Bunker CTF 2 Jupille

This is bunker CTF 2.

The bunker is located within the sector Liège of the first line of defense for the city of Liège, PFL 3.

CTF stands for 'Centraux téléphoniques' which can be translated as a bunker for telephone exchange. The bunker was not intended as a bunker in de line of defense or shelter. Within the PFL area there were 34 CTF-bunkers. They provided communication between the forts and the bunkers.

Telephonelines were burried as deep as 2 meters in between bunkers and the forts. Outside the forts the lines were burried even as deep as 6 meters. Out of precaution for the expected shelling of the forts with heavy artillary. At this depht the lines would be less vurnerable for the shells.

typical for this bunker ths is it has a second opening located on the streetside. The opening next to the door was not for a cannon or machinegun. But was an escape hatch.

ypical for this kind of bunkers is that they do not have gunopenings. On first sight one might think dat the opening next to the door was for a cannon or machinegun. But this is an escape hatch. There are hower some exceptions. The early build CTF-bunkers like CTF 2 would have a gunopening. (f.a. CTF 8 in Bellaire). The later types were build without gunopenings.

The bunker still has its original door. Also the bunker still has its redbrick camouflage pattern. The collor red and the brick pattern (carved in the cement) would make these bunker not stand out between the houses of the city of Liège. Even today the camouflage works perfect. When you see the building next to the bunker, even if this building is post war, one might think it al belongs together. It blends in perfectly.

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.

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. Only with a peak throug the gate you will be able te see the entrance of the bunker and the escape (hatch).

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski
• La Position Fortifiée de Liège, Coenen & Vernier