Fort de Troyon

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The fort 1915

The Fort de Troyon (briefly called Fort d'Essling) was a fortress of the first generation of the Barrière de fer , which was built from hewn limestone masonry as a fortress from 1877 after the Franco-German War . It is located at an altitude of 264 meters in the area of ​​the municipalities of Troyon and Lacroix-sur-Meuse and thus belonged to the barrier belt (rideau défensif) on the Meuse heights in Lorraine . In 1879 it was placed under the Verdun fixed place

designation

Originally it was named Fort de Troyon . By presidential decree of January 21, 1887, the Minister of War, Georges Boulanger , implemented that all forts, fortified artillery installations and barracks of the Système Séré de Rivières had to bear the names of former military commanders, which is why the fort was then named Fort Essling after André Masséna duc d ' Essling received. On October 13, 1887, Boulanger's successor, Théophile Ferron, canceled it with the note n ° 14980 of the same date and the fort was given its original name.

description

Construction began on August 15, 1877, and was completed in June 1880. The construction costs amounted to 1,985,000 gold francs .

The war crew was set at 21 officers, 46 non-commissioned officers and 746 men. At the start of the war in 1914 it consisted of:

  • 4 officers, 354 men of the "166 e régiment d'infanterie"
  • 2 officers, 157 men of the "5 e régiment d'artillerie à pied" (5th foot artillery regiment)
  • 6 workers of the "5 e section territorial"
  • 6 telegraph operators
  • 4 Chasseurs forestiers (hunters)
  • 5 paramedics
  • 2 to 3 cooks,

a total of 6 officers and 534 NCOs and men.

Due to the construction with a reduit in the valley , capons to cover the trenches and the execution in masonry, it was already at the limit of performance when construction began. It is largely identical to the Fort de Génicourt , but shows certain differences in detail.

The drawbridge at the entrance is of the Devèze type and is relatively rare, only one has been preserved in its original state, it is in the Battery de Sanchey in Épinal .

In addition to the gun casemates for direct shot, so-called mortar casemates were also available. Due to its design (notches for steep fire in the upper wall area), this only allowed indirect shooting, not only with mortars but also with howitzers .

The 16 gun positions on the wall were separated from each other by hollow cross beams .

Infrastructure

  • 831 beds
  • 2 powder magazines for 145 tons of black powder
  • 2 cartridge magazines for 985,000 cartridges
  • 2 ovens each for 180 portions of bread a day
  • 1 well for filling a cistern of 90 m³
  • 1 first aid station with 50 beds
  • Lighting: In the fort by kerosene lanterns , in the moat defenses by acetylene lamps
  • Communication: There was light signal connection to Fort de Génicourt, as well as telegraphic connection to Fort du Camps des Romains and Fort de Génicourt

Artillery equipment

I. II. III.
  • 1878
on the ramparts:
5 Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877
4 Canon de 138 modèle 1873–74
9 Canon Lahitolle de 95 mm
4 Mortiers lisses de 22
in the 4 casemates for indirect fire:
4 Canon de 138 modèle 1873–74
in the 6 ravelin casemates for direct fire:
3 Canon Lahitolle de 95 mm
3 Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878
In the capons as a moat:
6 howitzers de 16
6 grappling guns
  • 1884
on the ramparts:
4 Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877
3 Canon de 138 modèle 1873–74
8 Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878
9 Canon Reffye de 85 mm
4 Mortiers lisses de 22
in the 4 casemates for indirect fire:
4 Canon de 138 modèle 1873–74
in the 6 ravelin casemates for direct fire:
3 Canon Lahitolle de 95 mm
3 Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878
In the capons as a moat:
4 revolver cannons
4 Canon 12 de culasse modèle 1884
  • 1905 to 1907
on the ramparts:
6 Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877
2 Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 on fortress carriage
2 Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 on field gun carriage
4 Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878
in the 4 casemates for indirect fire:
without armament
in the 6 ravelin casemates for direct fire:
2 Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 on fortress carriage
In the capons as a moat:
6 revolver cannons
6 Canon 12 de culasse modèle 1884

Artillery equipment at the beginning of the First World War

  • 2 Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878 with 700 shells each
  • 4 Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 on fortress carriage with 600 grenades each
  • 8 Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 on field gun carriage with 600 shells each
  • 2 machine guns St. Étienne M1907 with 43,200 cartridges each

The trench guards were equipped:

  • the front trench double caponier with:
2 revolver cannons with 1,800 shells each
2 Canon de 12 culasse with 150 grenades each
  • the two flank trench single capping each with:
1 revolver cannon with 1800 shells
1 Canon de 12 culasse with 150 grenades
  • the two throat ditches single capping each with:
1 revolver cannon with 1800 shells
1 Canon de 12 culasse with 150 grenades
  • the double trench caponier in front of the reduit:
without guns, only set up for rifle fire

Modernizations

Planned modernizations

  • 1877: Construction of two “Casemates Mougin” between Saillants 1–2 and 4–5 for 155 mm minimal-chart cannons
  • 1895: Reinforcement of the barracks with a concrete cover, construction of two rock galleries behind the throat ditch, construction of a war exit in the throat ditch, construction of two annex batteries, installation of a metal mesh fence on the Contreescarpen wall .
Estimated cost CHF 242,000.

Completed modernizations

  • 1900: Construction of two rock galleries behind the throat ditch, installation of a metal mesh fence on the countercarp wall.

Reinforcements carried out

  • Between May 1916 and 1918 extensive galleries were laid out under the fort, and the corridors were secured by obstacles.
  • Was installed:
an armored observation dome ( Observatoire cuirassé )
two double machine gun fighting stalls ( Casemate Pamart )
A casemate de Bourges for the area to St. Mihiel with two cannons Canon de 75 mm modèle 1897
electric lighting in the galleries

  • Fort de Troyon, shell impact on the wall.

  • Fort de Troyon, impacts on the gun emplacements.

  • Fort de Troyon, gate building with throat ditch.

  • Destroyed French cannon in the fort (1915).

Fighting

  • September 7, 1914:

Part of the German 10th Infantry Division reached the vicinity of the fort. It was occupied at this time by the 15th Company of the "166 e régiment d'infanterie" and the 32nd battery of the 5 e régiment d'artillerie à pied. A chief de bataillon of the territorial troops (Landwehr) was in command and had been ordered to hold out for at least 48 hours.

  • September 8th:

In the morning, the fort answered the fire of a German 15 cm battery, but without success. The Germans filled the fort with 180 grenades by 10:00 a.m. and then deployed a 12 -inch M.11 mortar that fired 12 grenades. By the end of the day, around 400 impacts had been counted. During the night, German troops approached the fort, which were repulsed by artillery fire from Canon de 90.

  • the 9th of September :

At 10:00 a.m. the Germans asked the fort to surrender, which was refused by the commanding officer, Capitaine Heym. It was then bombarded with 30.5 cm grenades for a further three hours.

  • September 10:

Of the 12 Canon de 90s, six were still operational, the Canon de 120s remained undamaged. Two hits from 30.5 cm grenades destroyed a hollow crossbeam that served as a warehouse for 90 mm grenades. A German attack at 7:00 p.m. remained in the supporting defensive fire of Fort des Paroches and Gérnicourt.

  • September 11:

The bombardment continued, with massive damage to the gate building and the peace barracks. An imminent infantry attack was prevented by the gunfire from the Forts des Paroches and Gérnicourt.

  • 12th September:

The fire lasted all day.

  • 13.september:

The Germans initially stopped the fire. 3000 impacts were counted, 200 of them 30.5 cm. Four men were killed and 41 wounded. The gate building and the peace barracks were destroyed, the moat partially leveled.

  • September 13th to 20th:

Repair work

The fort could be held and remained in French hands until the end of the war.

today

The fort is privately owned, an association takes care of the building. Viewing is possible.

On November 2, 1994, it was added to the list of Monuments historique .

Web links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ http://fortiffsere.fr .
  2. ^ Note n ° 5285 of March 25, 1886 from War Minister Boulanger to the General Commanders of the Military Regions; Presidential decree of January 21 on the renaming of forts, fortified artillery installations and barracks, as proposed by M. le général Boulanger, Minister of War.
  3. ↑ Bronze 15 cm mortar from 1838 for firing spherical bombs filled with black powder.
  4. ↑ entry no. PA00132766 in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French).

Coordinates: 48 ° 59 ′ 18.6 ″  N , 5 ° 29 ′ 18.1 ″  E