Flak battery Eckwarderhörne
The Eckwarderhörne heavy flak battery was a bunkered position of the naval flak in the southwest of Butjadingen during World War II .
Organizational integration
The German Bight Coast Commander was responsible for the coastal defense . The battery belonged as part of the II. Marine Flakbrigade to the Wilhelmshaven section. The flak battery belonged to Navy Flak Division 272, whose Flakuntergruppenkommando Ost was in Tossens.
history
prehistory
The Eckwarderhörne flak battery was located on the strategically important headland in the southwest of Butjadingen. From 1810 onwards, the French battery of the Grand Duchy and then a Prussian battery to protect Wilhelmshaven was located here .
8.8 cm - first expansion
The outdated fortifications in the dike at Eckwarderhörne had been expanded into an anti-aircraft battery in 1938 with the occupation of the Sudetenland . This facility, equipped with four 8.8 cm anti-aircraft guns , was manned by active artillery troops of the 2nd MAA and reservists and made ready for action in August 1939 at the beginning of mobilization.
10.5 cm - second expansion
In the spring of 1940, the battery was equipped with four 10.5 cm anti- aircraft guns. However, three of these guns and their personnel had to be handed over to the new Navy Flaka Division 806 for use in Lorient in September 1940 on the command of the North Sea Naval Station . In December of the same year the battery received equivalent replacements for the guns it had given up and 60 men, most of whom had not been trained for anti-aircraft guns.
Preparations for converting the battery into a modern bunker battery began in the spring of 1942 with the relocation of the 10.5 cm guns to a makeshift position about 30 meters east of the dike. First of all, the old bunkers, the gun beds and the old control room in the dike were removed. Afterwards, an underground bunker system was built at the same place, which had a 60 cm thick bunker ceiling. The new control center and three gun beds that were accessible from the underground bunker system were now located on this ceiling. In addition, a high-level gun bunker was built for a fourth gun and a second control station and a machine bunker behind the dike. The renovation was completed in August 1942. In November 1942, the ceiling shields for the guns were retrofitted.
12.8 cm - third expansion
At the beginning of 1944, the battery was converted from 10.5 cm to 12.8 cm Flak 40 M guns. Two new gun beds were built on both the dike and the bunker system. Control center 1 was taken out of service and only used as a lookout. On March 18, 1944, three guns could be reported ready to fire, the fourth followed the next day. On March 22nd, due to a defect in the electronic control system of the battery, there was a total failure of the battery, which could be remedied after two days.
Zoological events
One of the battery soldiers was previously employed at the Frankfurt Zoo . With the consent of the battery boss, he was allowed to carry out ornithological examinations outside of the service . This man also suggested the rescue of several young seals that were given to the Frankfurt Zoo for rearing. In February 1944 a whale (according to the photo probably a humpback whale ) stranded in the mudflats in front of the battery, the animal was able to be brought back into the water with great difficulty, but was stranded again shortly afterwards in front of the battery. A second liberation of the animal failed, in order to save the animal a painful death, the battery boss decided to kill the animal, which finally took place with a concentrated charge in the animal's mouth. The fisheries authority dragged the animal with a fishing cutter to Bremerhaven for recycling , where the 20.15 meter long and 45 ton heavy animal was estimated to take around three years. The catch premium was invested in a celebration with the local population.
post war period
After the war, the battery was blown up and removed for dike protection measures, today nothing of the facility can be seen above ground. Allegedly there are still old bunkers under today's parking lot.
literature
- Friedrich August Greve: The air defense in the Wilhelmshaven section 1939-1945. 2nd Navy Flak Brigade. Hermann Lüers, Jever 1999, ISBN 3-9806885-0-X , pp. 219-223.
Web links
- Flak battery Eckwarderhörne on www.luftschutzbunker-wilhelmshaven.de, with photographs.
- Flak battery Eckwarderhörne on http://oberfeuer-preusseneck.de .
- To the whale , on http://www.klausdede.de/ .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Friedrich August Greve: The air defense in the Wilhelmshaven section 1939–1945. 2nd Navy Flak Brigade . Hermann Lüers, Jever 1999, ISBN 3-9806885-0-X , p. 219-223 .
- ^ Friedrich August Greve: The air defense in the Wilhelmshaven section 1939-1945. 2nd Navy Flak Brigade . Hermann Lüers, Jever 1999, p. 48 .
- ↑ Klaus Dede. Retrieved November 3, 2019 .
- ↑ Strategically important place. Retrieved November 3, 2019 .
Coordinates: 53 ° 31 '15.2 " N , 8 ° 13' 56.5" E