Infantry blockhouse K-S 16 - Králíky, Czech Republic
Posted by: 
ToRo61
N 50° 05.189 E 016° 44.227
33U E 624266 N 5549691
The infantry blockhouse K-S 16 (code name "U drahy") is part of the extended system of fortifications built to defend the former Czechoslovakia during the second half of the 30s.
Waymark Code: WM11WYQ
Location: Pardubický kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 01/01/2020
Views: 9
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 K-S 16
The block K-S 16 (code name "U drahy") - the technical and tactical data
Concreting: 30.10.-5.11.1936
Materials consumed: 1685 cubic meters of special reinforced concrete
Altitude: 544 m.a.s.l.
Crew: 44 soldiers
Armament: 47 mm
antitank gun coupled with a heavy machine gun,
heavy twin/solo
machine guns, model 37 .
Armored elements: cupolas for a light/heavy twin machine gun
Current status: heavy damaged, armoured cupolas were blasted and taken out, the object is closed and its interior is not accessible.