The infantry block “ZATÁČKA” belongs to the six heavy fortified installations in South Moravia. Three of them are at Šatov, two in the vicinity of Hevlín and the last one at Mikulov. In August 1938 the concrete construction was done by the firm Konstruktiva from Prague. The used amount of concrete was 1430 m3; the strength of the walls is up to 225 cm. The roof is 200 cm strong and should stand direct artillery hits of calibre 240 mm. There was no chance to complete it until September 1938. During the so-called “Sudeten Crisis” it was logically neither equipped nor manned. The scheduled armament should consist of the following weapons: Two anti-tank guns 47 mm combined with two heavy machine guns, two heavy twin-machine guns and six light machine guns. During the German occupation the embrasures of the main weapons were torn out and taken away, but no further damage happened to the installation. Then in the year 1948 the block was structurally repaired and in 1949 the newly manufactured armed cupolas were built in. The two built-in armoured cupolas weigh about 21 tons each, the strength of the walls were 200 mm. In 1951 the block war partially equipped by the Czechoslovakian army, and in 1960 it was armed with two new casemate guns 85 mm, model 44/59. Even in the 90s of the last century a special unit of the army used during its training original parts of the fortification equipment from the 30s of the last century as for example weapon mountings, machine guns, embrasure locks, equipment of the cupolas etc. In 1938 the garrison of the block was considered to be 35 soldiers, in the years from 1960 to 1999 (when the Czech army definitely abandoned the block) 28 soldiers were scheduled.

Martin Ráboň (Author), Uwe Szerátor (Translator)