Austrian bunkers with tankturrets

[Erik E]

Hello!

It was just brought to my attention that the Austrian army have (or had)
374 Centurion tankturrets mounted on bunkers! (Thats a lot of turrets!!)

Any info on when they were built??
Photos would also be most appreciated

EE

[oys]

Hello!

It was just brought to my attention that the Austrian army have (or had)
374 Centurion tankturrets mounted on bunkers! (Thats a lot of turrets!!)

Any info on when they were built??
Photos would also be most appreciated

I believe that the Swiss army also had old tank turrets in bunkers.

[maxxx]

i remember that during the seventies and early eighties some friends conscripted into the bundesheer told me about those Panzerkuppeln. They were based in the north east of the country to slow down a russuian invasion from the cssr and hungary. The official doctrine was, that both NAto and warsaw pact troops would avoid to march through neutral austria when they had to spent too much time figthing the small Bundesheer and their obsolete equipment.... I remember that this concept did not really sound reasonable even than.

I dont think they were all centurions. Could have been american M48 or M60 too. After the end of the occupation in 1955 all allies (including soviets) donated a lot of their scrap metal to austrias army.

[Aufklarung]

Hallo
When I joined up I was told that when the Leo I's arrived in 1977,all of our Centurions were shipped to Switzerland for their turrets to be used in bunker mounts. Let me check a bit more on that.

regards
A

[kstdk]

Hello Erik and others

Found a couple of links of Centurion turrets in Schwitzerland, though - not Austria:

http://www.mail-archive.com/foreignc@fo ... 00007.html

http://www.majorleaguebaseball.ca/CNEWS ... alley.html

http://www.fortweb.net/photos/switzerland1/index.htm

http://www.gms-reisen.ch/Heft%2044.htm

Regards
Kurt
kstdk.

[Erik E]

I once heard that Switzerland is probably the country in Europe with most fortifications.... Never read anything about them though.....

Thanks for the links!

EE

[Wulpe]

Hello!

It was just brought to my attention that the Austrian army have (or had)
374 Centurion tankturrets mounted on bunkers! (Thats a lot of turrets!!)

Any info on when they were built??
Photos would also be most appreciated

EE

The bunkers were built and equipped during the Cold War, from the 60´s to the 80´s.

There were

374 Centurion/M-68 10.5 cm
240 M-52/M-55 8.5 cm
84 M-47 9 cm
56 Charioteer 8.5 cm
24 Long Tom 15.5 cm

tank turrets/artillery pieces

and 60 L-70 Bofors 4 cm automatic cannons along the Danube.

Most of them have been decommissioned in the second half of the 90´s.


Large illustration:
http://home.t-online.de/home/wdpi5/wm24a.jpg

The theory behind these fortifications was the "high price of entry" - basically soviet block intruders should know they would lose time and men to make their way through neutral Austria.

Until the early 1990s, Austria's security policy centered on a strategy of Abhaltestrategie (deterrence or dissuasion). Its aim was to convince a prospective invader that any possible advantages derived from an attack on or across Austria would easily be offset by a loss in time, personnel, and equipment. The Austrian version of deterrence flowed from the philosophy of Comprehensive National Defense, also embraced by such other European neutrals as Switzerland, Sweden, and Finland. This concept encompasses the psychological, civil, economic, and military defense of the homeland. Military defense is based on an area defense combat doctrine that uses Austria's geography--its mountains and forests--to the utmost. Austrian forces would use hit-and-run tactics to slow and wear down the aggressor, while avoiding pitched battles. Defense of preselected key zones and strong points along or near primary areas of approach would be used to channel the enemy's advance to make it more susceptible to both commando and limited armor counterattacks.

Most of the fortifications were built in the eastern part of Austria, at the border to Warsaw Pact countries. But throughout the country, fortifications were built at strategical locations (alpine passes, tunnels, bridges), where traffic routes (highways, railways) could easily be disrupted.

Here are two Austrian Army stickers on bunker and and fortification troops - these stickers were very popular among schoolchildren in the 80´s, there was one for each type of unit.

http://home.t-online.de/home/wdpi5/wm24b.jpg
http://home.t-online.de/home/wdpi5/wm23.jpg

Igel = hedgehog
Sperre = barrier, blockade
Fan - "Feste ANlage" = stationary installation (fortification)


My sources:

http://www.bh-infoecke.linzland.info/be ... estand.htm
http://home.t-online.de/home/wdpi5/wm_text3.htm
http://www.bundesheer.at/facts/geschich ... _2_5.shtml
http://reference.allrefer.com/country-g ... ia155.html

[maxxx]

i hated those "Igel" stickers!
A cheap try of the Bundesheer to look "young" and be more popular with the kids . The designer tried to make it look "cute"- nothing for the few "tough guys" which feeled attracted to become soldiers in little peaceful austria and not "cool" enough for most other youngsters- almost everybody I knew preferred those "PeAce" and "noNukes" stickers (those laughing suns with "Atomkraft nein danke" were universal)...Good old days.

[Perun]

Hi mates, does someone have map of those bunkers

[Helmut0815]

One of those fortifications was located on the Wurzen Pass at the Austrian-Slovenian border. It was build in 1963 in order to protect Austria from an attack of communist Yugoslavia. In 2002 the facility was decommissioned and since 2005 it's a museum --> https://www.bunkermuseum.at/

Info in English: https://www.bunkermuseum.at/img/pdf/eng.pdf

best regards

Helmut

[Perun]

Thanks mate.

Christian