The Fortress front Oder-Warthe-Bogen, also Fortress in the Oder-Warthe-Bogen, popular East wall called, was a strongly fortified defense line built by the German Reich in mid-1934, about 120 km east of Berlin from the river Warthe in the north to the Oder in the south.
history
The construction of this plant could be started at this early point in time (1934), since the German Reich was not subject to any contractual restrictions in the east, as it was in the west by the Versailles Peace Treaty was the case. Taking into account the delivery times for the armor, the construction time was estimated at seven years, the costs for the entire project should amount to 600 million Reichsmarks.[1]
The east wall was planned as a 110 km long, fortified area with a depth of two to three kilometers, much like it was a few years later Siegfried Line was also carried out. Some of the bunker constructions are therefore very similar to those of the Siegfried Line, while others are much more extensive. The fortress front consists of numerous bunkers and hydraulic engineering facilities such as B. Dams and moats. Roads that led through the so-called main battlefield were provided with armored barriers, swing bridges and tipping roller bridges - tipping roller bridges made it possible to tilt the bridge body and roll it into a space below the road.
Since the political situation had changed in 1939 so that the protection of the imperial border to the west was classified as more urgent, the expansion of the fortress front Oder-Warthe-Bogen was stopped. Fortress construction personnel and armored components were diverted to the west in favor of an accelerated expansion of the western wall. Of the planned 160 structures, only about 60 were completed. With the construction of the Atlantic Wall, weapons and communications equipment began to be dismantled in 1942.[1]
The focus of the east wall is the central section, which begins in the south with the so-called Burschener Loop near the village Burschen (Polish: Boryszyn) and extends from there about twelve kilometers to the north. In the central section, the bunkers are connected to one another by a system of underground tunnels (hollow passages). The main lines of this tunnel system were bombproof and designed for single-track light rail traffic and pedestrian traffic in double rows. The track systems were built by the Bochumer Verein für Gußstahlfabrikation AG (BVG). In this underground system there are train stations, workshops, machine rooms and barracks. The total length of the underground system is around 32 km.
In 1944, the war situation made it necessary for the Fortress front restore. So until January 1945, inter alia. as part of the Company Barthold as well as through the Reich Labor Service Field positions excavated, wire obstacles and several ring stands erected. This made it possible to build a continuous fire front for machine guns.[1]
On January 28, 1945, the first attack on the central section, which the Red Army broke through in the area of the Tirschtiegelstellung after three days. Also on other sections, such as B. the group of works Ludendorff and in the southern areas around Möstchen, there was considerable resistance. Recent research shows that the front withstood three days here as well. Only through a bypass movement north of the road Meseritz−Hiking and north of Schwiebus the front could be overcome. Some tank factories were "ignored" by the Red Army; Volkssturm men entrenched there were only asked to surrender between April and May. Because not everyone followed the instructions, the tank works were destroyed without being cleared.
Exploration
In the town Pniewo there is a parking lot, an exhibition and a lookout tower. A small bistro is also available.
- 1 Observation tower
- 2 exhibition
Buildings
Fortress frontThe fortress front consists of structures that were combined into 13 groups of works. A Group of works describes a network of systems under uniform management, which are also often connected with hollow passages. The connection was prescribed according to the Army Service Regulations HDV g4, but not consistently implemented in the Oder-Warthe-Bogen fortress front.
Southern section
The structures stretch in the order below over approx. 45 km from the Oder to the village of Boryszyn (Guys).
- 3 MG and PAK 587 (K622)
- 4 Panzerwerk 589
- 5 Armored Factory 593
- 6 Armored Factory 594
- 7 Armored Factory 598
- 8 Armored Plant 601
- 9 Armored Plant 612
- 10 Armored Factory 623
- 11 Armored Plant 625
- 12 Panzerwerk 630
- 13 Armored Plant 631
- 14 Armored Factory 642
- 15 Armored Factory 646
- 16 MG and PAK 653
- 17 MG stand 655
- 18 Panzerwerk 656a
- 19 Armored Plant 657
- 20 Armored Factory 668
- 21 Armored Plant 677
- 22 Armored Factory 693
The Körner plant group
The group is located east to south of the village of Staropole
- 23 Panzerwerk 701
- 24 Panzerwerk 702
- 25 Panzerwerk 703
- 26 Panzerwerk 706
- 27 Panzerwerk 708
- 28 Panzerwerk 782
Central section
Boy loop
The Boy loop(Pętla Boryszyńska) is the southernmost part of the central section of the fortress front near the place Boryszyn (Guys). The unfinished bunkers or tank works of tank battery 5 are located in the Burschener Loop. The tank works are connected to one another by an underground system of tunnels, stations, workshops and ammunition stores. From the Burschener Loop, the underground system extends about 12 km to the north.
- 29 Armored Plant North
- 30 Armored factory A1
- 31 Panzerwerk A2
- 32 Tank factory A3
Work group Jahn
- 33 Armored Factory 713
- 34 Panzerwerk 714
- 35 Armored Factory 715
- 36 Panzerwerk 766
Friesen group of works
- 37 Panzerwerk 783
Scharnhorst group of works
The Scharnhorst group of works is located in the center of the central section of the Oder-Warthe-Bogen fortress front two kilometers west of the village of Kalawa (Poland) and is a well-known group of works of the defense system, as official tours through the bunker and tunnel system of the Oder-Warthe-Bogen fortress front are here and the condition of the facilities is excellent. The group of works consists of the armor works 716a, 716 and 717. Originally the construction of the B armor works (1.50 m wall thickness) 716, 717, 718, an A1 welding works (2.50 m wall thickness) A-5 and the Armored battery 5 in thickness A (3.50 m wall thickness). In fact, only two armored works, 716 and 717, were built. In addition, armored works 716a was built, which was not included in the original plans. The construction of the planned tank battery 5 was started, but not completed. In the course of restoring the defensive capabilities of the facilities on the Oder-Warthe-Bogen fortress front, ring stands of type 58c were built in the area of the Scharnhorst work group in 1944. Directly in front of the tank works is a hump line with an anti-tank ditch.
- 38 Panzerwerk 716
- 39 Panzerwerk 716a
- 40 Panzerwerk 717
- 41 Panzerwerk 718
- 42 Armored Factory 765
Gneisenau group of works
- 43 Main entrance (A64)
- 44 Panzerwerk 719
- 45 Panzerwerk 720
Nipter loop
The Nipter Loop is located southwest of the town of Nietoperek.
- 46 Tank factory A8 West
- 47 Panzerwerk A8 East
York group of works
- 48 Panzerwerk 721
- 49 Panzerwerk 722
- 50 Panzerwerk 724
- 51 Panzerwerk 726
- 52 Panzerwerk 727
- 53 Panzerwerk 728
- 54 A63
Lützow group of works
- 55 Panzerwerk 730
- 56 Panzerwerk 732
- 57 Armored Factory 733
- 58 Panzerwerk 736
- 59 Panzerwerk 739
Single structures
The individual structures are listed in the order from south to north.
- 60 Panzerwerk 712
- 61 Panzerwerk 778
- 62 Armored Factory 775 (north of the village of Wysoka, on the northern tip of Paklicko Małe (High Forest Lake)).
- 63 Armored Factory 773
- 64 Panzerwerk 772
- 65 Panzerwerk 723
- 66 741 tank factory
Northern section
Individual structures
From south to north
- 67 MG and PaK stand 745
- 68 743 armored plant
Nethelbeck plant group
- 69 746 armored plant
- 70 Armored factory 748
- 71 Armored factory 750
Schill group of works
- 72 Armored Plant 754
- 73 MG and PaK stand 755 (Hindenburg stand)
- 74 Armored Plant 757
- 75 Swing bridge D724
Individual structures
From south to north
- 76 Armored Works 761
- 77 Armored factory 815
- 78 Armored factory 811
Moltke group of works
- 79 Moltke group of works
Individual structures
From south to north
- 80 Armored factory 817
- 81 MG and PaK booth 845
- 82 Swing bridge D812
- 83 Armored factory 850
- 84 Armored Works 859
- 85 Armored Plant 861
Ludendorff group of works
- The group of works “LUDENDORFF” was part of the Nischlitz-Obra line before it was included in the fortress front Oder-Warthe-Bogen. At that time it originally consisted of a main structure to which two objects of approximately equal strength were connected with hollow passages and is enclosed on three sides by the Obra river. These three works all had the number 522. These three works were also incorporated into the fortress front Oder-Warthe-Bogen (FFOWB) and received new numbers. The two-storey "main plant" (construction period 1935–1936) in the expansion stage B old (1.50 meter wall thickness) was given the number 865. A three-story plant was connected to it 3-notch turret for machine guns (2 P7) with number 867 and one Pak-Casemate for 3.7 cm pack (29 P8) with 3-notch turret for machine guns (2 P7) with the number 866. Plant 865 had one 6-notch tower for 2 machine guns (20 P7) and two notch plates (10 P7) to defend the two entrances. The connecting corridors consist of precast concrete parts 0.5 meters in length.
The other works were only created later in the course of the expansion of the fortress front. These are the works 868 and 863 connected to the entrance structure 864 (machine grenade launcher M19 in armored tower 424 P01, armored tower for infantry observation 52 P8, Schartenplatte 7 P7) as well as a combat post for a 4.7 cm Pak (t), which the channel 820 could brush in the longitudinal direction. The construction time for these objects can be set at 1937–1938. The single-storey plant 868 housed an armored turret for artillery observation (21 P7). Plant 863 was a four-story combat block with a 3-notch turret for machine guns (2 P7). In these newer structures, the connecting ducts are cast in concrete. This group of works was also permanently blown up, but the tank turret of the M19, a tank turret 2P7 and the bedding of the anti-tank gun can still be found here. A MG notch plate 403 P9 is said to be at the entrance to 868.
- Panzerwerk 863. Condition: partially blown up; Floors: four; Hollow passage connection: yes; Armor parts: 1 x 3-loop turret for a machine gun (2 P7), 1 x rifle loop lock (48 P8).
- Panzerwerk 864. Condition: completely blown up; Floors: one; Hollow passage connection: yes; Armor components: 1 x steel loop plate (7 P7), 2 x rifle loop lock (48 P8), 1 x armored turret for infantry observation (52 P8), 1 x rifle loop lock (57 P8), 1 x armored turret for machine grenade launcher M19 (424 P01), 1 x steel ring for fortress flamethrowers (420 P9).
- Armored factory 865. Condition: mostly blown up; Floors: two; Hollow passage connection: yes; Armored components: 1 x 6-loop turret for two machine guns (20 P7), 2 x steel loop plates for machine guns (10 P7), 1 x rifle loop (48 P8)
- Panzerwerk 866. Condition: partially blown up; Floors: one; Hollow passage connection: yes; Armor parts: 1 x 3-notch turret for a machine gun (2 P7), 1 x PAK casemate with notch front panel and ceiling panel (29 P8).
- Panzerwerk 867. Condition: almost completely intact; Floors: three; Hollow passage connection: yes; Tank components: 1 x 3-notch turret for a machine gun (2 P7).
- Panzerwerk 868. Condition: completely blown up; Floors: one; Hollow passage connection: yes; Tank components: 1 x tank turret for artillery observation (21 P7).
Individual structures
From south to north
- 87 Armored Plant 873
- 88 Armored Plant 874
- 89 Armored factory 875
- 90 Armored Plant 876
- 91 Armored Plant 877
literature
- : East wall. The forgotten fortress front "Oder-Warthe-Bogen". Aachen: Helios, 2006, ISBN 3-938208-23-6 .
- Günter Leibner: The fortress "Oder-Warthe-Bogen". Haupt, Buchholz 2000, ISBN 3-00-005988-1 .
- : East wall. The forgotten fortress front in the Oder-Warthe bend. Wölfersheim-Berstadt: Podzun-Pallas, 1999, ISBN 3-7909-0662-X .
- Janusz Miniewicz, Bogusław Perzyk: Mie̜dzyrzecki rejon umocniony (German: The fortress front Oder-Warthe-Bogen). Publishing house Militaria Bogusława Perzyka, Warsaw 2012, ISBN 83-900868-0-8 (Polish).
- Uwe Klar, André Vogel: Focal point "Ostwall" - the fighting over the fortress front Oder-Warthe-Bogen in winter 1945. Helios-Verlag, Aachen 2015, ISBN 978-3-86933-127-0 .
Web links
- http://www.ostwall.pl
- http://www.ostwall.info
- items The east wall, berliner-unterwelten.de
- Series of images Oder-Warthe bend, LostAreas.de