Festung IJmuiden
Being a port city, IJmuiden was very important for the German occupier. Besides this, the city was the main entrance for shipping traffic heading for Amsterdam. Therefore, the city was given the highest status of Festung. Designated to resist the offensive, the defenders were ordered to defend it at all costs. So, in order to reach this goal many fortifications were built to create an impregnable fortress.
In the following overview, we will describe shortly how Festung IJmuiden was set up.
Firstly, Festung IJmuiden received not less than three Navy Coastal batteries, and five Anti-Aircraft batteries for air defence. Mostly heavy bunkers built to full fortress standards. In the harbour a big naval bunker for the fast Schnellboote was available. Secondly, all around the city a Landfront was erected. It started in Wijk aan Zee in the north, passing Velsen-Zuid in the east, heading south to Santpoort-Noord and turning left towards the sea. Established with anti-tank obstacles, infantry positions, different kind of weapons for defence, light and heavy bunkers. Thirdly, within the Festung several headquarters were established for command. Port command came from W.N. 131 and from W.N. 109 the command over the complete fortress was given. Besides these headquarters unfortunately no other remain. Last but not least, in the harbour the existing Forteiland was extended with more than twenty heavy bunkers and became ‘Kernwerk’, the center of defence.
IJmuiden
Stahlbeton global positioning map –
Stahlbeton – What is left today
1 Kitchen bunker
2 5655b – M 151
1 5654 – Küver 451a
2 5656a – V 143
3 5656b – M 151
4 Tobruk position
5 Observation post
5661a – Fl 246
1 5632a – M 120
2 5634a – 671 abg 629
3 5635a – 671 abg 629
4 5636a – 671 abg 629
1 3315 – VF 2a
2 5761B – 631
3 5852 – V 191
4 5856 – 635
5 5857 – 644
6 5860 – Water supply bunker S.K.
7 5871 – M 170-656 S.K.
8 5872 – M 170-656 S.K.
9 5873 – M 170-656 S.K.
10 5879 – 671 S.K.
11 5883 – 668 abg
12 Anti-tank obstacle (Höcker)
13 Covered trenches
1 5606 – Large storage bunker (torpedo) S.K.
2 BY – S-Boot-bunker
3 Unknown structure
1 5061 – VF 2a
2 6629a – V 214
227
1 5832 – Küver 451a
2 5833 – Küver 451a
3 Personnel shelter
4 Shelter with gun emplacement
5 Machinery bunker
6 Personnel shelter
7 Storage bunker
8 5833A – M 272
9 5834A – M 272
10 5835 – Küver 451b
11 5832B – 134
12 Personnel shelter
13 5831A – M 178
14 5835A – M 272
15 Former emplacement
16 5841A – 134
17 Shelter with gun emplacement
18 5836A – M 272
19 Former emplacement
20 (Covered) trenches
1 Tank turret position
2 Personnel shelter
3 5753 – 501
4 5754 – 621
5 Küver 467 (assumed)
6 Storage bunker (assumed)
7 Küver 467 (assumed)
8 Anti-tank-obstacle-(Höcker)
9 Anti-tank-obstacle-(Höcker)
1 227
2 Emplacement
3 58c
4 5695 – 501
5 VF 7a
6 VF 7a
7 5694 – 501
8 VF 7a
9 227
10 Personnel shelter
11 58c
12 Anti-tank obstacle (Höcker)
13 Anti-tank wall
1 5702 – 501
2 5701 – 134
3 5703 – 501
1 Unknown structure
2 227
1 5250 – 676
2 5250a – 668
3 Ammunition bunker (assumed)
4 5795 – Tobruk-position
5 Personnel shelter
6 5801 – Fl 246
7 Tobruk-position
8 Personnel shelter
9 Personnel shelter
10 Fla 14
11 Storage bunker (water)
12 Personnel shelter
13 Tobruk-position
14 111 – Fortified entrance (Walzkörpersperre)
1 5252 – 502
2 5251 – 134
3 Toilet bunker
4 58c
5 65a
5253 – 502
1 Anti-tank gun bunker
2 Storage bunker (water)
3 5254 – 502
4 Toilet bunker
1 Personnel shelter
2 5266 – 502
3 Storage bunker (water)
4 Personnel shelter
1 Tobruk-position
2 Personnel shelter
3 5263 – 621
4 Tobruk-position
5 5265 – 501
6 Toilet bunker
Unknown structure
1 5301 – 622
2 5302 – 502
3 Cable switch board
5308 – 502
5310 – 621
1 5210 – 117b
2 5210A – 502
3 5210B – 117b
4 5210C – 622
5 Storage bunker (water)
1 5528 – Küver 451a
2 Covered trenches
3 58c
4 Storage bunker
5 Storage bunker (water)
6 Unknown structure
7 Unknown structure
1 VF 2a
2 Unknown structure
Unknown structure
1 Unknown structure
2 Unknown structure
1 5520 – VF 2a
2 Unknown structure
3 VF 2a
5215 – M 151
1 Tobruk position
2 VF 1a
3 Tobruk position
4 Tobruk position
5 Covered trenches
Dressing station S.K. (assumed)
1 Anti-tank-obstacle-(Höcker)
2 Anti-tank-obstacle-(Höcker)
3 Anti-tank wall
4 Anti-tank-obstacle (Höcker)
5 Anti-tank wall
6 Anti-tank wall
7 Anti-tank wall
8 Anti-tank wall
9 Anti-tank ditch
10 Anti-tank ditch
11 Anti-tank ditch
12 Anti-tank ditch
13 Anti-tank wall
1 Kabelbrunnen Nicolaas Beetslaan
2 Kabelbrunnen Paasdal
