Bunker AC 1 Cheratte

These are the remains of bunker AC 1.

Bunker AC 1 belongs to sector Barchon-Meuse (BM) of the PFL 2. Despite this bunker is within the sector Barchon-Meuse, the bunker is known with a different abbreviation. The bunker is named after the area witch is known as 'Aux Communes'.

The sector consists of 7 bunkers. 5 bunkers still remain.

The bunkers is located on a ridge east of te village of Cheratte, south of the city of Visé and had a perfect view on the valley of the river Meuse and the surrouding area.

When in later years the bunker losts its military status and the area was used for residantial construction, the bunker completely surrounded with houses. It was left inbetween the houses in a little park.

Only for about ten years ago the bunker was demolished. Only few remaining reminds us of AC 1

The walls and ceiling of the bunkers from the PFL were standard 1.30 m. thick and of reinforced concrete. They had to be able to withstand shells of 150 mm. To illustrate, the caliber of shells a Königstiger could fire was caliber 88 mm. Thus, only heavier caliber field guns could penetrate the concrete and potentially destroy the bunker.

The bunkers were built in the 1930s.

After the war, when the bunkers lost their strategic value for the Belgian army, the plots of land on which they stood were sold. All the metal of the hatches and doors was sold as scrap metal. Hence the that most bunkers are now on private plots.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski