Verteidigungsbereich (VB) Vlissingen
The city of Vlissingen (or in English: Flushing) was of great strategic importance to the German Army. As part of the Atlantikwall guarding the Scheldt estuary, the town and the surrounding area were designated as Defensive Area. Between 1942 and 1944 the German Army constructed several Widerstandsneste and Stützpunkte (strongpoints), two coastal batteries, three heavy FLAK batteries and even a small torpedo battery. To withstand an attack from the inland, the Army also constructed a defense line called “Landfront Vlissingen”, which consisted of a kilometers long anti-tank vault and dragon teeth (Höckerhindernisse) backed by various bunker positions.
Stützpunkt Von Kleist
Stützpunkt Von Kleist was one of two Army batteries or in German “Heeresbatteriën” of the VB Vlissingen. The battery lies approximately one kilometer inland from the nearest coastline and is facing the North-West. As part of the Wehrmacht the battery had a fire support role defending the Landesfront of the Verteidigungsbereich of Flushing. The battery was armed with heavy guns. For fire direction the Von Kleist battery relied on the observation posts of the batteries at Dishoek (Batterie Knorr) and Zoutelande.
Bunker Type 669 Schartenstand für Feldgeschütze (60°)
Stzpkt. Von Kleist counts two of these type 669 bunker for field guns. While the other bunkers have a cast concrete form, these two were build with so-called “Formsteine” (prefabricated bricks). This made the structures faster to build and prevent the need for materials like wood boards to make the cast for the concrete.
Bunker Type 611 Geschützschartenstand für Feldgeschütze
These bunkers type 611 were meant for heavy field guns. Apart from the gun room this type had a crew room protected by a gaslock and a defendable entrance as well as ammunition chambers. The back of the bunker could be defended by a MG port and a Tobruk which are integrated in an embrasured wall. Notice the shell pits on their right flanks. Normally these would have been constructed beneath the “Kampfraum”, but the high groundwater level of Walcheren prevented this construction.
Visit Stützpunkt Von Kleist at Koudekerke
Stützpunkt Von Kleist now lies on private farmland. Before you access the site, make sure you have permission of the owner.