Fjell Festning: A Brief Overview 2

Above:  A Regelbau bunker connecting to a trench system.

 

 Welcome to the second installment in this series on Fjell Festning.  This segment will cover many of the areas surrounding the site for the triple 283 mm turret "Felix", and tunnel entrances.  All of these outlying positions existed to keep the main gun safe and operational.  The picture above gives a good example of the terrain in the immediate environs around the turret position.

Fjell Festning has plenty of trenches and field fortifications.  The trench system which lies in the immediate vicinity of the main gun battery, spans the western and northern perimeter around the gun shaft and main tunnel entrance.  These trenches connect to other Regelbau bunkers in the area, and a number of mortar positions as well.  The positions covered in this section are indicated by the blue circles in the sketch above.

  Above: Trenches facing the western slope of the mountain.

This area presents a few hazards. It was very wet the day we toured these positions, and one had to be careful not to slip and fall into the trenches below.  Plant life has reclaimed many areas, making it difficult to cross.  A few sections of the trench wall have caved in, making it necessary to find a way out, or around.  There is also an abundance of rusty razor wire mixed in with the rocks, plants, and ground cover.  So it is wise to watch where you step.

 Above:  Communications trench, notice the exclusive use of natural materials.

Most of these positions feature natural rock from the surrounding landscape.  This creates  an often seamless veil, so that even when looking at one of these Fjell positions, one cannot be sure if it is an artificial feature or a natural one!  The trench walls are all lined with local stone, and so are the mortar positions.  Many of the regelbau bunkers here also incorporate rock in the spaces in between the concrete and ground/grass.  Using this local natural rock, not only of course creates a great camouflage effect, but also reduces the amount of materials that must be brought in from elsewhere.

 Above:  M-19 automatic mortar launcher in action.  Purpose built for forts like Fjell.

 Above:  The firing port for a type 633 regelbau and ventilation pipe.

This next position is circled in purple in the previous map. In the picture above,  notice the metallic "cap" or cover piece on the ground, and to the left.  This is the armored dome to a regelbau type 633, which housed an M-19 Maschinengranatwerfer (grenade thrower machine).  This machine was invented in 1934 to defend permanent military installations.  The M-19 fired a 5 cm mortar, up to 120 rounds per minute, out to 750 meters.  This higher rate of fire was rarely used though, as it caused much stress to the complicated mechanical system.  To operate the M-19 a two man crew was required; however, others were needed to prepare munitions while firing.  To the right a ventilation pipe can be seen.  

 Above:  Trench connecting to a standalone ringstand near the western slope of the mountain.

 Above:  Looking down into the same ringstand.

 Above:  Inside the same ringstand.

 Above:  Entrance to the same ringstand.

Ringstand are very common here.  Some sit on the roof of a larger bunker, and some are standalone concrete positions.  They all connect to the trench system and help to secure not only the perimeter of the main gun and tunnels, but also provide security inside the perimeter in case of enemy penetration. 

 Above:  Posts for razor wire fence can still be found in abundance.  I straightened these posts upright for the picture.

 Above:  Picture taken years ago, but an excellent shot illustrating the simple and effective road block further down the main mountain road.

Posts for razor wire are everywhere, and help to illustrate just how difficult it would be to approach this complex if you were unwelcome.  An impressive roadblock exists much further down the main road of the mountain.  Balanced on top of rock piles, are a number of massive boulders.  These run parallel to the (very) narrow road on both sides.  Attached to each rock used to be a small explosive charge.  When set off these boulders would be blown onto the road, making any crossing by vehicle quite impossible.

 Above:  An old German leitstand, now used for Norwegian weather tracking.

 Above:  To the right of the previous photo lies this huge armored cloche.

Radar equipment can be seen in the first of the two pictures above.  This leitstand (control bunker) was used after the war by NATO as a radar site until recently. The Norwegians still use this position for weather forecasting, and it is surrounded by a high fence.  Notice the Norwegian colors flying to the right.  The photo immediately following is the same bunker, but panned to the right.  The prominent white structure is an Sk für Sechsschartenturm 35P8.  This is a heavily armored cloche, or dome.  Six evenly spaced embrasures line the circumference of the cloche, allowing for two machine guns to simultaneously fire in opposing 180 degree arcs.  This formidable piece of engineering dominates the approaches to the main gun, tunnel system, leitstand, and surrounding area. This position also connects to the tunnel network under the mountain.  The leitstand and armored cloche are circled in red in the map above.

 

Above:  Trenches near the western slope connect to an overgrown mortar pit.  

 

Above:  Another mortar pit, this one is further to the east.
 

There are a few mortar pits attached to the trench system in this area.  In the photos above notice the platform of rock in the center of the pit.  This is where the mortar was placed and fired. While a bit overgrown with plant life, you can still see the crew positions on either side of the rock shelf, in the form of two deeper depressions.  All of these mortar pits are well camouflaged and made from local rock. 

Above:  A machine gun embrasure covering the entrance to a regelbau.

 

 Above:  The entrance to a standalone ringstand on the northeastern end of the perimeter.

 

Above:  A regelbau type 672 (gun shelter), along the road which leads to the previously illustrated leitstand.  In the map above it is circled in blue, and the farthest bunker to the right.

Next time in this series, I will discuss the subterranean complex and main gun shaft for heavy turret "Felix".  There will be plenty more color photographs (and many of them underground), of the largest fortress built in Norway by the Germans, Fjell Festning!