The foremost fort island IJmuiden in IJmuiden

betekenis & definitie

(Zuiderbuitenkanaal approx.) Was constructed in 1880-87 as coastal fort in the harbor mouth of IJmuiden to close off the North Sea Canal. The V-shaped building surrounded by a dry canal had five guns on the sea side and an armored dome with two guns on the land side. With two coastal batteries and two land batteries, the coastal fort was extended in 1910 to the position of IJmuiden. In 1919 it was separated as an independent defense from the Defense Line of Amsterdam. With the construction of the Noordersluis (1929-'30) the coastal fort changed into a fortress island. From 1942 the Germans converted the fort into a 'Kernwerk' in the Festung IJmuiden and it was expanded with various bunkers. In 1967 the island was reduced and parts of the added bunkers were demolished.