Defense Bunker VM33

This is bunker VM33 of the 1st defense line of defence for the city of Liège, La Position Fortifiée de Liège, PFL 1.

It is the 29th of a total of 34 bunkers in this sector, Vesdre-Manaihant. Because bunker VM1, VM 24 and 29 had a “side” bunker, it is the 29th bunker in this sector. Bunkers 26 through 31 were never built.

The bunker is no longer accessible. As with the other bunkers, the steel shutters and doors are gone. Once the bunkers lost their strategic value to the Belgian Army, all the steel was sold. The plots of land on which they stood were also sold. For this reason, they are now often located in backyards or farmers' pastures and are privately owned.

The walls and ceilings of these bunkers are of 1.30 m reinforced concrete. They could withstand shells of 150 mm.

The reinforced position of the city of Liege (Belgium) was a part of an extensive network of fortresses as a protection against an invasion by an enemy. It forms an arc that reaches from Comblain-au-Pont to Visé.

The defence lines around Liege stretched over a length of 60 kilometres and comprised strong ‘modern’ blockhouses (Tancremont, Battice and Aubin-Neufchâteau) and smaller bunkers. The line formed a shield around the city of Liege and was constructed in the period 1934 – 1935.

The reinforced position of Liege was divided in defensive lines:
- The front positions with 65 shelters;
- Defence area Liege 1 included 178 bunkers and the three aforementioned strong blockhouses;
- Defence area Liege 2 consisting of 62 bunkers and 6 modernized old fortresses;
- Defence area Liege 3 with 41 bunkers;
- Defence area Liege 4 with 37 bunkers and 2 modernized old forts.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski en Eric vd Reek
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski (1, 4, 5), Joost Verheijden (2, 3)
• La Position Fortifiée de Liège, Coenen & Vernier