Stützpunkt gruppe Katwijk
Stützpunkt gruppe Katwijk is a defensive strongpoint set up from the North Sea beach running inland to airport Valkenburg near Den Hague in the Netherlands, and it is part of the Atlantic Wall. A 1,6 kilometre long anti tank wall with dragon teeth, asparagus, minefields and barbed wire is the major defensive object on this Sturtzpunkt. It runs from the beach all the way up until the Wassenaarse road, the wall stops here and an anti tank ditch continues until your reach Fliegerhorst Valkenburg. The Valkenburg Airport defences took over from this point.
The wall is supported with small pillboxes and gun positions along its entire length. These concrete bunkers were equipped with MG’s (mostly MG42 – Machine Gun 42), flame throwers, anti aircraft guns and anti tank guns. Personnel bunkers completed the strong point Katwijk. Spread over its length are three bigger tobruks from the regelbau VF65s type with 5 centimetre KWK guns, KWK = Kampf Wagen Kanone or tank gun. In the wall the Germans build several fake gun positions to mislead the Allied and draw fire to unmanned concrete boxes. It suggested a far stronger defended wall than it really was.
Widerstandsneste W.N. 63HL
The Stützpunkt gruppe Katwijk was divided into three parts, Katwijk, Noordwijk and Airport Valkenburg. Close to Katwijk were coastal guns in Widerstandsneste W.N. 63HL. Again multiple layers of defence, dragon teeth, minefields barbed wire, anti tank and aircraft guns, Rommel asparagus and MG positions. They build a small railroad which was used for the construction of Stützpunkt Katwijk.
Rommel asparagus
Rommel asparagus are thick wooden poles sticking out of the ground and filling up open fields. These poles are four or five meters high and are connected with each other with a barbed wire webbing in between. Besides wood they also used steel rails as poles and attached mines or grenades with trip wires on every third pole. The idea is to destroy or damage gliders and paratroopers when they land on the field filled with Rommel asparagus.
Visit
Most of the wall and some of the pillboxes lie in the dunes and this is a restricted area. The beginning, middle and the end can be reached by following designated paths and walkways.
