The tour of the infantry log cabin N-S 48

Welcome to the artillery fort Skutina in one of its two infantry log cabins. You are standing in a infantry log cabin called N-S 48 („ U stodol“). The entrance in to the object is through an emergency exit/manhole, which is located in the protective trench of the installations main embrasures. This manhole is at present the only entrance and exit in and from the object, it was originally planned as a emergency only and the garrison was supposed to use the underground passageways, which should have connected the object with the other log cabins of the fort including the entry one. The protective trench ( or also a diamond trench) served as a protection of the main embrasures and for the disposal of the empty shells of the main weapons. One grenade chute discharges in to the trench, which served to throw the grenades from the object to an unbombarded places in near proximity. The entry way is protected by a grating and you entered the object through the armor door.

The tour starts in a bottom rear floor of the object, in the room (1), which served as a warehouse of the anti-tank ammunition, here you can see the drawings of the artillery fort Skutina from different views, also the basic drawings of the projected forts of the Czechoslovakian fortifications and an aerial picture of spot height Skutina and surroundings, where the fort was projected and constructed.

During the tour of the whole object you can see the reconstructed air-conditioning and the electric energy distributions done according to a period drawings, which were finished in March of this year. The weapons which are a part of the exhibit are devalued, and so non functional.

The opposite door lead to a room (2), where the air filtering room for this project was planned. Now there is a rear and the ticket office of the museum.

The tour will continue to the left of the entrance door, you will go to the room (3), where there used to be a barrel shaped WC (4) and the rest of the room served as a washroom. Under the ceiling was supposed to be placed a 100 liter water container. In the wall you will find a embrasure, through which it was possible to shell the area between the grating and the steel-plated door in to the object. In the room, behind the door another small room (5) could be found , where the warehouse of the lighting rockets should have been, now it is used as a technical background.

The tour continues through the passage way, around the ammunition and grenade warehouse (6), which also serves as a technical background, next it is possible to look into the radio operators room (7), where the part of the equipment is placed. Through the passage way you will get to the rank and file quarters (8), where 8 beds are placed, on which the 16 member crew took turns resting in 12 hour shifts, next there are the replicas of the gun stands and by the rank and file quarters was also a portable supplies storage.

Picture of the bottom floor of the object

From the hallway you will step on to the stairs in the stairwell and elevator shaft (9) and climb up the stairs to the combat top floor of the object. On the right you will enter the ammunition warehouse (9a) and the projected entrance to the armored dome, where the couple of heavy machine guns model 37 was supposed to be placed for the shelling of the area roughly towards the object N-S 49. You will be able to see the drawings of both floors of the object and also some pictures showing the object at the beginning of the reconstruction and documenting the extent of works, which were necessary to bring the log cabin into its recent look.

Through the passage way you will enter the area of the planned artillery watch bell (10), on the sides are the doors to the noncommissioned officers for artillery watch quarters (11) and opposite the officers quarters (12).

By turning left you will get to the passage way, which will lead you under the projected steel plated bell for a heavy machine gun model 37 (13). The original water containers are placed in this area, each with the capacity of 1000 liters. You find yourself in the area of the embrasure for a light machine gun model 26, its firing protected the embrasures of the main weapons. There is a built in wall periscope to watch the surrounding area of the log cabin and the grenade chute. The door opposite the embrasure belong to the ammunition warehouse, now there is a exhibition of the log cabin models.

Through the passage way on the left you will enter the firing room (14) , where there are the embrasures of the main weapons. The embrasure for a couple of heavy machine guns model 37, which is standard during the tour completely set by gun-carriage and weapons and besides is the embrasure marked as L1-cannon , 4.7 cm caliber, in a league with the TK model 37. This weapon is not as yet a part of the museum exposition. In the wall opposite the door you will find again the wall periscope and the grenade chute. The doors opposite the passage way lead into the room of the commanding officer (15), which is connected by a small window to the telephonic room (16).

Picture of the top floor of the object

The independent tour of the stairwell and the elevator shaft and the accessible part of the underground gallery follows. On the walls of the concreted part of the underground gallery you will find a few photographs of the farther parts of the underground passages. The areas in the pictures are not at present accessible to the public.

After leaving the object N-S 48, the tour continues on the surface by viewing the reconstructed light fortification model 37 object, type A-180 Z, which is located north from the object of infantry log cabin N-S 48 ( across the road down through the woods). The light object was to be used by a 7 men. It has a two firing rooms equipped with a ceiling periscope and an embrasure for a machine gun. The right embrasure is equipped with a heavy machine gun model 37, left one with a light machine gun model 26. In the left firing room you will find also a grenade chute for the protection of the no bombarded area by the object door.

The connecting passageway between the firing rooms is equipped with a hand run air-conditioner. In the wall, there is a small protection embrasure for the entry. The walls are covered by a timber, which was supposed to protect the crew from the flying pieces of concrete in the time of fighting. The tour of the artillery fort Skutina museum ends here for now.