https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/ MijnWebwinkel RSS 2.0 Feed v1.0 https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/ This is the site of the Hellevoetsluis Defense Works Foundation, information about the activities with guided tours and more. Check the news page for the latest news.Hellevoetsluis has a rich history, despite its relatively short existence of four centuries. Started as a drainage canal for the polder water in 1395, Hellevoetsluis has grown into an important naval port in the Netherlands with defenses that were unique to the Low Countries. Our foundation would like to share the rich military heritage of Hellevoetsluis and its immediate surroundings with everyone. On this site you will find a limited offer about this military heritage. Heritage is something you have to experience and that is why we invite everyone to participate in one of the activities. For example, from April to October there are guided tours of the Hellevoet coastal battery. Did you know that we also offer private tours? At a time determined by you, it is possible (depending on the availability of a guide) to get a tour with a select group. For more information about this, please visit our private tour page. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772610/information/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772610/information/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772601/who-are-we/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772601/who-are-we/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772614/foundation/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772614/foundation/ Foundation ---------- The Hellevoetsluis Defence Works Foundation was established on 22 April 2009. Statutory name: Stichting Defensieswerken Hellevoetsluis. Postal address: P.O. Box 235 3220 AE Hellevoetsluis Visit address: Plein Fort Haerlem 1 3221 WB Hellevoetsluis Email: info@fronttaal.info Tel: 06 31 25 49 09RSIN: 8207.05.366 Chamber of Commerce: 24459276 The foundation is non-profit, so we do not have a VAT number. Board composition: Chairman: Mr. A.W. Kap Vice-chairman: Mr. G. van Tricht Secretary: Mr. M. Hoveling Treasurer: Mr. G. Goutziers Member: Mr. J. Aarden The board and all members of the foundation are volunteers and do not receive any remuneration for this. Costs incurred for the benefit of the foundation will be reimbursed.Financial accountability: Balance sheet 2023 / Income and expenses 2023 Objective / Policy plan: The goal of our foundation is to familiarize as many interested people as possible with the rich and special military history of Hellevoetsluis and its immediate surroundings. We do this by organizing activities that raise awareness among interested parties. These activities are aimed at adults, but also at children and can take many forms such as: ∙ Tours ∙ Opening up visitor area ∙ Scavenger hunts for children ∙ Lectures ∙ etc. We also work together with partners within the fortress of Hellevoetsluis and in particular the other museums. Through promotion through various channels, we bring our activities to the attention of the largest possible audience. We are also working on deepening the military history of Hellevoetsluis and its surroundings. Much is still unclear. Through archival research, we try to clarify as many of these gaps as possible. By sharing knowledge with volunteers, we ensure that what has become known through research is made known. Donations are tax deductible We have been designated by the tax authorities as an ANBI (Public Benefit Institution). This means that donations to our foundation are tax deductible. History of the foundationHellevoetsluis has a rich history, despite its relatively short existence of four centuries. Started as a drainage canal for the polder water, Hellevoetsluis has grown into an important naval port of Holland with a defense that was unique in the Low Countries. Many of the defenses are still intact. Since 1997, a number of enthusiastic volunteers have been giving tours in the Haerlem barracks and in the rest of the coastal battery in the front I-II (southwestern part of the fortress) in Hellevoetsluis. Many hundreds of visitors have already been received, especially on the Heritage Days. In addition to the tours, drawings and photos are also shown. The year 2008 was set in the theme of the First World War by the museum platform, a special period for Hellevoetsluis as well. In 2008, there was a clear increase in the number of guided tours.Partly because of this, a group of people has arisen who wanted more than was happening. Over the years, material has been collected from national archives and from privately owned books, which has resulted in a lot of knowledge about the area. This material is a source of information for the guides, allowing them to tell a lot about the reason and function of the works in the front I-II. 'Territory' In the "Redevelopment Plan Fortress Hellevoetsluis" with subtitle "Valuation" of March 2005 (drawn up on behalf of the municipality of Hellevoetsluis), the "Fortress wall in a state of defence" is indicated as the area formed by the front I-II and the Courtine between front I-II and the Coninx bulwark up to the west bear. Because from a military historical point of view the front I-II is the most interesting, most attention will be paid to it.This does not alter the fact that the rest of the defense of Hellevoetsluis is also interesting to gain knowledge about. All the more so since the coastal battery cannot exist outside the context of which it is a part. Front language The name of the site is different from the official name of the foundation. This was a conscious choice. The name of the foundation indicates what it stands for, on the other hand, that name is too long to type in a browser. Fronttaal stems from "the language of the front" with which the foundation emphasizes its military-historical objective. For more information about the functioning of the foundation, please send a message to bestuur@fronttaal.info. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772615/vacancy/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772615/vacancy/ Storytellers, hostess or host. ---------- Why join our Foundation? Organizing activities for visitors together in a team is satisfying. Research into the special history of Hellevoetsluis leaves you wanting more.What do we do ? We collect, preserve and reveal the military history of Hellevoetsluis and its immediate surroundings. That is a mouthful, but means that we find it interesting to want to cry everything that has to do with the defense of Hellevoetsluis. We are happy to share that knowledge with people who want to know more about it.How do we do that? We share this by organizing guided tours, holding exhibitions, lectures, adventurous treasure hunts and everything that goes with it. We show people around and tell special stories. We are hostess or host for visitors who want to take a look inside. We make coffee and tea. We receive school classes to tell about the military history. We set up treasure hunts. We................ do much more, but there is not one volunteer who does all this. That is why we are with a team where everyone does what he or she likes and when it fits. What do you need to have a lot of fun with us ? Spare time, interest in military history, wanting to work with others to achieve something together. Enjoying telling your story to a group of people. Don't worry about the knowledge you don't have. There were few volunteers who joined us full of knowledge. We share knowledge with each other. What do you get in return? Satisfaction, fun, knowledge, social contacts, friends and ....... so much more. In any case, no money, because we are a non-profit volunteer organization.For more information and possibilities, please contact us. Mail to our foundation: info@fronttaal.info via the contact form You can also call: Tel: +31 6 31 25 49 09or write to: Stichting Defensieswerken Hellevoetsluis P.O. Box 235 3220 AE Hellevoetsluis https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6887810/timeline/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6887810/timeline/ Timeline ---------- Bob Benschop makes a piece of work. This piece of work is the basis for the start of collecting historical facts with which we gained knowledge to be able to provide guided tours. First guided tour during Heritage Day. These tours are repeated annually with volunteers from Scouting. On the initiative of Arie van den Ban, the shooting tube 24 Yser is recovered from the beach. Establishment of the Hellevoetsluis Defence Works Foundation, by Ronald, Marlies, Yvonne, Jurgen and Bram. 1st board meeting. First tour of the coastal battery. The logo becomes official. Start Restauratie Front 1 en 2 Rondleiding met 173 bezoekers, een absoluut record in aantal bij een rondleiding. Kanon 24cm IJzer wordt gereed gemaakt voor transport. Plaatsing kanon 24cm IJzer. Onthulling van het kanon 24cm IJzer door wethouder Peter Hofman. Officiële opening van de bezoekers ruimte werd verricht door wethouder Peter Hofman. 5 jarig bestaan van Stichting Verdedigingswerken Hellevoetsluis. Uitreiking Gouden betonmolen. Eerste rondleiding "Sporen van de Tweede Wereldoorlog", ontwikkeld door Ard. 10 jarig bestaan van de Stichting Verdedigingswerken Hellevoetsluis, met een toespraak van Wethouder Margriet den Brok. De website is omgezet naar een andere provider, we kunnen nu ook online boeken en tickets verkopen. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772617/contributor/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772617/contributor/ Become a contributor. ---------- By becoming a donor, you can make an important contribution to maintaining and expanding our work. Our foundation would like to share the rich military heritage of Hellevoetsluis and its immediate surroundings with everyone. So if you give the Hellevoetsluis Defense Works Foundation a warm support, become a contributor, for only €15 per year. (Effective date is the first month after the card is issued) Please take a look at our visitor room in Haerlem barracks. What do you get in return: - A contributor Pass - 50% discount on the monthly tours - 50% discount on our lectures - The coffee and tea is free for you- You will receive our newsletter by e-mail. You can register as a donor by sending an email to penningmeester@fronttaal.info with the subject "Contributor", mention in the email the name of the pass holder and the address where the pass should be sent, or online at the bottom of this page.We have been designated by the tax authorities as an ANBI (Public Benefit Institution). This means that gifts/donations to our foundation are tax deductible. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772645/our-space/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772645/our-space/ Our Space ---------- In the Haerlem Barracks, a building from 1881, two rooms were provided especially for the Hellevoetsluis Defense Works Foundation during the last restoration in 2012. The largest, the reception area, is situated on the ground floor in the southern part of the Haerlem Barracks on the Fort Haerlem Square in Hellevoetsluis. Here we can receive our visitors in a unique way, give lectures and meetings and also organize our own conversation moments.In addition to the normal furnishings with tables, chairs and benches and a small counter, the reception area is also equipped with modern means of communication. Videos and electronic presentations can be shown. The centre of the room are the large light boxes situated on the longest wall, which together show the development of the harbour fortress and the defences over the centuries in an excellent overview.By means of old documents, plans, photos and drawings, all arranged chronologically, the visitor gets a complete picture. The small ancillary room houses the kitchen and storage of the foundation. The whole is completed with a wardrobe and toilet. On request, the visitor can buy coffee, tea, soft drinks and small snacks.Soldier's room In one of the cellars of the Haerlem barracks, we have set up a soldier's room as it looked around 1900. Beds and various utensils thus give an idea of the conditions in which the soldiers had to stay at that time.The model of the barracks can also be seen there. A number of panels with images take the visitor back in time to the First World War. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772647/partner-links/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772647/partner-links/ Partner Links ---------- Hellevoetsluis https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7094126/veterans/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7094126/veterans/ Veterans ---------- We offer free guided tours for veterans, on presentation of the veteran pass, the pass holder can participate in a tour free of charge. You can choose between two different tours:- Coastal battery. - Traces from the Second World War We also regularly give lectures, which you can also participate in for free. Reservations are necessary. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6473499/general-terms-and-conditions/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6473499/general-terms-and-conditions/ General Terms and Conditions https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6471258/cancellation-returns/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6471258/cancellation-returns/ Cancelling tickets: In principle, it is not possible to cancel purchased tickets, but there is an exception, namely a cancelled or rescheduled activity. - In this case, you have received an email with instructions on how to cancel your ticket. - Tickets for recurring activities can be converted to an available date, if you want to make use of this option, this must be made known 24 hours before the start of the activity. Returning books: The books can be returned within the legal 14-day cooling-off period. Please contact us first using our withdrawal form. The costs of returning are for the account of the buyer, as soon as the order is back in our possession we will return the purchase price. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772649/disclaimer-copyright/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772649/disclaimer-copyright/ DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT ---------- Disclaimer. No rights can be derived from the content of this website. The information has been compiled with the greatest possible care. The Hellevoetsluis Defence Works Foundation rejects liability for any imperfections, inaccuracies and consequences. The site contains hyperlinks to other organisations and institutions. In addition, links are made to this site from numerous sites. The Hellevoetsluis Defence Works Foundation is not responsible for the information presented on these external sites.Copyright. This website is a publication of the Hellevoetsluis Defense Foundation. Reproduction of (part of) this publication with the (apparent) intention of making it public or exploiting it is only permitted after written permission from the Hellevoetsluis Defence Works Foundation. Conditions may be attached to this permission. Reproduction in the form of printouts or machine-readable copies that are limited to a few copies and that are for personal practice, study or use only is permitted. © SVH 2015 https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772602/news/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772602/news/ NEWS: ---------- April 6, 2024 We are ready again! On Saturday, April 5, we started to get everything ready for the 2025 season. Pumped water from the caponier (there was 34 m3 of water), gave the visitors' area a good cleaning, lubricated all hinges and locks so that we are ready to show everyone how special the fortifications of Hellevoetsluis are. The lighting in the caponier has also been renewed. On our activities page you can see when we are open and what we organize. Hopefully see you soon! ---------- October 10, 2024This year it is 150 years ago that the Fortress Act saw the light of day. As a result of this Fortress Act, Hellevoetsluis received a coastal battery as part of "the Defence Line of the mouths of the Maas and of the Haringvliet". In addition, the batteries on the Noorddijk and Penscherdijk were also built as a result of that law. Locks and culverts ensured that the polders could be flooded in the event of a threat. On this page you can find more information about the Vestingwet. ---------- June 14, 2024 A few weeks ago we participated in the national Bunker Day. A great success for us with 378 visitors. For the first time this year we have also been able to open the headland at the Veerhaven thanks to the Canoe Club Hellevoetsluis. Below is a short impression made by the national organization of this day. Our location is not in the picture, but it doesn't have to be. Come and see for yourself during one of our tours. Click on the photo to start the video. ---------- May 12, 2024 Voorne in StellingOn Saturday, July 13, 2024, Voorne in Stelling will be organized. On this day, the military heritage of Voorne is highlighted. Voorne is particularly rich in military heritage. A castle from the 13th century is probably the oldest object. The fortifications of Brielle and Hellevoetsluis completed in the early 1700s, the former military batteries from 1780. Various modifications of the fortress Hellevoetsluis around 1880. The construction of many bunkers during the Second World War and finally objects from the Cold War. In various places there are objects where the defense of Voorne has been built in several layers of time.At various locations, there are activities and military heritage objects accessible that are normally not open to the public, such as bunkers, buildings in fortresses, etc. What can you expect? In addition to openings, special guided tours will be organized. There is re-enactment (re-enactment of historical events) and free activities for children. The organizations Stichting Erfgoedgilde Den Briel, Stichting Biberbunker Oostvoorne and Stichting Defensieswerken Hellevoetsluis have put their heads together and have started this collaboration with full enthusiasm.In short, a day to put in the agenda. ---------- 1 February 2024 Cannons out of the groundVandaag zijn in opdracht van de gemeente Voorne aan Zee , Negen kanonnen uit de grond gehaald. Bij het opalen van de kanonnen op vrijdag, bleek er nog één zich goed te hebben verstopt. Ook die is vrijdag alsnog uit de grond gehaald, wat het aantal dus 10 maakt. Negen kanonnen werden uit de westoever van het kanaal gehaald tussen de Betonning en de tweede toegang tot de jachthaven in het kanaal. Een tiende kanon is uit de grond gehaald ter hoogte van Rijo aan het kanaal.Het betreft twee soorten kanonnen, 7x 24 ponders, kanonnen van het type Dutch pattern, en 2x 36 ponders van het Manson model. Allebei deze modellen liggen ook op de wapenverzamelplaats nabij het Brandweermuseum.Totaal liggen er nu 29 kanonnen op deze plek. Uniek voor Nederland. ---------- 22 oktober 2023 Nacht van de Nacht, zaterdag 28 oktober Middenin de polder bij Hellevoetsluis ligt Fort Noorddijk. Het hek is hier bijna altijd dicht en zo blijven de verhalen van vroeger goed bewaard. Maar vanavond niet!Op en rond het fort is er deze avond van alles te beleven. Tijdens de zaklamp speurtocht kom je langs de scherfmuur en geschutstellingen, door het officiersverblijf en ga je op zoek naar aanwijzingen en voorwerpen. Zij en de gidsen vertellen het verhaal van het militaire erfgoed en de natuur die nu dankbaar een plekje vindt op het fort. Ook kun je sterren kijken. Door de lichtvervuiling zien we steeds minder van de sterrenhemel in Nederland. De nacht van de nacht is je kans om een keer te kunnen genieten van de sterrenpracht. Er staat een telescoop klaar en een astronoom om je verder te laten kijken. Neem je zaklamp mee en duik in het donker! Leuk uitje voor het hele gezin! Ga je mee? De Nacht van de Nacht op Fort Noorddijk wordt georganiseerd door Stichting Verdedigingswerken Hellevoetsluis in samenwerking met het Zuid-Hollands Landschap. Reserveer hier de tickets ---------- 18 oktober 2023 Lezing IJssellinie Op 15 november 2023 zal Dan de Bruijn een lezing geven over de IJssellinie, de waterlinie die ten tijde van de Koude Oorlog is aangelegd tussen Nijmegen en Zwolle met als doel de Russen tegen te houden. De linie was tot eind jaren 90 zeer geheim en inmiddels grotendeels afgebroken maar gelukkig is er toch nog wel het nodige zichtbaar en is er nog genoeg over te vertellen. Dan was eerder te gast met zijn lezing over de Enigma en de lezingen over de Mijnen Uitkijkdienst en de ABC dienst van de Bescherming Bevolking. Het beloofd een interessante avond te worden. Noteer deze avond in uw agenda. Binnenkort kunt u via onze site tickets bestellen. ---------- 25 augustus 2023 Open Monumentendag 9 september 2023Uiteraard doen we meer mee met Open Monumentendag op zaterdag 9 september 2023. We zullen dan gratis korte rondleidingen aanbieden naar de ondergrondse caponnière, het grote kanon 24 IJzer en de soldatenkamer. Alle rondleidingen starten vanaf onze bezoekersruimte in kazerne Haerlem. Nieuw dit jaar is dat we een demonstratie laten zien van een touwslager. Hoe werd vroeger touw gemaakt? Dat laat de touwslager graag zien. Touw was voor de verdediging van een vesting natuurlijk van groot belang. Ook bij de bouw van de kazerne werd touw gebruikt, bijvoorbeeld voor het ophijsen van het hijblok om de palen in de grond te slaan en om kanonnen te plaatsen. Ook nieuw dit jaar is dat we mee doen met de landelijke activiteiten "Forten on air". Op diverse plekken met militair erfgoed in Nederland zullen zendamateurs proberen om radio verbindingen te leggen. Zij leggen graag uit hoe belangrijk dit soort verbindingen in het verleden zijn geweest en hoe ze tot stand komen. In onze bezoekersruimte zullen zendamateurs hun apparatuur opstellen en verbindingen maken. Uiteraard kunt u dit komen bekijken.Voor een volledig overzicht van onze activiteiten tijdens Open Monumentendag kijkt u op onze activiteiten pagina. Wij zijn open van 10:00 uur tot 17:00 uur. ---------- 16 augustus 2023Vestingdagen 19 en 20 augustus 2023Wat kunt u bij ons verwachten tijdens Vestingdagen 2023? Uiteraard is onze bezoekersruimte open. U kunt daar langs komen voor algemene informatie over de verdedigingswerken van Hellevoetsluis en directe omgeving, zoals bijvoorbeeld de objecten in de Stelling van de monden der Maas en van het Haringvliet, die in 1874 in de Vestingwet is aangekondigd. We geven korte rondleidingen naar de ondergrondse caponnière, naar het kanon van 24 IJzer en naar de soldatenkamer in de kazerne. Ook is het mogelijk om de fotospeurtocht bij ons te doen, in het geval u even uit de drukte van Vestingdagen wilt. Kom speuren naar verborgen letters op de wallen van Hellevoetsluis. Zie voor meer informatie onze speciale pagina over de fotospeurtocht. In tegenstelling tot hetgeen er vermeld staat op die pagina hoeft u hiervoor tijdens Vestingdagen NIET te resereveren. We hebben koffie/thee en chocolademelk en naar behoefte een plak cake daarbij.Zaterdag zijn wij open van 10:00 uur tot 17:00 uur. U moet dan wel even om de baan van het ringsteken met Zeeuwse trekpaarden heen, maar we plaatsen bordjes met de route vanaf de Haerlemmerstraat. Zondag zijn wij open van 11:00 uur tot 16:00 uur. Er is dan een vinyl platenbeurs op het plein voor de deur. ---------- 8 augustus 2023 Podwalk: Stap in de IJzeren Eeuw Deze podwalk neemt je mee door de vesting van Hellevoetsluis. Door het afspelen van luisterfragmenten hoor je meer over de tijd dat Hellevoetsluis een oorlogs- en marinehaven was in de 19e eeuw. ---------- 7 juli 2023Koude OorlogEen oorlog die nooit plaatsvond. Een periode met spanningen in de Wereldvrede met pieken en rustigere momenten, maar dreiging was er steeds. Uit die periode zijn nog veel objecten aanwezig op bijzondere plekken. Ook in Hellevoetsluis waren er objecten met een directe relatie met de Koude Oorlog. Zo was er in de kazerne Haerlem opslag van diverse materialen van de organisatie Bescherming Bevolking (BB). Er stond een luchtwachttoren op de bunker 612. Er was gedurende enkele jaren een detachement van de Lichte luchtafweer (Lua) aanwezig in de vesting van Hellevoetsluis met gebruik van de kazerne Haerlem. In het kruit- en projectielenmagazijn was opslag van munitie. Kortom genoeg om niet te vergeten. Op onderstaande site kunt u verhalen kwijt over herinneringen aan die bijzondere periode. https://koudeoorlog.nl/ ---------- 15 mei 2023 Voorne in Stellling komt eraan. Zaterdag 27 mei en ook op 28 mei zijn er diverse activiteiten om het rijke en bijzondere militaire erfgoed van Voorne aandacht te geven. Voor het programma klikt u hier. Rechts de fietsroute die aangeboden wordt tijdens Voorne in Stellling. ---------- 20 april 2023 Of het nu een torenfort, een lunet of een werk is, veel versteende ridders zijn in de afgelopen 20 jaar levende forten geworden. Bij de één vergader je, bij de ander bezoek je het museum. In het kader van de jubileumeditie van FORT! magazine dat begin april voor de 10e keer verscheen, is deze week de Mooiste Fort verkiezing van start gegaan. Wat is jouw favoriet? Breng op mooistefort.nl voor 1 juli je stem uit. De uitslag maken we bekend bij de start van het Forten- en Vesting Festival (2 t/m 10 september). ---------- 12 april 2023 Het nieuwe jaarmagazine over waterlinies, vestingen, forten en bunkers in Nederland FORT! + Vesting Is bij ons weer verkrijgbaar, neem dan gerust ook eens een kijkje in onze bezoekers ruimte. ---------- 31 maart 2023Twee Hellevoetse kanonnen krijgen vanaf zaterdag een tweede leven in het Twentse Oldenzaal. Ze zijn vrijdag bij de vroegere stadspoorten neergezet en worden op 1 april officieel onthuld.Na overleg met hun gemeentebestuur, haalden vier Oldenzalers de kanonnen die niet gebruikt werden in maart vorig jaar op in Hellevoetsluis. Ze lagen daar deels ingegraven bij een kade. De afgelopen maanden zijn er vier affuiten gemaakt, de onderstellen met wielen waarop de kanonnen rusten. Het geschut mag voorlopig vijf jaar blijven staan. Na die periode wordt besloten of die termijn wordt verlengd, aldus de gemeente. (bron: AD) ---------- 24 maart 2023Voorne in stellingIn het Pinkersterweekend (27 en 28 mei 2023) organiseren we weer Voorne in Stelling. Het weekend waarin we het bijzondere militaire erfgoed op Voorne in het voetlicht plaatsen. Door de eeuwen heen zijn er vele verdedigingswerken op Voorne aangelegd. Sommige zijn verdwenen, maar veel is er nog te zien. Meer gedetailleerde informatie volgt later via deze site en op onze social media kanalen. Op een diverse plaatsen worden activiteiten georganiseerd. Op zaterdag met diverse activiteiten zoals:Hellevoetsluis ( rondom kazerne Haerlem): ∙ Re-enactment Eerste Wereldoorlog. Re-enactment is het naspelen van historische tafrelen; ∙ Re-enactment Equipage De Delft ∙ Historische militaire voertuigen uit de Tweede Wereldoorlog; ∙ Diverse kinder activiteiten waaronder katapultschieten en speurtochten; ∙ Een demonstratie van de Engima, een codeer- en decodeer machine die door de Duitse agressor in de Tweede Wereldoorlog gebruikt is; ∙ Korte rondleidingen langs voormalige militaire objecten ∙ Kanonschieten ∙ Fietsroute langs voormalige verdedigingswerken op Voorne Brielle: ∙ Rondleiding Torpedisten ∙ Rondleidingen vestingwerken en bezoek kruitmagazijn Rockanje ∙ Openstelling bataljonshoofdkwartier Oostvoorne ∙ Openstelling Biberbunker Op zondag 28 mei is er nog re-enactment Eerste Wereldoorlog te zien en is er voor de kazerne Haerlem een oude ambachtenmarkt. ---------- 10 februari 2023 Boekje: De torpedisten van Den Briel Het boekje over de geschiedenis van de torpedisten in Den Briel is nu ook bij ons te koop. Dankzij het erfgoedgilde Den Briel is nu eindelijk het hele verhaal te lezen over een belangrijk deel van de geschiedenis van Brielle. De torpedisten vertrokken 100 jaar geleden en hebben in de jaren dat zij in Brielle gelegerd waren een belangrijke rol gespeeld in de verdediging van de kustlijn van Nederland, bovendien hebben zij veel betekend voor de inwoners van Brielle zij brachten leven in de stad en organiseerden vele activiteiten voor en met de burgers van Brielle . (naar de webshop) ---------- 12 november 2022 Make a Wish Onze ruimte tijdens de Sinterklaas intocht beschikbaar gesteld aan Make a Wish, voor een Meet & Greet met de Goedheiligman. ---------- 12 OKTOBER 2022LEZING VAN JEROEN RIJPSMA OP 9 NOVEMBER.Kaarten Duitse stellingen in WO2 "Atlantikwall in kaart, Bunkers en Bezetting in Zuid-Holland" beschrijft het verhaal van de Atlantikwall in Zuid-Holland aan de hand van 120 unieke kaarten en plattegronden en tientallen foto’s uit archieven en privécollecties in binnen- en buitenland. Op thematische wijze behandelt het boek de planning en bouw van de verdedigingswerken, de bezettingsmacht, de gevolgen voor de burgerbevolking, oefeningen en daadwerkelijke strijd te land, ter zee en in de lucht en tenslotte de nasleep van vijf jaar bezetting. Met deze zowel brede als diepgaande benadering is een nieuw standaardwerk ontstaan. Het boek telt maar liefst 328 pagina’s op groot formaat waardoor de kaarten en foto’s goed tot hun recht komen. ---------- 28 juni 2022NIEUWE WANDELROUTE IN HELLEVOETSLUIS‘Het geheim van het Haringvliet’Er is weer een nieuwe route op Voorne-Putten beschikbaar in de IVN Route app. In samenwerking met camping ’t Weergors en Stichting Verdedigingswerken Hellevoetsluis heeft afdeling IVN Voorne-Putten Rozenburg een mooie wandeling in en rondom de vestingwerken van Hellevoetsluis uitgezet. Deze route is te downloaden in de IVN Route app. Loop over de oude vestingwallen met hun karakteristieke vormen, geniet van het groen en kom van alles te weten over de rijke maritieme historie van Hellevoetsluis. (bron: IVN) ---------- 29 april 2022 Bomvrij en loods worden opgeknapt voor 1 miljoen. De Natte Schietkatoenloods en het Bomvrij Hospitaal zijn twee Rijksmonumenten in de vesting die al jarenlang in erbarmelijke staat verkeren. Ooit vormde de Natte Schietkatoenloods samen met het Kruithuisje, de poortwachterswoning en de Affuitenloods een mooie entree van de vesting. Dat is nu wel een ander verhaal. (lees verder in Groot Hellevoet)(bron: Groot Hellevoet) ---------- 26 april 2022 Gefeliciteerd Ridder Bram, Vandaag heeft onze voorzitter en grondlegger van de Stichting Verdedigingswerken Hellevoetsluis een lintje gekregen. Bram zet zich al jaren in als vrijwilliger bij o.a. Scouting Hellevoetsluis en Verdedigingswerken Hellevoetsluis. Beide organisaties hebben samen de aanvraag voor een lintje ingediend met het resultaat dat Bram Ridder in de orde van Oranje Nassau is geworden. Bram van harte gefeliciteerd je hebt deze onderscheiding dik verdiend. ---------- 30 maart 2022 Hellevoetse kanonslopen krijgen nieuwe bestemming.Hellevoetsluis - Gemeente Hellevoetsluis heeft drie kanonslopen van het type ‘shell gun’ uitgeleend aan gemeenten Oldenzaal en Vijfheerenlanden. Deze drie kanonslopen fungeerden bij de Veerhaven als afmeerbolders voor boten. Door de Vesting en langs het Kanaal zijn er nog een flink aantal van dit soort bolders te vinden. Omdat er gebouwd gaat worden op deze locatie moesten deze drie opgegraven worden. “De kanonnen dateren van 1839. We weten het niet precies, maar ze zijn waarschijnlijk rond 1900 de grond in gegaan” vertelt Bram Kap van Stichting Verdedigingswerken Hellevoetsluis. “Vermoedelijk zijn ze wel eerst opgesteld als afweergeschut voordat ze dienst zijn gaan doen als bolder. Bij de Veerhaven lopen diverse leidingen en kabels door de grond wat het optakelen van kanonnen een lastige klus maakte. En ze wegen nogal wat, maar liefst 4500 kilo.” De kanonslopen zijn op afgelopen maandag op transport naar de nieuwe bestemmingen in de provincie Utrecht gezet. Hier krijgt het geschut, nadat het is schoongemaakt, een mooie plek toegewezen.Delen historie Het verzoek van gemeente Oldenzaal om een paar kanonnen te lenen, kwam via onze buurgemeente Brielle bij Hellevoetsluis terecht. Oldenzaal en Brielle zijn beiden deelnemers aan het Samenwerkingsverband 1572-gemeenten. Vijfheerenland is een voor Hellevoetsluis bekende gemeente. Vianen is een van de steden die bij Vijfheerenlanden hoort. Hellevoetsluis heeft met deze plaats al lange tijd een nauwe band vanwege Jan Blanken. De waterbouwkundige was de ontwerper en bouwer van het Droogdok in Hellevoetsluis en woonde in de laatste fase van zijn leven in Vianen, waar hij uiteindelijk overleed.“We zijn natuurlijk blij om te zien dat we een stukje van onze historie kunnen delen”, aldus wethouder cultuur Margriet den Brok. “Voor de kanonnen wordt goed gezorgd en ze krijgen ongetwijfeld een hele mooie plek op hun nieuwe bestemming. Wij wensen gemeenten Oldenzaal en Vijfheerenlanden dan ook veel plezier met dit mooie historische materiaal!” Kanon type shell gun De kanonnen zijn van het type shell gun. Hiermee werden holle ronde kogels met kruit afgeschoten. Het zijn zogenaamde 80 ponders, ze wegen zo’n 4500 kilo per stuk en zijn gemaakt in Engeland door de Walker Company. (bron: Groot Hellevoet) ---------- https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743432/activities/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743432/activities/ Enter your product details here. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6646358/agenda-opening-hours/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6646358/agenda-opening-hours/ Agenda / Opening hours 2026 ---------- January January 3 - Saturday - 7:15 PM Moonlight WalkJanuary 21 - Wednesday - Lecture: Battle of the Scheldt ---------- February ---------- March March 1 - Sunday - 1:00 PM - Guided tour: Traces of World War II. ---------- April April 5 - Sunday - from 1:15 PM - Photo scavenger hunt for children. - 1:00 PM - Guided tour: Coastal Battery. - 1:30 PM - Guided tour: Traces of World War II. ---------- May May 3 - Sunday - from 1:15 PM - Photo scavenger hunt for children. - 1:00 PM - Guided tour: Coastal Battery. - 1:30 PM - Guided tour: Traces of World War II. ---------- June June 7 - Sunday - from 1:15 PM - Photo scavenger hunt for children. - 1:00 PM - Guided tour: Coastal Battery. - 1:30 PM - Guided tour: Traces of World War II. ---------- July July 5 - Sunday - from 1:15 PM - Photo scavenger hunt for children. - 1:00 PM - Guided tour: Coastal Battery. - 1:30 PM - Guided tour: Traces of World War II. ---------- August August 2 - Sunday - from 1:15 PM - Photo scavenger hunt for children. - 1:00 PM - Guided tour: Coastal Battery. - 1:30 PM - Guided tour: Traces of World War II.August 15 - Saturday - from 10:00 AM - Hellevoetsluis Fortress DaysAugust 16 - Sunday - from 11:00 AM - Hellevoetsluis Fortress Days ---------- September September 6 - Sunday - From 1:15 PM - Photo scavenger hunt for children. - 1:00 PM - Guided tour: Coastal Battery. - 1:30 PM - Guided tour: Traces of World War II.September 12 - Saturday - From 10:00 AM - Open Monument Day ---------- October October 4 - Sunday - From 1:15 PM - Photo scavenger hunt for children. - 1:00 PM - Guided tour: Coastal Battery. - 1:30 PM - Guided tour: Traces of World War II. ---------- November November 1 - Sunday - 1:00 PM - Guided tour: Traces of World War II. ---------- December https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6295002/opening/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6295002/opening/ Opening ---------- There are also openings this year and of course we would like to let you know. Enthusiastic volunteers make it possible to open our doors more often and to share the special military heritage of Hellevoetsluis with the public.Check our agenda for the openings.Volunteers will be happy to tell you how the Hellevoet fortress has developed over time to defend the all-important naval port. We have panels for this, each of which shows an important period. On the basis of old maps you can see and hear how that development went. Admission is free. When are we open? The days that we are open can be found on our page with thecalendar.We would like to open more often, but then we need more volunteers, will you help? What else is there to see? You can also take a look at our soldiers' room. Perhaps you can still smell the sweat of the gunners there. We can also show you the ingenious water drainage system there. Ask a volunteer for a look. The soldiers' room cannot be entered directly from our visitors' room. You can also briefly listen to the story about our great pride, the 24 cm Yser. This cannon now stands proudly on the shore and looks menacingly over the water. At that time the largest rear loader in the Dutch army. Did you know that 13 of them stood on the Hellevoetse fortress? Volunteers will then walk with you for a while. Children can dress up as a real soldier. Always nice for a photo! https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743888/guided-tour-coastal-battery/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743888/guided-tour-coastal-battery/ Guided tour: Coastal Battery: ---------- This tour covers the period up to and including the neutrality period of the First World War. We start with an introduction to why Hellevoetsluis has a fortress. Then we take you over the former coastal battery on the front I-II. We visit various locations where an expert guide tells you about the objects that can be seen there. We pass the various artillery beds where, among other things, the 24 cm Yser artillery has stood. We take a closer look at the large cannon that was placed back here in June 2013. Due to a subsidy from Europe, it is possible to include an authentic loop in a complete reconstruction. We look at the niches for spokesman operators, the group stations, the various gun beds.The Powder and Projectile Magazine should of course not be missed. Unfortunately, we can't look inside there. However, we will take a look inside the caponniere. An obejct that is completely hidden underground with its torpedo station and cannon casemates. Here we have displayed several larger finds from the restoration. The tour of the coastal battery starts at 13:00 and lasts an hour and a half, the length of this tour is approximately 1 km. In addition to these locations, there is much more to see, but more than can be seen in an hour and a half. For those who have not had enough after this tour, we can also take a look at the only German artillery bunker in Hellevoetsluis. Of course, we don't skip the 360-degree bed that goes with it. Dates of the tour: 6 April 4 May 1 June 7 July 4 August 7 September 5 OctoberCancelling tickets. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6639671/april-6-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6639671/april-6-2025/ Guided tour of the Coastal Battery 6 April 2025 ---------- This tour covers the period up to and including the neutrality period of the First World War. We start with an introduction to why Hellevoetsluis has a fortress. Then we take you over the former coastal battery on the front I-II. We visit various locations where an expert guide tells you about the objects that can be seen there. We pass the various artillery beds where, among other things, the 24 cm Yser artillery has stood. We take a closer look at the large cannon that was placed back here in June 2013. Thanks to a subsidy from Europe, it was possible to restore an authentic course and include it in a complete reconstruction. The Powder and Projectile Magazine should of course not be missed. Unfortunately, we can't look inside there. However, we will take a look inside the caponniere. An obejct that is completely hidden underground with its torpedo station and cannon casemates. Here we have displayed several larger finds from the restoration. The tour of the coastal battery starts at 13:00 and lasts an hour and a half, the length of this tour is approximately 1 km. In addition to these locations, there is much more to see, but more than can be seen in an hour and a half. For those who have not had enough after this tour, we can also take a look at the only German artillery bunker in Hellevoetsluis. Of course, we don't skip the 360-degree bed that goes with it. Only the still available tours are shown below. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294912/june-1-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294912/june-1-2025/ Guided tour of the Coastal Battery June 1, 2025 ---------- This tour covers the period up to and including the neutrality period of the First World War. We start with an introduction to why Hellevoetsluis has a fortress. Then we take you over the former coastal battery on the front I-II. We visit various locations where an expert guide tells you about the objects that can be seen there. We pass the various artillery beds where, among other things, the 24 cm Yser artillery has stood. We take a closer look at the large cannon that was placed back here in June 2013. Thanks to a subsidy from Europe, it was possible to restore an authentic course and include it in a complete reconstruction. The Powder and Projectile Magazine should of course not be missed. Unfortunately, we can't look inside there. However, we will take a look inside the caponniere. An obejct that is completely hidden underground with its torpedo station and cannon casemates. Here we have displayed several larger finds from the restoration. The tour of the coastal battery starts at 13:00 and lasts an hour and a half, the length of this tour is approximately 1 km. In addition to these locations, there is much more to see, but more than can be seen in an hour and a half. For those who have not had enough after this tour, we can also take a look at the only German artillery bunker in Hellevoetsluis. Of course, we don't skip the 360-degree bed that goes with it. Only the still available tours are shown below. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294921/september-7-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294921/september-7-2025/ Guided tour of the Coastal Battery September 7, 2025 ---------- This tour covers the period up to and including the neutrality period of the First World War. We start with an introduction to why Hellevoetsluis has a fortress. Then we take you over the former coastal battery on the front I-II. We visit various locations where an expert guide tells you about the objects that can be seen there. We pass the various artillery beds where, among other things, the 24 cm Yser artillery has stood. We take a closer look at the large cannon that was placed back here in June 2013. Thanks to a subsidy from Europe, it was possible to restore an authentic course and include it in a complete reconstruction. The Powder and Projectile Magazine should of course not be missed. Unfortunately, we can't look inside there. However, we will take a look inside the caponniere. An obejct that is completely hidden underground with its torpedo station and cannon casemates. Here we have displayed several larger finds from the restoration. The tour of the coastal battery starts at 13:00 and lasts an hour and a half, the length of this tour is approximately 1 km.In addition to these locations, there is much more to see, but more than can be seen in an hour and a half. For those who have not had enough after this tour, we can also take a look at the only German artillery bunker in Hellevoetsluis. Of course, we don't skip the 360-degree bed that goes with it. Cancelling tickets. Only the still available tours are shown below. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743889/guided-tour-traces-of-the-second-world-war/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743889/guided-tour-traces-of-the-second-world-war/ Guided tour: Traces of the Second World War. ---------- This tour is specifically about the traces that the Second World War has left in the Hellevoetse fortress. Along the way we tell about the construction of the Atlantic Wall. The fortress of Hellevoetsluis was part of this line of defense as Stützpunkt XXVIII. We walk about the coastal battery, but with specific attention to the influence that the Second World War andespecially the Nazis had on the fortress of Hellevoetsluis. A look at the 612 (Schartenstand für lände oder sturmabwehrgeschütze ohne Nebenraume), then we go to the exchange position for the guns from the bunker. The FlAk (Flug abwehr Kanone) bed will also be visited, the restoration of which was completed in 2018. The various German flotillas and their functions are discussed and also how the convoy shipping on Antwerp was attacked with Kleinkampfmittel. In total, we will visit about 14 locations. Many traces are still present. The guide will point this out and support the story with images. The length of this tour is approximately 1.5 km and is fully wheelchair accessible.Dates on which this tour is given: 2 March 7 April 4 May 1 June 6 July 3 August 7 September 5 October 2 November Cancellation of tickets. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294930/june-1-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294930/june-1-2025/ Guided tour: Traces of the 2nd World War June 1, 2025 ---------- This tour is specifically about the traces that the Second World War has left in the Hellevoetse fortress.Along the way, we will tell you about the construction of the Atlantic Wall. Hellevoetsluis was part of this line of defense as Stützpunkt XXVIII. We walk over the coastal battery, but with specific attention to the influence that the Second World War and in particular the Nazis had on the fortress of Hellevoetsluis. A look at the 612 (Schartenstand für lande und sturmabwehrgeschütze ohne Nebenräume), then we go to the exchange position. The FlAk (Flug abwehr Kanone) bed will also be visited, the restoration of which will be completed in 2018. The various German flotillas and their functions are discussed and also how the convoy shipping on Antwerp was attacked with Kleinkampfmittel. In total, we will visit about 14 locations. Many traces are still present. The guide will point this out to you and support the story with images. The length of this tour is approximately 1.5 km and is fully wheelchair accessible. Only the still available tours are shown below. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294939/august-3-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294939/august-3-2025/ Guided tour: Traces of the 2nd World War August 3, 2025 ---------- This tour is specifically about the traces that the Second World War has left in the Hellevoetse fortress.Along the way, we will tell you about the construction of the Atlantic Wall. Hellevoetsluis was part of this line of defense as Stützpunkt XXVIII. We walk over the coastal battery, but with specific attention to the influence that the Second World War and in particular the Nazis had on the fortress of Hellevoetsluis. A look at the 612 (Schartenstand für lande und sturmabwehrgeschütze ohne Nebenräume), then we go to the exchange position. The FlAk (Flug abwehr Kanone) bed will also be visited, the restoration of which will be completed in 2018. The various German flotillas and their functions are discussed and also how the convoy shipping on Antwerp was attacked with Kleinkampfmittel. You can also take turns viewing this place to ensure that we can guarantee the one and a half meters. In total, we will visit about 14 locations. Many traces are still present. The guide will point this out to you and support the story with images. The length of this tour is approximately 1.5 km and is fully wheelchair accessible. Cancelling tickets. Only the still available tours are shown below. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294957/october-5-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6294957/october-5-2025/ Guided tour: Traces of the 2nd World War October 5, 2025 ---------- This tour is specifically about the traces that the Second World War has left in the Hellevoetse fortress.Along the way, we will tell you about the construction of the Atlantic Wall. Hellevoetsluis was part of this line of defense as Stützpunkt XXVIII. We walk over the coastal battery, but with specific attention to the influence that the Second World War and in particular the Nazis had on the fortress of Hellevoetsluis. A look at the 612 (Schartenstand für lande und sturmabwehrgeschütze ohne Nebenräume), then we go to the exchange position. The FlAk (Flug abwehr Kanone) bed will also be visited, the restoration of which will be completed in 2018. The various German flotillas and their functions are discussed and also how the convoy shipping on Antwerp was attacked with Kleinkampfmittel. In total, we will visit about 14 locations. Many traces are still present. The guide will point this out to you and support the story with images. The length of this tour is approximately 1.5 km and is fully wheelchair accessible. Cancelling tickets. Only the still available tours are shown below. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6639674/november-2-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6639674/november-2-2025/ Guided tour: Traces of the 2nd World War November 2, 2025 ---------- This tour is specifically about the traces that the Second World War has left in the Hellevoetse fortress.Along the way, we will tell you about the construction of the Atlantic Wall. Hellevoetsluis was part of this line of defense as Stützpunkt XXVIII. We walk over the coastal battery, but with specific attention to the influence that the Second World War and in particular the Nazis had on the fortress of Hellevoetsluis. A look at the 612 (Schartenstand für lande und sturmabwehrgeschütze ohne Nebenräume), then we go to the exchange position. The FlAk (Flug abwehr Kanone) bed will also be visited, the restoration of which will be completed in 2018. The various German flotillas and their functions are discussed and also how the convoy shipping on Antwerp was attacked with Kleinkampfmittel. In total, we will visit about 14 locations. Many traces are still present. The guide will point this out to you and support the story with images. The length of this tour is approximately 1.5 km and is fully wheelchair accessible. Cancelling tickets. Only the still available tours are shown below. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743652/scavenger-hunt/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743652/scavenger-hunt/ Scavenger hunt ---------- Families with children can participate in a fun photo scavenger hunt on the ramparts behind the Haerlem barracks. On the defenses, a guide from our foundation will be able to explain things to the participants. Because a scavenger hunt is fun, but it's even more fun if you also learn something from it. So we will certainly try to let children go with more knowledge than they come.Children go in groups with their parents or supervisors looking for various objects on the basis of photos. With those objects, photos are hidden with a letter. When all the letters have been found, they come back to the barracks where they can process the found letters in a puzzle. For an impression, you can watch a video made by Linq media. The costs are € 2.50 per child. The costs must be paid in advance. We will inform you about this if we can confirm your participation. In addition to the scavenger hunt, the participating children will also receive a small snack. Coffee or tea is for sale for parents/guardians.The scavenger hunt will be held on the following dates: 6 April 4 May 1 June 6 July 3 August 7 September 5 October Cancelling tickets. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6879482/may-4-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6879482/may-4-2025/ Scavenger hunt: May 4, 2025 ---------- Families with children can participate in a fun photo scavenger hunt on the ramparts behind the Haerlem barracks. On the defenses, a guide from our foundation will be able to explain things to the participants. Because a scavenger hunt is fun, but it's even more fun if you also learn something from it. So we will certainly try to let children go with more knowledge than they come.Children go in groups with their parents or supervisors on the road. For an impression, you can watch a video made by Linq media. The costs are € 2.50 per child. The costs must be paid in advance. We will inform you about this if we can confirm your participation. In addition to the scavenger hunt, the participating children will also receive a small snack. Coffee or tea is for sale for parents/guardians.Only the available dates/times are shown. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6304026/june-1-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6304026/june-1-2025/ Scavenger hunt: June 1, 2025 ---------- Families with children can participate in a fun photo scavenger hunt on the ramparts behind Fort Haerlem. On the defenses, a guide from our foundation will be able to explain things to the participants. Because a scavenger hunt is fun, but it's even more fun if you also learn something from it. So we will certainly try to let children go with more knowledge than they come.Children go in groups with their parents or supervisors For an impression, you can watch a video made by Linq media. The costs are € 2.50 per child. The costs must be paid in advance. We will inform you about this if we can confirm your participation. In addition to the scavenger hunt, the participating children will also receive a small snack. Coffee or tea is for sale for parents/guardians.Only the available dates/times are shown. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6304029/july-6-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6304029/july-6-2025/ Scavenger Hunt: July 6, 2025 ---------- Families with children can participate in a fun photo scavenger hunt on the ramparts behind Fort Haerlem. On the defenses, a guide from our foundation will be able to explain things to the participants. Because a scavenger hunt is fun, but it's even more fun if you also learn something from it. So we will certainly try to let children go with more knowledge than they come.Children go in groups with their parents or supervisors For an impression, you can watch a video made by Linq media. The costs are € 2.50 per child. The costs must be paid in advance. We will inform you about this if we can confirm your participation. In addition to the scavenger hunt, the participating children will also receive a small snack. Coffee or tea is for sale for parents/guardians. Cancelling tickets.Only the available dates/times are shown. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6879611/august-3-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6879611/august-3-2025/ Scavenger Hunt: August 3, 2025 ---------- Families with children can participate in a fun photo scavenger hunt on the ramparts behind Fort Haerlem. On the defenses, a guide from our foundation will be able to explain things to the participants. Because a scavenger hunt is fun, but it's even more fun if you also learn something from it. So we will certainly try to let children go with more knowledge than they come.Children go in groups with their parents or supervisors For an impression, you can watch a video made by Linq media. The costs are € 2.50 per child. The costs must be paid in advance. We will inform you about this if we can confirm your participation. In addition to the scavenger hunt, the participating children will also receive a small snack. Coffee or tea is for sale for parents/guardians. Cancelling tickets.Only the available dates/times are shown. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6304053/september-7-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6304053/september-7-2025/ Scavenger hunt: September 7, 2025 ---------- Families with children can participate in a fun photo scavenger hunt on the ramparts behind Fort Haerlem. On the defenses, a guide from our foundation will be able to explain things to the participants. Because a scavenger hunt is fun, but it's even more fun if you also learn something from it. So we will certainly try to let children go with more knowledge than they come.Children go in groups with their parents or supervisors For an impression, you can watch a video made by Linq media. The costs are € 2.50 per child. The costs must be paid in advance. We will inform you about this if we can confirm your participation. In addition to the scavenger hunt, the participating children will also receive a small snack. Coffee or tea is for sale for parents/guardians. Cancelling tickets.Only the available dates/times are shown. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6304050/october-5-2025/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6304050/october-5-2025/ Scavenger Hunt: October 5, 2025 ---------- Families with children can participate in a fun photo scavenger hunt on the ramparts behind Fort Haerlem. On the defenses, a guide from our foundation will be able to explain things to the participants. Because a scavenger hunt is fun, but it's even more fun if you also learn something from it. So we will certainly try to let children go with more knowledge than they come.Children go in groups with their parents or supervisors For an impression, you can watch a video made by Linq media. The costs are € 2.50 per child. The costs must be paid in advance. We will inform you about this if we can confirm your participation. In addition to the scavenger hunt, the participating children will also receive a small snack. Coffee or tea is for sale for parents/guardians.Cancelling tickets. Only the available dates/times are shown. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5764626/bunker-escape/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5764626/bunker-escape/ Bunker Escape: ---------- In this game, one has to try to escape from a bunker within 25 minutes by solving puzzles. This game is intended for children with one or more supervisors, but the slightly older ones can also spend a good time here. There is room for 6 people per game round. At various times during this afternoon you can register for this bunker escape, children who participate must be able to read. If you want to do the escape at a different time, that is of course also possible, please contact us via the contact form.Data: https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7001699/birthday-party/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7001699/birthday-party/ Birthday party ---------- We can organize a birthday party for you in our visitors' room, the package you can offer is the following: ∙ Photo scavenger hunt (approx. 45 min.) ∙ Bunker escape, max. 6 children + supervisor per round. (approx. 35 min.) ∙ Visit to the soldiers' room (approx. 30 min.) ∙ Visit of the Caponnière, underground space, not accessible all year round (approx. 45 min.) ∙ Drink with bag of chips ∙ The visitors' room is festively decorated. The cost for this package is €35.00 for a minimum of 5 children, each additional child costs €7.50 extra. If you have any other wishes, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us by email: info@fronttaal.info or via the contact form.There are a few conditions: ∙ The time of the party may not coincide with any other activity of ours. ∙ There must be enough parents / supervisors present. ( 1 per 5 children ) ∙ You can make a reservation at least 2 weeks in advance. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6297651/private-tour/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6297651/private-tour/ Private Tour: ---------- For groups of large to small, it is possible to arrange a private tour at any time. This is also possible outside the standard tour season. We assume a maximum of 15 people per guide. We are happy to tailor our options to specific wishes, such as the duration of the tour and which parts of the defenses you want to see and which can be skipped. A real tailor-made tour and at a time of your own choosing. The only limitation is the availability of a guide. It is also possible to use coffee/tea etc., we can also provide lunch before or after the tour, we are happy to make a quote for you. The costs for a private tour: € 5.00 p.p. with a minimum of € 70.00. We would like to invite you to contact us using the contact form. In the past we have been able to show many families, schools, companies, etc. around in this way. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6371791/cycling-hiking/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6371791/cycling-hiking/ CYCLING / HIKING ---------- Beautiful cycling and walking routes on Voorne and Goeree, also a number of cycling routes of the Atlantic Wall around Hoek van Holland, The Hague, Noordwijk, Katwijk. Cycling Hiking trails https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6310140/cycling/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6310140/cycling/ Cycling ---------- Tour of Voorne-Putten 75 kmTour of Hellevoetsluis 49 km ---------- Atlantikwall Voorne 40 km ---------- Atlantikwall Goeree 35 km ---------- Voorne & Defending 43 km Everywhere on Voorne, defences remind us of the centuries-long struggle against enemies who were able to occupy the island unhindered due to its location by the sea. Cycle through the beautiful nature of Voorne and discover this historical story. ---------- Atlantikwall Hoek van Holland 29 km ---------- Atlantikwall Noordwijk - Lisse 34 km ---------- Atlantikwall Katwijk - Wassenaar 35 km ---------- Atlantikwall Den Haag - Scheveningen 35 km ---------- https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6371806/hiking-trails/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6371806/hiking-trails/ Hiking trails ---------- Podwalk Step into the Iron Age 4.4 km This podwalk takes you through the fortress of Hellevoetsluis. By playing audio fragments, you will hear more about the time when Hellevoetsluis was a war and naval port in the 19th century. ---------- Walking route Bastions & Gorzen 13.8 km Combine the beautiful nature around the Haringvliet with a visit to the historic fortress of Hellevoetsluis. ---------- Walking route The secret of the Haringvliet. 5.3 km Together with an activity route for the youth, this walk leads over the green ramparts of Hellevoetsluis. While the children carry out the assignments and look for letters that reveal a secret, this IVN route gives the supervisors extra information about the history of Hellevoetsluis as a fortified port and the nature on and around the ramparts, which will also appeal to the children's imagination. ---------- https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6310149/heritage-education/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6310149/heritage-education/ Heritage education ---------- Heritage is such a natural element in our living environment that we often no longer realize that it has something to tell us. Heritage is not only a tangible imprint of our cultural history, but as a shared past also has emotional value and a certain unifying capacity. Heritage education includes a wide spectrum of activities for all kinds of audiences, which aim to gain knowledge and understanding as well as experience of heritage. Heritage education is also: learning about, by and with heritage. Of course, as the Hellevoetsluis Defence Works Foundation, we also want to bring military heritage to the attention of students. From primary school to secondary education and beyond. That is why we have a diverse range in which hopefully many activities will be mentioned that can be interesting and fun for students, but also for teachers. Heritage with class(es)The Defence Works Foundation is participating in this school project. Primary schools in Hellevoetsluis can get acquainted with the cultural heritage of Hellevoetsluis free of charge through this project.For the Hellevoetsluis Defence Works Foundation, groups 5 can visit the Haerlem barracks and the surrounding area. During an educational morning or afternoon, the children will learn all kinds of things about the military history of Hellevoetsluis. Listening, but also doing activities are part of this visit. You can request a visit by contactingus.World War IThe Netherlands was neutral in the First World War. That does not mean that nothing happened militarily, on the contrary. The Netherlands was on edge for four years to beat back a possible intruder. The impact of this neutrality was great and has left traces, including in the form of military heritage. A visit means that children play a trivial game and a guided tour is given. After this visit, the students gained knowledge about this time period in Dutch history. This visit takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. You can get more information by contacting us.Hidden borderWith this teaching program, primary schools can get started with heritage education around the Second World War. A visit to our location makes the experience even greater. You can contactus for this. More information can be found via this link.Traces of the Second World WarThis component offers opportunities for secondary school teachers in the context of heritage education. There are fewer and fewer people who lived through the Second World War. That is why it is important to record as much information as possible from eyewitnesses. During the implementation of this project, students expand their knowledge about the consequences of the Second World War.On the site : www.sporenww2.nl you will find the information about this offer. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772605/photo-video/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772605/photo-video/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772626/atmospheric-photos/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772626/atmospheric-photos/ Atmospheric photos ---------- A collection of atmospheric photos around Kazere Haerlem through the years. (slideshow starts in seconds) https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772627/historical-photos/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772627/historical-photos/ Historical photos ---------- A collection of historical photos around Kazere Haerlem through the years. If you are also in possession of old photos of the Haerlem Barracks, please contact us. (slideshow starts in seconds) https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6290367/closed-activities/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6290367/closed-activities/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772619/presentation-of-the-golden-concrete-mixer/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772619/presentation-of-the-golden-concrete-mixer/ PRESENTATION OF THE GOLDEN CONCRETE MIXER ---------- On Saturday, May 30, 2015, we received the national prize, the Golden Concrete Mixer. Here are some photos of this special day for us. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772631/voorne-in-stelling-2022/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772631/voorne-in-stelling-2022/ Voorne in Stelling 2022 ---------- A photo impression of the activity held on June 4 and 5, 2022 "Voorne in Stelling", already for the tenth time organized by the municipality of Hellevoetsluis in collaboration with our foundation. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772633/the-battle-of-hellevoetsluis-2014/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772633/the-battle-of-hellevoetsluis-2014/ The Battle of Hellevoetsluis, 28 and 29 June 2014, ---------- It is December 1813 when Brielle is liberated from the French. Farmers, citizens and some soldiers go to Hellevoetsluis to chase away the French there as well. But it's not that easy. There are deaths and injuries. In the weekend of 28 and 29 June 2014, this battle was re-enacted by a large number of re-enactors of the Napoleonic Association of the Netherlands. A great spectacle that should not be missed. For those of you who don't know exactly what re-enactment entails: it is reviving a historical event. In this case, it will be accompanied by authentically dressed soldiers, cannon roar, musket fire, and gunpowder fumes. Of course, all desired security and precautionary measures are observed by the competent troops of the Napoleonic Association of the Netherlands and the gunners of Hellevoetsluis. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772634/restoration-of-the-fortress-walls/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772634/restoration-of-the-fortress-walls/ Restoration of the fortress walls ---------- Although the redevelopment is not part of the actual restoration of the front I-II, this work is probably the most important. This is because this work ensures that the entire area can be completed. The redesign includes the framing of all the earthwork such as the traverses, the plongйe, the terreplein, the banquet, the outer embankment, but also the construction of paths, stairs, lighting and everything that goes with it (the terminology such as the plongйe can be found on the site of the Menno van Coehoorn foundation). These may all be difficult terms, but they are essential for the correct designation of parts of the ramparts. The right profile was determined by Copijn landscape architects from Utrecht by conducting a lot of archival research. Old maps from 1880 to maps and aerial photographs from before and after the Second World War have been carefully studied. By determining sub-areas, time images can be established for each sub-area. Because various adjustments were made in the area of the front I-II between 1880 and 1960, an unambiguous picture of the time is therefore not possible. Following the image of the time of 1880 in general would mean that various objects would have to be removed, such as the German concrete works from the Second World War. However, this image of the time also shows part of the history of Hellevoetsluis. Brushing this away would violate the military history of Hellevoetsluis.In diffuse parts of sub-areas. Diffuse due to an unambiguous image of the time, compromises were needed to be able to redesign in a historically responsible way. This was particularly difficult on the left flank of the I-II front. In this sub-area there are elements from 1880, 1890, 1900, 1915, the Second World War and the Cold War (not many elements of the latter construction period can be found). https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772636/restoration-of-buildings/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772636/restoration-of-buildings/ Restoration of buildings ---------- This phase started in January 2011. The chain of contractor Huurman from Delft had already been installed in 2010. On January 13, 2011, the scaffolding for the barracks and for the powder and projectile magazine started. The plan was that this phase would be completed before the summer of 2011, but there were a number of setbacks. The outer leaf (the outer layer of stones) of the barracks turned out to be partly separate from the underlying construction. It also turned out that more iron was used as anchors during construction than had been budgeted in advance. In particular, the anchors discovered in the keystones of the vault of the windows were a surprise. These anchors have been removed and will not be replaced. Once the first hatches have been installed, the next ones go faster and faster. In a few days, many shutters have already been hung. The shutters are newly made of oak. The old shutters consisted of three planks thick oak. These planks were fixed with iron forged nails. Over time, the nails had started to rust and it turned out to be impossible to replace bad parts of the hatches. The shutters are also hollow. Nothing of this can be seen on the outside, but because of these adjustments it costs less oak, but more importantly. The weight of the hatches is considerably lower, so that the mechanical action on the thumb blocks (those are the blocks that contain the iron thumbs that carry the hatches) is less and the risk of damage in the future is less. People are working the concrete elements of the coastal battery. The German R 612 has now been closed with fences so that the vandalism as well as the restoration work remains as good as possible. The narrow gauge railway has been cleaned and preserved. The parapets will all be provided with the beautiful block pattern again. The group stations (measuring stations) are now all closed with steel doors. The measuring slots have also all been provided with new ironwork with a cover plate on the outside. Steel structures have been installed on the inside of all group stations to prevent further decay. This is important because this concrete does not have steel reinforcement to hold it all together. In 1900, when these objects were built, this construction method was just not yet known. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772628/restoration-noorddijk/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772628/restoration-noorddijk/ Restoration Noorddijk ---------- The owner, the Zuidhollands Landschap, has found means to restore the front and make the roof waterproof. The existing steel doors and shutters have been removed. The hinges have been removed and everything is now preserved. Contractor Hulshof bouw & restauratie bv from Aarlanderveen is currently excavating the bombproof building and making the roof watertight. This waterproofing is done by providing the roof with an EPDM product after the disinfection. A durable flexible product that guarantees waterproofing. The contractor expects that in about three weeks, the bricklaying of the window frames can start and the preserved shutters and doors will be replaced. There is also a beautiful video of Fort Noorddijk from the air. Made by Jan Maadam. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772638/cannon-24cm-iron/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772638/cannon-24cm-iron/ Cannon 24cm Iron ---------- https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6299781/barrel-storage/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6299781/barrel-storage/ Cannon 24cm Iron - Barrel storage ---------- It had been known for years. There is a cannon barrel on the beach at Nieuw Helvoet. Locally known as "de Punt". After the beach club of the den Ouden family was gone, it turned out to be possible to salvage the barrel. Now known is a big word. There were Hellevoeters who knew, but this fact was by no means known to everyone, but it has been remembered by tradition. The site where the course was located was owned by Natuurmonumenten. So permission had to be requested first.On 20 July 2007, Arie van den Ban made this salvage possible with his company Van den Ban Group. The barrel was loaded with a truck crane and brought to Hellevoetsluis.For a moment it was exciting whether the car crane could go up and down the bend at the beach. It just fitted. Miraculously, the screw wrench, the valve, was also still present at the barrel. In Hellevoetsluis the barrel was laid down on the weapon yard where several front loaders were already moored. This weapon place is located directly in front of the Hellevoetsluis City Museum. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6299796/restoration/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6299796/restoration/ Restoration Cannon 24cm Iron ---------- The cannon that is being reconstructed is the 24 cm iron cannon that was supplied by Finspong from Sweden. The first cannons from this supplier were included in the armament in the Netherlands in 1870. Even before 1880, there were already examples of this type of artillery in the Fortress of Hellevoetsluis. After the expansion of the Fortress, which created the front I-II, this artillery was placed on wooden beds. In 1882, cement beds were made for this purpose.This reconstruction is unique, as there is no other place in Europe known where such a cannon can be seen in public space.Forge Frits Kramer from Hekendorp is carrying out this reconstruction for Ooms Construction from Middelharnis. The forge has worked carefully to bring back as much detail as possible. The special thing about this project is that an original loop will be the core of this reconstruction. Around this authentic barrel, the shooting tube (barrel) will regain its original thickness. The barrel that was found is missing the steel sheaths that were supposed to protect the barrel against the force of the explosion.Blacksmith Frits Kramer is admirably working to bring back a lot of detail. Despite these efforts, the cannon will not be able to fire. It will also not be possible to continue operating elevation etc. because this cannon will be placed in the public space and could therefore be vulnerable to damage. However, it will be possible to make it clear with the help of a guide how this cannon was fired and what the functions of the various parts were.The original barrel was cleaned by a specialized company. A number of interesting inscriptions appeared on the mouth of the cannon, such as the year of manufacture (1873) and the serial number of the barrel (No. 41). https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6299877/arrival/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6299877/arrival/ 26 June 2013, Arrival of the Cannon of 24 IJ in Hellevoetsluis ---------- Finally the time had come. The large iron cannon with a caliber of 24 cm is placed. The transport left Gouda early in the morning. At 07:00 the truck with the road plates was there. At 08:15 the transport arrived with window, carriage and barrel. Shortly before that, the 100 tonne crane had arrived. After the crane was well propelled it could be lifted. With great care, the window and carriage were first put in place. It was a bit exciting whether the link with the spindle cushion could be made, but it all went well. It all fitted perfectly. Then the barrel could be placed. That all fit very accurately. At 08:53 this work was done and the installation of various small parts could begin. After everything was ready, an attempt was made to move the window sideways over the bed with carriage and barrel. With four people it turned out to be quite easy, despite the total weight of about 18 tons. To fix this movement, a device has been installed under one of the wheels that makes movement impossible. The elevation of the barrel is also fixed to prevent accidents. The work of Ooms for making the bed and the work of Forge Frits Kramer together have yielded a wonderful result. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6299946/unveiling/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6299946/unveiling/ June 28, 2013, Unveiling cannon of 24cm Iron ---------- Invited guests and interested parties were present in large numbers to experience this. After carrying out various military marches, the moment was that a number of people were included in the hall of fame of the fanfare. A marketer had brought a small barrel of gin for this purpose. With a toast to this joyous event, the liquid was knocked back by all those present at once.Then all those present followed the brass band to the bed where the cannon would be unveiled. Geuzen from Brielle were present with a cannon to festively frame the unveiling with a big shot. The cannon was packed. The chairman of the Hellevoetsluis Defence Works Foundation gave a short lecture about the history of the cannon. Then, as a surprise, Alderman Hofman arrived in an artillery uniform of a captain to deliver his speech.Opening reception area Following the unveiling of the cannon, the reception area of our Foundation was opened by alderman Hofman. Before that, the glass entrance door was blinded and provided with a QR code. With this code, the alderman read out the opening text and the opening was a fact. Afterwards, a toast was made to the cannon and to the future of our foundation. After the opening, everyone could take a look in the beautiful reception area. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6300042/nmm/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6300042/nmm/ 24cm Iron in the NMM ---------- In the National Military Museum there is an original example of the 24 IJ cannon. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6290838/videos/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6290838/videos/ VideosA beautiful video of Fort Noorddijk from the air. Made by Jan Maasdam.Hellevoetsluis with Michiel de Ruyter. A short clip about the defenses with our volunteer Gerrit van Tricht in the presentation. The film of 400 years of the port of Hellevoetsluis. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7236252/collection/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7236252/collection/ You can already consult part of our collection here.Our collection tells the history of the Hellevoetsluis Defence Works, and also covers the role of Hellevoetsluis in WWI, WWII and the Cold War. In collaboration with Fortresse Holland, we can digitise our collection and place it in the Atlantis collection registration programme. The following participants are represented in this collection. To the joint collection https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5874088/history/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5874088/history/ History ---------- Cannoneers Hellevoetsluis Buildings 1750 -1900 World War II Cold war ---------- https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6506814/cannoneers-hellevoetsluis/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6506814/cannoneers-hellevoetsluis/ Cannoneers Hellevoetsluis The Cannoneers are part of the Hellevoetsluis Shooting Club. ---------- The current fortress of Hellevoetsluis dates from the 18th century (1715) and is one of the best preserved defenses in the Netherlands. With a walk on the ramparts and along the harbor you can taste the maritime, historical and artilleryman's past in many places.The cannons placed inside the fortress bear witness to this. On the southwest side of the fortress you will find the coastal battery, which dates from the 19th century, where there is also a cannon bunker built by the Germans. The coastal battery also includes a number of emplacements for coastal artillery, a barracks, a powder and projectile magazine. The various sights are freely accessible every day. The fortress Hellevoetsluis is special in that respect, because it was built to protect the port and in the second instance for the population. The Artillery Committee of Shooting Club Hellevoetsluis takes care of the cannon shooting. Its task is to provide a performance during festivities, celebration of historical and/or maritime events, at the request of the Stichting Kanonniers Hellevoetsluis (SKH). Our gunners are specially trained to handle and fire these magnificent historic cannons in an authentic way. The dates of the demonstration shooting. Guns Targeting devices Gunpowder Cannon 36 lbs Cannon 60 lbs https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6516183/mobile-cannon/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6516183/mobile-cannon/ Mobile cannon (Lunge gun) ---------- If no demonstrations of cannon shooting are given, the piece will be made available as much as possible to show to the residents and visitors of Hellevoetsluis. They can then see for themselves how things are put together and which parts are on such a carriage.Gun carriage Field No 2 up to guns of 6 Pd. K. SW. and howitzers of 15 cm L. OM. Lunge artillery was used for offensive action by a defender of a fortress. These artillery were brought (often at night) outside the front of the fortress and caused as much damage as possible to the attacker, after which they quickly withdrew to the fortress. These attacks were considered one of the most powerful means of defense of a fortress. 6 pound barge guns in bataille. A battery of artillery is in line when the pieces are laid up and the horses are turned towards the enemy.6-ponder model 1848 Foto’s dateren uit 1863 en 1864, an toenmalige Ministerie van Oorlog Soort geschut: Glad voorladerkanon Fabrikant: Nederland In dienst genomen: 1848 Kaliber: 9,4 cm Gewicht: 950 kg Max. vuursnelheid: 1 schot / min Max. dracht: 1,5 km Bemanning: 9 personen Het kanon heeft rond het zundgat geen pan, het afvuren geschieden met een frictieontstekingspijpje, welke in zundgat werd geplaatst. Een haakje aan een vuurlijn werd in het oogje gehaakt en op het moment dat het kanon moest afgaan werd er aan lijntje getrokken, waardoor de kop van het pijpje als een lucifer ontsteekt. Deze ontsteking plant zich voort via het pijpje naar de kruitlading in het kanon. frictiepijpjesKanonniers met veldkanon in vesting opstelling.Foto gemaakt rond 1880Type affuit is tot in de 20e eeuw in gebruik gebleven.Foto veldartillerie en is genomen rond 1905 Munitie voorwagenAls dit stuk dienst deed bij de rijdende artillerie, werd het getrokken door 6 paarden. Gevulde munitie voorwagen kisten. De munitiewagen van een 6 ponder bevat: 40 kogelschoten 12 kartetsen 12 granaatkartetsenWat betekenen de markeringen op het affuit en de wielen.Affuit is geschikt voor een 6 ponds kanonsloop lengte Kort van het Zwarte type. Het stuk (affuit + loop) behoort bij het 4 de Bataljon met indificatie Nummer 3 De wielen zijn tussen de spaken genummerd van 1 t/m 12, Wekelijks moesten de kanonniers de wielen verdraaien zodat er een ander nummer onder kwam te staan. Dit was om te voorkomen dat de wielen onrond en krom werden als gevolg van langdurig stilstaan, https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517722/targeting-devices/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517722/targeting-devices/ Targeting devices ---------- The core ring was tied to the barrel with leather straps. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517623/gunpowder/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517623/gunpowder/ Gunpowder (black powder) ---------- Black powder is a mixture of: Potassium nitrate (saltpeter), charcoal and sulfur. 75% potassium nitrate 15% charcoal 10% sulfur Gunpowder is an LE low explosive (no bang when it ignites outdoors) volume magnification factor is about 5100.Nitro-powder, the so-called smoke-weak powder is a HIGHhigh explosive (gives a bang when it ignites in the open air) More modern smokeless gunpowder types have a devastating effect on the old metal or cast iron and bronze cannons.Roger Bacon described the preparation of the first explosive substance, gunpowder, in 1249. Around 1300 it was known and used throughout Europe. In Europe, the honor of the invention was given to monk Berthold der Schwartze, the legendary and imaginary German inventor of gunpowder. Gunpowder is a mixture of three components: potassium nitrate (saltpeter), sulfur and charcoal. ---------- The name black powder is quite modern. It stems from the fact that people wanted to distinguish it from the smokeless gunpowder, which was light in color. Before that, black powder was simply called gunpowder. Black powder powder Granulated black powder ---------- Saltpetre: Has a white color and occurs in solid form in India, China, Peru, Egypt, as well as in regions of Spain and Italy. In temperate regions it is less common and usually forms in damp low places, especially in cellars, vaults, and caves, it is then given the name wall saltpeter. ---------- Sulfur: Has a pale yellow color, occurs in volcanic areas in pure form. Italy has always been a well-known location. ---------- Charcoal: Various types of wood can be used for gunpowder manufacture, but there were preferences: Infantry gunpowder, is best made from dogwood wood. Artillery gunpowder, it is best to use willow wood. The former has a fast burn (needed in short small arms) and the latter burns relatively slowly, which is necessary for cannons. ---------- https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6606825/36-pound-gun/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6606825/36-pound-gun/ 36 pound gun cast iron ---------- This cannon is mounted on a wooden ship carriage on the eastern pier of the "Haaven" of Hellevoetsluis Cannon cast iron 17 cm Caliber: 0.1748 m Length: 3.2733 m Length int: 2.85 m Weight: 3523 kg without carriage. Ammunition: Round iron ball Kartets Kartets bullet Front loader with smooth (so-called normal) barrel.Cannon cast iron 36Pd coastal artillery, system 1786 FrenchIn the mid-19th century, the cannon was classified as coastal artillery in the inventory of artillery. Lock support for mounting flintlock lock.Vuursteenslot gemonteerd met afvuurlijn er omheen gedraaidVuursteenslot gemonteerdVuursteenslotTekening vuursteenslotNo 125 1808 Productie nummer en het jaar van gieten.Op het mondingsvlak staat het productie nummer, het jaartal van gieten, het gewicht in kg en de L van lang type kanon.Dit is een anker betekend dat het kanon is gegoten voor de keizerlijke marine van Napoleon. Mogelijk heeft het, voordat het in Hellevoetsluis is terecht gekomen, op een schip dienst gedaan.Franse linie schepen hadden deze kanonnen op de onderste van de vier geschutsdekken staan.Men onderscheidt de kruitladingen voor dit geschut in volle, verzwakte en versterkte lading ( half 19e eeuw ).De volle lading voor de "lange" kanonnen is in ponden het 1/8 deel van het volle gietijzeren kogel gewicht. Bij een verzwakte lading was de lading tot 1/10 verminderd. Versterkte lading werden van 1/3 en soms tot een 1/2 van het volle kogelgewicht gebracht, e.e.a. was afhankelijk van de schietafstand en welk type projectie werd verschoten.Massief gietijzeren kanonskogelsBuskruitlading kanon L 36 pond Versterkte lading = 6 tot 9 kg Volle lading = 21⁄4 kg Verzwakte lading = 1,8 kgMen was terughoudend in het gebruik van versterkte ladingen daar dit een grote belasting voor het kanon materiaal gaf en de slijtage vergrote, waardoor het kanon minder lang mee ging. De kustverdediging was bewapend met stukken van een groot kaliber en gebruikte holle projectielen of gloeiende kogels.Gloeiende kogels werden in speciaal hiervoor bestemde ovens op een rooster tot de kersrode gloeihitte gebracht. Voor zware kalibers is er afhankelijk van de omstandigheden 1 à 1 1/2 uur nodig om ze op deze temperatuur te brengen. Zij hebben een grote uitwerking op houten scheepswanden. Kersrood ijzer heeft een temperatuur die ligt tussen de 800 en 900° C60 Pd / 20cm en 36 Pd / 17cm kanon. Het kaliber van de 20cm lijkt hier veel groter, dit komt o.a. doordat de schietbuis trechtervormig wijder wordt.Stukken staan geconserveerd en gedompt, laatste is om te voorkomen dat er water in blijft staan. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517746/60-pound-gun/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517746/60-pound-gun/ 60 pound gun cast iron ---------- This cannon is mounted on a wooden ship carriage on the eastern pier of the "Haaven" of Hellevoetsluis.Layout at coastal artillery. Caliber: 0,2014 m Total length: 2,9660 m Interior length: 2,560 m Weight: 3026 kg without carriage. Ammunition: regular grenade, kartets, kartets, iron percussion grenade. Front loader with smooth (so-called normal) running.The type of cannon was cast in 1839 by the Walker Company in England to a design by the English General Millar. In 1834 he simplified the design of cannons. (minderbanden). Tap met productie nummer 51, 3026 is het gewicht in kgKanon is gegoten door de gieterij "Walker Company“ in het jaar 1839.Tekening van 60 pond / 20 cm kanon op wal affuit.Het kanon heeft rond het zundgat geen pan, het afvuren geschieden met een frictie- ontstekingspijpje welke in het zundgat werd geplaatst. Een haakje aan een afvuurlijn werd in het oogje gehaakt en op het moment dat het kanon moest afgaan werd er aan het lijntje getrokken, waardoor de kop van het pijpje als een lucifer ontsteekt. Deze ontsteking plant zich voort via het pijpje naar de kruitlading in het kanon. Kanonprop De proppen (stoppingen) zijn gemaakt van gesponnen hooi of stro, kabelgaren of klei en dienen om de lading vast te zetten in de vuurmond. Er zijn twee soorten proppen tussen- en voorproppen. De eerste dienen om het vormen van kogellegers (slijtageplekken op de plaats waar de kogel ligt) en het verbrijzelen van de granaten in de loop, te voorkomen. Ze zijn ook onontbeerlijk bij het vuren met gloeiende kogels. De voorprop houden de kogel tegen de kardoes en zijn vooral nodig bij het schieten, onder declinatie, van ronde kogels, zodat de kogel niet uit de loop rolt. 60 ponds kanon op (draaiarm) vestingaffuit Vestingaffuiten zijn walaffuiten, welke ingericht zijn, om het vuur in zeer verschillende richtingen over een borstwering te brengen. Om die reden zijn ze op daarvoor dienende houten ramen geplaatst. Er bestaan verschillende modellen van deze walaffuiten, waarvan het Franse, bij ons het meest gebruikelijke was. Het raam bestaat uit twee zijraambalken, die door verschillende raamverbindingsstukken verenigd zijn. Het is van voren om een ijzeren spil beweegbaar en loopt van achteren met twee rollen over een in de grond vastgelegde houten cirkelboog, waardoor men de vuurmond gemakkelijk in de verlangde richting kon brengen. Het eigenlijke affuit bestaat uit twee stand- en twee schoorwangen, waar ze samen komen bevinden zich de tapgaten voor het kanon. De beide zijwangen worden door kalven en sluitbouten verbonden, terwijl de stelschroef met moer op een middelstuk met verhoging, dat zich tussen de zijwangen bevindt, is aangebracht. Het affuit is van twee wielen voorzien, die met hun ijzeren naven over de zijraambalken lopen. Deze wielen zelf worden alleen voor het vervoer gebruikt, als het affuit van het raam is verwijderd. Om dit te bewerkstelligen, worden de rollen van onder het raam weggenomen, dit zakt dan van achteren omlaag en de affuitwielen komen dan op de grond te staan. Dit walaffuit kon als vesting-, belegering- , kust- en kazemataffuit gebruikt worden. In ons land heeft men dergelijke affuiten gebruikt voor ijzeren kanonnen van 80, 60 en 36 pond, respectievelijk 22, 20 en 17 cm. Affuitloods Diende voor de opslag van onderstellen / affuiten van de kanonnen, gebouwd in 1866. Deze affuitloods staat aan de Opzoomerlaan nabij de Brielsepoort binnen de vesting Hellevoetsluis. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6509112/videos/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6509112/videos/ Videos of the Cannoneers Hellevoetsluis ---------- Shooting from the Southern Front, 24 April 2016Shooting from the Southern Front, 2018Cannon shots start fireworks, Vestingdagen Hellevoetsluis https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6521163/buildings-1750-1900/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6521163/buildings-1750-1900/ Buildings 1750 - 1900 ---------- Carriage shed ---------- Gunpowder magazine ---------- Caponniere ---------- Fort Noorddijk ---------- Cannon 24cm Iron ---------- Haerlem Barracks ---------- Powder and projectile magazine ---------- Powder House ---------- Schietkatoen loods ---------- Wachthuis ---------- https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518007/carriage-shed/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518007/carriage-shed/ Carriage shed ---------- Gun carriage shed for the storage of guns, built in 1866 within the fortress and naval harbour in Hellevoetsluis. After filling in the ditch on the east side, the shed was located on the Opzoomerlaan. The shed was built at the same time as the wet shooting cotton shed about a hundred meters away in an Eclectic style, in which Neo-Classical style elements predominate. As a result of new construction between the warehouses, the visual relationship between the two buildings has been somewhat disturbed. In the eighties of the twentieth century, during the construction of a mosque in the southern half of the warehouse, a door was added to the west façade. The northern half of the shed is currently used as storage space for the fire brigade museum. Definition The elongated gun shed is oriented north-south and borders directly on the west side of the Opzoomerlaan. There is a driveway in front of the north façade, and there are parking spaces along the other facades. The building has a rectangular floor plan and has one storey under a gable roof covered with smothered Dutch tiles. This roof is supported by wrought and cast-iron triangular trusses, which are panelled with planks. The roof section is equipped with simply profiled wooden barge boards and gutters. The red brick facades, which are bricked in a cross connection, are only enlivened by bluestone starting and closing stones, the latter of which has a diamond head. These arched stones are placed in round arches in which double wooden car doors are suspended. In the round-arched saving fields, without bluestone starting and closing stones, windows with cast-iron tilting windows and radial rods have been installed in the arched field. In the end walls there are cast iron round windows with spoke-shaped rods in the top. These facades are equipped with braids along the eaves. The symmetrical façade (south side) is two bays wide and equipped with double French doors. The top has a round window. The symmetrical rear façade is identical to the front façade. The symmetrical left side façade has seventeen bays, all with similarly shaped round arches. In the fifth, ninth and thirteenth bays there are carriage doors, in the other bays there are round-arched windows. The doors in the ninth bay have been changed as a result of the construction of an entrance to the mosque. The symmetrical right side wall is almost identical to the left side wall. The year 1866 is inscribed on the keystone in the ninth bay. Appreciation The gun shed is of general interest because of its cultural-historical, architectural-historical and ensemble value. - The hangar is of cultural-historical importance because of its special function, as a recognizable and reasonably intact example of a gun carriage shed that is part of a historically important naval port. - The shed is of architectural-historical value as an example of an eclectic architectural style, in which the combination of brick and Neo-Classical design language is characteristic. - De loods heeft ensemblewaarde als onderdeel van de vesting Hellevoetsluis, waarin meerdere gebouwen herinneren aan de militaire functie van het gebied. Van belang is tevens de samenhang met de tegelijkertijd gebouwde natte schietkatoenloods. bron: monumenten.nl https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518037/gunpowder-magazine/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518037/gunpowder-magazine/ Gunpowder magazine (bombproof hospital) ---------- In the middle of the 19th century, there appeared to be a need for a new gunpowder magazine, with the requirement that the building be bombproof. This meant that the storage to be built would be able to withstand heavy shell impacts. The warehouse was to be built in Bastion VI. In 1855 there was a proposal to build a small warehouse with two rooms with a length and width of 4.50 meters. These specifications were accompanied by a response from the minister in which he proposed to abandon the idea of small storage rooms and instead build a large gunpowder magazine in Bastion VI, which would serve as a central warehouse.Normally, it was customary to supply small warehouses from large ones. This was relatively expensive in relation to the capacity of their salvage and the risky transport. The advice of the Major General Inspector of the 1st Inspectorate of Fortifications was followed by the Minister of War and in May 1857 the new gunpowder magazine was enlarged and enlarged. The building contains three rooms, each covered by a barrel vault, 21 K/ton of gunpowder could be stored here. In 1874, the new fortress law was passed, which led to contemporary adjustments to the fortress of Hellevoetsluis. The execution took place in the period 1880-1885. One of the modifications was that the bastions would have their own powder magazine for its users. In the process, the large powder magazine in Bastion VI lost its function as a distributor and was set up as such as a bombproof waiting room and accommodation room. The building then consisted of three vaulted rooms with an officer's quarters in them, it served as an emergency hospital and for barracks. Nowadays known as the 'Bombproof Hospital or Bombproof Accommodation'source : vestinghellevoetsluis.nl Equipage De Delft is currently the "occupant" of this building. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283806/caponniere-and-torpedo-station/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283806/caponniere-and-torpedo-station/ CAPONNIERE AND TORPEDO STATION ---------- 2-in-1 In the rampart of Front I-II is a gate. A fence and heavy doors behind it. They hide a long corridor to a special building. This building had 2 tasks. That in itself is not special. But it was both a caponniere and the torpedo station. That combination makes it unique in the Netherlands.Deep underground are 4 rooms. In the first ever a steam engine puffed. In the second were devices and batteries with a highly explosive target. The two other rooms have embrasures. They were casemates.Caponniere This building was built in 1880. It is here in the first place because the coastal battery itself also had to be defended. What if an enemy were to attack? And would cross the moat? Then the artillery in the 2 casemates opened fire.The building replaces a bastion, because it did not fit here. This makes it a caponniere. Because that's the name of a casemate that serves as a bastion. In 1880 also very modern.At first there was a cannon in each casemate. Old front loaders that shot with 'scrap'. These are cans with ball bearings in them. After a minor renovation, machine guns were set up in 1890. Back then, these were very modern weapons. Only they were still there in 1940. Torpedo station The torpedo station has nothing to do with submarines. In 1880, soldiers simply called sea mines torpedoes. That was no problem. Because the torpedoes we know today did not yet exist. From this building, sea mines in the Haringvliet were served. They were in rows in the channel. Just below the coast.After years of experiments, a very clever system had been devised. The mines were anchored. Their place was known. Each mine was connected to a switch panel with an electricity cable. This was in the torpedo station. From the torpedo station, each sea mine could be switched on or off separately. This prevented chain reactions if a mine exploded. And as long as the enemy did not appear, shipping traffic could continue as usual. Electricity was needed for the system. That came from batteries. How did you charge it? The steam engine was needed for that. How it all worked exactly, the guides are happy to tell you during the tour. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518208/fort-noorddijk/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518208/fort-noorddijk/ Fort Noorddijk ---------- A waker in water, that's what we can call this battery. A battery because it is not a fortress. A fort can defend itself independently for a long time. That was not the case with this work. The occupation was not large and the stock certainly wasn't either. A watchman in water, because the function of this battery was to guard the Noorddijk in the event of an inundation. The large flanking, firing in front of the fortress of Hellevoetsluis to defend the area and thus also towards Fort Penserdijk near Brielle. Construction started in 1883 and this battery was completed in 1885. In 1906 this battery was equipped with 2 cannons of 8 cm steel, 2 mortars and 2 machine guns (Gardner M90). The occupation consisted of a maximum of 45 men. The bombproof building consisted of an officer's quarters, guard room, depot (storage of artillery), artillery storage room (for operation and maintenance), telegraph office and ammunition storage. The ash trees have now been removed due to the ash dieback. On special days this battery can be visited and we give tours, see our activities page. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283803/gun-24cm-iron/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283803/gun-24cm-iron/ GUN 24CM IRON ---------- Thanks to the subsidy, which the municipality received from the EU in 2012, the reconstruction of a gun bed with a cannon on it could be realized.The designation for this gun is 24IJ, which means that the box cut of the barrel is 24 cm and is made of cast iron.For this purpose, a barrel of a cannon that was excavated on the beach in July 2007 was used and built. The salvage of the cannon on the beach was then made possible by the firm of Van den Ban B.V. in Hellevoetsluis.The front I-II where the gun was eventually placed consists of an oncoming battery and a parallel battery. The oncoming battery fired at the enemy ships in the longitudinal direction. The ships that showed themselves on the Haringvliet from the North Sea could therefore be bombarded by 9 guns. The parallel/flank battery fired with four pieces of artillery across the Haringvliet at passing ships. The entire coastal battery therefore consisted of 13 guns. The reconstructed example can be seen on one of those gun beds. The exact location is 51°49'20.28"N at 4° 7'34.93"E.This reconstruction is unique, as there is no other place in Europe known where such a cannon can be seen in public space. In the new National Military Museum (NMM), this piece of artillery can be viewed, but not without paying admission.Of course, the cannon must be placed on a solid bed. The left photo shows the bed from 1882 before the reconstruction. On the right the clause is reconstructed. In contrast to the authentic beds, reinforced concrete was now used. In 1882 this was not yet applied. At that time, gravel concrete was used without iron reinforcement.The cannon that was reconstructed is a 24 cm iron cannon that was once made by Finspong from Sweden. The first cannons from this supplier were included in the armament in the Netherlands in 1870. Even before 1880, there were already examples of this type of artillery in the fortress of Hellevoetsluis. After the expansion of the fortress, which created the front I-II, this artillery was placed on wooden beds. In 1882, cement beds were made for this purpose.The cannon had to look like the example in the photo. The gun 24 cm Iron is a "Trailed rear loader gun" with locking screw". The length of the shooting tube is 4560 mm and has 5 pulls (deep) and fields (high). The diameter at the level of the chamber piece (the thickest part) is 990 mm. The firing tube (the part between the tapping and chamber piece) is wrapped with a double ring of steel casings.Het kanon werd opgesteld op een raamaffuit met wrijvingsrem. Het raamaffuit bestaat uit twee losse delen, het affuit en het raam. Het affuit is het deel waar de schietbuis op rust. Het affuit kan vervolgens over het raam bewegen. Het raam rust met wielen op de cementen bedding.Het gewicht van de vuurmond met sluitstuk, zonder affuit en raam bedraagt 14.500 kg. Tezamen met affuit en raam bedroeg het gewicht (14.500 + 3.370 + 4.840) 22.710 kg. De aanvangssnelheid van een afgeschoten projectiel bedroeg 380 meter per seconde, hierbij bereikte men een dracht van 3.000 m. Er kon één schot in 4 minuten worden afgegeven.In our visitors' room you can also see a model of this cannon, in the scale 1:16. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283797/bombproof-barracks-haerlem/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283797/bombproof-barracks-haerlem/ BOMBPROOF BARRACKS HAERLEM ---------- Military living Strict, solid and functional. This brick colossus unmistakably had a military purpose. It was the bombproof barracks. The classrooms offered a safe shelter to more than 300 men. This is where the personnel of the coastal battery on Front I-II slept, worked and stayed. Mainly coastal artillerymen, but also a handful of engineers and nurses. In some classrooms, as many as 28 people had to sleep.Soldiers and corporals slept in the basement. There were also 2 huge cisterns. More dormitories were set up over the other floors. The ranks and classes were strictly separated, because that's how it was supposed to be. At street level were the waiting room, the hospital, the kitchen and the toilets. On the top floor, next to the telegraph office, the fortress commander resided.There was order and discipline. There was a prescription for everything. It had to be. With so many people in the barracks, discipline and hygiene were of great importance. Moreover, the army did not always attract the best people in the past. Alcohol abuse was a major problem. Those who crossed the line could count on hefty penalties. The large punishment chambers at the back of the stairwell are the silent witnesses.Yet many soldiers had it quite good here. The food was not bad at all. Clean water came out of the pump. Bath once a week. Clean clothes. Those who were sick went to the doctor. All by the standards of the time. But many conscripts had to make do with less at home.Solidly built Two gable stones mention the years of construction. In 1880, the spade went into the ground. In 1881 the flag was raised. First, 768 wooden piles were driven. Tens of thousands of bricks made the building. On the roof a meter-thick ground cover to smother grenades. All manual work, from the first pile to completion. For less than 100,000 guilders.The back wall is 80 centimeters thick. The side walls 2 meters. The vaulted roof 1 meter. The partition walls inside are also 1 meter thick. The massive brick building is hidden under a large layer of sand and clay. Only the façade remained in sight. Turned away from the attacking side. That together made the barracks bomb-proof.But not for long. In 1885, a Frenchman invented a new type of explosive. Grenades filled with them would have crushed the barracks. The invention caused a crisis in fortification. Brick went out of fashion. Engineers sought refuge in concrete. At 'Fort Haerlem' – as the barracks are popularly called in Hellevoetse – everything remained the same. And it remained the most striking military building in the fortress.Current UsageThe building is currently used by three institutions: ∙ Scouting Hellevoetsluis As part of Scouting Netherlands, this association offers children from 5 to 23 years old a natural and adventurous game. ∙ Musicians' consultation Hellevoetsluis (MOH) Gives musicians an opportunity to practice their hobby in various rooms in the basements of barracks Haerlem. ∙ Hellevoetsluis Defence Works Foundation (Fronttaal) This foundation organizes various activities to draw attention to the special military heritage of Hellevoetsluis. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283800/bombproof-powder-and-projectile-magazine/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283800/bombproof-powder-and-projectile-magazine/ BOMBPROOF POWDER AND PROJECTILE MAGAZINE ---------- Artillerymen have a patron saint. With such dangerous work, that can't hurt. Traditionally, Saint Barbara assists the artillery. But a quick prayer is not enough. It is wise to be especially careful. And that starts with the storage place for the gunpowder.Safely hidden This building was by far the most dangerous place within the fortress. It was not for nothing that this was the most solid building on Front I-II. The serious fireworks were under 3 meters of ground and a roof vault of more than 1.20 meters.In wartime, the guns on Front I-II consumed as much as 70,000 kilograms of gunpowder. Packed in copper barrels, it was safely stored in the bombproof powder and projectile magazine. There were also more than 1,500 empty shells. And stacks of cartridge bags for the so-called drive charges. In this warehouse, soldiers filled the grenades and cardoons. The ammunition went to the storage places on shore in carts. Ready to repel enemy ships.Behind the façade are 2 rooms for the ready-to-use ammunition. The filled grenades could be moved with heavy cranes. The rest of the building is hidden under the ground cover. Here are the 3 powder rooms and the filling room. A wide corridor provides access. The light corridor runs along the back. Like a cavity, but also the way to the niches. Behind thick glass were kerosene lamps to illuminate the powder chambers. Open fire near the gunpowder was of course out of the question.Brick on steel The construction of the powder magazine made the international trade press. It is not on piles. It has a foundation 'on steel'. That's what it's called in the language of construction when a building stands directly on a layer of sand. That sand was not there. So a layer of more than 4 meters thick has been poured. On top of that was a layer of concrete. And then a large mountain of soil that was slightly heavier than the building itself.After a while, this so-called test load was excavated again. Surveyors checked whether the concrete layer had subsided. Or not, of course. Everything turned out to be in order, so that the bricklayers could start their work. This method was not new. But it was not every day that a building weighing almost 50 million kilograms was put on a new layer of sand. Certainly interesting enough to write an article about it for an architectural magazine.Supervision The construction was good. It was sturdy enough. But then you didn't have to light a pipe or cigar inside! And you didn't want to walk out with a handful of spilled gunpowder in your trouser wraps. Iron fittings under the clogs were also not handy. That can spark on the floor. For the same reason, the hinges were made of copper, because copper does not spark either.There was always strict supervision of the work. Nothing was left to chance. Because one spark, a little powder and Hellevoetsluis would have been wiped out. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517914/powder-house/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517914/powder-house/ Powder House ---------- The powder house on Bastion IV was demolished around 1800 for the construction of the dry dock, so that today only the building on Bastion V remains. Both buildings naturally served as storage for the gunpowder. During the winter months, dozens of warships were safely stored in the harbor, rigged and stripped of a large part of the equipment. The gunpowder was stored in the powder houses for so long. The large warships often took an enormous amount of ammunition with them, so that the powder houses were packed with gunpowder during the winter season. In the winter of 1737-1738, for example, an impressive 16,000 lb (7250 kg.) of gunpowder was stored in the powder house on Bastion V alone. Of course, this led to risky situations. During that particular winter, a fire broke out one day in one of the barracks, which fortunately could be extinguished in time with the help of a fire hose that was quickly brought to the scene. The officers became aware of the dangerous situation because of the barely averted disaster. Such a fire could have caused a lot of damage to the barracks and warehouses at the shipyard. But the big nightmare was the possibility that the fire would spread to the nearby powder house. An explosion would have caused unimaginable damage to the war fleet, so it was hastily decided to move some of the gunpowder elsewhere. Source: decruyttoren.nl The powder house is now in use by the art artist of Joanna Julia Smolarz https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517917/wet-shooting-cotton-shed/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6517917/wet-shooting-cotton-shed/ Wet shooting cotton shed ---------- Complex consisting of a SHED for the storage of wet shooting cotton and an accompanying fence, built between 1865-1870 within the fortress and naval port in Hellevoetsluis. The cast-iron fence marks a small square water place on the north side, where there used to be a pump. The shed is situated opposite the powder house dating from 1665 in bastion V. This building was also equipped with a fence between 1865-1870. The shed was built at the same time as the carriage shed, which is about a hundred meters away, in a very sober Eclectic style, in which Neo-Classical style elements predominate. As a result of new construction, the visual relationship between these two warehouses has been somewhat disturbed. Definition Opposite the former powder house from 1665 in Bastion V, opposite the former powder house from 1665, there is a brick shed with an accompanying cast-iron fence. The fencing is at a very short distance from the building and closes off an L-shaped site. The opening in the fence is right in front of the entrance to the shed. Source: monumenten.nlIt was not until 1893 that a second warehouse was built on Bastion V. It was intended for the storage of a new generation of explosives: the powerful shooting cotton. This was developed in 1884 and had cellulose as its raw material. It was largely obtained from cotton and converted into nitrocellulose or shooting cotton after treatment with saltpetre and sulphuric acid. The explosive obtained as a result turned out to be a revolution in warfare. It was more than three times as powerful as traditional gunpowder, so that a much longer range was possible. The shooting cotton also lacked the annoying gunpowder fumes and smoke gases that lingered around a cannon after gunpowder had been fired, so that shooting could be done for a longer period of time. Between 1890 and 1891, the Department of the Navy and the Ministry of War negotiated the storage of the stocks of shooting cotton that both the army and the navy used for their torpedo services. Torpedoes were sea mines, which were used in times of war to protect inlets and harbors against enemy ships. The Ministry of War allowed the Navy's shooting cotton (about 1400 kg) to be temporarily housed in the bombproof guardhouse in Bastion VIII. However, this was found to be too small and unsuitable a building, so a new warehouse was built in Bastion V. This was completed in 1893 and served until around 1933. Source: decruyttoren.nl https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518031/guardhouse/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518031/guardhouse/ Guardhouse ---------- https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7024976/powder-magazine-1864/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7024976/powder-magazine-1864/ POWDER MAGAZINE 1864Solid and safe, that was what this building had to be. Gunpowder was stored here, as much as 7,000 Kg. in 140 tons of 50 Kg each. There was therefore 3 m. of soil on the roof. Construction was completed in 1864.A cavity provided ventilation, preventing the gunpowder from getting damp. In the wall, the grilles can still be seen on the left and right. No piles in the ground, but built on a sand bed, founded on steel as it is called. The actual warehouse is 3.74 x 6 m in size. The porch 3.74 x 1.20 m. The roof is designed as a barrel vault, with the wall seamlessly flowing into the ceiling. The stones in an arch that come through the front wall form the roof. With this, the thickness of the roof is also clear.This building was restored in 2010 - 2012. The wooden nails that hold the wooden floorboards were then also used again. A clever system to ensure that iron nails could not cause sparks with the soldiers' boots that also contained nails. The interior doors had bronze hinges. That is soft material and does not spark.The building is used as storage for Scouting Hellevoetsluis. During the special fortress tour you can view the inside. The front view of this warehouse. The wooden nails. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5874096/second-world-war/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5874096/second-world-war/ Second World War in Hellevoetsluis ---------- The Kriegsmarine Atlantic Wall Anti-aircraft Demolition of the Fortress Voorne under water https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283809/the-kriegsmarine/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283809/the-kriegsmarine/ The Kriegsmarine ---------- The former naval port of Hellevoetsluis and part of the were immediately put into use by the German Kriegsmarine in the summer of 1940. Soon boats from the so-called Danube flotilla arrived, which had the task of protecting the inland waterways of Zeeland and South Holland and also clearing mines.Later in the war, the Maas and Rhine flotillas were moored here, which also protected the ferry connections between Hellevoetsluis and Goeree-Overflakkee and Schouwen-Duiveland, and the convoy sailed on the inland waterways between, for example, Dordrecht and Antwerp. The flotillas consisted largely of seized fishing vessels, police vessels and coasters. Anti-aircraft guns were also placed on the ships because Allied planes regularly came to lay mines and also attacked the ships. From the autumn of 1944, the Kriegsmarine deployed the Biber, a one-man mini submarine with two torpedoes or mines attached to the side, from Hellevoetsluis against Allied shipping on the Western Scheldt. The Linsen speedboats, loaded with 300 kg of explosives, were also used from Hellevoetsluis. All in all, Hellevoetsluis was an important support point for the Kriegsmarine in the Delta area. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6526374/hellevoetsluis-in-the-atlantic-wall/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6526374/hellevoetsluis-in-the-atlantic-wall/ 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. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6646271/anti-aircraft-guns/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6646271/anti-aircraft-guns/ Anti-aircraft guns in the fortress ---------- Anti-aircraft guns were set up at four places in the fortress. This so-called FLAK (Flugzeug Abwehr Kanone) had the task of protecting the port facilities and the mouth of the Haringvliet. In the course of the war, Hellevoetluis was increasingly attacked by Allied planes and mines were also dropped in the Haringvliet. The artillery set up was rapid-fire artillery against low-flying aircraft. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6646277/demolition-of-the-buildings/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6646277/demolition-of-the-buildings/ Demolition of the buildings ---------- In the autumn of 1943, the Germans decided that almost all the houses on the west side of the fortress had to be demolished. They were too close to the German defense line and could provide protection to the Allied combat units in the event of a successful Allied landing. Some houses were also within the firing range of the artillery. 190 homes, 24 shops and 8 businesses were demolished. This caused a lot of misery for the people who had to move. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6646280/voorne-is-flooded/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6646280/voorne-is-flooded/ Voorne is flooded ---------- At the end of 1943, the fear of an Allied landing on the Western European coast increased further and further. In early 1944, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel ordered to flood areas along the Dutch coast. It was hoped that this would mainly prevent airborne landings (by paratroopers). Voorne was also hit hard. The whole of Nieuw-Helvoet was flooded. If you had to leave as a resident, you received a short note with the eviction order. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6852956/experiences-1940-1945/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6852956/experiences-1940-1945/ Experiences 1940 -1945, Hellevoetsluis ---------- On May 10, 1940, we woke up early in the morning to the sound of large planes flying low over and my mother cried out: "it's war". We saw soldiers with rifles and even revolvers shooting at the planes. The whole barracks were in turmoil. The five days of the war were fairly quiet, many rumors about paratroopers. A German plane had been shot at by Dutch planes in the polder between Hellevoet and Rockanje and had to make an emergency landing. Among the crew was a senior officer. They were captured and locked up in a cell in Fort Haerlem. We saw that there was a lot of discussion among the Dutch officers in front of the Fort. We heard that the Germans were in the cell without food and drink. This was against the international laws of war and they were quickly billeted in the hotel 'Van Engelen'. Later it turned out that Colonel Fiebig was there, who led the attack on Waalhaven in Rotterdam. We as boys quickly went to the plane and see if there was anything to decorate, but that was disappointing, there was nothing special anymore, others had already beaten us to it. It was fascinating to look inside such an aircraft. The occupation After the bombing of Rotterdam (14 May), the Netherlands capitulated and the occupation had begun on 15 May 1940. On 17 May, the first German soldiers entered Hellevoet. Officers were first billeted with civilians and soldiers were stationed in the barracks Fort 'Haerlem' to stay until the liberation. Hitler thought he would cross over to England as early as September 15 and had already converted barges into landing craft. Some German soldiers thought that Goeree Overflakkee was on the other side of the Haringvliet (± 3 km.) England. 'Und wir fahren gegen England' (soldiers' song). In October 1940, Hitler abandoned the invasion because the British shot down more planes than were produced. Aerial coverage with aircraft was therefore not assured. In April 1940 we passed the diploma of machine bench work and the cycling to Den Briel was over. We had to find a job. Jan was hired at the Gasfabriek, Nanne at the Sigarenfabriek and I at Nieuw-Helvoetsche-Rubberfabriek. Small incidents sometimes occurred in 1940, such as during the marching of the W. A. (Resilience Department of the N.S.B.). I was standing with Arie van den Heuvel on the 'baantje' (Oostzanddijk) and we turned around demonstratively and looked in the shop window of the Scheffers photo shop. They then stopped in front of us and one stepped forward and slapped me in the face. I thought I recognized the big brother of a vocational school Holm, whom we often bullied at the Craft School, because he was in the youth department of the N.S.B. Daily life went on as usual. The civilians were not bothered by the German soldiers. The Ortscommander did not tolerate anything from the military that could inconvenience the civilians, but he also did not want any resistance from the civilians, or secret evidence of it (e.g. Orange-mindedness). When building the Atlantic Wall against a possible invasion by the Allies, it was alsoHellevoetsluis. For the purpose of a clear field of fire, the entire west side of the naval port had to be demolished, including our house. We had to leave the house and were placed in a house on the Westkade, which was also on the list for demolition. My parents knew, at the beginning of 1944, that they had to leave there too and that soon happened. The civilians, who had no work, had to leave Hellevoetsluis and were evacuated. The contents were stored in the upper floors of the houses in Nieuw-Helvoet. The people in Nieuw-Helvoet were also evacuated (see: Announcement), because everything was flooded, the so-called inundation area. My mother had family in Friesland, who took them hospitably into the Lemmer, where they stayed until after the liberation. The male population, who had a job, were not allowed to leave, so in June 1944 Nanne and I ended up in a boarding house with Mrs. Bourgonje with her daughter at Oostzanddijk 26. Her husband was in the Merchant Navy. On October 2, 1943, I was fired by the director L. Dekker of the Rubber Factory, because I had communist tendencies. Dekker was an old planter from the Dutch East Indies and mistook the employees for immature coolies and he threatened me with employment in Germany. After dismissal, I did indeed immediately receive a call for an examination at the Employment Office in Vlaardingen to be sent to Germany. Ik ben toen eerst naar dokter Meyst gegaan om te vragen of hij iets kon doen. Hij zei dat, als ik me liet opereren aan mijn neus (ik had een scheef neusbeentje over gehouden van het boksen, wat wij ook een poosje hadden gedaan), dan zou hij mij een brief meegeven voor de Duitse keuringsarts. Ik moest eerst gekeurd worden voor ik de brief kon geven. Nadat ik goedgekeurd was liet ik de brief lezen enmocht meteen naar huis en hoefde niet naar Duitsland. Wat dr.Meyst er ingezet heeft, heb ik nooitgeweten (ik wist toen niet dat hij bij de ondergrondse zat). Ik werd wel bij een firma tewerkgesteld, dievoor de Duitsers werkte. Zo kwam ik in de bunkerbouw terecht. De voorman, mijn baas, was in hetzelfde kosthuis als ik. Mijn broer Nanne, die nu in de Vlasfabriek werkte, was bij de kleermaker Poldervaart een oom van ons in de kost gegaan. Jan Uitterlinden was opgepakt en naar Duitsland getransporteerd. Het frappante was, dat deze voorman, Doris Vogel, uit de Jordaan in Amsterdam, twee jaar in een concentratiekamp had gezeten wegens verzetsdaden. Bij de bouw van een muur met valblokken, moest ik korte stukjes betonijzer aan de buitenkant door de bekisting laten uitsteken, zodat het leek of het gewapend beton was. Hij gooide ook houten kisten in het beton, zodat het eigenlijk grote luchtbellen waren in de muur. Vlammenwerpers, die in de berm verborgen waren, ruimde hij gewoon op. Eén keer kwamen hoge officieren, die kennelijk ingelicht waren en gingen te keer tegen hem, terwijl hij rustig zijn overhemd opentrok en zei: `schieten jullie maar ́. Zij waren zo overdonderd, dat zij toen schreeuwden, dat we aan het werk moesten gaan en gingen weg. Thuis liet hij dikwijls zijn brood staan voor mij. Hij had ook een mooie dochter van 18, die was voor mij zei hij altijd, maar daar is niet van gekomen. Een kostelijk figuur. Later werden we ingezet om betonnen 'driehoeken' in elkaar te zetten. Daar moest je dan met drie man onder staan met een balk op je rug om ze in balans te houden, zodat men de einden aan elkaar konden verbinden. Het angstige was soms, als er Engelse vliegtuigen aankwamen, dat je niet weg kon lopen en dekking zoeken. Bovendien lag er onder de steiger, waarop we werkten een lading springstof, die de Duitsers kon laten springen, als dat nodig mocht zijn. Denk niet, dat je kon weigeren. We werden bewaakt door Duitse soldaten met geladen geweren. De geiten-wollensokkenhelden’ van nu, die menen, dat we de moffen te gewillig waren, die hebben mijn inziens nooit in die situaties hoeven te werken.In oktober 1944 moest ik met nog een stel anderen graszoden steken bij de Remise. s ́Middags kwamen weer eens vliegtuigen in het luchtruim en ik keek naar boven en zag ze draaien en naar ons toe keren engelijk zie ik, dat er bommen worden losgelaten en op ons afkwamen. Met nog een jongen ben ik in tegengestelde richting gaan rennen zo hard we konden en toen de klappen vielen, plat gaan liggen. Daarna zijn we teruggegaan en zagen, dat op de kar met de graszoden een bom was gevallen. De voorman was gedood en van Bram Roos, die onder de kar was gekropen, was bijna niets meer over. We hebben nog tot s ́avonds laat naar resten gezocht van Bram Roos. Ik ben nog drager geweest bij de begrafenis, want hij was ook lid van de Jongelingsvereniging. Er was een diepe rouw en zijn stoel aan de tafel van de vereniging bleef leeg, daar mocht niemand op plaats nemen. In november 1944 ben ik naar een ander kosthuis gegaan: Fam. Ruilof aan de Oostkade 28. Het was een goed kosthuis. Mevrouw Ruilof was een opgewekte vrouw. Dirk Bakker was daar ook kostganger, waar ik het goed mee kon vinden. We gingen vaak samen op stap. Het huis lag aan de Oostkade, voorbij de boekwinkel van Van der Ham. In de cafe ́s bij van Soest in de Kerkstraat en bij café Uitterlinden en café Reurhof dronken we vaak een pilsje. Er waren sommige matrozen, die openlijk tegen Hitler en het Nazisme waren. Daar biljartte ik ook mee en er werd ook een borreltje mee gedronken. Ze verbranddeneen keer zelfs de hakenkruisjes van hun uniformen. Er waren militairen, die zo lang op Hellevoet waren dat iedereen ze kende. Bij het laden van wagens met aarde werd ik dikwijls geholpen of nam een soldaat het van mij over. Afgezien van de meiden die steeds met andere soldaten gingen, waren er ook enkele die vaste verkering hadden gekregen en niemand stoorde zich daaraan. De winteravonden waren nogal troosteloos, praktisch geen eten en zonder elektrisch licht. Dirk en ik moesten om de beurt een fietswiel draaiende houden, waarop een dynamo en een koplamp was bevestigd en dan maar moppen vertellen om de moed erin te houden. Het Duitse geheime wapen. Eind 1944 werd de koopvaardijhaven gebruikt als uitvalbasis voor sprengboten en éénmanstorpedo's.De omgeving werd tot 'spergebiet' verklaard.De sprengboten zijn sloepen, die geladen werden met springstoffen. Er zat één man in zo'n bootje, die het op een schip moest richten en er dan zelf tijdig uit moest springen en hopen, dat hij opgepikt werd, het geen meestal 'ijdele hoop' was. De éénmanstorpedo's, zoals de Biber (Bever) en de Molch (Mol) hadden op zij twee torpedo's. Zij konden, die op een schip richten en afschieten en bleven dan achter in hun bootje (met geperste zuurstof en moesten hopen op tijdige hulp, die meestal uitbleef). Ook kon men er mijnen mee vervoeren. De Duitse militairen noemden deze opdrachten een 'Himmelfartskommando'. Regelmatig werden deze wapens ingezet. Zij gingen dan met tien of vijftien tegelijk onder begeleiding van een schip het Haringvliet uit naar de Noordzee om Engelse schepen te elimineren. Meestal s'nachts in verband met de Engelse bedreiging uit de lucht. Er kwamen dan speciale opgeleide en fanatieke jonge Duitse soldaten, die ze moesten bemannen. Zij konden er het 'IJzerenKruis' mee verdienen! De 'ondergrondse' (het verzet) had dit kennelijk doorgegeven aan 'Engeland', want het bommen gooien nam hierna snel toe. Op 27 december 1944 ging er iets mis.Eén duikbootje vuurde zijn torpedo's in de haven af op het vlaggenschip HR01 'Wölfchen', een voormalig jacht van Koning Leopold. Het was druk in de haven, want de bootjes moesten worden klaargemaakt voor vertrek en voorzien worden van o.a. geperste zuurstof. Er ontplofte diverse torpedo's en het vlaggenschip werd uit het water gewoon op de kant gezet. Over het aantal doden is altijd onduidelijkheid geweest.Mijn broer Nanne had kennis aan een Oostenrijkse soldaat, die de Nazi's haatte. Beiden waren nogal zwaarmoedig en hij had hem dikwijls te kennen gegeven uit het leven te willen stappen. Hij moest ook behulpzaam zijn bij het klaarmaken van die éénmanstorpedo's. s' Avonds laat op 26 december werd op het raam van de kamer in de Kerkstraat, waarachter mijn broer sliep, gebonkt, waardoor hij wakker werd. Hij riep zijn naam en riep, dat het morgen ging gebeuren. Toen, die ontploffing de andere dag plaatsvond wist mijn broer wel zeker, dat hij het had gedaan!Mijn broer heeft het nooit durven te vertellen, omdat het om vele doden ging. Hij heeft het alleen aan mij verteld, maar nu hij is overleden, kan ik het hier wel kwijt. Bewijzen kan je zoiets natuurlijk niet. Ik weet niet of bij de doden een Oostenrijkse soldaat was. Mijn broer heeft hem daarna niet meer gezien. Ik ben de andere dag naar de ravage gaan kijken en zag duidelijk de kledingstukken in de kale bomen hangen en de Wölfchen op de kant staan, maar ik werd al gauw weggestuurd door de wachtposten. Er waren diverse torpedo's gezonken en die werden half februari 1945 gelicht en men was bang dat, als er één ontplofte een kettingreactie zou kunnen ontstaan. Men vreesde dus voor problemen voor heel Hellevoet. De burgers mochten schuilen in de kazerne 'Fort Haerlem', maar het was niet verplicht. Met Jaap de Jong ben ik nog gaan kijken bij het lichten, maar we mochten niet dichtbij komen. Ik weet wel, dat die wachtpost doodzenuwachtig was. Over deze geschiedenis is een goed boek verschenen van Jan C. Jansen en Maurice S. Laarman, getiteld: 'Het kleine gevaar'. Er werden regelmatig bommen op Hellevoet gegooid, langs het kanaal en op de werf. Op 24 januari 1945 ook op een paar huizen naast ons huis. Dirk en ik gingen direct puin ruimen, want we hoorden nog kreunen. De vliegtuigen kwamen weer terug, iedereen was verdwenen, maar wij zeiden, het zal wel erg toeval zijn, dat er op dezelfde plek weer een bom valt. De familie Dijkgraaf kwam er met wat lichte verwondingen af; in het andere huis vielen vier doden. In mijn kosthuis, nadat Dirk door de Duitsers was opgepakt, kwam er weer een voorman, Jan Boon uit Rotterdam, die óók uit een concentratiekamp kwam en erg was gemarteld, zijn stembanden waren kapot van het schreeuwen. Hij heeft me nog gered uit een netelige situatie. Ik moest waterketels, die op de wallen achter het Fort Haerlem stonden, schoonmaken. Het water was noodvoorraad voor de soldaten. Ik heb ze, om te pesten, allemaal tegelijk laten leeglopen, terwijl dat natuurlijk één voor één moest. Toen de commandant dat ontdekte moest ik bij hem komen, maar ik vroeg Jan Boon mee als tolk. De commandant wilde me arresteren en hij had het over sabotage. Jan heeft toen gepraat als Brugman en zei dat ik geestelijk niet helemaal goed was. Door zijn overredingskracht heeft Jan mij toen gered. Toen moest ik naar de zeedijk met een ploeg onder toezicht van een Duitser, Nanne was daar ook bij. Nadat we de hele dag gewerkt hadden moesten we een paar kilometer naar zijn huis bij de duinen lopen om onze identiteitskaart, die we ́s ochtends moesten afgeven, terug te krijgen. Wij waren dan moe en hadden honger, dus protesteerden wij daartegen, want hij had ze in zijn zak. Ik weigerde toen om mee te gaan en liep zonder kaart weg. Hij riep, dat ik terug moest komen, maar ik liep door. Toen begon hij te schieten, maar hij raakte me niet. De volgende morgen vroeg ik mijn identiteitskaart terug. Op een eilandje in het moerassig stuk grond liep een wild konijn, dat er niet af kon. Ik moest van hem eerst dat konijn voor hem vangen dan kreeg ik mijn kaart terug. Toen ik dat konijn te pakken had kon ik hem niet meer los laten, want als hij zich omdraait, scheurt hij mij met zijn achterpoten open, dus moest ik hem met zijn kop op een steen doodslaan. De andere dag moest ik weer bij die commandant komen en Jan weer mee als tolk. Ik dacht ́nu is het helemaal mis ́, dat dacht Jan ook. De commandant lachte en zei, dat het Duitse leger zulke jongens als ik nodig had en of ik mij wilde melden. Toen vroeg ik Jan of hij aan hem wilde vragen wat hij zou doen als ik als Nederlander achter zijn bureau zat en hij als Duitser in mijn plaats stond, waarop hij antwoordde:"Du bist schlagfertig, einrücken!" De geallieerden rukten steeds verder op. We hadden al de Dolle Dinsdag gehad, met de geruchten dat de oorlog was afgelopen, maar die toch niet waar bleken. Het eten werd steeds schaarser, aardappelschillen eten was al gewoon en er werd soms gebakken in consistentvet. De Duitse soldaten kregen ook steeds minder, want ik kreeg wel eens een stuk ́zuur ́ brood, maar zij konden ook niets meer missen en zij zagen het ook niet meer zitten. Eén soldaat, die al een jaar verkering had met een Hellevoets meisje en anti-nazi was, was ondergedoken. De bevrijding Op 5 mei kwam het verlossende bericht, dat Duitsland was gecapituleerd. Het duurde nog even voor er bakmeel en blikken kaakjes kwamen, want grote steden gingen voor. Er werd wel meteen feest gevierd. De Canadees, die de komst van de bevrijders op het gemeentehuis had aangekondigdMet de Canadezen samen hebben we symbolisch Hitler en zijn trawanten gevangen genomen, mijn broer Nanne was ́Hitler ́, daarna hebben we zijn portret verbrand in een vreugdevuur. De inmiddels gearriveerde Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten hielden ́bijltjesdag ́. De NSB-ers werden opgepakt, waaronder ook de bekende tandarts Kros. De ́moffenhoeren ́ werden door Dr. Meyst gekeurd en kaalgeschoren en met rode menie ingesmeerd. Ook het meisje, die serieus verkering had, waarvan die soldaat was ondergedoken, waarmee ze later is getrouwd en naar Duitsland is verhuisd. Willem Otte, de visboer, zette zijn vrouw, die ook beticht werd van 'vriendschap' met Duitse militairen, op een kist op het Baantje en vroeg wie haar wilde kaal knippen en riep ́wie zonder zonde is werpe de eerste steen ́ en niemand durfde dat aan. Nanne en ik hadden geen werk meer en moesten op huis aan en dat was Lemmer in Friesland, waar onze ouders, zus en jongere broertje tijdelijk woonde. Vervoer was er nog niet, zodat we op een paar oude fietsen op houten banden vertrokken. Wij gingen het platte land over. s ́Nachts sliepen wij bij boeren in het hooi en vroegen om eten. Via Amsterdam met de veerboot kwamen we in Lemmer aan. We zouden niet meer naar Hellevoetsluis terugkeren. Mijn moeder wilde dat niet. Zij kon een huis huren in Den Haag, zodat we daar ons leven zouden voortzetten. Bron: Nationaal Archief Ervaringen 1940 - 1945 | Nationaal Archief https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5874101/cold-war/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5874101/cold-war/ Cold war. ---------- Air watchtowers. Air Guard Corps. The Air Guard Service Corps (KLD) was founded in 1950 and was part of the Air Defence Command of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Volunteers from the KLD looked out for low-flying enemy invaders all over the country. Between 1951 and 1955, the KLD built a network of 276 high lookouts spread across the country. Half on existing buildings, the other half on purpose-built towers. Looking out for low flyers. The top of the air guard posts consisted of an open platform. There, two air guards scanned the airspace with binoculars and by ear. Their task was to identify and warn of low-flying aeroplanes. They were afraid of enemy intruders, who flew below the radar range (about 900 meters) at the time. They determined direction and distance with the air guard instrument.The air guards were male volunteers from the vicinity of the posts. They were trained to recognize aircraft (both their own and the enemy) by their silhouette and engine sound. The Air Watchtower in Hellevoetsluis was given the number 5G3 The air watchtower can just be seen in a film fragment: "The High Water in Hellevoetsluis" from December 23, 1954. On Tuesday, June 6, 1967, the "Nieuwe Brielse Courant" reported that the tower was going to be demolished. (click on photo for message) Op de lokatie van deze toren in Hellevoetsluis is de fundatie nog zichtbaar, deze stond op de Duitse bunker 612.Een model van deze luchtwachttoren is onze bezoekersruimte te zien.Sinds kort een nieuw model van de Luchtwachttoren in onze bezoekersruimte in de schaal 1:16Bij ons is ook een bouwplaat verkrijgbaar van een luchtwachttoren, klik op de foto.Voor meer info over de luchtwachttorens in Nederland, klik op het logo. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772639/webshop/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5772639/webshop/ WEBSHOP ---------- In our webshop we offer the following: New books Second-hand books Building Plate ​ Return of books. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283581/books/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283581/books/ Our offer consists of: ∙ New books ∙ Second-hand booksWWI ∙ WWII ∙ Armamentaria, yearbooks ∙ Other topics Return of books. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283587/new-books/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283587/new-books/ Our range of new books. (Only in Dutch language) ---------- Return of books. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7372367/hellevoetsluis/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-7372367/hellevoetsluis/ Books in which Hellevoetsluis played a role. (only in dutch language) Both new and second-hand books. ---------- https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283593/2nd-hand-books/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283593/2nd-hand-books/ Our range of 2nd hand books ---------- The books are divided into categories: ∙ WWI ∙ WWII ∙ Waffen Revue ∙ Armamentaria, yearbooks ∙ Other topics Return of books. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283596/1st-world-war/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283596/1st-world-war/ Second-hand books: 1st World War (Only in Dutch language) ---------- Return of books. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283599/2nd-world-war/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283599/2nd-world-war/ Second-hand books: 2nd World War ---------- Return of books. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6800393/waffen-revue/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6800393/waffen-revue/ Waffen Revue (series of German booklets) ---------- Return of books. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283608/other-topics/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6283608/other-topics/ Second-hand books: Other topics ---------- Return of books. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6389965/overview-of-all-books/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6389965/overview-of-all-books/ Overview of all books. ---------- Return of books. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743433/contact/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-5743433/contact/ Contact ---------- As a foundation, we organize activities from the Haerlem Barracks in the fortress of Hellevoetsluis. Here we have a visitors' room. Visiting address: Plein Fort Haerlem Hellevoetsluis Email:info@fronttaal.info Phone : 06 31 25 49 09Postal address: Stichting Defensieswerken Hellevoetsluis P.O. Box 235 3220 AE HellevoetsluisThe GPS coordinates are: 51.82334° N O4.12704° E in decimals Or 51°49'24.04" N 4° 7'37.36" E in degrees minutes and seconds Or 51°49.4 N 4°7,622 E in degrees and minutes, decimal https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6290178/atlantic-wall/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6290178/atlantic-wall/ Atlantic Wall ---------- General:Anyone walking or cycling in the dunes will undoubtedly come across them at some point: German bunkers from the Second World War. But not everyone will know that they are the visible remains of the Atlantic Wall, a 5200-kilometre-long defence line that ran from Norway to southern France. The story of the Atlantic Wall is about its construction and military significance, but also about lesser-known aspects such as the mass evacuations, demolition and reconstruction. The bunkers and other remains form a memorial landscape that refers to the dark past of the Second World War. Cultural education:Remnants of the Atlantic Wall from the Second World War are visible at various places along the coast. There are even bunkers to visit. It reminds us of the Second World War.There are fewer and fewer people who experienced the Second World War themselves. That is why it is important to pass on this story to future generations.And what do students of this generation know about this line of defense?Locally available means that a piece of history can be seen and experienced live. There are also interesting remains of the Atlantic Wall in Hellevoetsluis. Atlantic Wall Passport:The heritage passport about the Atlantic Wall is an informative assignment booklet intended for children between the ages of 10 and 14 and takes them on a journey of discovery along the Atlantic Wall in South Holland plus IJmuiden. This can also be interesting for parents/supervisors!The Heritage Passport Atlantic Wall is an informative assignment booklet intended for children between the ages of 10 and 14. The passport takes children to sixteen locations that are related to the Atlantic Wall. Each location tells a different story, about the Second World War, the Cold War or about the area where the location is located. How does it work?On the basis of the passport, children can walk along:Bunkermuseum - IJmuiden,Atlantikwallmuseum- Noordwijk,MuseumEngelandvaarders - NoordwijkAirport - Valkenburg,Bunkercomplex - Rijksdorp,Vleermuisbunker- Wassenaar,Atlantikwallmuseum- Scheveningen Badhuisweg,NationalMonument Oranjehotel - The HagueAtlantikwallmuseum Scheveningen - Kijkduin,Bunker complex - Overvoorde,Atlantikwall-Museum- Hoek van Holland,Fort1881 - Hoek van Holland,DutchCoastal Defense Museum - Hoek van Holland,Biber-bunker- Oostvoorne,Bunkerroutede Punt - OuddorpDefenses - Hellevoetsluis. The passport is available free of charge at the participating sixteen locations, about twenty libraries along the coast, the VVV in Ouddorp and can be ordered online via the Heritage House webshop. Bicycle:A bike ride has been set out over Voorne and Putten that takes you past various defenses.(Look at the cycling routes on our site)An extension shows parts of the Atlantic Wall that are not included in the standard route.Around Hoek van Holland there is a 30km long bike tour to make. Meer Atlantikwall info vindt u hier. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6369796/around-hellevoetsluis/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6369796/around-hellevoetsluis/ CYCLING ROUTE: AROUND HELLEVOETSLUIS ---------- This is also available from us. https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518703/map-of-hellevoetsluis-fortress/ https://fronttaal.myonline.store/en_GB/c-6518703/map-of-hellevoetsluis-fortress/ Map of Hellevoetsluis Fortress ---------- German bunker612 Cannon 24cm Iron Caponniere Carriage shed Guardhouse Powder / projectile magazine Haerlem Barracks Gunpowder magazine Shooting cotton shed Powder House