancestructure in a 90° angle to the main room, 1 doorway/no windows or niches, 1 chimney, 1 large room and one protected emergency exit. (across the street, in 'Zone A', we find a bunker of the same type) ... I guess you get the picture, although the 'pictures' are still to come

(not all bunkers where accessible due to the fact they where stacked with wood and/or protected by angry fearsome goats! )

Another small thing which I've already noticed is the small brick building marked in green...
We find this identical type of building 3 times in the 'zone D' (see map at beginning topic)... I wasn't shure yet if these structures in 'zone D' where 'bunkers', but as I had a look from afar yesterday I can confirm they are small (ammo?) storagebunkers. As 'zone D' is clearly a FlaK-position, I found it strange to find this single standing bunker (green) in the HKB Groenendijk itself... but then again; on the roof of the large 'type2' wellblechbunker laying just besides it we can see a additional brick wall... does this indicate another FlaK-emplacement on the roof of this bunker?? (I have yet to visit these last two mentioned bunkers, as the lady on whoms land the bunkers are laying wasn't at home)

...

[CNOCK]

quote Jean: "As 'zone D' is clearly a FlaK-position, I found it strange to find this single standing bunker (green) in the HKB Groenendijk itself... but then again; on the roof of the large 'type2' wellblechbunker laying just besides it we can see a additional brick wall... does this indicate another FlaK-emplacement on the roof of this bunker??"

Hi Jean,

yes there was a 2 cm Flak gun on the roof, therefore the additional brick wall,
and yes the single green bunker is the same type as on 'D

Eddy'

[CNOCK]

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wellblech with brick construction on roof and adjacent munition bunker in 2005

[CNOCK]

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inside one of the Wellblech (1992)

[CNOCK]

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inside one of the Wellblech (1992)

Eddy

[CNOCK]

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emergency exit Wellblech (1992)

[CNOCK]

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loophole in Wellblech (1992)

[CNOCK]

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remnants of trenches (1992)

[myt1prod]

thanks Cnock for the confirmation on the single standing FlaK-emplacement.

... and here are the photos (or some this far...)
let's kick of with the beauty of this stronghold;
the only(*) remaining and for the largest part intact open emplacement to be found inside the stronghold
(*) I wonder... the other 3 clearly identifiable locations of the OB's... would they still be there?? somewhere underneath the grass? It would be strange I guess if they weren't... because I see no reason why they would have been demolished as the domain served no other purpose then grazingland ever since the war (if i'm correctly informed).

Sorry, but as the sun wasn't joining me on my trip the photos are somehow a bit grey and depressing :roll:







...

[dirk Peeters]

one of the wellblechs ( Not always the same type

one of the little munition depots

Dirk

[myt1prod]

A few days ago I received this photo from an older man living near the former location of the HKB Groenendijk. Although he doesn't really recall where, he's convinced that the bunkers in the below photo were 'in the neighborhood' of the actual HKB Groenendijk.

If you scroll up you'll see some photos of a similar contruction still remaining nowadays which lies just accros the road of the HKB Groenendijk. You'll notice not much is known about this structure; nore it's function, nore it's era of construction (WW1 or WW2) are known.

This 'new' photo proves that the nowadays remaining construction wasn't unique as there were more of these simular structures around. (In this 'new' photo you can see 2 of them, the man had several other photo's showing simular constructions but he wouldn't allow me to use them.)

hkb groenedijk.jpg (202.89 KiB) Viewed 721 times

Still I wonder... what was it's function, where they also constructed elsewhere, which era, ...

Jean

[JKernwerk]

WO I probably a reinforced banquet, a rifleposition that was made in a trench.
JK