Orlické hory - fortification

Border military fortification from 1938

Impaired by the imminence of German danger put in appearance mid 1940s, there has been decided to initiate a construction of fortress line all over the border ridge of the Orlické Mountains. This line should have been a part of the state boundary fortification scheme protecting the most endangered sector from Bohumín to Krkonoše Mountains. The edifice has begun in 1936 and must have been surrendered in September 1938 after the Munich Arrangement events.

Kralicko (from K-21 to K-53b) = Rokytnicko (from R-54 to R-91) = Náchodsko (from N-1 to N-52a)

Detailed review of heavy forts line, worked according books: "Lexikon těžkých objektů" (Stehlík,E. a kol, Dvůr Králové, 2001) and "Československá zed'" (Ráboň M. a kol., Brno, 1993).
These pages only in Czech.

Fortification line slopes down from the fortress Bouda in the Suchý vrch massif to Mladkov, crossing the Tichá Orlice valley to southern end of the Petrovičky village climbing again to the Adam hill. There has been built fortress Adam which The fortress Hanička, the artillery casemate R-79 is now due to its territorial and tactical position kept by the Czech military forces so that not accessible to public. The line goes then to the Zemská brána (Land Gate) pass in Divoká Orlice valley and next through Žamberk Woodlands to a flat saddle near Hanička where a route from Rokytnice to Bartošovice is passing by. Another fortress (Hanička) has been built just here. From there the fortification line continues upwards to Anna Hill and further along the main ridge to Velká Deštná. Between Velká and Malá Deštná owing to border closeness the line leaves the main ridge continuing along the parallel lower ridge over the Šerlišský creek, mounting up to Sedloňov Hill to step down again to Polom village. At this point it concurs with a Náchod area fortification system by the fortress Skutina which locked an access from Germany to Olešnice and Nové Město nad Metují.

Compare to others, the Orlické Mountains border sector proceeded furthermost - nearly all steel bells (except the Adam's) have been completed. The construction, however, required substantial alteration to the nature, new access roads up to the ridge were built known this very day as "bunkrovky" (casematies). Some constructions you may meet along marked tourist trails but mostly they are hidden in landscape out of beaten tracks.

A light forts line created by "LO-type 37" blockhouses (so called "řopík") is practically compact, with a few exceptions as Velká Deštná for example, frequently settled in successive series. Another few forts type 36 are to be seen, for example at Čihák.

Heavy forts line created by autonomous infantry casemates have been finished as building structures from Bouda to Komáří Hill finishing there with an artillery observatory R-S-91. The section between Komáří Hill and Polom should have been built by 1939. On Polom the line starts with an infantry casemate N-S-43 and continues over fortress Skutina towards Dobrošov. While sectors Králíky and Rokytnice have been practically finished, Náchod sector could have been just started so that not all structures succeeded to get concreted until September 1938.

Within Orlické Mountains and immediate environs there are several fortification museums open to public. Probably the most popular are three artillery forts: Nearly authentic disposition retains Bouda fortress near Suchý vrch, Hanička fortress rebuilt in fallout shelter during 1970-1990s, unfinished fortress Skutina near Sedloňov, and well-known fortress Dobrošov near Náchod. Infantry casemate Březinka near Dobrošov and a light fort type 37 near Sněžné village are also open to public.