V1 Feuerstellung Helmerhoek

In Enschede on the De Helmer estate (Helmerhoek district) foundations of a V1 launch platform (Abschussrampe) are in the ground; however, it was never operational. The estate/farm was confiscated by the Germans during the last year of the war to build this base.

The runway faces south-west, indicating that this runway was intended for launches towards the south of Belgium and Antwerp.

There seem to have been four V1 runways in the area between Haaksbergen and Enschede. These are:
1- runway in the Assinkbos (then and now owned by the L. van Heek family).
2- runway near the Helmerhoek
3- runway on the road to Enschede, the current Enschedesestraat behind the Ziepe farm. This farm can be found at Enschedesestraat 188. There are still various remains in the ground here, including the concrete track and well for cooling water. The concrete track starts directly behind the farm and goes a long way into the forest. It can also be reached via a forest path from the Molenbeltenweg.
4- runway near the Rutbeek area (now camping Twente).

These and some other V1 installations come with concrete, for the foundation, from the Wielerbaan in Enschede. This velodrome no longer exists, only the earth walls are still visible in the landscape. The school that is there now is named after "the Wielerbaan" that once stood there.

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Source

• Text: Gerard de Boer & Alex Ossel
• Photos: Alex Ossel (1, 2, 3), Gerard de Boer (4, 5)