Fort du Saint-Michel (Verdun)

Courtyard side of the peace barracks of Fort du Saint-Michel

Location map

The Fort du Saint-Michel (briefly called Fort Rouyer ) was part of the Verdun Belt Fortress . The fort's task was to monitor the roads coming from Metz and to protect the spaces between Fort de Belrupt , Fort de Souville and Fort de Belleville . In terms of design, it was a redoubt, but it was upgraded to the second line fort after the Ouvrage de Thiaumont and the Ouvrage de Froideterre were built in the new first line.

designation

Originally it was named Fort du Saint-Michel . By Presidential Decree of 21 January 1887 put the war minister Georges Boulanger that all forts, fortified artillery installations and barracks of the Système Séré de Rivières would have to bear the names of former military commanders, which is why the fort named Fort Rouyer after General Marie François Rouyer received . 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.

The construction

Main aisle of the fort with a crossbar in the background

In terms of design, it is a bottle with seven re-entrant and two re-entrant (in the throat ) angles. It was made of limestone , the hollow structures were covered with a layer of clay and earth.

The guns of the main artillery stood free on the ramparts, the positions were separated from each other by 12 hollow cross beams . A double and two single capons were used to cover the trench . To secure the throat and the entrance there was a guard building with loopholes, and breastworks on the wall. The throat area could only be protected by rifle fire, as no gun emplacements were planned here. However, two 75 mm field cannons were then set up on the wall.

The extension was from west to east about 200 meters and from north to south about 150 meters.

Construction data

Start of construction: February 1875

Completion: December 1877

building-costs

423,040 francs

Planned modernizations

The plant was not taken into account in the modernization plans of 1910.

Completed modernizations

Between 1890 and 1900 there were minor improvements in fighting power from the installation of wire entanglements in advance. A metal mesh fence was only installed in the entrance area and on the capons. Furthermore, the plant was connected to the narrow-gauge railway with a gauge of 600 mm.

Equipment 1914

• 156 beds in four rooms for the teams
• 5 sleeping places in four chambers for the officers
• 1 powder magazine with 10.4 tons capacity
• 1 cartridge magazine for 148,100 cartridges
• 1 or 2 cooking stoves from François Vaillant
• 1 well
• 1 cistern with a capacity of 160 m³
• 1 drawbridge
• there was no bakery

communication

1 × telegraphic connection to the citadel in Verdun and the Fort de Belleville

1 × light signal device (signal lamps with 14 or 24 cm diameter) in reserve

lighting

In the interior by petroleum lamps , in the capons with carbide lamps .

First World War

crew

• Intended crew

Infantry: 4 officers, 250 NCOs and men

Artillery: 1 officer, 6 NCOs and 49 men

Workers: 0

Pioneers: 2

Telegraphist: 1

Landsturm: 1

Medical: 0

Total: 5 officers, 310 NCOs and men

• Reinforcements at the start of the war

Infantry: 0

Artillery: 1 officer, 55 men of the "5 ^e régiment d'artillerie à pied" (5th foot artillery regiment)

Pioneers: 3

Telegraphist: 1

Total: 1 officer, 59 NCOs and men

• March 1915

The crew consisted of a peloton of infantry as well as a detachment of artillery and engineers .

• July 5, 1916

Assignment of a fortress machine gun division.

Fighting

The entrance of the fort, May 1917

With the start of the German offensive in the Battle of Verdun on February 21, 1916, the Fort du Saint-Michel was also massively shelled. Impacts of caliber 105, 130, 150 and 210 mm were registered. However, the effect was initially only minor, parts of the metal mesh fence and the crowns of the Escarpen and Contreescarpen walls were damaged. On May 8, 1916, a shell had penetrated the ceiling of the double caponier and caused the ammunition stored therein to explode. The caponier was completely destroyed. Ten meters of the access tunnel collapsed, the rest was badly damaged, the stone wall had long cracks. On the same day, a shell from a 21 cm mortar 16 destroyed the guardhouse at the entrance and damaged parts of the Contreescarpe. Six men were killed and two others were wounded.

The bombardment lasted until the end of June and was particularly violent on June 22nd and 23rd. Fleury fell into the hands of the Germans, but the Fort de Souville and the Ouvrage de Froideterre could be held, whereby the Fort du Saint-Michel was not affected by direct infantry attacks. As early as June 21, the crew had been reduced to 48 infantry and the repair work was reduced to a minimum. On June 30, the crew was increased by an infantry division and on July 5 by an additional fortress machine gun division.

The shelling continued, tear gas and mustard gas grenades were fired intensively on the night of July 10th to 11th . On July 11th and 12th between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. during a German attack on Fort de Souville, the bombardment reached a climax again with shells of 210 mm and possibly 305 mm . As a result, the destruction continued, especially the valley area, but the hollow trusses on the wall were also affected. It was continued continuously until August 1916. On October 22nd, between 3:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., an impact of 150 or 210 mm caliber was counted every four minutes. On the night of October 22nd to 23rd, the fire intensified; between 01:00 and 04:00 a shell of caliber 105, 150 or 210 mm struck every two minutes.

From January 1917, the fort was only occasionally occupied with interference.

Effects

Except for the complete destruction of the double trench cape and the guardhouse, only minor damage was caused. The fort therefore remained defensible.

Reinforcement work

Underground galleries were created at a depth of 8 to 10 meters to protect the crew against the fire of heavy calibers. A 130 meter long access tunnel was built and the corridors were protected by masonry trusses to ward off intruders. The traverses were set up for defense by machine guns. At the end of 1917 the galleries were 720 meters long and a casemate Pamart with two committee openings had been built on the glacis . For this purpose, a shelter had been equipped with a filter system to protect the crew from gas bombardment.

Armament

1878

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
3 × Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877 2 × Canon de 138 modèle 1873–74 2 × Canon Reffye de 85 mm 3 × mortars ( Mortier lisse de 22)	no	2 × Canon Reffye de 85 mm 12 × grape guns	no
Total guns: 24

1884 to 1890

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
2 × Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877 2 × Canon de 138 modèle 1873–74 4 × Canon de 5 1 × mortar ( Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880 ) 1 × mortar (Mortier lisse de 22)	no	4 × Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879 4 × Canon 12 de culasse modèle 1884 2 × Canon de 5	no
Total guns: 66

1908

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
7 × Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 1 × mortar (Mortier lisse de 22)	no	4 × Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879 4 × Canon 12 de culasse modèle 1884 2 × Canon de 5	no
Total guns: 18

1910

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
4 × Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 2 × mortars (Mortier lisse de 22)	no	4 × Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879 4 × Canon 12 de culasse modèle 1884 2 × Canon de 5	no
Total guns: 18

1914

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
4 × Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 with 600 grenades each 2 × Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 on field gun mount on the parapet of the throat 2 × mortars (Mortier lisse de 15) with 150 grenades each	no	4 × Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879 with 1800 grenades each 4 × Canon 12 de culasse modèle 1884 with 150 grenades each	no
Total guns: 14

1915

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
8 machine guns	no	4 × Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879 with 1800 grenades each 4 × Canon 12 de culasse modèle 1884 with 150 grenades each	no
Total guns: 8

In January 1916 there were still considerable amounts of black powder in the magazines, so that the fort should be blown up in the event of a German breakthrough.

1917

On the ramparts	Under armor protection	Trench defenses	External battery
Various machine gun positions	1 double machine gun casemate (Casemate Pamart)	4 × Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879 with 1800 grenades each 4 × Canon 12 de culasse modèle 1884 with 150 grenades each	no
Total guns: 8

Current condition

The condition of the facility is not very good, as it was left to its own devices after the end of the First World War and left to decay. The main entrance is walled up, the drawbridge has disappeared. The capons show massive damage from artillery fire.

The fort is owned by the French army. Access is possible through the various openings, but not permitted.

Web links

Commons : Fort Saint-Michel (Verdun)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Le fort Saint-Michel de Verdun ou fort Royer 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.

Coordinates: 49 ° 10 ′ 32 "  N , 5 ° 24 ′ 53"  E