- Hanstholm fortress
Hanstholm fortress (German: "Festung Hanstholm", Danish: "Hanstholm batteri") was a large sea fortress, constructed by
Germany atHanstholm in north-westernDenmark duringWWII . The fortress was part of the "Atlantic Wall " and its main purpose was to seal off the entrance toSkagerrak together with theVara fortress inKristiansand , southernNorway , as well as with the extensive minefields in Skagerrak. The fortress had a wide range of artillery, ranging from medium-sized 17 cm guns up to four massive 38 cm S.K.C/34 guns, weighing 110 tonnes each (the whole gun position weighing 650 tonnes). The guns were protected by 3.5 m of reinforced concrete and many anti-aircraft guns. The 38 cm guns were similar to the ones fitted to the Bismarck class battleships and had been intended for "Gneisenau". However, after "Gneisenau" was damaged in a bomb raid, a decision was made not to fit the guns to the ship, but to use them instead in stationary fortresses. The guns could fire a 495 kg projectile 55 km, or a 800 kg shell 42 km. The rate of fire was 1 shot per 1.5 minutes. It was manned by the German Naval Artillery Battalion 118. The 38 cm guns were scrapped in 1951-52. Today, the remains of the fortress functions as a museum.German units at Hanstholm fortress
ee also
* [http://www.museumscenterhanstholm.dk/oplev_museet/friluftsmuseum_hanstholm_i/?&setlanguage=2 Museum webpage in English]
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