Stollen-Unterstand

This substantial underground shelter forms part of the Maasbogen-Stellung. With an impressive total length of 135 metres, the dugout is served by no fewer than seven entrances. At its centre lies a section reinforced in concrete, arranged as the headquarters for the platoon commander, referred to in German as the “Zugführer”.

Above ground, the trench line at this location has been faced with brickwork and remains remarkably well preserved given its age. It is precisely this section that is documented through a series of striking historical photographs on one of my personal favourite websites, Morthomme. Particular attention should be paid to the image of a sentry standing watch beside the entrance leading towards the Zugführer’s quarters.

It is from this photograph that I learned the Germans referred to these underground shelters here as “Stollen-U”.

Between Eingang C and Eingang D there is also a brick-built shelter. This served as the working space for the Zugführer during the daytime, and was used only in quieter periods (Tagesraum). At night, and during bombardments, personnel would withdraw once more to the safety of the underground Stollen-Unterstand.

A final word of caution is warranted. Visiting this tunnel entails significant risks, including the danger of collapse, potential oxygen deficiency, and the presence of unexploded ordnance among the debris (also visible in several photographs).

“Eingang A” has completely collapsed. The entrance was reinforced with Heinrichbogen, a portion of which remains visible in this photograph. Caution is advised here, as the air quality was notably poor.

“Eingang B” is thought to have borne a coat of arms above its entrance, likely displaying the name of this Stollen-U. Unfortunately, no trace of this has been found. It is equally possible that a wooden sign was once mounted here, indicating the name or even the number of the shelter, as observed at the Stollen-U “Kieslingstein”, which still retains its designation “U 3”.

In German positions of the First World War, it was almost invariably the case that structures were numbered in sequence from right to left, or from north to south. This numbering system was also reset for each trench line, meaning that one could encounter U1, U2, U3 along the front line, and again U1, U2, U3 within the second line.

With this in mind, it is conceivable that this shelter may once have been designated U1 of the Hauptwiderstandslinie within the Maasbogen-Stellung.

Caution is required regarding this item of unexploded ordnance, which still lies along the descent of Eingang C. It remains potentially explosive.

The fuze is still present on this shell, and the copper driving band displays clear rifling marks. These grooves indicate that the projectile has passed through the barrel of a gun, where the rifled bore imparted a stabilising spin, effectively allowing the shell to bore through the air and significantly increasing its range.

The fact that this is a fired shell with an intact fuze indicates that it failed to detonate upon impact over a century ago. Its preservation in the dry conditions of this tunnel only underscores the need to keep a safe distance and not to interfere with it under any circumstances.

During descent, it is not uncommon for loose material from the surrounding ground to shift and slide downwards. This creates the risk that the shell itself may be displaced, a situation that must be avoided at all times. Navigating past this hazard was far from straightforward; it required extreme caution, ensuring that nothing was disturbed and that no material from the tunnel walls or ceiling was dislodged in the process.