Panzerwerk 717
Near the fortification museum and Panzerwerk 716 lies Panzerwerk 717 on the Fortress Front Oder-Warthe-Bogen. Panzerwerk 717 together with Panzerwerk 716, Panzerwerk 716a, Panzerwerk 718 and Panzerwerk 765 combined form Werkgruppe Scharnhorst. Panzerwerk 717 itself was built in 1938/1939, it was a two storey bunker. The bunker was built partly underground and the top level was covered with soil, only the so-called Panzerturms, the armored turrets, protruded above ground level.
Panzerwerk 717 differs from others in its surroundings for it is 100% intact and open for visitors.
The metal cupolas varied in purpose and name. There were two Sechsschartenturms 20P7, one Panzer fur FN 420P9, one Panzerturm 424P01, one Panzerturm 438P01 and one Stahlschartenplatte für Maschinengewehr 7P7. There are one or two smaller metal cupolas on top, these were the bunker’s air vents.
These Panzerturms had their own specific purposes;
– Sechsschartenturm 20P7, a metal machine gun post with six openings, used with specialized optics.
– Panzer für Flammenwerfer FN 420P9, a steel armored construction for a flamethrower with a traverse of 360 degrees and a reach of 48 meters. Only a metal ring could be seen outside
– Panzerturm 424P01, a steel cupola for a M19 Automatic Mortar.
– Panzerturm für Infanterie beobachtung 438P01, a steel cupola for infantry observation.
– Stahlschartenplatte für Maschinengewehr 7P7 – a thick metal plate to protect a machine gun and its gunner.
Panzerturm 424P01 for the 5 cm Machinengranatwerfer M19
The 424P01 armored turret was one of 5 turret types to house the 5 cm Machinengranatwerfer M19 (Eng. 5 cm M19 machine grenade launcher). This turret only has a base ring on ground level. Variants with a higher base ring were intended for installation in systems with 2-3.50 m ceiling thickness. The dome weight is 26 tons, with the Sockelring the total weight is 39 tons, its armor was 25 cm thick.
The 5 cm M19 automatic mortar was a state of the art weapon in its days, firing 120 shots a minute reaching 750 meters and hard to eliminate due to its low profile. Only the barrel of the mortar sticks out when firing. The opening of the armored ring could be closed with a slide.
Like the Festung Flammenwerfer FN Gerät it did not have a turret but a cylindrical armored plate on ground level. The entire weapon was stationed inside the bunker below it. It functioned together with the 438P01 Infanterie Beobachtung Panzerturm (Eng. Infantry observation turret), which was used as fire control for the M19 automatic mortar.
Another bunker for the M19 automatic mortar was the Regelbau 633 seen in the Jersey channel island.
Werkgruppe Scharnhorst
Werke Scharnhorst consisted of a multiple Panzerwerke, Panzerwerk 716, Panzerwerk 716a, Panzerwerk 717 and the unfinished Panzerwerk 718. All bunkers were connected with an advanced underground tunnel system named Holgangsysteme. These Panzerwerke (Eng. Armored structures) were bunkers covered in a thick layer of soil. Only a few metal turrets could be seen when approaching them. The guns in the bunkers covered the bunker next to them or covered a mutual stretch of land with an adjacent bunker.
A Werke (Eng. Works) is a set of bunkers connected with an underground tunnel system called Holzgansysteme. These tunnels connected to the main tunnel complete with train stations running for some 33 kilometers long from the north to the west along the Oder-Warte-Bogen. The tunnels have multiple entrances and a railway system for quick transport of troops and ammunition.
Werke or Werkgruppe Scharnhorst consisted of Panzerwerk 716, Panzerwerk 716a, Panzerwerk 717 and some smaller defensive positions like Tobruk stands for machine guns connected with trenches and there were tank obstacles (a Hockerline) combined with an anti tank ditch. These concrete dragon teeth and tank ditch were supposed to repel the Russian tanks. The armored bunkers were connected with a Holgangsytem (Eng. tunnel system) to the “Bahnhof Heinrich” train station on the main tunnel.
Visit
The bunkers and tunnels are not open to roam freely. There is a serious hazard when you want to visit them without guides because the tunnels are 30 meter below the bunkers, a fall would cause serious injuries and worse. The bunkers and tunnels are a bat heaven, about 36.000 bats of different types live here.
A guided tour is possible, you can take different tours from a bunker visit tour to underground strolls along the tunnel system. Tickets can be bought at the Fortification Museum near Panzerwerk 717.
