Bunkers in South Tyrol - WW1 or 2?

[andiS]

Hi

There is a discussion going on in one of the Facebook groups to which I belong over a couple of bunkers in South Tyrol which the locals said were WW1..but which look far more 1930s or 40s. I wonder if anybody here knows?

"One is at Mals, the other near Glurns (Glorenza). They are near the approaches to the Reschenpass (on the Italian side)"

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/1484371_417873585006106_1096081088_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/q79/s720x720/1451340_417873615006103_1677198972_n.jpg

Best wishes

andy

[Khaki]

Hello Andy

The first photo looks very like a WW2 bunker, but the second photo has a GW look to it.

khaki

[Duiker]

The bunker on the first picture seems to me to be a WW2 bunker.

But the bunker on the second picture looks very strong on a WW1 bunker.

As well as how he is made and construction.

Anton

[centurion]

I have seen photos of other Italian bunkers built in WW1 that look like the first photo. Domed strong points are a part of fortress design in general that go back before 1914

[mebu]

Could be either, or could be neither. Most mid European countries have been fortifying, re-fortifying, modernising and re-modernising their border defences since well before WW1. The periods leading up to both wars saw much activity. As Centurion said, the domed type is fairly standard. At a guess I'd say that both are from the inter-war period, probably mid 1930s.

Peter

[centurion]

The Reschenpass system was built starting in 1938 However there have been fortifications in and around the Pass since the Romans built the road in AD 50 and various systems often incorporated previous constructions

[Talbotwoods]

Photo 1 has been identified as being

Strong Point No. 4 (Blockade Malles-Glorenza)

http://en.tracesofwar.com/article/7050/Strong-Point-No-4-Blockade-Malles-Glorenza.htm

Photo 2 has been identified as

Strong Point No. 23 (Blockade Malles-Glorenza)

http://en.tracesofwar.com/article/7055/Strong-Point-No-23-Blockade-Malles-Glorenza.htm

Both confirmed by the original poster

Tim

[Duiker]

Thanks, Tim.

Anton

[Talbotwoods]

The only propblem is that knowing what they are, is very differnt from working out when the were 'originally' constructed. I suspect that the first one may have older origins, as Centurian,Mebu et al. have pointed out they have been playing with these since pre 1914. The second we are more content with the age being 1935 onwards due to the design

Tim

[andiS]

Thanks everybody :-)