Approche

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Part of an attack u. Defense process of a fortress using the example of Fort Hahneberg

Approche ( fr. ;, Proximity ') is the generic term for the military -scale purposes, aboveground grooves ( trenches , the trenches ) and underground tunnel to less dangerous approaching a siege fortress .

Saps and mines

  • Above-ground approaches (trenches) are called saps .
  • Underground approaches (tunnels) are called mines .

Above-ground saps were mostly covered with wooden slats near the fortress to protect against fire . The aim was to either climb over the fortress walls with ladders or to collapse them by ramming or blasting them.

middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, sapps and mines were built by fortress builders because they were the best at recognizing the possible weak points of a fortress. Later there was a specialization in sappers working above ground and miners working underground . In the Middle Ages, sappers were protected by a heavily armored and therefore very heavy helmet, the sapphire helmet, which could also have forehead and neck rims.

Vauban's address

The so-called Vauban'schen Approchen consisted of a trench (train) with about 2.5 meters soles wide and 1.25 meters depth, up to the third parallel in the zigzag out on the side facing the fortress side with an about 1 m high Erdschüttung provided was. The individual speech trains were placed in front of the reentrant corners of the fortifications and the individual strokes were conducted in such a way that their extension passed at least 50 meters in front of the most protruding fortification. Each forward stroke was arched backwards beyond the rear, what was called a "hook" or ( French ) "crochet". These hooks were used as escape points and / or to set up smaller guards . The zigzag-shaped addresses were each designed as a sap ( see above ). In less distance to the fortress - as from the second parallel line - came by the sapper with Wälzkorb and other auxiliary equipment executed full sap or later (about 1870) the simple roller which for crushing coarse clods was used used. In close proximity to the fortress, for example from the foot of the glacis , the zigzags would have had to have become too acute to be protected from fire . One more so on this stretch of the application of zigzags and led the Approchen henceforth such straight towards the Saillants the front of attack on that they carried traversal ( trusses sap, dice sap) against bestreichendes fire protection offered. In the open spaces in front of the fortresses mainly deep-rooted plants were planted, which made it difficult to dig trenches with a spade .

See also

Web links

Wiktionary: Sappe  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations