Munitions Ausgabe Stelle (M.A.St.), Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands

(Ammunition Distribution Depot)

In a forest between the little towns of Kaatsheuvel and Loon op Zand.

The Munitions Ausgabe Stelle (M.A.St.) was a German ammunition storage and distribution depot of the German Luftwaffe. It was built in a forest between Kaatsheuvel and Loon op Zand (both belonging to municipality of Loon op Zand).

Unfortunately, there is little known about this facility. The German started to build it in 1942. It was operated by the Luftwaffe and the commander of the M.A.St. was Major Wagner. Most of the Luftwaffe personal were from Austria. The front part of the complex was the part with the living quarters (barracks). In that area, the Germans build there own swimming pool. This was made of reinforced concrete, and finished with tiles.

It is likely that the M.A.St. had a close relation to the Luftwaffe Airfield (Fliegerhorst) near Gilze Rijen. Like most Luftwaffe Airfields, Gilze Rijen had an ammunition dump. Some sources mention that the M.A.St. in Kaatsheuvel was an extra ammunition dump for the Luftwaffe Airfields Gilze Rijen.

In Oosterwijk (about 30km north-east of Kaatsheuvel) had a similar facility.

Most of the ammunition found in the depot, was Luftwaffe related. Years ago you could find lots of German 20mm cartridges for Anti Aircraft (Flak) and Airplane guns. Besides the relative small caliber cartridges, the Germans stored large quantities of bombs (real and practice bombs).

On "Dolle Dinsdag" (Translated "Mad Tuesday"), 5th of September 1944, the Germans started to panic after hearing rumors that the Allies were approaching the Dutch borders and the liberation of the Netherlands was just a matter of days.
In the morning of that "Dolle Dinsdag", the Germans decided to blow up the M.A.St. without any prior warning to the local population. People who actually whitenessed the actual blowing, speak about a series of tremendous explosions. The power of the explosions break a large number of windows in a 10 kilometer radius. People form Kaatsheuvel as well as Loon op Zand took pictures of these explosions.
After the explosions, the German Luftwaffe guards, left. The M.A.St. was left unguarded.

In the days after the explosion curious people from the Kaatsheuvel and Loon op Zand area went into the unguarded M.A.St. A very dangerous trip, because of all the unexploded ammunition in that area.

In October 1944, the area was liberated by Scottish forces of the Black Watch Regiment. After the liberation, the former M.A.St. became a popular place for locals. Many pictures were taken, with people sitting on unexploded bombs of subammuntion containers.

Current status:

For years and years after the war, the M.A.St. and it’s dangerous content, caused a number of casualties among the civil population. Some people were killed and others were seriously wounded.

Most of the old people have some stories related to the M.A.St.. My father told me stories about smuggling out brass and steel cartridges form the M.A.St. after liberation. The former M.A.St. was guarded by the a yeomanry. You needed a special permit to visit the area. You could get a permit for gathering wood in the forest. The cartridges were smuggled out by putting the cartridges under a pile of wood.!

In the ??, someone drowned in the former German swimming pool. The local authorities decided to fill the concrete structure with sand.

The last accident with ammunition from the M.A.St. took place in 1981. Someone drilled a hole in a 20mm grenade. The small grenade exploded and the person involved was injured seriously. After the accident, the authorities decided to clear the area of the M.A.St. from it’s dangerous content. From 1982 to 1992 the Dutch EOD searched through the area systematically. Not only the severe accident from 1981, but the building of a new highway through the area of the former M.A.St. in the early nineties made a thorough search necessary. By 1992, about a third of the area that was know as the "M.A.St." was cleared. In a newspaper article, published in the summer of 1982, the published the following amount of discovered ammunition after a few weeks of searching:

260 Artillery Grenades
400 20mm rounds
5kg small calibre ammunition
15 Handgrenades
a 250 Kg bomb

In 1990 the construction of the new road (the N261) started. The builders destroyed all remains of the living quarters and the swimming pool. In 1991 the road was finished.

The area of the M.A.St. is part of what is know as the "Loonse en Drunense Duinen". This a very beautiful landscape with a large area of Sand Dunes. Before, during and after the war, this area was used a military training area. The area of the M.A.St. was know as "Bivak 1" (bivouac area number 1, there were 19 of those places in that area). In the early 90's, the Loonse en Drunense Duinen became a Dutch National Monument. This ended the long, military presence in the area.

The eastern part of the complex is scattered with large craters, caused by the exploding ammunition in 1944. Even today, after 50 years, these craters are very large. It is likely that these were caused by exploding aircraft bombs.

Strangely, the M.A.St. (or just "mast" as it is know to most people in the area) still attracts lots of people from all over the area. They all come looking with metal detectors and mostly look for ammunition. Let’s hope, the killing and mutilation with old ammunition remains stop!

		A peace memorial, dedicated to the freedom from war and tyranny. It is erected on October 28th, 1994. The date of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Kaatsheuvel. The monument has the shape of a grenade. In the bottom of the monument, the artist put some grenade shrapnel. So young people can feel how awful these pieces of metal are when used against other people.

		September 5th, 1944. The smoke columns, rise above the M.A.St., after the explosions.

		Remains of bunkers in the area of the living quarters. This bunker was destroyed in February/March 1988. This picture was taken on 01-02-88.

		Former entrance to the complex. After the building of the new road, the place completely changed. Years ago, you could recognize the remains of the gate.

		The complex had a large number of these U-shaped earth walls. These were mainly built in the south-western part of the complex. The earth wall were used to park vehicles and to camouflage them. Today, you can find over 40 of those earth walls. Some in good, some in very poor condition.

		Another example of the U-Shaped earth walls.

		When the water is gone from this crater (in high summer), you recognize sections of German concrete practice bombs.

		One of the remains of a German concrete practice bomb (Type ZC 250Kg). You recognize the place were a special glass tube was fitted. The tube was filled with a special substance. When the concrete bomb was thrown, the glass tube bursts and caused a white smoke. Indicating the point of impact.

		A large bomb crater.

		One of the few stone/concrete remains of the complex. Some people say it was used as a foxhole.

		Remains of old German trenches. These trenches were along the fence of the complex.

		Remains of the only concrete "bunker" left today. Underneath this sand is a small bunker (3mx3m).

		This U-shaped earthwall is filled up with remains of German B1 (1 Kilogram) incendiary bombs. This subammunition consisted of a magnesium body, a small steel tailsection and a inner tube with termite. 12 of these B1 bombs were in a small steel container.

		A small steel container for the B1 incendiary bombs. You can recognize the burned magnesium bodies of the incendiary bombs., leaving the characteristic white powder.

		Remains of B1 steel tail sections.

		Remains of B1 inner tubes.

		Remains of the old buildings

		A field in the complex. The Germans used it as a footbal field.

		A cycle road is build through the former complex. During the war, this was an official German road. One of it's cross-road was called "Erste Adolf Hitler Strasse" (first Adolf Hitler street). Every street in complex had it's own name. All streets were paved. After war, local inhabitants took all valuables from the complex. Including the stones of the pavement.

		The "new" road (N261), build through the west part of the complex.

		Click on the pictures to enlarge them.