Tel.: +420 606 236 799
E-mail: t-s19@t-s19.cz
Web: www.t-s19.cz
GPS souřadnice:
50°30'19.748"N
16°8'1.318"E
Infantry Casemate T-S 19 Turov is part of the system of Czechoslovak pre-war fortifications built between 1935-1938 throughout the whole of Czechoslovakia to defend against possible hostilities by Nazi Germany, Hungary and Poland.
Infantry Casemate T-S 19 Turov was built by Ing. Josef Filip from Prague, a construction company that built 9 infantry casemates (T-S 1a,1b,2, 4-7, 19 and 20) in the Zbečník construction subdivision. This section was divided into the eastern part with casemates 1a-7 and the western part with casemates 19 and 20, known as the Chlívce fortress closure. A large artillery fortress, Jírova Hora, was to be built between the western and eastern sectors, intended to fire its 10 cm howitzers and 15 cm mortars not only to support the neighbouring buildings in defending against the enemy, but mainly to help the neighbouring Dobrošov fortress defend the main access road to the hinterland via Náchod. The machine guns and cannons of casemates 19 and 20 barricaded the access road to the hinterland from Teplice nad Metují and Stárkov to Červený Kostelec. Therefore, these casemates were also built as a priority and their armament reflects this. Helping to defend the access road was a casemate 9 cm mortar from T-S 23a from Švédský vrch, 4 rapid-fire mortars from fortress dome TJH-S 14, and a total of five 10 cm howitzers from artillery tower T-JH-S 11 and artillery casemate T-JH-S 12. Despite the significant potential artillery and mortar support, the future construction of a separate mortar facility was also envisaged due to the huge amount of dead space in the Metuje valley in the forefield of the fortification.
The actual T-S 19 casemate was concreted in between 12 and 15 May 1938 with 1,290 m3 of concrete in Roman resistance class II, i.e. with a ceiling 2 metres thick, a front wall 2.25 metres thick and a thickness of 1 metre for the other walls. The earthworks on the building had almost been completed by the time the border region was abandoned, and the electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning systems were virtually ready. A diesel generator and a water pump were yet to be installed in the building. A filtration plant was installed, i.e. filtration and ventilation equipment to make the facility habitable in the event of combat. The right gunnery room was kitted out with twin heavy vz.37 machine guns in a firing chamber with a raised depression for firing out from the slope. The anti-tank gun was not placed in this gunnery room, as that was to be housed in the opposite gunnery room of blockhouse T-S 18, which was not built. The main - left - gunnery room was armed with a 4.7 cm Škoda vz.36 anti-tank gun together with a vz.37 heavy machine gun and a vz.37 twin heavy machine gun. There were also similar armaments placed in the opposite gunnery room in the T-S 20 casemate at Na Pláni. The anti-tank gun could fire 35 rounds per minute, and when loaded with anti-tank ammunition was able to penetrate shielding 50 mm thick on enemy armoured vehicles at a distance of 1 kilometre, which was more than enough to destroy the 1938 German Pzkpw 1-4 tanks. The two armoured cupolas designed for the light machine gun vz.26 with a weight of 20.2 tons per cupolas did not make it to the site from the production plant in Vítkovice, despite the heroic efforts of the heavy installation corps.
The casemate was crewed by 29 men from 2 companies of the 1st battalion of border regiment 17, commanded by Lt. Infantryman Vilém Kozák. This unit could not be put together until after the retreat from the border region, so the border guards were temporarily assigned to guard battalion VIII. After the Munich Agreement, the building remained just inside the territory of the besieged republic; even so, it was evacuated, together with its equipment. During the occupation, the Nazis used the building to test their weapons, from artillery to sappers practising with charges. The building therefore bears some extensive scarring from these tests. During the communist regime, there was a rendering plant nearby, and the building itself was left to its fate, without any maintenance. It stayed this way until 2009, when demanding renovation work was undertaken by enthusiasts - members of the Military History Club T-S 19 Turov z. s. With an enormous amount of hard work, loving care and extraordinary skill, they managed to free this monument from the clutches of nature; they have practically brought the building back from the dead, and it now houses a fascinating museum that is well worth a visit.
In addition to work that now cannot be seen, such as removing the illegal rubbish dump, cleaning the building of debris, clearing out up to a metre of mud and improving the surrounding area, the association reconstructed almost the whole of the upper floor of the building and more than half of the lower floor. The roof was repaired and insulated, a mock-up of the firing range was obtained, an exhibition was set up in the main shooting room, and a refurbished period diesel engine was installed. Admission to the facility is voluntary and the proceeds are used solely to buy exhibits and cover other renovations to enhance the casemate.
What can you see here and what does the tour involve?
We regularly give tours of our building on the last weekend of every month, when reconstruction work is underway. The tours are always adapted to the knowledge and age of the visitors, so a different tour is provided for families with children or visitors who are already familiar with the fortification. The guide walks visitors throughout the building, describing and explaining the purpose of each room, with a longer stop in the main shooting room, where visitors can handle weapons and try on helmets or gas masks if they wish. There is also a ladder leading to the floor in the repaired left shaft of the armoured cupola. This allows visitors to see the surroundings as the troops saw them in 1938 when they were waiting for the cupola to be fitted. The tour is interspersed with the guide’s personal recollections of the reconstruction of the building and interesting facts about life on the site, with a special focus on Commander Vilém Kozák.
The staff of the infantry casemate looks forward to your visit and hopes that it will give you a broader insight into these fortifications and make your time in the Broumov region more enjoyable for you and your children.
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