Hanstholm fortress (German: Festung Hanstholm; Danish: Hanstholm batteri) was a large coastal fortification, built by Nazi Germany at Hanstholm in north-western Denmark during World War II. The remains of the fortress is now a World War II museum situated in Thy National Park.
History Hanstholm Fortress was part of the "Atlantic Wall" and its main purpose was to seal off the entrance to Skagerrak together with the Vara fortress in Kristiansand, southern Norway, and extensive minefields in Skagerrak. The fortress had a wide range of artillery, from medium-sized 17 cm SK L/40 guns up to four 38 cm S.K.C/34 guns, weighing 110 tons each (the whole gun position weighing 650 tonnes). The guns were protected by of reinforced concrete and many anti-aircraft guns. The 38 cm guns were similar to the ones fitted to the s and had been intended for the battleships Scharnhorst and . 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 fortresses. The guns could fire a projectile , or an shell . The rate of fire was 1 shot per 1.5 minutes. The fortress was defended by German Naval Artillery Battalion 118.
Post war The 38 cm guns were scrapped in 1951–52. Today, the remains of the fortress is a museum.
German units at Hanstholm fortress
UnitEquipment1./M.A.A. 1184x 17 cm2x 2 cm FlaK2x 110 cm searchlights2x 90 cm searchlights (Danish)2x 7.5 cm field guns (Polish)6x 2.5 cm FlaK Hotchkiss2./M.A.A. 1184x 38 cm6x 7.5 cm field guns2x 4.7 cm fortress anti-tank guns5x medium flamethrowers6x light flamethrowers3x heavy mortars1. M.Fl.A. 8144x 10.5 cm FlaK4x 3.7 cm FlaK7x 2 cm FlaK2. M.Fl.A. 8144x 7.5 cm FlaK Vickers3. M.Fl.A. 8144x 7.5 cm FlaK Vickers4. M.Fl.A. 8144x 7.5 cm FlaK Vickers7. M.Fl.A. 81411x 150 cm searchlights4x 60 cm searchlights
Gallery
See also
Battery Todt Kristiansand Cannon Museum
References
External links
Museumscenter Hanstholm