Landships II

Tim NL · Private

Electric Fence on the Dutch Belgium border

Rectalgia · Legend

Thanks Tim, that was a serious barrier - 2000 volts and no doubt lots of amps to go with them.

What is the feeling about this? I would see it as mostly a psychological deterrent (helped by electricity being fairly new and "mythical" at that time - the "Death Wire"). Any barrier needs to be constantly protected from damage and breach or it quickly becomes a liability and/or contributes to a false sense of security. Even Australian Brigadiers (or one of them) as recently as the Vietnam War overlooked this simple principle (the infamous barrier minefield - well, more than overlooked it, brushed aside the advice of expert "sapper" officers).

I wonder if this electrical innovation, cleared of the propaganda and myths, was actually effective? I'm sure it would discourage little old ladies and be good for converting venturesome livestock into instant rations but I'm not sure it would be a serious obstacle to deny the progress of opposing forces. That would not be its purpose, I think.

cdr · Lieutenant

This precursor of an 'iron curtain' claimed about 2000 victims. It was not a military obstacle but squarely aimed against the civilian population. You have also to consider that electricity was nearly unheard of in the countryside.

Rectalgia · Legend

Thanks, I thought as much. Surprised at the high number of victims though (thinking word of it would travel very quickly indeed) - but looking at the greatwardifferent page (I just remembered that great resource) it seems a good many of those would have been intentionally risking it to rejoin the fight against the invader:

http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War/Iron_Curtain/Iron_Curtain_01.htm (with links "Next" progressively to a further 3 pages from there). Yes, the greatwardifferent.com index page is still missing.

And, on electric fences, it's the current (amperage) that does the damage, high voltage merely helps to ensure there is a path for sufficient current to pass through moderately high local electrical resistance to the ground return path and also reduces the power loss over long transmission runs - not that anyone here is interested in building their own, I'm sure. Interestingly, 2000 volts was pretty much the figure arrived at by trial and error in the 1890s for the electric chair (much of the demonstration by Edison - on animals - to show the supposed additional lethality of alternating current over direct current since his power plants were of the "safer" DC type). And it is still close to the present recommended figure for that purpose. But I've heard of (very unlucky) individuals being killed by just 32 volts.

kieffer · Commander in Chief

Rectalgia wrote:

I wonder if this electrical innovation, cleared of the propaganda and myths, was actually effective? I'm sure it would discourage little old ladies and be good for converting venturesome livestock into instant rations but I'm not sure it would be a serious obstacle to deny the progress of opposing forces. That would not be its purpose, I think.

�As there was a large number of Belgian troops (approx 30-40.000) in The Netherlands, (among a million! refugees) this wire was meant to prevent these troops getting back. Many of them took shelter over the border after the fall of Antwerp, were forced to do, and going over the border was a better option than captivity. But desertion happened too. In my home town there were still a few 'deserteurs', who couldn't go back after the war as they had to stand trial. Stories were that till the 60's in the last century deserters still couldn't visit there homeland. I don't know if these were rumours, may be they just didn't have a passport anymore, or may be they lost their nationality. And smuggling was a factor too, as it always was near the border, and lasted till the EU, or better the precursor called EEG was founded. Notorious items were butter, coffee, liquor, but I remember stories about live stock smuggling too. �

Tankcommander · Colonel

Found a good book with description of the electric fence and all (mostly still) excisting bunkers "Landforces and Marinekorps" (photo's, plans, maps, history and location) along the Dutch and Belgian border (Hollandstellung) between Knokke and Antwerp.

For the rest:

History of the wire, history of the bunker, history of the Hollandstellung, guide to visit the remains.

Name of the book: De Hollandstelling van Knokke tot Antwerpen by Hans Sakkers (edition 2011).

304 Pages, paperback

ISBN: 978 94 9038 236 0

Cost: 22,50 Euro

I think it is only written in Dutch

PS.: I don't know the writer or his publisher

DJ