The Bunker Route(2,5 km) - Bunker Museum IJmuiden

The Bunker Route (2,5 km)
1. Signpost for the ‘Battery Heerenduin
and Olmen’. Start of the Bunker Route.
(Badweg, IJmuiden aan Zee)
2. Two artillery bunkers
These are two of the artillery bunkers of
Coastal Battery Heerenduin. They are partly
bricked up at the front. In World War II these
bunkers were home to 17 cm calibre guns.
Soldiers used them to open fire on allied ships
as far as 22 kilometres off the Dutch coast.
3. Fire control bunker
This bunker has
two observation
slits on top of each
other. It was the
fire control bunker
of Coastal Battery Heerenduin.
From this bunker targets were set, calculating
exactly how guns should be aimed. The upper
observation slit was provided with an optical
rangefinder, a device used to carefully measure
the distance to the enemy. Based on metrological service’s data (e.g. direction of the
wind, wind velocity, atmospheric humidity)
calculations were performed in the basement
using a computing device. The results were
then forwarded by telephone to those
operating the guns that were mounted on both
sides. From the lowermost observation slit the
impact of the firing was observed using field
glasses. After that, corrections if any were
communicated by telephone.
4. Artillery bunker
This bunker (same
type as the first
two bunkers along
the route) is open
at the front. You
may step inside to
see the remains
of the gun carriage. On your right-hand side
you can see the hole of the cartridge case pits.
After every shot the copper case (approx. 1 m)
was dumped into the underground shell store.
Just before the passageway to the rear section
is the entrance to the shell store that is now
silted up. The cartridge cases were used again
after reloading them.
5. Open platform
Between the third and fourth artillery bunker
there is a concrete platform. It is a so-called ‘open
platform’. Before the bunkers were built for the 17
cm guns, they were firmly anchored onto a concrete base, the open platform. Those guns were
very vulnerable for bombing calling for artillery
bunkers to be constructed. Between the open
7. Parapet
Ten metres beyond
the final bunker, in the
lower dune directly on
the left side of the path,
you can see the upper
edge of a brick wall that
has almost submerged
into the dune. It is the parapet of an open platform
(concrete base). Behind this parapet, crew were
able to seek cover and protect themselves against
incoming fire.
8. Crew bunker (right)
platform and the shell path there is also a short
remnant of a narrow-gauge railway. It was used
during construction to supply building materials
(mainly concrete in tip carts).
6. Fourth and last artillery bunker of Coastal
Battery Heerenduin
On top of the slightly higher dune, behind the last
artillery bunker on the right side, there is a crew
bunker with an open platform for a 2 cm antiaircraft gun. It was used to fire at low-flying allied
fighters.
Follow the shell
path to exit the former Coastal Battery
Heerenduin and enter
Anti-Aircraft Battery Olmen. The brick
shelter that you can
see on the right side of the shell path is a crew
bunker with a compartment built at right angles
to accommodate a generator. Previously, the roof
of this bunker was provided with a Würzberg-D
radar (range approx. 30 km).
Right after that to your right, you can see another shelter and diagonally behind it there is a
so-called Tobruk bunker. A Tobruk bunker is a
bunker with a rounded hole on the upper side. It
was used for observation and also as a machinegun nest.
9. Fire control bunker
the 10.5 cm anti-aircraft gun. Here, highflying
allied bombers carrying bombs from England to
Germany were fired at.
A little bit further down is yet another emergency
exit of an artillery platform, now home to nothing
but shrubs. The artillery platform is slightly off
the path on your left-hand side.
The shell path will take you up the dune, home to
the fire control bunker of Anti-Aircraft Battery
Olmen. On your left-hand side below, you can see
the entrance and a covered trench. On your righthand side there is a large round platform that
came with an optical rangefinder and which was
protected by a steel cupola.
10. Artillery platforms
The shell path continues and will take you along
all four artillery platforms, two of which can be
found on your right-hand side right next to the
path. The other two platforms are barely visible
and are on the left.
These artillery platforms are provided with an
underground crew shelter and emergency exit.
The artillery platforms themselves were shut off
with a rotating steel gun turret, which included
11.
The shell path will lead you to an asphalted road
section with a footpath right next to it. Leave the
shell path and turn left. Follow the footpath along
the road and after 50 metres or so you can follow
the footpath to your left. Just like at the start
of this route, you will find a large signpost that
explains the ‘Battery Heerenduin and Olmen’.
12. Ammunition bunker
The path goes
down and on
your left-hand
side you can see
a large bunker.
It is one of the
ammunition
bunkers of
Battery Olmen. Diagonally above the bunker you
can see an observation slit. It was connected
to the rest of the complex by means of covered
trenches.
The asphalted footpath was originally a German
supply route, which used to run along a large
section of the coast.
you have reached the pedestrian crossing near
Camping De Duindoorn. Cross over and continue
on the same road via the footpath along the right
side of the road.
13. Telephone bunker
After a few bends you will reach a sharp bend to
your right. Just before this sharp bend there is a
small dune with a flat top on your left-hand side.
In this dune is a small German telephone bunker.
Telephone bunkers were very important hubs and
helped maintain communication. After this sharp
bend, the footpath is no longer asphalted. You can
see the original road that was made of concrete
slabs. It was constructed by the Germans during
World War II.
15. Bunker Museum IJmuiden
On your right-hand side you can see the Bunker
Museum IJmuiden. It is an open air museum
with five exhibition bunkers. The museum is
expanding on a regular basis. It is managed by the
Stichting WN2000 foundation with volunteers
only. Therefore, the museum maintains limited
opening hours although guided tours are
organised quite frequently. For more information
please go to the museum’s website http://www.
bunkermuseum.nl.
By following the Badweg Road, you will return to
the starting point of this bunker route.
14.
Follow the concrete road right to the end. You
have now reached an industrial estate called
Ampèrestraat. Take a sharp turn left and follow
this road. Take a right angle bend (Westonstraat).
Follow this route all the way to the end. Then
turn left on Badweg Road and follow the narrow
pavement on the left side of this road, until

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