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The Schleswig-Holstein :

Do the Anecdotes agree with Reality ?
Ton Hulkenberg Reports :

Dear John,
Now I believe that I can solve your Schleswig-Holstein mystery. I was always skeptical about the placement of a turret from the S-H in the hills of Gdynia {or on the Hela Peninsula.} But, in a French magazine, ("Magazine '39-'45 no. 224, dated 2005) I found the solution to this mystery in an article (with many photos by Jens Anderson) entiteled, Les batteries cortieres allemandes lourdes dans la Baltique "Schleswig-Holstein of Bornholm Sud". The autor is director of a bunker museum at Hanstholm in north-west Danmark.
The article is a translation of an origianl in English, wich, surprisingly, the English version isn't mentioned.

Here's The Story :
When in 1939 the Russians occupied the Baltic countries, they built up in Riga a navy stronghold. This was in the eyes of the Kriegsmarine, an undisirable event. So the Germans decided to reinforce theit coastal defenses along the Baltic coast. When Hitlrer canceled the construction of additional capital warships, the accompanying order for the 40.6 cm guns were not canceled. The Kriegsmarine wished to use these guns for coastal defense. Several places along the Baltic were inspected ; one of them was on the peninsula of Hela.

In 1940, the German built on Hela a battery wich incluided : 3 gun emplacements, a fire-directing tower and two ammunition bunkers. They gave this gun emplacement the name "Schleswig-Holstein" !
After Germany's attack on Russia, the Kriegsmarine expected a quick victory over Russia and decided to remove the guns to Sangatta, near Calais, in France to protect the Channel. All of the guns were removed by March 27th, 1942. The Sangatta battery was renamed "Lindemann".

This solves the non-existing turret problem ! Somewhere your informant heard about a gun with the name "Schlewig-Holstein" but could not fit it togethrer with the gun emplacement with the same name at Hela.
The gun emplacement No. 2 is open to the public. All of the installation is well preserved.

Danzig Study Group U.S.A.
Danzig Report Nr. 156 - April - May - June - 2012, Page 13.


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Added: 03/06/2012
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