Links to other related pages
GORINCHEM:
Gemeente Gorinchem
This is the official site of the counsel of Gorichem (in Dutch only).This the official site of the tourist information service of Gorinchem, with e-mail vvvgorinchem@solcon.nl (in Dutch only)
The site is in Dutch only, but still nice to see. You will find the most needed information here, below:
The large medieval church tower can be visited. After climbing 254 stairs, you can enjoy the view over the old Fortress Town
and look far over the surrounding Dutch river landscape.
But about halfway, you can visit the Bell chamber, housing the large hour and half hour sounding Bells, of which one is cast in the year 1481. The Bell tower houses also the 47 Bells of the Carillon. Visits are under supervision of a guide.
Tours: May until October, each Saturday, starting at 12:00 and at 14:00.
Each second Sunday of the Month, at 14:00.
Due to a maximum group size of 15 persons, all tours have to be booked in front at the Tourist office.
Tours can also be booked outside the standard tour times, all year round. You can request an English speaking guide.
Telephone +31 183 631 525, or E-mail info@vvvgorinchem.nlThis is the site of the historic society in Gorinchem, in Dutch only.
Fishing, or angling is a traditional and very popular sport in Gorinchem, therefore a link to a Gorinchem based
anglers site is presented here, also linked to the anglers club HSV, which is the biggest club in Gorinchem.
This site is in the Dutch language only.
Steam Tug "Jan de Sterke":
- This is a small steam tug from 1913.
- The home port is Gorinchem.
DUTCH WATER LINE, FORTRESS TOWNS, FORTRESSES AND BUNKERS:
This is the site of the National Project, this is a initiative of the government, to guide the conservation, visualization in the landscape and re-use of the Dutch Water Line.
This is a very informative site, with a large photo archive of all objects in the Dutch Water Line.How the Dutch Waterline Defense system works (with Dutch comment)
This organization organizes excursions to historic Military Defense Works in the Netherlands. It also actively supports preservation of these Works in the Netherlands and performs investigation and study.
This organization organizes excursions to historic Military Defense Works in the Netherlands and abroad. It also actively supports preservation of these Works in the
Netherlands.This is a portal site, to find everything that has to do with military history, defense lines, fortresses, etc.
This is the fortresses site of the Council of Utrecht. It is also a very good site with lots of information. Utrecht paus a lot of attention to their fortresses, which are also part of the Dutch Water Line. However, most information is in the Dutch language.
This is the site about the ring of fortresses around the capital Amsterdam.
National Landscapes: De Stelling van Amsterdam
Short TV documentary film from NCRV. It is in Dutch, but gives a good impression of the Stelling van Amsterdam.
All Defense Lines, Fortresses and Bunkers in the Netherlands
This is a very nice site, with many big pictures!
This is the site of sea Fortress Pampus, it is on a purpose made island in the inland sea IJsselmeer (former Zuiderzee), it guarded the east entrance of the harbor of Amsterdam and it belonged to the fortresses ring around Amsterdam.
This is the site of sea Fortress Pampus, it is on a purpose made island in the harbor mouth of IJmuiden, it guarded the entrance to the North Sea channel, which is actually the west entrance to the harbor of Amsterdam and it belonged also to the fortresses ring around Amsterdam.
ARTILLERY:
This is the site about the 41e section field Artillery of the Dutch Army, it gives a short description of the development of Artillery from the early middle ages, up till now. The site is in the Dutch language, but shows also pictures.
Artillery bombardment of a fortress:
This and the following link, are to learn, why the fortresses with their very thick brick buildings (1m to 2m thick) and ground covering 3m to 5m thick could not withstand the artillery and were at the end of the 19th century obsolete.
Unfortunally, this site is again in the Dutch language. It gives a report with some pictures of a try-out in 1886 of the French, wit their at the time available Artillery shooting at their own fortress Fort La Malmaison from 1883, consisting of partly ground covered brick buildings. They used a 155mm Canon from 1881 and a 220mm Mortar from 1880.
They shot 171 rounds together, the effect devastating, the exploding shells left holes of 3m to 6m wide in the earth and brickwork of the contrescarp ring and a 220mm projectile penetrated 3m earth and 80cm brickwork, then exploded in barracks, blasting out the brick facade.The capture of the Fort van Lier
The fortress van Lier is a Belgian fortress and part of the ring of fortresses around the city and harbor of Antwerp. This site describes the fortress and the attack of the Germans at the beginning of First World War in 1914. The site is in the Dutch language. The fortress was built in 1877 with ground covered thick brick buildings, however it was modernized with a layer of concrete on the thick brick roofs. Also some iron panzer gun turrets were made.
On the 28th of September, the German Hauptmann Erdmann arrived with his battery of 2 Thick Berta type guns arrived.
The Thick Berta´s were Howitzers of 420mm. They are positioned at 7.8km from the fortress and on the 30th of September, they start shooting. The fortress is hit 57 times. Concrete and brick is flying around, after a few hours, the concrete layers on top of the thick brick buildings are broken and all buildings have large cracks. The other day there is almost no intact shelter to be found on the fortress. Some iron panzer gun turrets are hit and out of action. See the picture.
WAR:
This is a large site of the 1e World War, or great war 1914-1918. This gives an impression of the tactics, weapons and horrors of that time. Also in this war appeared the largest scale of engagement between fortresses and field artillery, especially at the beginning of the war, when the Germans invaded Belgium.
This is a very large and excellent site (in the English language) about the struggle of the Dutch Army, when the Germans invaded The Netherlands. The Dutch Water Line was more or less prepared, but the modern war was to fast and the Dutch Water Line was by-passed.
This is also a very extensive and excellent site with many eye witness reports and photographs. However, it is in Dutch with an English summary. I advise to read the English Summary first and the go back and look around on the site to see maps of the battle order and photographs. It gives some inside in the strategy, the bunkers, fieldworks and weapons of the Dutch army at that time, when the Dutch Water Line was prepared for the last time, but not used.
At this site, start to click on Grebbeberg at the top, then scroll down and click on English Summary, down on the left.
Last revised: maart 17, 2013.
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