Infantry blockhouse R-S 84 - Orlicke mountains, Czech Republic - Military Installations on Waymarking.com

The extended system of fortifications was built to defend the former Czechoslovakia during the second half of the 30s. The heavy fortified installations with infantry blocks were built in the border sections with high defence priority. They were solid, mostly two-storey constructions which were armed with machine guns as well as with anti-tank guns, if necessary with mortars, too. The typical characteristics of these blocks were the armoured cloches (bells) and cupolas which served for the observation of the battlefield. Other tasks were the fire control and the command of the machine guns. In case of war each infantry block was able to operate independently. Besides other facilities each infantry block had its own well, filter room and engine room, in which the electric power was generated. The infantry blocks were individually shaped to the corresponding terrain and constructed in accordance with their combat tasks. They differed in their dimensions, outlines, wall and ceiling dimensions, armament and garrison. Nevertheless they consisted of standardized construction and design elements. For a usual infantry block about 1300 to 1500 m3 of concrete and up to 120 tons of steel reinforcement were needed. They could stand artillery shelling up to calibre 305 mm. Until September 1938 228 heavy independent blocks were structurally finished.

The plan of upper floor of the infantry blockhouse R-S 84

Isolated infantry casemate R-S 84 (code name "Arnošt") at the top of the Anensky vrch is another object of the Arab resistance (ceiling 150 cm, threatened wall 175 cm, other walls 80 cm). The casemate was built as part of subsection 4/X Ricky by Ing. Josef Hons Company from Prague. It was concreted from 20 to 23 October 1937 consuming 410 m3 of concrete. The crew consisted of 19 soldiers. It was a one-sided object with only one firing room. The casemate was armed with a twin of heavy machine guns Model 37. The defence of the surroundings of the casemate was provided by three light machine guns Model 26 in embrasures, the fourth light machine gun was placed in armoured cupola (installed June 30, 1938). The upper floor also contained zigzag entrance corridor with grated and thick-walled gas-tight doors, water tanks and machine-gun ammunition depot. Filter and engine room, a well with a pump, crew quarters, food storage, toilet, telephone exchange and commander post were located in the lower floor. Both floors were connected through the hatch in the floor. The casemate survived occupation and the post-war period without damage. In 1956, the armoured cupola was extracted by Kovosrot National Corporation. At present, the object is closed and its interior is not accessible. Two embedded objects of light fortification were built between infantry casemates R-S 83 and R-S 84. They were constructed in reinforced resistance (ceiling 100 cm, front wall 120 cm, other walls 80 cm) and their task was to strengthen the curtain of fire between the objects of heavy fortification.

Era: WW II Related web site: [Web Link] General Comments: Not listed

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