Passive infantry shelter - Regelbau 668

On Juliana Tuwima street in Inowłódz stands one of two Regelbau 668 type shelters built by German engineers on the local hill in August 1944. This is a passive shelter, a structure without its own armament, designed solely to protect its crew, including protection against chemical weapons.

Design from 1942

Regelbau 668 was designed in 1942 as a standard type of combat shelter for an infantry squad, deployed in large numbers from that year in the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall, and from 1944 onwards also in fortifications in the east, including the Pilica line. In Poland, shelters of this type are most commonly found in Masovian [Mazovia], Kuyavian-Pomeranian, Warmian-Masurian and Łódź [Lodz] voivodeships.

Construction and dimensions

The structure had external dimensions of approximately 7 by 7.5 metres and a height of approximately 4 metres. External walls and roof were constructed with a thickness of 1.5 metres, internal walls 0.8 metres, which required approximately 200 cubic metres of concrete and 11 tonnes of steel per shelter. The main hall, in which the crew stayed, measured 2.8 by 4 metres.

Protection against chemical weapons

The shelter had an entrance adapted for decontamination and a hermetically sealing airlock, in which positive air pressure was maintained so that combat gases could not enter the interior. Ventilation was provided by a manual system with a carbon filter, and heating by a stove. The equipment also included bunks for the crew and an emergency exit fitted with armoured doors weighing approximately 250 kilogrammes each.

How many soldiers fitted inside

Under normal conditions the shelter was adapted for the permanent stay of 6 to 9 soldiers, and in emergency situations could temporarily accommodate up to 18 persons. This large discrepancy resulted from its design: normally one squad was quartered inside, but in the event of shelling or retreat the structure could serve as shelter for a much larger group.

Location among other shelters in Inowłódz

Field research from 2006 confirmed exactly two Regelbau 668 type shelters in the Inowłódz area. The second, located on the other side of the Pilica in the hamlet of Zakościele and additionally connected to a firing position, is described in the entry Regelbau 668 shelter with attached Ringstand 58c. Both structures belong to the same eleven-element fortification complex, described in full in the entry Complex of former German combat shelters, and the firing positions from the same hill are described in Combat shelter Ringstand 58c.

Practical information

• Address: Juliana Tuwima 36, 97-215 Inowłódz.
• Access by car or on foot from Inowłódz town centre; the structure stands beside the road.
• It is not established whether the shelter is formally open for visits, marked or whether original internal fittings remain. Before visiting, expect lack of lighting and safety measures, and enquire with the local authority about current access.
• Expect a massive, low concrete structure partially set into a slope, with traces of armoured doors and ventilation openings.