Hellevoetsluis Stüzpunkt XXVIIIHM in the Atlantic Wall

To protect the port facilities, fortifications were built in the course of the war, ranging from simple masonry shelters to a heavy concrete bunker through which the fortress could be defended all around. Hellevoetsluis became a so-called Stützpunkt in the Atlantic Wall and could be hermetically sealed.

The Atlantic Wall was a German defense line that ran from the North Cape in Norway to the French/Spanish border. Construction started in early 1942 when the German offensive in Russia began to stall and troops from Western Europe were sent to Russia.

The heaviest bunker built in the fortress is located near the harbour entrance. The walls and roof are made of two meters of reinforced concrete.

Standard bunker designs were used to a large extent. For each standard design, the amount of materials and manpower needed for construction was accurately recorded. The construction time was also fixed. Each standard design was given a type number. This bunker is a type 612 gun bunker and was built in three months. It contained a 7.5 cm gun that could fire at the beach in order to prevent a possible Allied landing.