Schnellbootbunker 2, Widerstandsnest 77 – Festung IJmuiden, The Netherlands


Schnellbootbunker YB - Widerstandsnest 77 - Festung IJmuiden
Schnellbootbunker YB – Widerstandsnest 77 – Festung IJmuiden
Schnellbootbunker YB IJmuiden
The Schnellbootbunker YB in IJmuiden just after the war in 1946 – Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH)
Schnellbootbunker B front IJmuiden 1947
Unfinished Schnellbootbunker B in IJmuiden in 1947 – Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH)
Schnellbootbunker B IJmuiden 1947
Another view of the unfinished part of Schnellbootbunker B IJmuiden in 1947 – Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH)

History

After Fall Gelb, which is the German designation for the invasion of the Netherlands and Belgium in May 1940, the Kriegsmarine took hold of IJmuiden and captured the Dutch defences of the coast, the IJmuiden harbour, the Port of Amsterdam and the North Sea Canal leading to industry and a ship lock.

The Dutch Army had already built some defensive strongpoints to protect their assets which made a good start for the Kriegsmarine. They started to lift the defensives to the Atlantic Wall standards with better coastal guns, anti aircraft positions, mine field on land and in the sea, radar posts, anti tank barriers and so on. Besides the defensive measures they ordered offensive installations to the ‘Festung IJmuiden’ in late 1940. They ordered a bunker to harbour for the fast Schnellboot or torpedo boats and the mine laying Raumboot. The latter was also called R-boot and like the name refers to it means a spacious boat, it could load a lot of stuff, commonly mines but other goods as well.

Patrick in front of the maintanace and torpedo entrance - Schnellbootbunker - Fortress IJmuiden
Patrick in front of the maintanace and torpedo entrance – Schnellbootbunker – Fortress IJmuiden
Maintanace objects and torpedo entrance - Schnellbootbunker - Fortress IJmuiden
Maintanace objects and torpedo entrance – Schnellbootbunker – Fortress IJmuiden
Maintanace objects and torpedo entrance - Schnellbootbunker - Fortress IJmuiden
Maintanace objects and torpedo entrance – Schnellbootbunker – Fortress IJmuiden
Tallboy and regular Bomb Damage Schnellbootbunker 2 IJmuiden
Tallboy and regular Bomb Damage Schnellbootbunker 2 IJmuiden

Construction

The Kriegsmarine wanted a Schnellbootbunker in the port of IJmuiden and Organistion Todt received the order. Named after the founder Fritz Todt this organisation constructed lots of bunkers and buildings requested by the Third Reich. They build a torpedobunker close to the first Schnellboot bunker thay added a railroad to supply the fast attack boats with the torpedo’s.

Aerial view of Schnellbootbunker B IJmuiden in 1946
Aerial view of the giant Schnellbootbunker B in IJmuiden in 1946 – Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH)

The torpedo bunker and the first Schnellboot bunker were finished in 1941. The Torpedo bunker had wall of 2,5 metres thick and a roof of 3 metres thick. Above the door were heavy concrete slabs that could be lowered in case of need. The First Schnellboot bunker got the designation ‘AY’ and had walls made of forced concrete, 1,20 metres thick and a roof of 2,20 metres thick. It could harbour 10 fast attack boats, also called S or E-boats.

Schnellbootbuner YB - Widerstandsnest 77 - Festung IJmuiden
Schnellbootbuner YB – Widerstandsnest 77 – Festung IJmuiden
Schnellbootbunker IJmuiden - entrance other side
Schnellbootbunker IJmuiden – entrance other side
Schnellbootbunker IJmuiden - entrance other side
Schnellbootbunker IJmuiden – entrance other side
Tallboy and regular Bomb Damage Schnellbootbunker 2 IJmuiden
Tallboy and regular Bomb Damage Schnellbootbunker 2 IJmuiden
Tallboy and regular Bomb Damage Schnellbootbunker 2 IJmuiden
Tallboy and regular Bomb Damage Schnellbootbunker 2 IJmuiden
Schnellbootbunker IJmuiden Tallboy bombs RAF
RAF Tallboy bomb craters next to Schnellbootbunker B IJmuiden Netherlands 1945 – Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH)
Schnellbootbunker IJmuiden - entrance other side
Schnellbootbunker IJmuiden – entrance other side

In 1942 construction started on a second Schnellboot bunker named ‘BY’. Even bigger than the first it would hold 14 boats and had 4 repair docks. It had concrete fuel depots and a double floating bombproof roof. Under this roof a 1000 men personnel could find shelter. Measurements of this huge bunker are; 242 metres long, 74 metres wide and 18 high (794 feet by 243 feet – 60 feet heigh). The genuine bunker roof, under the floating roof, was 5 metres thick, walls were 4 metres thick. Construction stopped earlier than planned, for the original wide of Schnellbootbunker was 98 metres (322 feet) so they stopped 24 metres early. The walls sloped a bit so that bombs would bounce off when hitting the side of the bunker.

Schnellbootbuner YB - Widerstandsnest 77 - Festung IJmuiden
Schnellbootbuner YB – Widerstandsnest 77 – Festung IJmuiden
Schnellbootbuner YB - Wiederstandsnest 77 - Festung IJmuiden
Schnellbootbuner YB – Wiederstandsnest 77 – Festung IJmuiden
Overview Schnellboot bunker IJmuiden
Overview Schnellboot bunker IJmuiden
Bomb Damage - Schnellboot bunker IJmuiden
Bomb Damage – Schnellboot bunker IJmuiden
Entrance Schnell boat bunker IJmuiden
Entrance Schnell boat bunker IJmuiden
Entrance Schnell boat bunker IJmuiden
Entrance Schnell boat bunker IJmuiden

Allied assault

Late 1940 when the construction on these bunkers started the RAF flew three sorties a week above the northern part of the Netherlands. Of course the bunkers were notices and the allied had learned the power of the fast hit and run boats from the Kriegsmarine over time during the war. In 1944 they decided to bomb the bunkers and try to take them out of commission.

Martin B-26 bomber IJmuiden 1944
An Allied Martin B-26 bomber during a bombing raid over IJmuiden 1944. Notice the explosions bottom center – Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH)

On August the 24th the Schnellboot bunker AY, the first constructed Schnell boat bunker, was a target for an allied air attack for the first time. Multiple air raids would in 1944 and in 1945. The Allies used some new developed bunker buster bomb like the Tall Boy and the Disney Bomb. The Schnellboot bunker one or ‘AY’was hit and left unusable, it was never repaired after the attack that demolished it.

Schnellbootbunker A IJmuiden Tallboy hit
Direct Tallboy hit on Schnellbootbunker AY in IJmuiden – Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH)
Roof Damage Schnellbootbunker A IJmuiden
Tallboy damage to Schnellbootbunker A in IJmuiden – Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH)
Damage Schnellbootbunker A IJmuiden
Another picture of the damage done by the RAF bombing of Schnellbootbunker A IJmuiden – Collection Netherlands Institute of Military History (NIMH)

The TallBoy was a 5000 kilogram bomb and was dropped from 6 kilometres height, so it would hit the object with the speed of sound. First it would penetrate the bunker and then explode inside. Originally it was planned with a weight of 10.000 kilogram but there was not a plane developed that could carry it in 1944.

Remnants of WW2 Tallboy bomb
The Remnants of an original unexploded WW2 Tallboy bomb are on display on Fort Island IJmuiden. It is said this bomb was found in Schnellbootbunker “B” or SBB2 on the main land.
Kernwerk Festung IJmuiden, the island in the North Sea Canal - seen from the Schnellboot bunker
A view of Widerstandsnest 73 on Fort Island IJmuiden in the North Sea Canal – seen from the Schnellboot bunker
Kernwerk Festung IJmuiden with a view on the blast furnaces
Kernwerk Festung IJmuiden with a view on the blast furnaces

The Disney bomb was a rocket shaped slender long bomb with solid rocket fuel propulsion and about 2000 kilograms heavy. After the drop from the bomber plane the engine would ignite at 1,5 kilometres height and gain more speed to penetrate the bunker roof. About 5 metres of forced concrete could be penetrated with the Disney Bomb. During the assault on the Schnell boat bunkers the Disney bomb was not as effective as hoped on the second bunker, it penetrated the upper roof but failed to pierce the lower, 5 metres, roof.

Visit

Schnellboot bunker one or “A” was demolished in 1947, only a part of the foundation can be found today. The Torpedo bunker is in use by all kind of musical bands. The Schnellboot bunker 2 is one of the biggest bunkers on Dutch soil from World War Two and is not freely accessible. A company runs the bunker these days and uses it for storage of materials and goods. Some bomb damage can still be clearly seen at the bunker.

Kernwerk Festung IJmuiden
Kernwerk Festung IJmuiden



Our newest WW2 articles in your inbox every month? Join other subscribers and sign up here!



3 thoughts on “Schnellbootbunker 2, Widerstandsnest 77 – Festung IJmuiden, The Netherlands

Brenda Wierdsma (Ibey) on

Very interesting. My father was a young man on board a ship commandeered by the Nazis during the war. My dad stole carrots from the Germans garden while their ship was docked here. The Germans were not happy and blamed each other for the missing carrots! I’m working on some of my fathers stories from that time. Wonderful to see this information and pictures.

Share your thoughts on this article