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Defense Bunker VM25

This is bunker VM25 from the Vesdre-Manaihant sector of the first line of defence for the city of Liège, known as La Position Fortifiée de Liège, or PFL 1.

It is the 27th of a total of 34 bunkers in this sector. Since bunkers VM 1 and VM 24 have a “side” bunker, this is the 27th bunker.

The bunker is no longer accessible. Notable is the large square on the side. This was a camouflage window to make the bunker look like a small barn or building from a distance. For this reason, the bunker also has a trim on the top.

The small square hole in photo 4 is the so-called grenade chute for proximity defense. On the inside, a grenade could be rolled out through a gutter to keep attackers who were close to the entrance door at bay.

Built in the 1930s, the walls and ceilings of the PFL bunkers were made of 1.3 m thick reinforced concrete. Only at the entrance were they built slightly less strong. The bunkers had to be able to withstand shells of 150 mm.

Liege's fortified position was part of an extensive network of forts to protect Belgium from an enemy invasion. It describes an arc extending from Comblain-au-Pont to Visé.

The defensive line around Liege was sixty kilometers long and included strong “modern” bunkers (Tancremont, Battice and Aubin-Neufchâteau) and smaller bunkers. The line formed a shield around the city of Liege.

Liege's fortified position was divided into defensive lines:
- The forward positions, with 65 shelters;
- Defense Sector Liege 1, PFL 1, contained 178 bunkers and the 3 strongpoints;
- Defense Sector Liege 2 PFL 2, consisting of 62 bunkers and 6 modernized old forts;
- Defense Sector Liege 3 PFL 3, containing 41 bunkers;
- Defense Sector Liege 4 PFL 4, with 37 bunkers and 2 modernized old forts.

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Source

  • Text: Eric vd Reek en Ed Lewandowski
  • Photos: Joost Verheijden (1, 2, 3), Ed Lewandowski (4, 5)