Fort de Bourlémont

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Main entrance

The Fort de Bourlémont , (also Fort Choiseul ) was part of the French defense system Barrière de fer . It is located in the territory of the municipality of Mont-lès-Neufchâteau . The name comes from the Château de Bourlémont located northwest in the same forest area.

designation

It was originally named Fort de Bourlémont . 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 named Fort de Choiseul after Étienne-François de Choiseul 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.

tasks

The fort played a significant role in the defense strategy of the so-called "trouée de Charmes", the gap between the fortification systems Épinal - Belfort and Toul - Verdun on the French eastern border. The main task of the fort was to cover with concentrated artillery fire:

  • the tactical withdrawal of its own troops from the woods of Mirecourt
  • the important transport hub of Neufchâteau with four railway lines and five roads
  • the Saônelle and Midrevaux valleys
  • as well as preventing enemy troops from breaking into the Paris Basin
Throat caponier

Fully equipped, the fort was independent of any supply for three months.

description

Construction began on July 15, 1878, and commissioning took place on October 15, 1881. The construction costs totaled 2,000,000 gold francs .

The fort, roughly shaped like a diamond , is located in a forest about three kilometers north of Neufchâteau. The height above sea ​​level is 425 meters. It is laid out in masonry, surrounded by a dry trench and its point faces north, into the flank of any German troops that might be flowing in here. In the Contreescarpe of the front ditch tip is the double trench cut that secured the two facets of the work. At the reentrant angles of the Facen to the throat ditch were caponiers to cover the throat grown. The Ravelin is equipped with a drawbridge on both sides . The core plant covers an area of ​​3.6 hectares, with the trench 4.5 hectares. Next to the barracks there was a bakery with two ovens , in which a total of 360 portions of bread could be baked a day, as well as an infirmary with 85 beds. In the fort there are a total of 91 rooms and shelters, as well as setting options for 14 horses. There was also a well and two cisterns with a capacity of 300 m³ each.

After the military finally gave up the property, it became the property of Mont-lès-Neufchâteau. Since then, the fort has been restored by a development association and is open to visitors.

crew

The regular crew consisted of 664 men, 36 NCOs and 19 officers.

Armament

1881 1883-1886 from 1886
15 × " Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878 " 2 × " Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877 " 7 × "Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877"
4 × " Canon Reffye de 85 mm " 15 × "Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877" 10 × " Canon Lahitolle de 95 mm "
4 × mortars " Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880 " 2 × "Canon Reffye de 85 mm" 4 × "Canon Reffye de 85 mm"
- 4 × mortars "Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880" 4 × mortars "Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880"
- 2 × Mortier lisse de 15 (150 mm) 2 × Mortier lisse de 15 (150 mm)
Flanking guns in the trench defenses
4 × mitrailleuse 4 × Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879 4 × Canon revolver de 40 modéle 1879
4 × muzzle-loading guns Canon de 4 modèle 1858 4 × "Canon de 120 long modèle 1878" 4 × "Canon de 120 long modèle 1878"
- * Minimal chart cannons on wall pivot mount

There were also:

Events

  • The fort was permanently occupied from 1881 to 1914. A detachment of the 79th Régiment d'Artillerie (79th Artillery Regiment ) was garrisoned here .
  • In 1912 the fort was classified as obsolete second rate.
  • From 1914 to 1918 the facility was fully armed and ready for use in view of the conflict that was unfolding further north.
  • At the end of the war in 1918, the fort was seized by American troops. Alsatian [sic] and German soldiers were interned.
  • 1918 to 1939: used as an ammunition depot. Only a small guard was still stationed.
  • 1940 to 1945: Used as an ammunition depot by German troops
  • 1945 to 1950: Guarded military property without use
  • 1950 to 1996: Military training area

Web links

Commons : Fort de Bourlémont  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Footnotes

  1. ^ Note n ° 5285 of March 25, 1886 from War Minister Boulanger to the General Commanders of the Military Regions; Presidential decree of 21 January renaming the forts, fortified artillery and barracks, as proposed by the Minister of War M. le général Boulanger.
  2. ^ Cf rapport armement du April 8, 1879
  3. ↑ This loophole was left open with the intention of channeling any German attacks here and fighting them in a concentrated manner
  4. ↑ According to the understanding of the French general staff
  5. ↑ These numbers fluctuated due to circumstances
  6. ↑ The original name "canon de revolver" is misleading, as it is a multi-barrel gun based on the Gatling system. This is sometimes referred to in French as a mitrailleuse.

Coordinates: 48 ° 21 '50 "  N , 5 ° 38' 39"  E