Fortress plan Wilhelmshaven
The fortress plan Wilhelmshaven was the template for the fortification of the Prussian war port Wilhelmshaven .
history
Original plan
The fortress plan was created at the same time as the planning of the port. The original plan provided for a wall between Banter Siel and Heppenser Trift along the border with Oldenburg. Six fortifications were to be built along the wall. However, the plan involved high costs and the Minister of War displeased it.
In 1861 a new plan was developed. This planned to include Heppens and the station in the wall. This attempt also failed.
Lessons from the Franco-German War
After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, the previously developed plans were abandoned. It was recognized that ramparts with ditches and bastions made little sense. Rather, they wanted to orientate themselves on the effective French fortresses that worked with forts in front. The original plans were thrown over, only the renovation of Fort Heppens and the Groden battery on Neuengrodendeich, which had already begun , were brought to a conclusion. These systems should protect the entrance to the jade . In order to protect the land side of the war port, it was decided in 1873 to build three forward forts, Fort Rustersiel (Fort I), Fort Schaar (Fort II) and Fort Mariensiel (Fort III) as well as the outer fort Altona . These were connected to one another by a field railway . The Maade formed the defense line of the forts. The area around the fortresses, the fortress pale , was subject to certain structural and agricultural restrictions to ensure a free field of fire. In the event of an attack, the lands in front of the forts should be flooded with the help of the Maade. For this purpose, the wooden siele Rüstersiel and Mariensiel were rebuilt significantly larger with stone. The fortifications were manned by naval artillerymen and were primarily used for training, although after the mobilization in 1914 they were in constant readiness to fire.
First World War
The defense of the war port with the three Maadeforts, the outer fort Altona and Fort Heppens was not adequately secured, as it practically only began right at the city limits. The foreland of the city and the coastal strip in the north were unpaved. Therefore, at the beginning of World War I, many smaller outer forts were built on the land side: Fort Crildumersiel , Fort Hooksiel , Fort Tammhausen , Fort Wehlens , Fort Sillenstede , Fort Moorwarfen , Fort Siebetshaus , Fort Jungfernbusch , Fort Schortens , Fort Dykhausen , Fort Hohemey , Fort Blauhand , Fort Ellenserdamm , Fort Meedengroden , Fort Wehgast , Fort Nordendergroden , Fort Vareler Hafen , Fort Stollhammerdeich , Fort Iffens , Fort Mitteldeich , Fort Sinsum , Fort Fedderwardersiel , Fort Niens . The coast was protected by small forts at Hooksiel , Crildumersiel , the Horumersiel battery and Schillig , which was converted into a fortress, with its three forts . In Butjadingen was dike Eckwarderhörne battery built.
Second World War
Many of the facilities were forgotten after the First World War. The large facilities were partly used by the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht . In 1939 the forts became interesting again due to their favorable location, even if they were technically completely out of date. A large part of the air defense of the still very important war port in Wilhelmshaven was set up from here. The forts in Schaar , Vareler Hafen , Blauhand , Hohemey , Sillenstede and Hooksiel were equipped with heavy flak batteries. In addition, several new anti-aircraft batteries were built: the anti-aircraft battery Tirpitzhafen , Flakbatterie Sande , Flakbatterie Kirchreihe , Flakbatterie Geniusbank , Flakbatterie Rüstersiel , Flakbatterie Tirpitzschleuse , Flakbatterie Raeder lock , anti-aircraft battery Schweiburg , Flakbatterie Seefeld , Flakbatterie Dangast , Flakbatterie Schortens , Flakbatterie Siebetshaus , Flakbatterie Horumersiel , Flakbatterie Schillig , Flakbatterie Mellum , Flakbatterie Langwarden , Flakbatterie Tossens , Flakbatterie Eckwarderhörne . Added to this were the Arcona and Medusa anti-aircraft batteries .
literature
- Friedrich August Greve: The air defense in the Wilhelmshaven section 1939-1945. 2nd Navy Flak Brigade. Jever 1999.
- Werner Brune: Wilhelmshavener Heimatlexikon in three volumes from 1986.
- Friedhelm Wulf : Archaeological monuments in the independent city of Wilhelmshaven. Material booklets on the prehistory and early history of Lower Saxony. 1996.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Werner Brune: Wilhelmshavener Heimatlexikon AJ . Ed .: Werner Brune. tape 2 , 1986, p. 297 .
- ^ A b c d e Doris Wilkens: A ring of fortifications should protect Wilhelmshaven from attacks. Fort Rustersiel changed life in the small Sielort . In: Wilhelmshavener Zeitung (ed.): Heimat am Meer . tape 12/2016 . Wilhelmshaven June 11, 2016, p. 46 f .
- ^ Wilhelmshavener Heimatlexikon AJ . S. 319 .
- ^ A b c Friedrich August Greve: The air defense in the Wilhelmshaven section 1939-1945. 2nd Navy Flak Brigade . Jever 1999, p. 7th f .