The fort Skutina – basic information

The fort Skutina was planned in the area of spot heights Skutina at village Sedlonov in the Orlicke mountains. The six installations were planned ( N-S 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 52a). Particularly two artillery log cabins (N-S 48 and N-S 49) were involved, next the installation with the artillery tower, with the pair of 10 cm howitzers (N-S 50) and the installation with the mortar (N-S 51). The biggest installation was supposed to be a artillery log cabin with a battery of three 10 cm howitzers model 38 (N-S 52). The fort entry was supposed to be provided through a entry installation N-S 52a, the planned underground passages ways and the rear area also start there, which were suppose to connect all the mentioned installations deep under ground. The 1350 meters of the main gallery was projected. The narrow-gauge railway was supposed to run through the most of the under ground passage ways, for the material and ammunition transporting carts. They were supposed to be replaced by the carts with a rubber wheels, under the infantry log cabins. The combat crew was supposed to have 464 men from the V. unit of the boarder battalion 18, strengthened by an infantry company.

The construction of the fort Skutina was, after selective proceedings, realized by a construction company Dr. Karel Skorkovsky from Prague. All installations of the fort were planned in the IV. Highest degree of resistance. The construction itself started on December 14th, 1937 and the base contracting sum for the construction of the whole fort was 31 843 990, 40 CZK. Another millions would have been needed for armor elements and the inside equipment of the fort. By the end of September 1938, about 10 million CZK was spent. The fort surface was supposed to be protected by a continuous anti-tank barriers and each of the objects individually by anti-infantry barriers. Only the two mentioned infantry log cabins in the fort were concreted and the rest remained in various stages of construction in September of 1938. The work on the fort was definitely stopped on September 30th, 1938.