L409 found in Belgium

[pierrot]

Hello everybody,

A few years ago, I was proud to announce on the forum that I found a surviving L409a in Belgium (Stp Blücher III, in De Haan); now I also have found its little brother: a L409.
Yesterday we excavated a bunker in the huge Stp Hundius in Ostend (KVA3, Belgium). The Stp Hundius is well known for its well preserved Marine Kustbatterie but the Strongpoint stretched further away that only the ground of the MKB (in fact, from the Military hospital till the Halve Maan and including also the 633 at the lock).
After some deep research works in the archives, we were able to identify the position of the 2 L409's that were reported to be built there and field expeditions confirm the possible existence of a bunker on one of the location.
The bunker was nearly completly under ground except the Flak platform that had its walls cut-off after the war in order to obliterate completely the bunker from the sight. Some outside measurements of the platform and a resistance report of 1944 were giving evidences it could be a L409.
We have excavated the bunker and we can now confirm it's a L409. The munition room suffered an internal explosion and the floor is still full of munitions (exploded or not). The personel room is in good state but has been stripped of all its steel parts (as usual in Belgium). An interesting feature inside this bunker is the large niche in the lock that was most probably used for a waterpump. We found already the same kind a niche inside a 501 in Stp Westkapelle-Haus (KVA2) but without the large hole (of well?) under.
The bunker number of this L409 is Ostende 01/II-108. I have not a single document showing the presence of a Lufwaffe light battery in this position (but well in the Halve Maan and near the 8.8cm Flak battery), so that I almost convicted that the 2 L409's built there were part of the protection of the MKB. Howhever, a Lufwaffe type bunker built as part of a Kriegsmarine Coastal battery, is not sounding very logical, as the KM had its own design for Flak bunker (Fl serie).
The Gliederung's of the MKB Hundius give 2 x 4cm and 1 x 2cm as Flak armament inside the battery.
Any comments or suggestions are welcome.

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Gr.

Pierrot

[AvB]

Great find! De niche can be found a lot in L 410 too.

[jopaerya]

Hello Pierrot

My sincere compliments , you are dooing such a good job at the Belgium coast

Regards Jos

[AW]

remarkable work... good job & thanx for the info!

regards
Alex

[pierrot]

The name Hundius seems to be painted on the wall.

Gr.

Pierrot

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[Bunkerfreak]

Is this the one close near Fort Napoleon? Great work, Bunkerfreak Tom