Grebbe Line - World War II

World War II

In 1939 the disused line was once again fortified against a German attack on the Netherlands, but due to cost and skills issues (soldiers were used as labourers) the earthworks were not well-constructed. In the original plans the line would fulfill its ancient task as a forward defensive line of the Water line. At the last moment however, in February 1940 the new Dutch commander in chief General Henri Winkelman, decided to make the Grebbe line the main defensive line in the central sector of the Dutch defences. The Dutch Water line was deemed less useful as the modern German field artillery could reach the main cities Utrecht and Amsterdam from their positions opposing the defences.

Meanwhile, the Germans were aware of the line and of its outline. Before the war German spies had regularly visited the zoo at Rhenen using its lookout tower to map the defences there. When the Germans attacked in May 1940, the Dutch army managed to defend the Grebbe line for three consecutive days, much to the surprise of the Germans. The Battle of the Grebbeberg saw the fiercest fighting in those few days, during which 420 Dutch and around 250 German soldiers were killed.

Directly after the cessation of hostilities a war cemetery was established at the Grebbeberg location by the German authorities.

The Grebbe line was permanently decommissioned by the Dutch Government in 1951.