Stützpunkt XI M L – Marineflakbatterie ‘Den Hoorn’ [Navy Air Defense Battery]

In May of 1942, construction was started on an anti-aircraft battery south of the Loodsmansduin. It was initially comprised exclusively of thin-walled navy bunkers, which was the only design available at the time and the state of the art during the early years of the war. After their completion, the concrete type Fla14 emplacements were outfitted with three Swedish-manufactured 10.5-cm Bofors anti-aircraft guns. In due course, these guns were replaced with four modern 10.5-cm guns shielded by light metals cupolas and capable of 360˚ rotation. The cupolas were powered by an electric generator installed in a custom-design bunker.

The four 10.5-cm anti-aircraft guns were themselves defended by two pieces of 2-cm artillery. The position further included several machineguns.

A Flugzeugwache or guard post for sighting enemy aircraft was set up in the former Dutch command post of the 2e Batterij 15L. 35, on top of the Loodsmansduin [dune]. The structure underwent minor modification and this part of the command post resembled the rather common FluWa-tobruks. The crew was housed in a type 467a Küverbunker and in October of 1944, an additional pair of 668 Kleinstunterstände [six-man shelters] was built to provide air raid protection. The 668 shelter was capable of withstanding a direct hit with the heaviest bomb known at that time.

A searchlight emplacement was located south of the battery. Groups of searchlights scanned the skies for enemy aircraft and tracked them to enable AA-gunners to take these targets out.

The battery was reused as a vacation park (!) after the war. The complex was known as ‘Bunkerdorp Den Hoorn’ and was part of the Loodsmansduin camp site. In 1986, the National Forest service, Staatsbosbeheer, had the village torn down and the area returned to nature. Only the command post and the type 467a Küverbunker are still visible today.