Hamburg Flak Tower

On my family visit to Hamburg yesterday we visited the Church St Michaels and took a trip up to the top of the tower, which provides a wonderful panoramic view of the city.

One of the first things that stuck me was a large structure to the East of the church.

I soon identified this as a WW2 Flak Tower and so as well as the panoramic pictures there are three showing the massive size of the structure.

The church is St Michaels from where the photos were taken.

The estuary travels for 93 kilometres before you arrive at the North sea.

Regards
Tom

 

Great views. Ta Tom.

 

Tom

I'm surprised that they did not destroy it, as they did the ones in Berlin. Do you know if there are any photos of the inside of it anywhere online?

Did you watch the Hitler's Bunkers DVD I sent you when Anthony Beevor went into the one remaining partially destroyed Flak Tower in Berlin. That was interesting but very dangerous due to it's condition.

Robert

 

I know that one of the old Flak towers has been converted to private accommodation.

A pretty safe building to live in I suppose.

There are pictures on the web of surviving Flak towers that I have viewed in the past, but not too sure on the details.

A quick Google search should bring up what you require.

Not got around to that particular DVD but will try to get around to it this week.

The towers were so well built it costs a small fortune to knock them down and not cause problems to the surrounding population.

Apparently the the whole of the cold war radar complex situated on Teufelberg, outside Spandau was built up on the remains of a Concrete bunker system.

It was deemed too costly to destroy and so it was bulldozed around with rubble and earth.

I believe that some people wish to tunnel into the man made mountain of earth and try to look inside the complex.

Regards
Tom

 

Great view you've captured there!

I visited the flakturm in Berlin when I was there. Quite an impressive view from the inside but also a bit creepy and claustrophobic imo. I wasn't exactly feeling safe either walking through the rubble in one end of the tower only wearing my plastic safety helmet.

Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside. But here's a few from the outside.

Jakob

 

Today I've got fresh issue of Popular Mechanics and found an article about Flak Towers (aka Winkelturme) in german cities. Did a quick google and found this links:
Flak tower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Flaktuerme in Wien and feld1 and neuhoef1

 

Today I've got fresh issue of Popular Mechanics and found an article about Flak Towers (aka Winkelturme) in german cities. Did a quick google and found this links:
Flak tower - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and Flaktuerme in Wien and feld1 and neuhoef1

Cheers, excellent links!

Jakob

 

The next time I am in the Gesundbrunner area I will try and look up the remains of that Berlin Flack Tower and try to get some up to date photos of the current condition.

There is a big shopping centre there so I can perhaps get the family inside the centre whilst I can go exploring!

Regards
Tom

 

1.

Build a Flak tower For air defense and air protection in some air-endangered German large places are built buildings of majorities made of concrete and steel, which " under the name; Flaktürme" became popular. In their dimensions, in the quantity of the blocked material and their despite all difficulties - short construction period are they only with the submarine shelters to be compared. With the establishment of these buildings, which serve equally the active air defense as the air protection of the population, achieved the German building work in the homeland one of its important achievements, summarized organizational tautly by realm Minister Speer, during the war. The planning this of Professor Tamms sketched buildings steers, in co-operation with the Air Force, the office building of the realm Ministry for armament and war production; structural execution is incumbent on the main committee building with the realm Minister for armament and war production.

2.

Berlin, Flakturm PK: Flakturm in a large city. Berlin prop. - Kp. e.g. Vth film NR.: 998/8 Bildberichter Sdf. Mushroom 16.4.42 ADN picture archives: II. World war 1939-45. For the fight of the allied bomber formations as in other large cities also in Berlin Flaktürme were established; Photo probably of the zoo.

3.

Berlin zoo, Flakturm as hospital Illus E.O.Krueger prevention of epidemics in Berlin. 1946 the zoo shelter as hospital. 226-46 [One the citizen of Berlin Flaktürme in the zoo, which " large zoo shelters; Gustav"]

4.

Berlin Zoo Shelter

5.

" Badeleben" at the water pool before the destroyed shelter at the zoo, Berlin 1945

 

6.

Berlin, Flakturm at the zoo ADN central picture/archives IITH world war 1939-1945 weight Flak in Feurebereitschaft on the Flakturm citizens of Berlin of the zoo shelter, one of the few large protection facilities from Eisenbeton

7.


8.

Flak tower with heavy 12.8 cm Flak-Geschütz.

9.

Berlin, Flak on zoo shelters PK: Control unit and heavy cannon on the Flakturm of a large city. Berlin [zoo shelter] Bildberichter: Mushroom 16.4.42

10.

Alarm for the cannon operation of a Flakturms

 

11.

Germany, Realm area. - Flak tower with Vierlings Flak, view from above of the position.

12.


13.


14.

Berlin. - 2cm-Vierlings-Flak on a citizen of Berlin Flak tower, Friedrichshain, in the background center the tower of the red city hall

 

I wonder what really use the 20mm was , it would never have reached the majority of the bombers , when you look at what is set out on top of the towewrs , the radar the heavy guns , optical rangefinder impressive structures.

Good view of the uniform and kit , expecially the back pack to take the shoulder worn mount for the rangefinder used by the light flak crew.

Hard to miss the youth and the smiles of the lads running for the guns , I wonder how many "takes" it took to get the right shot.
Imagine the background sounds of the raid and that of the guns themsleves the empty casings falling on the concrete - communication would have been difficult at best.

 

No. 9 and No.13 appear to have been taken from the same place (Radar on other building). I wonder if the 2cm guns were there for close protection of the 12.8cm incase of attack by fighter aircraft?

I quite like No.6 showing the ammo lift.

No.12 is a good shot too showing the magazines.

Andy

 

No. 9 and No.13 appear to have been taken from the same place (Radar on other building). I wonder if the 2cm guns were there for close protection of the 12.8cm incase of attack by fighter aircraft?

I quite like No.6 showing the ammo lift.

No.12 is a good shot too showing the magazines.

Andy

Great pictures Andy,
The magazines are a little bit larger than the Bren!

Regards
Tom

 

I wonder what really use the 20mm was , it would never have reached the majority of the bombers

I think the same was said of the Anti Aircraft guns around the London area - but they were a good morale booster for the civilian population, to actually hear the guns firing gave the impression of at least fighting back in some form

 

I wonder if the 2cm guns were there for close protection of the 12.8cm incase of attack by fighter aircraft?

Indeed that was their purpose. That's what the guide said when I visited the place.

Jakob

 

American WACs (Mary Cornett, L) examining the anti-aircraft guns atop German flak tower in the Tiergarten section of city following the capture of Berlin by Allied troops.

 

Nice pic of a 3.7cm Flakzwilling 43. Rather rare.

 

Berlin 1945