CUXHAVEN
Cuxhaven has lately become an important German naval base. Situated as it is at the extreme entrance of the Elbe estuary, it commands the approach to the great commercial port of Hamburg, seventy miles up the river.
Cuxhaven has no dockyard of its own, but it possesses a harbour large enough to accommodate great ships of war, and certain facilities for carrying out repairs are provided by the depot of the Hamburg-Amerika Line, of which it is the headquarters.
A mile or two west of the harbour are the batteries of Döse, mounting a number of heavy guns and quick-firers. These defences are controlled by the navy, and are garrisoned by five companies of seamen gunners.
Although the mouth of the Elbe is wide, only a narrow channel is available for vessels of moderate draught, and the defences have consequently been designed to bring an overwhelming fire to bear on hostile vessels using this navigable approach.
For some years Cuxhaven has been the principal mine station of the German navy. It is the base for the mine-laying and mine-sweeping divisions, composed of special ships and a large number of old torpedo-boats equipped for the work. This station is responsible for the observation mine-fields which close the Elbe to hostile ships in war. It contains an artillery depot, a powerful wireless station, and barracks for a large contingent of seamen gunners and marines.
Cuxhaven, moreover, is the principal base of the German air fleet. An immense shed, 590-ft. long, 98-ft. high, and capable of sheltering two of the largest dirigibles, is approaching completion. This structure is of the revolving type, thus permitting airships to dock or emerge without being exposed to the wind. It rests in an excavation. When the shed is lowered the roof is on a level with the surrounding country, and by this means the location of the shed is hidden from hostile aircraft.
Near at hand there are permanent hangars for a number of seaplanes, with workshops for repairing and fitting aircraft of every description.
The German authorities are credited with the intention of gradually developing Cuxhaven into a first-class naval base, in order to relieve the congestion at Wilhelmshaven.