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Czech hedgehog   by liumingliang

History

The Czech hedgehog's name refers to its origin in what is now the Czech Republic. The hedgehogs were originally used on the Czech-German border by the Czechoslovak border fortifications - a massive but never-completed fortification system built on the eve of World War II by Czechoslovakia. The fortification system fell to Germany in 1938 after the occupation of the Sudetenland as a consequence of the Munich Agreement.

Czech hedgehogs were widely used during World War II by the Soviet Union in anti-tank defence. They were produced from any sturdy piece of metal and sometimes even wood, including railroad ties. Czech hedgehogs were especially effective in urban combat, where a single hedgehog could block an entire street. Czech hedgehogs thus became a symbol of "defence at all cost" in the Soviet Union; hence the memorial to Moscow defenders, built alongside M-10 in 1966, is composed of three giant Czech hedgehogs.

However, in some forms of warfare, Czech hedgehogs proved to be less effective. They were often made larger than they should have been, and although they were quite useful in urban warfare, there was little use of armour in urban warfare during the Russian campaign.

Czech hedgehogs were part of the defences of the Atlantic Wall and are visible in many images of the Normandy invasion.

Technical details

Technically, a Czech hedgehog made to specifications could be constructed from any material capable of withstanding at least 60 tonnes-force (600 kN), while being at most 1.4 metres (4 ft 7 in) high. However, such parameters were hard to achieve in makeshift hedgehogs, reducing their usefulness.

Industrially manufactured Czech hedgehogs were made of three L-shaped metal brackets (L 140/140/13 mm, length 1.8 metres (5 ft 11 in), weight 198 kilograms (440 lb); later versions: length 2.1 metres (6 ft 11 in), weight 240 kilograms (530 lb)) joined by sheet metal, rivets and bolts (or, later in the war, welded together) into a characteristic spatial three-armed cross. (This pattern forms the axes of an octahedron.) Two arms of the hedgehog were connected in the factory, while the third arm was connected on-site by an M20 bolt. The arms were equipped with square "feet" to prevent sinking into the ground, as well as a notch for attaching barbed wire.

See also

Caltrop

Dragon's teeth (fortification)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Czech hedgehog

"Imperial War Museum Online Collection". Photograph number A 23992, Royal Navy Commandos at La Riviere preparing to demolish two of the many beach obstacles (image). http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/qryPhotoImg.asp. Retrieved 2007-04-17. 

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Categories: Anti-tank obstacles | Area denial weaponsHidden categories: Articles containing Czech language text

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