Consider a hidden defender. This defender guards both the moat and the coast near Koge Bay. This is the Dobbelt geværkaponiere. It stands at Vestvolden Voldpunkt 0. This double rifle caponier is unique. It is the only one of its kind on Vestvolden.
The Dobbelt geværkaponiere was built to close the fort at point 0. It also faced Koge Bay. Construction finished in 1913. This addition aimed to cover a blind spot. This blind spot was behind the larger caponiers near the batardeau. The area was called the norillion.
The Dobbelt geværkaponiere defended with machine guns. These guns covered both the moat and the coast. It had recoil rifles. A searchlight aided in night defense.
Communication was key. A buried telephone line connected it to the main caponier. The cable lay about 1.5 meters deep. Workers discovered it during excavations for the Ringstedbanen. The cable was well-preserved. It had two conductors wrapped in tarred canvas. Lead encased the assembly. It remained intact after 100 years underground.
Vestvolden itself stretches 14 kilometers. It runs from Avedøre to Utterslev Mose. It was built between 1888 and 1892. Up to 2,000 workers constructed it. This made it Denmark’s largest construction project at the time.
Vestvolden split into two sections. The southern part was Vestenceinten. The northern was Husumenceinten. Vestvolden became the common name. Construction occurred during the “Provisorietiden.” Prime Minister J.B.S. Estrup ruled then. He lacked a parliamentary majority.
Its role as a fortification ended in 1920. The military continued using it. It opened to the public in 1963. Today, it is a recreational area. It has been protected since 1993.
Caponiers like the Dobbelt geværkaponiere were new to Danish fortification. The system was called the Danish front or the Sommerfeldt front. The key was engaging the enemy. This happened when they crossed the canal.
Caponiers stood 600 meters apart. They were in the moat on the east side of Vestvolden. They could not fire directly at the enemy. Instead, they fired along the canal. This targeted the covered rear of the next caponier. This was flanking fire.
Single caponiers had one firing direction. Double caponiers fired in both directions. The Dobbelt geværkaponiere mirrored the single design. A single caponier had a 75 mm gun. It also had two 8 mm machine guns. Recoil rifles supplemented them. The double caponier doubled these armaments.
The sunken location kept them hidden. They could only fire along the moat. The next caponier was 600 meters away. Thick earth covered them. This protected against fire from previous caponiers.
The caponier’s construction was robust. It used reinforced concrete. The front wall was 1.5 meters thick. Most ceilings were 3 meters thick. The Dobbelt geværkaponiere is a testament to military engineering. It is also a reminder of past conflicts. Today, it offers a glimpse into history.