The 6th/ Battery of the Marine Flakabteilung 214 was set up on September 16, 1939 and consisted of light anti-aircraft guns set up at various locations in the Cuxhaven sector. Its primary task was to defend against low-level attacks on military installations and critical infrastructure. Most of the locations have now been identified through the war diaries of the Cuxhaven commander from 1939-1945. From 1941 onwards, the individual positions were armed with at least one 2 cm anti-aircraft gun; before that, it was just machine guns on a tripod. The exact caliber of the individual weapons at the individual locations cannot be determined, however. On average, however, there were 2 cm, 3.7 cm and 4 cm anti-aircraft guns. Weapons were exchanged again and again at almost all locations, one of the reasons for this being transfers to other naval units. The guns were often needed more urgently to equip ships of the harbor protection and minesweeping flotilla. The control center of the 6th/ Battery was in the Bugsierhaus, the former Schuchmannhaus between the weather station and the Seepavillon at Leuchtturmweg 3. The first commander of the unit was Lieutenant Commander MA of the Reserve Dr. jur. Hans Nebelsiek. The light anti-aircraft guns in the heavy anti-aircraft batteries always belonged to their own unit and not to the 6th/214. Just like with the light groups.

From the plan "Fortification section" dated 15.06.1940

From 1940 onwards, the anti-aircraft gun/rifle stands were present at the following locations:

    Gun 1 : Grimmershörn barracks at the commandant's office, 3.7 cm anti-aircraft gun 2 : military registration office (weather station), 2 cm anti-aircraft gun 3 : at the old post office/Rohdestrasse, 2 cm anti-aircraft gun 4 : fish packing hall 9, 2 cm anti-aircraft gun 5 : laundry room at the minesweeper port, 2 cm anti-aircraft gun 6 : minesweeper port, Osterhöft pier, 2 cm anti-aircraft gun 7 : Mützelfeldt shipyard gun 8 : Schleusenpriel, port office gun 9 : Müggendorf NN

Source: War diary of the Commander of the Naval Staff Cuxhaven 1939-1940 Gerd Wildfang


 

Flak positions without numbers, but which could be assigned to 6./214:

    At the Beckmann shipyard - Schleusenpriel a machine gunBerensch (next to Elbe-Weser radio on the Mäuseturm) 2 cm twin flakSperrzeugamt, former mine depotLeuchtgruppe Steubenhöft Kiautschou Kaserne (former GorchFock school) 2 cm flakHigher girls' school (Lichtenberg Gym.) 1x machine gun position Flak position "Hohe Lieth" 2 cm flakFlak positions without a number that could not be assigned to 6./214:Sahlenburg (north of the transmitter, on Butendieksweg on the flak high stand) Duhnen - flak tower "Am Wehrberg" 1 x 2 cm flak 30Scharhörn island, 2 x 2 cm flak (gun 9 and 10 - as of 06.1940), 1 x 3.7 cm flak.Neuwerk island, light flak position available, location and type not known known.Source: Gerd Wildfang

The former control center of the 6./214, the former Bugsier/Schuchmann building near the Alte Liebe.

18.09.39, Operations Manager Lieutenant Hans Nebelsiek reports that 6./214 with 5 gun positions (light anti-aircraft) is ready for action. Source: War diary of the Commander of the Naval Staff Cuxhaven 1939-1940

In 1943, the anti-aircraft gun positions were present at the following locations:

  • Geschütz 1 :  Grimmershörnkaserne auf der Kommandantur, 4 cm Flak
  • Geschütz 2 :  Wehrmeldeamt (Wetterwarte), 2 cm Flak
  • Geschütz 3 :  Auf dem Alten Postamt/Rohdestraße, 2 cm Flak
  • Geschütz 4 :  Fischpackhalle 9, 2 cm Flak
  • Geschütz 5 :  Waschküche Minensucherhafen, 2 cm Flak
  • Geschütz 6 :  Minensucherhafen, Mole Osterhöft, 3,7 cm Flak
  • Geschütz 7 :  Mützelfeldtwerft 3,7 cm Flak
  • Geschütz 8 :  Schleusenpriel, Hafenamt 2 cm Flak
  • Geschütz 9 :  Müggendorf 3,7 cm Flak 
  • Geschütz 10: Groden (vermutlich Minendepot)
  • Geschütz 11: Udendorf       
                

Flak positions without numbers, but which could be assigned to 6./214:

    Berensch (next to Elbe-Weser-Radio on the Mäuseturm) 2 cm twin anti-aircraft gunsKiautschou barracks (former GorchFock school) 2 cm anti-aircraft gunsHigher girls' school (Lichtenberg Gym.) 2 cm anti-aircraft gun bathhouse (exact location?)Gun seaside bridgeGun east pier 4 cm anti-aircraft gun fog workshop (location?) 2 cm anti-aircraft gun craft house 2 cm anti-aircraft gun administration building (location?) 2 cm anti-aircraft gun seaside bridge 3.7 cm anti-aircraft gun fog workshop minesweeper harborLight anti-aircraft gun Nordholz:1st gun - radio tower (location?) 2 cm anti-aircraft gun2nd gun oil depot Nordholz5th gun - anti-aircraft high stand Scharnstedt/Midlum southwest of Nordholz air base 2 cm anti-aircraft gun6. Flak high stand "Hohe Lieth" 3.7 cm flakFlak stands without a number that could not be assigned to 6./214:Sahlenburg (north of the transmitter, on Butendieksweg on the flak high stand) Duhnen - Flak tower "Am Wehrberg" 3.7 cm flakGun Ostblock/Lehfeldstrasse 4 cm flakGun position barracks camp Altenwalde 3 x 3 cm Flak 30 (11.09.1940)Battery Duhnen (possibly flak high stands Fort Thomsen) - 1 x 2 cm flak, 1 x 3.7 cm flakFlak island Medemsand - 1 x 3.7 cm flak, 1 x 4 cm flakLight flak island Neuwerk 3 x unknown flak guns1. - 3rd gun l.Flak NeuwerkLight Flak Insel Scharhörn 2 x 2 cm Flak, 1 x 3.7 cm Flak1. - 3rd gun l.Flak ScharhörnSource: War diaries of the commander Cuxhaven NARA T 1022 R 2241 - 08/39 - 04/40, NARA T 1022 R 2242 - 04/40 - 12/42, NARA T 1022 R 2243 - 01/43 - 01/45


This gun position of the 6th/ Battery was located in the middle of Cuxhaven's city center. In December 1939, a 20 mm Flak 29 Oerlikon was mounted on a pedestal mount on the top of the tower of the old post office on Kaemmererplatz. It was camouflaged by a wooden siding, and the sides could be folded down when in use. This anti-aircraft gun was later relocated due to the danger (source: H. Stegemann). When the post office was destroyed by bombs on June 11, 1943, the anti-aircraft gun position was said to have been abandoned beforehand. Source: Gerd Wildfang

What: NN

Post office, gun 3The gun crew on the 20 mm anti-aircraft gun. The soldier in the background with a 1m R36 spatial image rangefinder.

Der aus Holzbohlen als seitlicher Schutz gegen Beschuß bestehende Rand ist deutlich zu erkennen. Die Ortsbestimmung ergab sich durch links: das Lichtenberggymnasium und rechts: die Häuser an der Wilhelmstraße sowie dem Winkel aus den Häusern Staatshochbauamt/Wilhelmstraße mit der Mozartstraße. Die sechs kleinen Häuser am linken oberen Bildrand stehen "Am Meierhof".
Quelle: Gerd Wildfang


What: NN

Post Office, Gun 3The crew of the anti-aircraft position on today's Rhodestrasse on duty.

Source: War Chronicle of the Kugelbake Battery 1941/42

The first commander of the 6th/Battery was Lieutenant Commander MA of the Reserve Dr. jur. Hans Nebelsiek, who commanded this unit until April 22, 1942. His successor was Lieutenant Commander Dr. Geiss on March 27, 1942. Nebelsiek was then transferred to Emden and then St. Nazaire in France (source: Gerd Wildfang).

At the end of 1944 he returned to the Elbe and took over the position of deputy sea commander Elbe-Weser as a staff officer until the end of the war. As superior at the court of the sea commander Elbe-Weser in Cuxhaven, he may also have had a role and responsibility for the freedom fighters from Heligoland who were sentenced to death. (Source: https://www.axishistory.com/books/361-germany-kriegsmarine/kriegsmarine-kommandobehoerden/6157-seekommandant-elbe-weser)

Events from various official war diaries of the naval command 1939 - 1945

The 1942 battery booklet contains the names of 1,000 soldiers who served in the 6th Battery from the beginning of the war until 1942.

Remaining buildings of the 6th/ Battery today.

Former light anti-aircraft gun position on a building of the former Groden mine depot.Source: M.Brütt

The building in the former Groden mine depot.Source: Courtesy of Jan Czonstke Photography

The former control center of the staff of the 6./ MAA 214 at the Alte Liebe.Source: M.Brütt

The building on Leuchtturmweg near the Alte LiebeSource: Courtesy of Jan Czonstke Photography

Der Aufbau für die leichte Flak auf dem Dach der ehemaligen Gorch-Fock-Schule. Sie wurde 1908 als Kiautschou - Kaserne errichtet. Heutzutage dient der Turm als Träger für Mobilfunkantennen.
Quelle: M.Brütt

The former barracks/school in Gorch_Fock-Straße.Source: Courtesy of Jan Czonstke Photography