Anti-tank obstacle

Czech Hedgehog


The Czech Hedgehog (Czech: ‘rozsocháč’) was an anti-tank obstacle made in steel created by Major František Kašík during WWI in Czechoslovakias border fortification against the threat of a German invasion. It´s shape sprung from the original made concrete, but was much more effective for its shape, dimensions and being made in industrial steel.The original hedgehog was bolted together with plates, and later welded together. The legs were made of three angled, I-shaped or U-shaped steel, three steel plates, held together with nuts and bolts. The modern versions have exceeded the original 140 cm length, weighing a total of 300 kg. It was used together with barbed wires, to constrict movement and functioned as protection agains machine guns.

During WWII the hedgehog became widely used by the Soviet Union, proving useful in urban environment. It became less effective in the development of the newer tanks such as the German Panther.
The Czech hedgehog was used in WWII, also in Norway. It worked by stopping tanks from moving forward, forcing them into vulnerable positions, and being difficult to remove. Unlike fixed barriers, it remained effective even if buried or submerged. Both Norwegian forces and later German occupiers used them to block roads, bridges, and coastal areas. The Germans also deployed them along the Atlantic Wall to defend against Allied landings.

Anti-tank obstacles were created to sabotage and defend in war, many still remain after WWII along the Atlantic Wall. Different shapes of anti-tank obstacles can still be found abandoned in different sites along the Norwegian coast, some were moved in a pattern which resembles stones in a graveyard. The different anti-tank obstacle shapes include buoy, dragon teeth, boxes, jersey barrier, tetrahedron, caltrops and tridents.