R o P r i k
Two Holes in the Dike (17-4-1945 Inundation)
DE GEST / WIERINGERMEER - April 1, 1945. It's about three weeks before the end of World War II. The Allies have already crossed the IJssel and moved north in a short time. The city of Groningen has been liberated. Only Western Netherlands is still in German hands. In Festung Holland about 118,000 German soldiers were enclosed. On that seventeenth April at 12:15 pm the Germans blew two holes in the dike between the Wieringermeerpolder and the IJsselmeer with explosives. The water level on the IJsselmeer was NAP + 0.12 meters at that time. At the location where they blew up the dike, the ground level in Wieringermeer is on NAP – 3.50 meters. In the 48 hours that followed, the water slowly flowed into the polder, but soon after, the Wieringermeerpolder filled with a wall of water.
Two Holes in the Dike (17-4-1945 Inundation)
DE GEST / WIERINGERMEER - April 1, 1945. It's about three weeks before the end of World War II. The Allies have already crossed the IJssel and moved north in a short time. The city of Groningen has been liberated. Only Western Netherlands is still in German hands. In Festung Holland about 118,000 German soldiers were enclosed. On that seventeenth April at 12:15 pm the Germans blew two holes in the dike between the Wieringermeerpolder and the IJsselmeer with explosives. The water level on the IJsselmeer was NAP + 0.12 meters at that time. At the location where they blew up the dike, the ground level in Wieringermeer is on NAP – 3.50 meters. In the 48 hours that followed, the water slowly flowed into the polder, but soon after, the Wieringermeerpolder filled with a wall of water.