Bunker BN-11, Border Defence Lanaken

Bunker BN-11 is the last bunker in the Briegden-Neerharen sector.

It is one of the larger type's bunker and features two gun openings and an opening for a searchlight (far left). The bunker could be equipped with a 47 mm anti-tank gun and a heavy machine gun. It was also possible to equip the bunker with two heavy machine guns.

The bunker was refurbished by a group of volunteers. A replica of a cannon was installed in the left gun emplacement. An original panelled door was also installed in the entrance. This door is actually the inner door. This type of bunker had two doors. A sheet metal or steelbar exterior door. The entrance to the bunker itself was a compartment to protect the crew from attacks from the rear. If the doors were closed, the enemy could not enter.

However, if both doors were closed, the crew had a problem ventilating smoke fumes when firing the machine gun and cannon. This could now leave the bunker much more difficult. This is also why one of the doors was a panneled door. If the outer door was open or if it was a grille door, the bunker could ventilate itself of smoke fumes that were toxic to the crew.

The moment it was clear that the enemy was too close, the doors were closed.

The square opening to the left of the door was the emergency exit.

Photo 4 shows one of the grenade gully. Through these gullies built into the concrete in a periscope shape, soldiers could roll out a hand grenade through a hatch on the inside to defuse the enemy in a last effort to take out the ennemy. Then they could try to leave the bunker and escape. No doubt a difficult task. After all, if the enemy was already that close and it was not clear by how much, the chance of being shot was very high. Such a shell hole can also be seen next to the entrance door, lower left, but it has been bricked up. Photo 5.

The walls and roof of this type of bunker are 1.30 m thick reinforced concrete. Only the rear of the bunker is 1 m thick (no attack was expected from that side). The bunker could withstand shells of 150 mm. No tank could therefore knock out the bunker. Only a heavy field gun, a howitzer or a flamethrower could disable the bunker.

The turret at the top is of type F.M., Fusile Mitrailleur, and contained a light machine gun that could be operated from inside the bunker.

Bunker BN-11 was exactly the same as bunker BN-8 which has since been demolished.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: B. Valgaeren (1, 2), Ed Lewandowski (3, 4, 5)
• Les fortifications belges au 10 mai 1940, F. Vernier