The end of the tiger position on Terschelling

In mid-September 1944, the airbase Fliegerhorst Leeuwarden was bombed. This forced the Nachtjagdgeschwader to return to Germany, effectively ending much of their activity over the Netherlands. German fighter planes and crews increasingly relocated to Germany.

Meanwhile, the Allied advance accelerated. Air superiority grew, and more bombers carried out destructive missions targeting key German industries, cities, and refineries. This led to a severe fuel shortage in Germany, preventing many aircraft from taking off. The Tiger Position was affected as well. From the end of 1944, this radar station became almost entirely inactive. Although the equipment still functioned, there were no German night fighters left to guide.

When the liberation of the Netherlands was officially achieved on 5 May 1945, the residents of Terschelling had to wait until 16 May 1945 to be freed by a detachment of the British Medium Artillery Regiment. They soon departed again, leaving the island in a power vacuum. This caused some complications between the German commander and the Dutch resistance over who was actually in charge. It was not until 26 May 1945 that the island was definitively freed from German troops, who were transported to Wilhelmshaven on their own outpost boats.

The end of the German fortifications was marked by a visit from the General Staff on 17 and 18 September 1946. They assessed what should be done with the extensive defensive works and documented in a report what could remain and what had to be removed. The most important complex, the Tiger Position, an impressive bunker complex along the Delleweg, was fortunately largely preserved. Remnants of other positions were also preserved, including one complete underground position.