Ringstand 58c

On ul. Wschodnia in Uniejów there survives a reinforced concrete combat bunker of type Ringstand 58c, colloquially known as a "tobruk". It is one of approximately five such structures that have endured in the area around the city as a remnant of German field fortifications from 1944.

What is a "tobruk"

Ringstand 58c is a small reinforced concrete combat bunker, designed for a crew operating a machine gun MG 34 or MG 42, staffed by two soldiers: a gunner and an ammunition assistant. The colloquial name "tobruk" derives from the fighting over the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa, where the Germans first deployed similar structures on a large scale.

Bunker construction

The structure consists of two chambers. A sunken auxiliary chamber with a side entrance served as shelter for the crew and ammunition storage. The protruding combat position takes the form of an octagonal tower, open at the top, from which the crew conducted fire. Construction of one such bunker required approximately 11 cubic metres of concrete, with work taking around 25 days, which meant the element could also be executed as a ready-made prefabricate and transported to the site.

Defensive line over the Warta

The fortifications around Uniejów were erected in the summer and autumn of 1944 as part of the German defensive line OKH Stellung, stretching along the Warta and intended to halt the advancing Red Army. Uniejów lay at that time within the borders of Reichsgau Wartheland, an administrative district of the Third Reich incorporated into Germany after 1939. The defensive line was never used in combat. To this day approximately five preserved bunkers of this type have been identified in the area using LIDAR scanning, including the specimen described here on ul. Wschodnia.

Practical information

• Address: Wschodnia 13, 99-210 Uniejów
• Getting there: Uniejów, a town known primarily for Termy Uniejów, to which most tourist traffic in the area is directed
• What to expect: a reinforced concrete field bunker from 1944, an outdoor site; it is worth checking on site before your visit regarding accessibility and state of preservation