Panzerwerk 716
Immediately south of the fortification museum and Panzerwerk 717 lies Panzerwerk 716 on the Fortress Front Oder-Warthe-Bogen. Panzerwerk 716 together with Panzerwerk 716A, Panzerwerk 717, Panzerwerk 718 and Panzerwerk 765 combined form Werkgruppe Scharnhorst. Panzerwerk 716 itself was built in 1938/1939, it was a two storey bunker. The bunker was built partly underground and the top level was covered with soil, only the so-called Panzerturms, the armored turrets, protruded above ground level.
The metal cupolas varied in purpose and name. There was one Sechsschartenturm 20P7, one Panzer fur FN 420P9, one Panzerturm 424P01 and one Panzerturm 438P01. There are one or two smaller metal cupolas on top, these were the bunker’s air vents.
These Panzerturms had their own specific purposes;
– Sechsschartenturm 20P7, a metal machine gun post with six openings, used with specialized optics.
– Panzer für Flammenwerfer FN 420P9, a steel armored construction for a flamethrower with a traverse of 360 degrees and a reach of 48 meters. Only a metal ring could be seen outside
– Panzerturm 424P01, a steel cupola for a M19 Automatic Mortar.
– Panzerturm für Infanterie beobachtung 438P01, a steel cupola for infantry observation.
Panzer für Festungsflammenwerfer FN Gerät 420P9
One of the defensive weapons on the German bunkers was an embedded flamethrower. The weapon was not installed in an armored turret as the MG 34 in its Sechsschartenturm but was completely inside the bunker, hidden from view of the attackers. The Germans named it a Fortress Flamethrower device in armored bunker type 420P9.
The large flamethrower was installed over two floors underground but on the outside the only thing visible was an armored steel ring with a thickness 125 mm.
The flamethrower was installed in a bunker with a ceiling of 1,5 meter thick. It was pushed up when needed, if lowered a mushroom type cap sealed the tube off. The flamethrower was used for close combat, to clear the bunker of enemy troops. It protruded about 30-40 cm above the terrain and could turn a full 360 degrees. Depending on the flammable mixture of heavier and lighter tar oils it could reach a distance of 40 to 50 meters. When fired it had a fire shot lasting only 20 seconds, but fired 120 liters of combustible liquid destroying anything in its path. It cleared the bunker so that the defenders with the machine guns could keep firing and defend the strong point.
Mentioned before, this weapon was meant as a close combat defensive weapon, close in German is “Nah”. The FN Gerät means; “Festungsnahkampf Gerät” (Eng: fortress close combat device).
Werkgruppe Scharnhorst
Werkgruppe Scharnhorst consisted of a multiple Panzerwerke. These Panzerwerke (Eng. Armored structures) were bunkers covered in a thick layer of soil. Only a few metal turrets could be seen when approaching them. The guns in the bunkers covered the bunker next to them or covered a mutual stretch of land with an adjacent bunker.
A Werke (Eng. Works) is a set of bunkers connected with an underground tunnel system called Holzgansysteme. These tunnels connected to the main tunnel complete with train stations running for some 33 kilometers long from the north to the west along the Oder-Warte-Bogen. The tunnels have multiple entrances and a railway system for quick transport of troops and ammunition.
Werke or Werkgruppe Scharnhorst consisted of Panzerwerk 716, Panzerwerk 716a, Panzerwerk 717 and some smaller defensive positions like Tobruk stands for machine guns connected with trenches and there were tank obstacles (a Höckerline) combined with an anti tank ditch. These concrete dragon teeth and tank ditch were supposed to repel the Russian tanks. The armored bunkers were connected with holgangsystem (Eng. tunnels) to the “Bahnhof Heinrich” train station on the main tunnel.
Visit
The bunkers and tunnels are not open to roam freely. There is a serious hazard when you want to visit them without guides because the tunnels are 30 meter below the bunkers, a fall would cause serious injuries and worse. The bunkers and tunnels are a bat heaven, about 36.000 bats of different types live here.
A guided tour is possible, you can take different tours from a bunker visit tour to underground strolls along the tunnel system. Tickets can be bought at the Fortification Museum near Panzerwerk 717.
