Just across the road from where we were camping (in a place called Julianadorp an Zee) was the Zandijk - the massive dyke which was built at the end of the 19th Century to stop the North Holland peninsula from flooding. Needless to say, the Germans were very concerned with defending this as it formed a natural barrier between the North Sea and all the military goodliness that the Germans had stashed behind it. As a consequence there are lots of defences here, including these two monster batteries. They look like yer standard large German blockhouses, but a little research revealed that they were built to house the for'ard 28cm guns from the battleship Gneisenau, which was the sister of the Scharnhorst (famously sunk during the Battle of the North Cape)]. The Gneiseneau was badly damaged by a British Air raid in February 1942, while laid up in dry dock in Kiel, and as a consequence she was rebuilt, with her original 28cm guns being transported here to Julianadorp.
These two are well and truly sealed up, with no signs of the original embrasures, but there are a few interesting features remaining. One of the two battery blockhouses has been turned into a viewing platform.
Northern Blockhouse first
I think these extruded bits were probably where the original embrasures were
Drainage features and the like. If you look closely you can make out the bricked up door and the RSJ lintel on top of it.
Southern Blockhouse - This is the one that's been turned into a viewpoint.
You can see why the Germans thought it was important.Even today, The Naval traffic in the 10 minutes I was standing there was significant to say the least, with ships coming and going out of Den Helder with some regularity. This Doorman Class frigate (probably the Van Amstel ?)quietly slipped by as the sun went down.
You could at one point get into these blockhouses as suggested by this site. I couldn't find a way in, but it might be cause for a return visit!
Thanks for looking
Godzy
These two are well and truly sealed up, with no signs of the original embrasures, but there are a few interesting features remaining. One of the two battery blockhouses has been turned into a viewing platform.
Northern Blockhouse first
I think these extruded bits were probably where the original embrasures were
Drainage features and the like. If you look closely you can make out the bricked up door and the RSJ lintel on top of it.
Southern Blockhouse - This is the one that's been turned into a viewpoint.
You can see why the Germans thought it was important.Even today, The Naval traffic in the 10 minutes I was standing there was significant to say the least, with ships coming and going out of Den Helder with some regularity. This Doorman Class frigate (probably the Van Amstel ?)quietly slipped by as the sun went down.
You could at one point get into these blockhouses as suggested by this site. I couldn't find a way in, but it might be cause for a return visit!
Thanks for looking
Godzy
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