Fort de Vacherauville

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Main entrance to the fort around 1917
Location map

The Fort de Vacherauville is a former fortification left the Maas in the field of community Charny-sur-Meuse in the department Meuse . Built between 1900 and 1914/15, it was the most modern fort on the Verdun Festival Square and the last to be completed before the First World War . The architectural style corresponded to the “Vieux Canton” type in Toul . It belonged to the Verdun fortress belt and was the fort of the fortress furthest to the west. The crew was set at 195 men, the total costs (including land purchase, armament and equipment) amounted to 2,400,000 gold francs.

Situation and tasks

The fort is situated on a small hill 268 m high at a distance of 2.2 km from Fort de Marre in the west, 4.6 km from Ouvrage de Froideterre in the east, 970 m from Ouvrage de Charny in the southeast and 960 m from the post “De la Belle Épine” in the southwest. The village of Vacherauville , which gave the fort its name, lies northeast on the other side of the Meuse . The task was to control the road from Varennes (currently D38) and the railway line from Sedan via Stenay and Dun-sur-Meuse to Verdun (now closed). In addition, the surveillance of the spaces between the Fort de Marre and the Ouvrage de Froideterre.

In September 1914, the 155 mm tank turret fired 40 shells at targets in the German-occupied towns of Regnéville-sur-Meuse and Forges-sur-Meuse .

Construction work

Projected measures

  • 1908 :
Construction of an ouvrage with a concrete barracks with flanking trenches.
Construction of an armored turret Tourelle Galopin de 155 mm R modèle 1907 , another of the type Tourelle de 75 mm R modèle 1905 and a machine gun turret Tourelle de mitrailleuses modèle 1899 (machine gun Mitrailleuse Hotchkiss de 8 mm modèle 1900 ).
  • 1910 :
Installation of a second armored turret 155 mm R, a second machine gun turret and a power station with five generators .
  • 1914 :
Motorization of the lifting system of the armored turret 155 mm R (turret No. 12) by installing an electric motor with an output of 5 to 6 hp. This work should be done simultaneously with the installation of the tower.
A second turret “Tourelle de 75 mm R modèle 1905” was planned.

Actions taken

  • 1910 to 1914
Construction of a barracks block from reinforced concrete , the trench, a throat trunk and a double and a single front trench cut .
Installation of four armored observation domes ( Observatoire cuirassé ) and 2 armored observation stands ( Guérite blindée )
  • 1910 to 1912
Installation of an armored turret “Tourelle de 75 mm R modèle 1905” and a machine gun turret “Tourelle de mitrailleuses modèle 1899”; both ready to fire on November 20, 1912.
  • 1911 to 1914
Installation of two armored turrets “Tourelle de 75 mm R modèle 1905”, ready to fire on July 22, 1914
  • 1912 to 1914
Establishment of an electricity company with 3 generators, driven by petrol engines and with an output of 5500 watts each at a voltage of 110 volts for lighting and operating the ventilation system .

Building

From 1900 the existing forts of the Barrière de fer were strengthened again and existing gaps were closed by the construction of new ones. In place of the existing open battery position near Charny-sur-Meuse, a massive fort began to be built here. The eight-meter-wide trench enclosed an area of ​​1.2 hectares, making the fort significantly smaller than those with comparable or weaker armament (Fort Douaumont, equipped only with a 155 mm tower, covered an area of ​​7.4 hectares.) It had the shape of a trapezoid with a side length of 100 × 100 × 110 × 140 meters. The main structure consisted of reinforced concrete with vaulted ceilings that were between 2.5 m and 1.8 m thick. For Kehl ditch there were loopholes .

In August 1914 the fortress was classified as “Ouvrage de prèmiere catégorie” (intermediate work of the first category) and assigned to fortress region 6, but it was not yet finished as the concrete of the 155 mm gun well of the second tower had not yet been poured. The drawbridge was also not yet installed. When the war began, the work was initially stopped. Still to be done were:

Installation of the second machine gun turret
various earthworks
Construction of the iron palisade fence on the outer moat wall
Completion of the gun well for the second 155 turret
Completion of the outer and inner trench walls
Completion of the entrance gate
Installation of the drawbridge
Completion of the drainage and fresh water supply
Installation of the electrical lighting and the electrical drive of the tower lifts

This work was resumed in 1914 and then finally stopped with the completion of the second armored turret in spring 1915.

Furnishing

Telephone system core
  • Powder magazines and cartridge magazines had been replaced by ammunition magazines
  • Accommodation with 195 beds in the concrete barracks (main building)
  • Kitchen with 2 cookers from François Vaillant
  • a concrete cisterns of 135 m³ (filled with rainwater)
  • a concrete cisterns of and 142 m³ (filling with spring water)
  • A drop-off bridge led across the moat
  • a light signal apparatus with a spotlight 14 cm and 21 cm in diameter was kept in reserve.
  • A telephone connection from the Ader system led to the citadel in Verdun and the “Jardin-Fontaine” post
  • lighting was provided by electric and kerosene lamps inside, electric and candle lamps in the towers, and acetylene lamps in the moat defenses.

Armament

1913

On the ramparts Armor and casemates Trench defenses Annex batteries
0 1 Canon de 155 mm R modèle 1877 gun in the armored turret type “Tourelle Galopin de 155 mm R modèle 1907”

2 cannons de 75 mm R modèle 1905 in an armored turret “Tourelle de 75 mm R modèle 1905”

1 machine gun tower “Tourelle de mitrailleuses modèle 1899”

3 armored observation domes ( Observatoire cuirassé )

3 armored observation posts ( Guérite blindée )

Work not finished yet 0
Total guns: 0 3 0 0

August 1914

On the ramparts Armor and casemates Trench defenses Annex batteries
0 1 Canon de 155 mm R modèle 1877 gun in the armored turret type “Tourelle Galopin de 155 mm R modèle 1907”

2 cannons de 75 mm R modèle 1905 in an armored turret “Tourelle de 75 mm R modèle 1905”

1 machine gun tower “Tourelle de mitrailleuses modèle 1899”

4 armored observation domes

3 armored observation posts

0 0
Total guns: 0 3 0 0

March 1915

On the ramparts Armor and casemates Trench defenses Annex batteries
0 1 Canon de 155 mm R modèle 1877 gun in the armored turret type “Tourelle Galopin de 155 mm R modèle 1907”

2 cannons de 75 mm R modèle 1905 in an armored turret “Tourelle de 75 mm R modèle 1905”

1 machine gun tower “Tourelle de mitrailleuses modèle 1899”

4 armored observation domes

3 armored observation posts

Double digs

2 Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879 with 180 grenades each 2 Canon de 12 mle 1853–1859 with 150 grenades each

Easy trench pranks

1 Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879 with 180 shells 1 Canon de 12 mle 1853–1859 with 150 shells

Throat suitcase

Rifle notches only

0
Total guns: 0 3 6th 0

garrison

The regular occupation of the fort consisted of 1914

  • Infantry : 1 officer / 130 NCOs and men
  • Artillery : 1 officer / 11 NCOs / 59 men
  • Pioneers : 1 officer / 9 men
  • Telephone troop : 2 men
  • Auxiliary staff (military workers): 59 men
  • Medical staff : 0
  • Battery watch : 0
  • Total : 250 men

Military reinforcement in accordance with the regulation of March 21, 1905

  • Infantry : 1 officer, 81 non-commissioned officers and men of the “135 e régiment d'infanterie”
  • Artillery : 78 NCOs and men of the “5 e régiment d'artillerie à pied” (5th foot artillery regiment)
  • Pioneers : 38 NCOs and men
  • Total : 193 men

First World War

Plan of the fort with the 42 cm caliber impacts marked in red

When the fighting began, the work on the fort was not yet finished, nevertheless it was provided with a crew and made ready for combat. When the “Region fortifée de Verdun” was established on August 8, 1915, the fort was already being prepared for demolition (gun turrets, escarpe and contrescarpe ). For this purpose, seven mine tunnels were excavated at a distance of six meters 2.5 meters below the outer, western trench wall (Contreescarpe) and seven more under the opposite inner trench wall ( Escarpe ). Work in preparation for the demolition was ordered on December 15, 1915, and a possible demolition was approved by the General Command on January 6, 1916. The mines were loaded on March 24th and 25th, 1916 (the turrets had not yet been prepared for demolition.) Since it was feared that the mines could explode in an uncontrolled manner when fired with heavy grenades, the explosives were removed and thrown in the Meuse. On March 10, 1916, a permanent crew of ½ company of infantry, an artillery division and engineers were assigned. Commandant was initially Capitaine Gasnier of the "72 e régiment d'infanterie territoriale" (72nd Landwehr Infantry Regiment), on May 14, 1915, Chef de bataillon Lespinasse of the 18th e régiment d'infanterie and from June 1, 1916, Chef de bataillon Babonnau from “294 e régiment d'infanterie” (reserve regiment of the 94 e régiment d'infanterie ).

As early as February 21, 1916, the first day of the Battle of Verdun, the fort was under attack by German medium and heavy artillery. There were 200 bullets with a caliber of 15 cm and 21 cm. On February 22, the fort fired 2,279 7.5 cm shells (1,793 HE shells, 486 shrapnel) and 953 15.5 cm shells (379 HE shells and 574 shrapnel) at Samogneux (which took place on the evening of February 23 abandoned by the French), Beaumont and Louvemont (both lost on February 24th), as well as the heights of Côte de Talou, Côte 378 and Côte de Poivre attacked by the Germans.

The fort itself was shelled:

on February 22nd: 250 shells of 13.5 cm, 15 cm and 21 cm caliber
on February 23: 300 shells of 30.5 cm or 38 cm caliber
on February 24: 500 shells of 30.5 cm or 38 cm caliber
on February 25: 720 shells of 30.5 cm or 38 cm caliber / 25 shells of 42 cm caliber
on February 26: 280 shells of 30.5 cm or 38 cm caliber

Within six days, approx. 450 grenades with a caliber of 15 cm and 21 cm, 1,800 grenades with a caliber of 30.5 or 38 cm and 25 grenades with a caliber of 42 cm were fired at the fort.

On April 5, 1916, Général Guillaumat , commander of the 1st Army Corps, ordered the artillery of the towers to be used only in the event of a German attack, in order not to draw German fire on the fort. In spring, the front had moved within 1.8 kilometers of the fort. During 1916, large-caliber bombardment continued. In March, April and May mainly with 15 cm and 21 cm guns.

on May 30th: three shells 30.5 cm
on June 6: 20 shells 30.5 or 38 cm
on June 21: 12 shells 30.5 or 38 cm
on June 30: 16 shells 30.5 or 38 cm
on July 10: 25 shells 30.5 or 38 cm (in preparation for the German attack on the right bank of the Meuse on July 11, 1916). A total of 110 grenades with a caliber of 42 cm, 2138 with a caliber of 38 cm, 30.5 cm or 28 cm, 5038 with a caliber of 21 cm or 15 cm and 664 with a caliber of 13 cm, 10.5 cm or 7.7 cm fired. The weight of the steel of the grenades was about 1900 tons, the explosives used in the grenades weighed about 170 tons.

The bombardment cost the German Reich about 8 million marks.

Guns used by the Germans

  • "Big Bertha"

  • "Long Max"

  • 12 '' M.11 mortar

  • 28 cm howitzer L12

  • 21 cm mortar

  • 15 cm field howitzer 13

  • 13.5 cm cannon 09

  • 10 cm cannon 04

  • 7.7 cm field cannon 96

Damage

Impacts of the 42 cm grenades

  • No. 1: The first impact of a 42 cm shell fell in the middle of the fort next to the central passage from the accommodation block to the battery block. The concrete side wall was pressed against the opposite wall over a large area, blocking the passage.
  • No. 2: Grenade No. 2 fell on the fort ceiling and destroyed the underground access to the double trench strikes.
  • No. 3: Grenade No. 3 hit the 1.50 m thick reinforced concrete roof of an ammunition magazine of the 75 mm turret. The shell did not penetrate, but tore a crater 70 cm in diameter and 65 cm deep in the reinforced concrete. The lower part of the ceiling was pushed through, concrete flaked off and the reinforcing bars bent. The hole was filled with rubble and covered with concrete.
  • No. 4: The shell fell on the rim of the gun turret 155 mm west. This was postponed, the tower fell out by April 28th.
  • No. 5 and No. 6: Both shells fell on the heap of earth in front of the gun turrets and threw a large amount of earth and part of the inner wall of the embankment into the trench.
  • No. 7: Impact on the ceiling slab of room 20. This was 1.64 m thick and was also not penetrated. A crater with a diameter of 60 to 65 cm and the same depth was created. Inside there was a bulge 50 cm deep and 2.20 to 2.50 m in diameter. The reinforcement bars were bent but not broken. The cracked concrete was held in place by them.
  • No. 8:?
  • No. 9: Destroyed the latrine at tower 155 West
  • No. 10 and No. 11: Impacts on the outer embankment of the front trench. Heavy damage to the picket fence and the Contrescarpe
  • No. 12 and No. 13: Impacts on the concrete collar of the gun well of Tower 155 West. The collar was destroyed one meter deep over a length of 10 meters.
  • No. 14: Impact into the ground next to the gun well of Tower 155 West. Damage to the outer wall of the gun well.
  • No. 15: Impact next to the passage to the double trench. Further burial of the already unusable passage.
  • No. 16: Impact on the 1.50 m thick ceiling of the double trench strokes. The ceiling was not penetrated, a bulge was formed inside that was 20 to 30 cm deep and 1.50 to 1.80 m in diameter.

The other 14 hits did not cause serious damage, so nos. 24 and 25 fell on the outer ditch embankment, nos. 17 and 19 on the earth walls of the interior of the fort.

Structural condition after the fighting

  • The lattice fence on the outer ditch embankment was completely destroyed.
  • The inner and outer trench walls of the front trench were completely leveled.
  • The outer trench wall of the right flank trench was destroyed, the inner trench wall partially still exists.
  • From the left flank trench, only about 20 meters of the inner trench wall remained.
  • The throat ditch was mostly filled, the outer ditch wall no longer existed
  • The trench defenses were undamaged and could be used.
  • All armored turrets, machine gun turrets, and observation domes were fully operational.
Plan of the fort with the underground galleries drawn in red from 1917

Structural reinforcements

From 1916 to the end of 1917, underground galleries were created mostly in the rear area outside the fort, which were up to 18 meters below the surface and were therefore absolutely safe. An infirmary and a kitchen were created. The plant was protected against war gas. At the end of the war, the corridors reached a total length of 1165 meters. Two armored machine gun stands ( Casemate Pamart ) were also built, one in the northwest of the fort and the other near the entrance.

Interwar period

During the 1922 inspection, the towers of Vacherauville were described in disrepair and as scrap . The high humidity inside led to heavy rust formation on the metal parts.

State description

  • Right turret 155 mm
Outside: concrete flaked off, steel reinforcement exposed
Inside: cracks in the wall of the gun well, repaired during the war
  • Armored observation dome of the tower
Outside: concrete flaked off, steel reinforcement exposed
Inside: cracked concrete
  • Command armored dome
Outside: concrete flaked off, steel reinforcement exposed
Inside: cracked concrete
  • Right turret 155 mm
Outside: concrete flaked off, steel reinforcement exposed
Wall of the pit for the counterweight torn, cracks in the intermediate chamber were repaired, cracks in the wall of the gun well
  • Armored observation dome of the tower
Outside: concrete flaked off, steel reinforcement exposed
Inside: cracked concrete
  • Both machine gun turrets
Outside: in good condition
Inside: in good condition, cracks in the concrete repaired, communication completely demolished
  • Gun turret 75 mm
Exterior: in good condition, repaired during the war
Wall of the pit for the counterweight cracked, partially collapsed, pit under water
  • Armored observation dome of the tower
Outside: concrete flaked off, steel reinforcement exposed
Inside: cracked concrete

The 1926 border commission classified the fort as unusable. Nevertheless, it was restored to the extent that in 1940 it was able to offer a certain resistance against the attacking German troops. The galleries from 1916–1917 (they were called “Network 17”) had to be concreted for the most part in 1933 to avoid collapsing.

Second World War

On the morning of June 15, 1940, the German 76th Infantry Division attacked Verdun from the north-west. The attack on Fort de Vacherauville was carried out by the 1st Battalion of the 178th Infantry Regiment. The attackers were fired from the fort from the gun turrets and with infantry weapons, who initially remained lying in the apron. As a result, pioneers were deployed to climb the top and push explosive charges into the slots in the armored domes. The fort was taken at 11:15 a.m.

In 1943/44, all steel parts were blown up by the Todt organization in order to scrap them. However, this was not fully carried out, today parts of a cannon dome and an observation tank are still on the site.

post war period

The fort has been abandoned since then and is now used as a retreat for bats . About 160 Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and about 20 Myotis emarginatus hibernate here in the corridors.

The approximately 8.7 hectare area is looked after by the “Conservatoire d'espaces naturels de Lorraine”.

Entry is prohibited.

Web links

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

Footnotes

  1. ^ Guy Le Hallé “Le système Séré de Rivières ou le Témoignage des pierres” Ysec Éditions Louviers 2001, ISBN 2-84673-008-3 , p. 155.
  2. ↑ Downclassification of the fortress and possible surrender during a German encirclement maneuver
  3. ↑ Alain Hohnadel & Philippe Bestetti “La Bataille des forts” (Metz et Verdun de 1865 à 1918) | Editions Heimdal Bayeux 1995 Section 15, ISBN 2-84048-087-5 .
  4. ↑ of which only 30 were hits
  5. ↑ Fort Vacherauville
  6. ↑ https://www.cen-lorraine.fr/

Coordinates: 49 ° 12 ′ 15 ″  N , 5 ° 20 ′ 31 ″  E