#Fortification
Bunker construction on Terschelling
Radar station Tiger was not only a technological feat but also the largest bunker complex on Terschelling. From east to west the site measured over 300 meters wide, and from north to south about 600 meters. To secure the terrain, more than eight kilometers of barbed wire were needed to form a triple perimeter fence.
For the construction, the German occupiers enlisted the firm I.C. Kooijman from Vlieland. The supervisor was Doeke Doeksen, a Terschelling resident who witnessed discussions between the occupiers and his employer. Doeksen made sketches of the bunkers under construction and passed this information on to a Belgian resistance group. Although some suspected him of collaborating at the time, the opposite proved true. After the war, he even received a decoration in The Hague from the Belgian ambassador.
The construction was overseen by the Organisation Todt (OT), the German engineering and construction corps responsible for many defensive structures in the Third Reich. The Germans used a strictly standardized system: bunkers were built according to preset designs known as Regelbauten. Each type had its own building number and specifications, allowing for fast and uniform construction.
Materials and Logistics
All building materials had to be transported from the mainland. Entire shipments arrived on Rhine barges: cement, bricks, weapons, water pumps, generators, cranes, concrete mixers—and forced laborers to do the heavy work. From the harbor, small trains transported materials to a transfer area, after which horse-drawn carts, trucks, or additional draft horses carried the loads to the radar station.
To initially house the German troops, wooden barracks were built, carefully camouflaged to make them less visible from the air. Construction of the first bunkers followed soon after.
Built to Withstand Bombs
Each bunker had to meet strict standards. They were designed to withstand machine-gun fire, the impact of light and heavy bombs, and shrapnel. Beyond safety, practical requirements also had to be considered. The complex was connected to Terschelling’s high-voltage power grid, for which the occupiers paid the regular costs. Sanitary facilities were minimal and basic. A few toilets were scattered around the complex, with waste directed to stacked and settling pits—there was no sewer system.