The Stelling van Amsterdam (Defence Line of Amsterdam) was the late-nineteenth-century ring of fortifications around Amsterdam constructed under the Vestingwet of 1874 as the principal modern fortress-system of the Netherlands. The Stelling was the principal peacetime work of Generaal C. J. Snijders in his capacity as an engineer officer of the Korps Ingenieurs, Mineurs en Sappeurs: he served at the Staf der Genie at Amsterdam (1894–1895), as Eerst-aanwezend Ingenieur at Haarlem (1901–1904) with responsibility for the front Spijkerboor–Aalsmeer of the Stelling, and as Genie-Commandant at Utrecht (1904–1908) with responsibility for the adjoining Nieuwe Hollandsche Waterlinie. His reports from Magdeburg in 1884–1885 on the new German high-explosive projectiles — see Snijders’ rapport on German projectiles — led directly to the halt in the further build-out of the Stelling in 1886 until a new approach to bomb-proof cover could be devised. The Stelling is one of the principal contexts in which Snijders’ Atjeh engineering experience was applied to the defence of the Netherlands.
Snijders’ Work on the Stelling
The Amsterdam Posting of 1894–1895
On 1 September 1 September 1894 Snijders was posted to the Staf der Genie at Amsterdam, where he was charged with the design and execution of a number of smaller works in the kringstelling and otherwise employed in the daily bureau work. The routine work was a useful preparation for the next posting — the independent command of Eerst-aanwezend Ingenieur at Gorinchem (1895–1901) — but his direct work on the Stelling was limited in this period.
The Haarlem Posting of 1901–1904
On 29 July 29 July 1901 Snijders was promoted to majoor and posted as Eerst-aanwezend Ingenieur at Haarlem, in which function he reached the rank of luitenant-kolonel on 7 August 7 August 1903. The command included the garrison of Haarlem — where important improvements to and extensions of military buildings were under way — and the front Spijkerboor–Aalsmeer of the Stelling. Some of the forts of this front were completed; others were in the state of “verdedigbaar aardwerk” — defensible earthwork, not yet provided with bomb-free buildings.
Under Snijders’ command the fort at Velsen, otherwise complete, was provided with its pantserkoepels; in July 1902 he attended as a member of the keuringscommissie the proving of these at the Krupp-Gruson schietterrein at Tangernhütte, followed by a visit to the factories at Essen. Under his direction the forts Zuidwijkermeer, aan den Ham, by Krommeniedijk, by Marken-Binnen, by Spijkerboor, by Aalsmeer, and by Hoofddorp were completed; further, on this front, the improvement of existing and the construction of new batterijen, inundation works, roads, and plantings were in preparation or in execution.
The fort-by-fort work brought with it a number of interesting technical problems. At fort Zuidwijkermeer, after extensive loading tests, a reinforced-concrete foundation slab was used for the first time in place of a pile foundation. A contract for the supply of a number of armoured observation posts — for the proving of which Snijders in 1903 made a tour to the Skoda-Werke at Pilsen — gave rise to important experiments in the testing of iron, conducted under Snijders’ direction by Kapitein P. A. M. Hackstroh; their report attracted much attention in technical circles.
The Utrecht Genie-Commandement of 1904–1908
On 20 June 20 June 1904 Snijders was appointed Commandant in the 1e Genie-Commandement at Utrecht as successor to Kolonel H. van ‘t Sant (acting as Inspecteur der Genie). The command included the Eerst-aanwezendschappen Utrecht, Naarden, and Gorinchem, the works of the Nieuwe Hollandsche Waterlinie benoorden de Nieuwe Merwede, and the Inundationbureau of that Linie. Although in this period no important works were under construction in his command area, the posting completed his engagement with the Stelling and the adjoining Waterlinie.
The Halt of 1886
The Stelling is also the principal context of Snijders’ reports from Magdeburg. During his posting to Magdeburg (1882–1886) to supervise the manufacture of armour for the Dutch coast forts, he heard by rumour of the German trials of a new type of high-explosile projectile that would make the bomb-free cover of all existing fortress buildings illusory. At great pains, and despite the anxious secrecy of the German authorities, he succeeded in confirming the rumours; on 22 July 22 July 1884 he reported to the Minister of War, and on 13 June 13 June 1885 he submitted a fuller report on the new projectiles and their effect, in which he also developed his ideas on the way in which bomb-free cover would in future have to be obtained and on the influence of the new weapon on permanent fortification. It was on the basis of this report that in 1886 the further build-out of the Stelling was halted pending insight into the path to be taken.
See Also
- Cornelis Jacobus Snijders
- Korps Ingenieurs, Mineurs en Sappeurs
- Nieuwe Hollandsche Waterlinie
- Koninklijke Militaire Academie
- Benting
- Handboek der Pionierkunst voor het Nederlandsche Leger
- Benting Kota Alam operation (13 November 1874)
- Missigit Longbatta operation (31 December 1874 – 13 January 1875)
- Aceh War
- Amsterdam
- Haarlem
- Utrecht
- Gorinchem
- 1874
- 1886
- 1894
- 1901
- 1904
- 1908
Source
D. van den Berg, Cornelis Jacobus Snijders (1852–1939): Een leven in dienst van zijn Land en zijn Volk (Voorburg: September 1944), pp. 39–40, 44–46, 53–55, 57–58. Koninklijke Bibliotheek shelfmark 0301 4872.