HKB 31./979 Justöen

HKB Justöen, also known as Birkenstrasse, was a coastal fortress built by the German army during the occupation of Norway during world war 2. The building commenced in 1941 but even though it soon became operational, it was never completely finished before the surrender of Nazi Germany in may 1945. The fortress was equipped with 4 x 10.5cm K332 (f) French field cannons with a range of approx. 16000 meters. The fortress was spread out over a large area with a multitude of smaller machine gun positions, flame throwers, mortar positions as well as being completely surrounded by a barbed wire blockade and a mine field.

The main command bunker was a Regalbau R636, a fairly common type in Norway. Underneath the command bunker, linking all the cannon positions was a fairly elaborate system of underground tunnels with a number of rooms for ammunition storage, shelter for the gun crews etc.

There was a total of 67 soldiers manning this fortress, of which there was 2 officers and 13 NCOs.

Some time after the war, the site has been used as a camping ground, but this was no longer operational.

: Old command post

: View over the command bunker from the old command post

: The commandbunker, a R636, from behind.

: R636 from the front

: Entrance to small room with a embrasure overlooking the entrance too the command bunker, for close defence.

: Inside the computing room of the command bunker with a door leading outside, and embrasure covering the entrance to the bunker and a door into the radio room.

: Exit from the computing room, leading into the observation room

: Emergency exit from command bunker

: Wire box. Probably for connecting up phone lines etc.

: Stairway up from the extensive underground tunnel system.

: Room in the underground bunker.

: Room in the underground bunker. The bevelled roof could indicate that this part of the tunnel system wasn’t originally underground, but was built and filled over.