Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

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CNOCK
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Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#1

Post by CNOCK » 23 Aug 2012, 20:34

Hallo,

I am looking for more info concerning the anti-tank ditch south of Ostend, where was it exactly situated?

regards,

Cnock

jopaerya
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#2

Post by jopaerya » 24 Aug 2012, 07:12

Hello

Here a part of the anti-tank ditch .

Regards Jos
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axis gracht .jpg


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AvB
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#3

Post by AvB » 24 Aug 2012, 12:05

Part of it is still there.
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panzergraben-steene-google.jpg

CNOCK
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#4

Post by CNOCK » 24 Aug 2012, 13:46

Hallo Jos and AvB

thanks for the info!

Cnock

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myt1prod
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#5

Post by myt1prod » 24 Aug 2012, 14:23

Hi

I recalled reading something about it in "De Atlantikwall van Willemstad tot de Somme" (F. Philippart, D. Peeters, A. Van Geetruyen)... and indeed there is even a rough sketch of its ouline (p. 86). Based on this sketch I made a quick overlay of the anti tankditch's outline in GE. Most of the ditch was closed shortly after the war, and by now - due to buildings and farming - not many traces or 'cropmarks' remain of can be spotted on GE. However, when following the outline which i have drawn you will notice some small stretches of the tankditch still remain.
Also based on this book I marked some bunkers/constructions which can be found along it's way... although some seem to be gone or misplaced ?? (I didn't mark the 'wellknown' strongholds in it's area)
antitankgracht Oostende.jpg
Google Earth
or...
https://maps.google.be/maps/ms?msid=216 ... output=kml

Grtz jean

CNOCK
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#6

Post by CNOCK » 24 Aug 2012, 20:32

Jean,

thanks!

Cnock

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myt1prod
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#7

Post by myt1prod » 25 Aug 2012, 14:09

Hi Cnock

some additional info;
At the Spuikom there was also a tankwall, which was totally demolished shortly after the war. I couln't find any further information on it, but in my opinion it must have followed the eastern outline of the Spuikom, closing the gap in between the two stretches of the tankditch.
The Obbs served as a observationpost to overview the point were the dike (polderdijk) and the old railwayroad joined (the railroad is long gone now).

on the location of the 667;
locatie 667.jpg
The type should be with no doubt a sigle 667 being built here to house a fixed 5cm Kwk, it is shure to be there however some contradiction about it's location (scanning with GE on streetlevel doesn't help to find it's exact location). It's main firing direction was flanking in the direction of Stene, before the Schartenbau Program it stood in a open emplacement. The bunker has 1,5m walls, only the wall facing the enemy is 2m thick.

red marker: location according to the book I mentioned earlier (nothing there)
green marker: location according to oostende.be (nothing there)
yellow marker: possible location when using GE aerialview. It seems to resemble a dug-under bunker with a straight flanking wall, although there seems to lead a small canal to it so it could possibly be a sluicegate (lock).

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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#8

Post by pierrot » 25 Aug 2012, 14:22

Hello Eddy,

This is the south part of the Antitank ditch of Ostend with all the bunkers built around (numbers are from my inventory)

Q3, S17 : R667
S1, S3, S6, S7, S8, S10, S12, S13, W21, W22, W27, W32: R630
S5, S15: R505
S11: R632
S4, S9: R680
Q89: R502 (Stp Boëlcke), W13, W16, W24: R502 (WN Wolf)
W14: R134 Sanität
W1: R610
S2: R194
W5: R196
T21, T22, T23, T31, T32, T33: Munition bunkers ex-HKB Mariakerke (1./823)
c1: L408 (HQ of Gem.Flak.Abt.252 in 1944)

I didn't put the other bunkers of the ex-HKB Mariakerke(wellblechs, ammo and bettungs and the ones of the Stp Kolberg (10./AR.148 ex St(K) 308)

If you compare with an actual Goggle Earth view, you will find some streches of the antitank ditch remaining in the landscape.

ATK Oostende.jpg
Gr.

Pierrot

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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#9

Post by pierrot » 25 Aug 2012, 14:34

Jean,

the R667 still exists on private ground but be sure you ask permission to the farmer before as you will need to pass through his farm compound to reach it.

Gr.

Pierrot
PN 2010-0801.JPG

CNOCK
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#10

Post by CNOCK » 25 Aug 2012, 14:42

Pierre and Jean, thanks!

Pierrot, the map is to small for my old eyes, I am particulary interested in the position of the former R 680 en R 630 left of the N33 close to the Hullenhoeve.
Where is the R 667 exactly located?

regards,

Eddy

pierrot
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#11

Post by pierrot » 25 Aug 2012, 14:54

Hi Eddy,

That the problem, I always need to reduce the size of my document to fit the forum's size (800 x800)

Hereunder the part that interests you and an air picture of 1948. The R680 and the one of the R630 were destroyed only in the early 90's I think (still easily found some pictures of them)

Gr.

Pierrot
ATK Oostende.jpg
Stene 1948 12-2-36.jpg

jopaerya
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#12

Post by jopaerya » 25 Aug 2012, 15:11

Hallo

Here some old picture's form the 680 ( S 9 on the map ) in Oostende .

Regards Jos
Attachments
axis oostende b .jpg
axis oostende a .jpg

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myt1prod
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#13

Post by myt1prod » 25 Aug 2012, 15:32

Hi Pierrot and Eddy

As Pierrot talks about it's location being at a farmhouse, I guess it must be situated as shown below, as this is the only farm on the Polderdijk which is near the positions as stated by different sources as shown a my previous post.

I'll gave to combine a sunny afternoon bikeride with a fieldtrip to this location... (never been there)
locatie 667-2.jpg
(correct me if I'm wrong Pierrot)
jean

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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#14

Post by AvB » 25 Aug 2012, 16:27

jopaerya wrote:Hallo

Here some old picture's form the 680 ( S 9 on the map ) in Oostende .

Regards Jos
Thanks Jos, great photos!

CNOCK
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Re: Anti-tank Ditch Ostend

#15

Post by CNOCK » 26 Aug 2012, 10:14

Hi Jos,

thanks for the pics of the well preserved (until demolition) R680, will try to post in the near future some inside pics;

regards,

Cnock

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