MG-Ringstand

MG - Ringstand 58c, Tobruk. German concrete pillbox for machine gun, built in the fall and winter of 1944 as part of the Maas - Ruhr defense line. The entrance was connected to a series of trenches where they usually served as a front post. Although these pillboxes were built from a general construction plan, slight differences can be found in the numerous ones that still exist. This can be explained to the difficult circumstances in these harsh days, regarding materials, lack of supervision and time pressure.

Blown up Tobruk, october 1997. Jaomerdal, Venlo

These fortifications were primarily built East of the river Maas near the German border, sometimes crossing both Dutch and German territory. Almost intact examples can be found in National Park De Meinweg near Herkenbosch, on the Prinsendijk in Reuver and in the forests near Louisenburg. Hundreds of meters of trenches with extensions to several Tobruks are easily encountered. Some are almost completely covered by soil, others can be entered without any difficulty.

A lot of them were not only demolished shortly after the war, but also - because it was easier - just tipped over by digging a pit right next to it. The last ten years they are also being converted into bat shelters with the entrances closed.

A lot of the work was done by Eastern slave laborers and called upon locals, that also had to dig the tank ditches and the trenches with shovel and pickaxe. Supervision was in hands of the Todt Organisation.

The name Tobruk for this type of pillbox derives from the North African city Tobruk, where they were first built by Italian troops and later on copied by the Germans to be incorporated into the Atlantikwall.

Manual Organisation Todt 1944, depicting a concrete and a wooden version

Fallen down pillbox, august 1995. Jaomerdal, Venlo

October 1997. Bovenste Molen, Venlo

An example of an incorporated Tobruk in an existing construction could be found in front of the railroad crossing Egypte in Tegelen. The tunnel underneath was used to carry clay to the factories near the Maas river, and was transformed into a machine gun turret by creating an opening in the roof and constructing the typical machine gun extension. Sadly enough it was demolished in 1995.

Literature:

De laatste loodjes wegen zwaar. Sjra Vintcent. Heemkunde Vereniging Maas en Swalmdal 1985.

Bunker am Prinsendijk im Brachter Wald. Manfred Gross. Heimatbuch Kreis Viersen 1985.

Bovenstaande, vertaling en toevoeging. Heemkunde Vereniging Maas en Swalmdal 1994.