First expansion phase of the (civilian) "New Port", which went into operation in 1900.

Plan der Erweiterung des Amerikahafen Cuxhaven von 1912, in diesem Zeitraum liefen bereits die Bauarbeiten.

After completion, the port area expanded to 42 hectares.

The "New Harbour" after completion, with Ritzbüttel in the background. The chimney and the harbour cranes are striking.Source: Old postcard

A unit of torpedo boats at today's Lentzkai, photo from 1913. In the background again the chimney and the cranes.

Verschiedene Marinestreitkräfte im "Neuen Hafen".

A Zeppelin over Cuxhaven, in the background the recently completed Amerikahafen.

Torpedoboote am Lentzkai.

Verschiedene Marinestreitkräfte im "Neuen Hafen".

Mine cruiser "Albatross", inside Steubenhöft at Lentzkai.

Submarines of the Imperial German Navy in 1911 on the inner edge of the Steubenhöft, then still known as Amerikapier.

The battleship "Hessen" at Steubenhöft in 1930.

An unknown warship at the pier of the Steubenhöft.

The Steubenhöft at the beginning of the war in 1939, a breaker on the pier.

The cruiser "Emden" (built 1925) at Steuben-höft.

Battleship "Braunschweig" at Steubenhöft.

Linienschiff "Hessen" beim Anlegemanöver vor dem Steubenhöft.

Linienschiff "Schlesien" und Kreuzer "Berlin" zu Besuch in Cuxhaven.

Light cruiser "Leipzig" in front of the "Alte Liebe".

The "Leipzig" at Steubenhöft.

Operation Weserübung, the attack on Norway and Denmark On April 6, 1940, the heavy German cruiser "Admiral Hipper" took on 975 soldiers of the 138th Mountain Infantry Regiment at Steubenhöft Cuxhaven for the invasion of Trondheim. The ship was the lead unit of the II. Group. In addition, 4 destroyers in the Amerikahafen took on additional army units for the invasion operation.

Die Admiral Hipper am Steubenhöft.

Besatzungsmitglieder beobachten das Einschiffen der Gebirgsjäger.

March of various troops from the Grimmershörn barracks to the Steubenhöft. The photo was taken at the Zollkaje (bascule bridge).

A transport cargo ship as a troop transporter

Die Zerstörerbesatzungen auf dem Weg zur ihren Schiffen am Lentzkai. Es waren die Paul Jacobi (Z 25), Theodor Riedel (Z 26), Bruno Heinemann (Z 28) und Friedrich Eckholdt (Z 16).

From the KTB. Admiral Hipper - II./ Group, 06 - 12.04.1940

In 1936, the Navy began building the "Cuxhaven Minesweeper Port" on the eastern part of the Amerikahafen, which was completed in 1938. This included a number of landing stages for ships and boats on the south side. Barracks buildings for the soldiers, as well as storage, logistics and supply facilities were also built. This also included the underground tank facility with the buffer tanks that were needed for the naval tank depot in Nordholz. The units of the later 5th/German Bight Security Division were stationed there with the minesweepers, the outpost flotilla, some barrier breakers, minelayers and anti-aircraft fighter units. Another advantage at the time was the proximity to the barrier weapons arsenal in Groden and the direct connection to the Reichsbahn rail network.

The minesweeper port of Cuxhaven 1944

The area of today’s Amerikahafen (as of 2022)

Both previous cards placed on top of each other.

The comradeship home in the minesweeper harbor.

The buildings along the Osterhöft in 1943.

The first units of the 2nd Mine Clearance Group in the new minesweeper port of Cuxhaven on April 1, 1938. The three larger boats are minesweeper boats of the M 35 class.

The boats are moored at the "concrete pier bridge", where the floating dock of the Bredo shipyard (formerly Mützelfeldt) is now located.

Boats of the 2nd Minesweeping Division in 1940 on the inside of the Steubenhöft.

Minensucheinheiten 1939

Minesweepers (black) and escort boats (grey) have moored in the new home port (1938).Source: Claus Seedorf

1938 - Minesweepers of the type 1916 leaving the "New Harbor" (minesweeper harbor).Minesweeper 1916, M132, no name:Minesweeper 1916, M115 "Arkona"Source: Claus Seedorf

Outpost boats (converted fishing steamers) at a bridge in the minesweeper harbor (1943). Source: Claus Seedorf

Minesweepers during the ice winter of 1943 in the minesweeper harbor.Source: Claus Seedorf

Immediately after the end of the war, the British Royal Navy took over the Cuxhaven minesweeping port and set up a base. This was where the new owners were faced with their first task. There were still tens of thousands of sea mines lying in the rivers and coastal areas of the North and Baltic Seas that still needed to be removed. In order to cope with this task, the Allies ordered the German Minesweeping Service (DMR) to be formed from units of the former Navy; the English name for this was the German Minesweeping Administration (GMSA). The 2nd Minesweeping Division (North Sea A) was set up for the German North Sea coast and stationed in Cuxhaven. The unit consisted of vehicles from the former 7th Minesweeping Flotilla (Cuxhaven), the 9th... Clearance Flotilla (Cuxhaven), the 13th Clearance Flotilla (Cuxhaven), the 2nd/ Barrier Breaker Flotilla (Cuxhaven), the 2nd/ Transport Flotilla (Cuxhaven) and the Net Clearance Unit (Cuxhaven). Other units were located in Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven. The division was led by frigate captain Herbert Max Schultz. At the beginning of 1948, the headquarters of the British Frontier Control Service and, on March 17, 1948, the Chief Inspectorate moved to Cuxhaven (Neufelderstr. - Amerikahafen, later Osterhöftstr. 8). From January 1, 1948, the Cuxhaven Mine Clearance Unit (MRVC) took over this task. The unit, which sailed under the leadership of the British Control Commission, consisted of forces from the German Customs Border Guard. It had 12 minesweeper boats from the former minesweeper flotillas based in Cuxhaven. However, on 30 June 1951 the MRVC was disbanded. (Thanks to Paul Barlow!) In July 1956 the German Army took over the port from the Royal Navy, whose last units withdrew completely by mid-1957. The port facilities and barracks area were repaired over the course of the year for the future units of the German Navy. In the years that followed, Cuxhaven became the home base of various units such as minesweepers and frigates. By 1969 the floating units of the German Navy had finally left the minesweeper port. The reasons for this were the progressive decay of the facility and the silting up of the eastern part of the port; there were no funds available for renovation. The area was then transferred to the city of Hamburg, which was the owner of the Amerikahafen enclave according to the contract. Various companies then moved into the military area, including the company "Harms Bergung". The Mützelfeld shipyard, which had its headquarters at Schleusenpriel for decades, settled on the former Imperatorkai. In the spring of 1992, the port area was transferred entirely to the state of Lower Saxony through a state treaty. In 1994, work began on the future multi-purpose port CUX-PORT. A new sheet pile wall was driven in at the level of the then Queen Luise Bridge, which is now the eastern border of the Amerikahafen with the Humber Quay. In total, around 1/3 of the Amerikahafen was dredged up to create space for the storage of goods for the construction of the new transshipment port. Everything is now loaded at the current terminal. The product range extends from car and steel loading to offshore components for wind power, Ro-Ro loading, paper products, containers and much more. Source: Wikipedia, MB., Paul Barlow

Der Kasernenbereich des Minensuchehafens Cuxhaven 1960. Die Gebäude stimmen noch mit den Zeiten des letzten Krieges überein.

The same area around 1970, the German army had meanwhile withdrawn. After that, the Harms Bergung company used the area, among others. Below you can clearly see the extension of the "New Fishing Port" with the Nordsee company's halls.

The entrance to the barracks area after the war, the Royal Navy had already withdrawn. The port area was now under the control of the British "Frontier Control Service".

Minesweeping units and a frigate in the Amerikahafen Cuxhaven, the photo was taken from the Osterhöft. Period between 1960 and 1965. Source: Claus Seedorf

Der heutige Hafenteil der Firma RHENUS CUXPORT, rot umrandet ist der Teil des ehemalige Minensucherhafen Cuxhaven.