MUSEUM "WAALSDORP"

A Würzburg-Riese system on the isle of Rozenburg in the Netherlands

The German World War II interception system against aircraft mentioned on the previous page, comprised several Würzburg-Riese radar systems that were situated along the Dutch coast to intercept as early as possible the bombers of the Allied Powers on their way to Germany.

In May 1944, a Würzburg-Riese radar with the codename FuMO 214 "Seetakt" (FunkMessgerät Ort) was operational near the entrance of the "Nieuwe Waterweg", the canal to the Harbour of Rotterdam. This Würzburg-Riese equipment was set the task to support the heavy guns, the MKB "Brandenburg" at the command post of the former Dutch gun-turret VIII. The radar equipment was situated in the nature reserve called "de Beer", now known as the harbour-area "Europoort". The pictures below show the Würzburg-Riese antenna on the isle of Rozenburg.

Figure 7: Würzburg-Riese antenna at Rozenburg

Figure 8: location of the Würzburg-Riese radar antenna at Rozenburg

The Würzburg-Riese antenna moves from Rozenburg to the "Vlakte van Waalsdorp"

After the end of World-war II, for Europe on the 7th of May 1945, all German army-equipment situated on the territory of the occupied nations fell into the hands of these nations as a war prize. This was also true for the German radar systems. Those systems formed a welcome addition for the restart of the electronic research in the nations. Also the spare parts of these systems left behind after the departure of the fighting both sides were readily used.

In 1947, the Würzburg-Riese antenna on the isle of Rozenburg was raised from its base and moved to the "Vlakte van Waalsdorp" at The Hague near Scheveningen, along the access-road of the Physics Laboratory RVO-TNO. This Laboratory was also situated on the borderland with the municipality Wassenaar. Figure 9 shows the empty base of the Würzburg-Riese equipment on the isle of Rozenburg after the transport of the radar.

Figure 9: empty base of the Würzburg-Riese at Rozenburg

Figure 10 shows the new location of the Würzburg-Riese antenna at the "Vlakte van Waalsdorp".

Figure 10: Würzburg-Riese antenna installed at the "Vlakte van Waalsdorp"