Fort Lachaux

Main entrance of Fort Lachaux

The Fort Lachaux (called briefly "Fort Razout") was a ostfranzösisches blocking extension that between March 1876 and May 15, was built in 1878 by the entrepreneur Adrien Hallier. The construction costs amounted to 1,801,360 gold francs. It belonged to the Séré de Rivières defense system , was originally intended to defend Montbéliard and until 1906 was assigned to the "Môle défensif du Lomont" defense section. Then it was subordinated to the belt fortress Fester Platz Belfort .

designation

The original name Fort Lachaux was replaced by "Fort Razout" when, by presidential decree of January 21, 1887, the Minister of War, Georges Boulanger, ordered all forts, fortified artillery installations and barracks of the Système Séré de Rivières to bear the names of former military commanders, which is why the fort was then named Fort Razout after Général de division Louis-Nicolas de Razout . On October 13, 1887, this was reversed by Boulanger's successor, Théophile Ferron, with Note No. 14980 of the same date, and the fort was given its original name back. It is located at an altitude of 410 meters on the Lachaux-Kuppe on the Rue de la Fort Lachaux in Souchez on the municipal boundary with Montbéliard and Grand-Charmont in the Doubs department . The owner is the Pays de Montbéliard Agglomération .

Inside the preserved double caponier

description

How far the work had progressed at the start of the war can no longer be determined, as the fort was largely demolished in 1950 to make way for the Peugeot plant. Today there is only the entrance and the top of the wall with the double caponier and parts of the moat. The rest of the ouvrage has disappeared, the area partially built over. The National Police has set up a shooting range here, and entry into the facility is only possible with a permit.

Furnishing

• Peacekeeping: 780 men (15 officers, 37 NCOs, 656 men)
• War garrison: 1016 men
• 1 first-aid station: 20 beds
• Water supply: 2 wells and 2 cisterns with a total capacity of 252.8 m³
• 1 powder magazine with a capacity of 110 tons of black powder
• 1 cartridge magazine with a storage capacity of 720,000 cartridges
• 1 bakery with two wood-burning ovens System Lespinesse - one with 200 loaves and one with 180 loaves a day
• 1 drawbridge
• 1 light signal device for optical connection with Fort du Mont Vaudois , Fort du Mont Bart , Fort du Lomont and Fort du Bois d'Oye
• 1 electrical telegraph for communication with the Montbéliard factories
• 450 beds in the peace barracks

Planned modernizations

Reduit

• Planned for 1900: not planned
• Planned for 1908:

Renewal of the parapets

Installation of three machine gun turrets , two Tourelle Galopin de 155 mm R modèle 1907 armored turrets and three armored observation domes

Creation of a war access from the Kehlgraben , a concrete barracks , a protective cavern and an electric power station

Construction of two shelters on the wall, each with an armored shield house ( Guérite blindée )

Overhaul of the optical signal system

Wall and annex batteries

• Planned for 1900: not planned
• Planned for 1908:

Replacement of the two capons with a double and a single moat weir in the Contreescarpe

Construction of a concrete block house to defend the glacis and the moat

Installation of an armored turret Tourelle de 75 mm R modèle 1905 , an armored observation dome and construction of two concrete gun posts for three and four Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878 guns

Construction of four shelters on the ramparts with armored sentry boxes.

The cost for this was estimated at 3,075,000 gold francs.

Completed modernizations

• 1888 to 1890: Construction of a rock magazine for 83 tons of black powder
• 1913/1914: Construction work to strengthen the fort begins. Work was stopped when the war began.

Armament

1879

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
13 canons of 138 12 canons of 7 8 canons of 4 6 Mortiers de 22 4 Mortiers de 15	no	4 canons of 4 6 grappling guns 4 canons 12 de culasse	no
Total guns: 51

1903

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
3 Canons de 138 modèle 1873–74 3 Canons de 155 L (including 5 guns in reserve)	No	11 canons révolver 40 mm ( revolver cannons ) 3 canons de 12 culasse 2 canons of 90	9 canons de 120 L 15 canons of 90 2 canons of 138 2 Mortiers de 15
Total guns: 58

1906

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
3 canons de 155 L 3 canons de 120 L 5 canons of 90 In reserve: 6 Mortiers de 22 2 Mortiers de 15	no	11 canons révolver 40 mm 3 canons de 12 à culasse 2 canons of 90	12 canons of 90 2 canons of 120 2 Mortiers de 15
Total guns: 51

1908

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
3 canons de 155 L 3 canons de 120 L 2 Mortiers de 22 2 Mortiers de 15	no	11 canons révolver 40 mm 3 canons de 12 culasse	12 canons of 90 10 canons of 120 1 Mortier de 22
Total guns: 47

1912

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
3 canons de 155 L 3 canons de 120 L 2 Mortiers 22 2 Mortiers de 15	No	3 canons révolver 40 mm 3 canons de 120 de culasse	4 canons of 90 11 canons of 120 2 Mortiers de 15
Total guns: 37

1914

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
3 canons de 155 L 3 canons de 120 L 2 Mortiers 22 2 Mortiers de 15	no	11 canons révolver 40 mm 3 canons 12 de culasse	4 canons of 90 11 canons of 120
Total guns: 19

Web links

Commons : Fort Lachaux  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Le fort Lachaux in Lieux insolites en France ou ailleurs
• Le fort Lachaux ou fort Razout in Fortiff'Séré

Footnotes

1. ↑ Note No. 5285 of March 25, 1886 from Minister of War Général Boulanger to the General Commanders of the Military Regions; Presidential decree of January 21, 1887 renaming the forts, fortified artillery systems and barracks, as proposed by the Minister of War, Général Boulanger.
2. ↑ Le fort Lachaux ou fort Razout. In: Fortiff'Séré .
3. ↑ “de culasse” - guns with breeches, so no more muzzle-loaders
4. ↑ The original name "canon de révolver" is misleading, as it is a multi-barrel gun based on the Gatling system. This is also sometimes referred to in French as a mitrailleuse.

Coordinates: 47 ° 31 '11 "  N , 6 ° 49' 26"  E