Same hill. Dugup prepared for construction of bunker.
Same hill. Dugup prepared for construction of bunker.
Anti tank ditch built just belowe shown hill. After the front came through ditch was used as execution place of POWs of Jewish descent and comissars, since August 1941 as execution place of local Jewish population conducted by Einsatzgruppen and by 1942 execution place of Poles. Part of it is turned into some kind of grave- memorial. Behind it hidden in bushes and quite forgotten stand row of small, concrete grave markers with red stars.
Podborze was first village, right behind border. Didn’t found any info about organized defense there except existing NKVD border Guard post near the forest. Probably he was killed in combat for that post.
Two most interesting bunkers IMHO from fortified point Prosienica.
#1- about 300m from main road from Ostrów Mazowiecka (hence from Warsaw too) to Białystok. Armed with DOT-4 set (45mm gun and 7,62 machine gun) originally in visible blown up placement and NPS-3- Maxim machine gun in armored mount.
Very probably that this bunker was fully equiped considering devastation of main armament placement, also it was a target of intense, mostly artillery, fire from north- direction of main road and west. Heard rummors that fragments of 88mm shells were being found here. Looking at hit spots that's very probable. That also supports thesis that this bunker was equipped and manned and pioneers from 221st battalion needed to wait for 88s following them. Hard to say what was the fate of it's crew, surrendered due to lack of ammo or defeaned bu artillery hits were wiped out?
Interesting view of original door frame with original olive paint and ventilation system remains at the entrance. One worth noticing piece is above the door- Russian sign "Stalina nr. 80" in mirror reverse. Probably remain after iron supporting bar placed above door (one like I'll show in following bunker) when concrete was still wet and name of factory placed on bar became printed on concrete. Also looks like some charge was placed to blow up the door what might support opinion that defeaned from srtillery hits cre didn't noticed German pioneers crowling from behind. These Soviet bunkers also had very poorly defended main entrance in comparison to German fortification. Usually only defense was DP-28 placement next to doors inside bunker.
External pipe hit with numerous bullets. Not sure if it was part of ventilation, it's much more narrow that ventilation pipes I've seen inside, also this screw at the end looks strange. Maybe periscope or antena piece?
And another inderesting feature- bullet, or exactely armor piercing cores locked in bunkers wall.
#2 placed next to previous one. Armed with two DOT-4 sets. Probably not armed by June 22nd- note iron reinforcement sticking out above gun emplacements, also it has only one frame for mounting armored plate dor 45mm gun and machine gun.
Note moat in front of guns emplacements which was also kind of dump for spent casings- wholes marked with red arrows were made to throw away spent 45mm shell casings.
Armor door frame with original paint- note supporting bar which was missing on previous bunker and descent to technical level- water tank, gasoline tank and sewers. Big constructions had everything what crew would need to live inside it.
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