Belt Fortress

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Federal fortress Ulm as a belt fortress (construction status around 1870). The map also clearly shows the difference between the North German-Prussian and the South German-Austrian fortification methods. The fortifications north of the Danube were designed by Prussian engineers, those south of the river by Bavarian engineers.

A belt fortress is a fortress that is surrounded by several detached forts . The main task of the detached forts, which surround the fortress like a belt, is to protect the city, which is in the actual core of most forts, from being bombarded by an attacker for as long as possible. In the older German-language literature, the “belt fortresses” are also referred to as “camp fortresses”, as the large free space between the fortifications allowed an additional field army to be accommodated and thus made the defense more flexible.

Historical development

As early as the end of the 17th century, with the increasing improvement of the siege artillery, the defensive systems around large fortresses were expanded to form an ever deeper fortified zone. Due to the increasing inclusion of heights in front of the city, the fortifications gradually began to detach from the actual fortress during the 18th century. It was at that time that such independent fortifications, which were far forward, were called fort.

Under the influence of various new fortification proposals, especially by Georg Rimpler (1636–1683) and Hermann Landsberg the Elder. J. (1670–1746), Central Europe began as early as the beginning of the 18th century to gradually break away from the tight fetters of the classic bastionary fortification system (although not yet everywhere). So - following Rimpler's suggestions - the Mainz fortress was surrounded by a belt of forward forts as early as the early 18th century , although these were still connected to each other and to the main wall by fortification lines. Building on this, fortifications were built according to the Tenaill system (e.g. in Magdeburg around 1730) and finally, at the time of King Friedrich II of Prussia, several fortresses based on the so-called "Old Prussian Fortification System" (it was based on a further developed Tenaill system, which was, among other things, the Renouncing symmetry could adapt very flexibly to the terrain). Several fortresses newly built or rebuilt in the "old Prussian manner" had a belt of detached forts. a. in Glatz, Graudenz, Neisse, Schweidnitz.

Belt forts of the 19th century

After the end of the Napoleonic era, the bastionary system that had been widespread up until then was finally abandoned in Germany. This system, which was based on a main wall with bastions and the outer works in several rings, such as crown works , horn works , crescents and usually cannons standing on bench, no longer seemed effective enough for tactical reasons (examples are Neubreisach and Diedenhofen listed). Supplemented by further ideas from Marquis de Montalembert (1714–1800) and Carnot (1753–1823), the old Prussian system was further developed into the New Prussian or New German polygonal system . This system was later adopted in modified versions in fortress construction in other countries (in France only after 1870).

From around 1820 onwards, numerous larger fortresses in Europe were transformed into modern “belt fortresses” according to this system. In the expansion of the fortresses of the German Federal Luxembourg , Mainz, Ulm and Rastatt z. B. one acted accordingly. At first in Germany the core plant was surrounded, i. H. the actual fortress, with a main wall according to the "polygonal system", which was largely content with protruding angles and at the same time pushed the external works directly in front of it as far out as the range of the armament necessary for mutual support still allowed. The "new German fortification manner " was already used in the construction of the Koblenz Fortress from 1817 onwards.

At a distance of at least one cannon range from the Enceinte (city wall) of the inner fortress, an outer "belt" of detached forts, permanently manned intermediate works , with and without defensive barracks, defensible powder magazines and separate batteries in covered positions was built. After the introduction of explosive shells (after 1880), this wide outer belt was often supplemented by manned and protected infantry bases, connection and annex batteries and mine-fighting systems in the event of a defense. All the fortifications of the outer belt were connected to one another on their throat side (i.e. on the inner side, between the fortress and the outer works) by communications , radial and belt roads and, if necessary, field railways.

A “belt fortress” thus had two spatially clearly separated defense systems, with the outer ring consisting of detached (advanced) defenses that should shield the core area of ​​the actual fortress from direct fire by the attacker. The wide outer belt, which usually gave the fortress a large circumference, initially usually forced the attacker to a time-consuming blockade, until he was finally able to siege the fortress directly after having approached an extensive siege park and overcoming the protective screen of the forts - and Gaining time was the main strategic task of the fortresses.

literature

  • Friedrich P. Kahlenberg : Kurmainzische defense installations and building history of the fortress Mainz in the 17th and 18th centuries (= contributions to the history of the city of Mainz. Vol. 19). City library, Mainz 1963 (at the same time: Mainz, Univ., Diss., 1962).
  • Hartwig Neumann : Fortress architecture and fortress construction technology. German defense architecture from the XV. to XX. Century (= Architectura militaris. Vol. 1). With a bibliography of German-language publications on fortress research and fortress use 1945–1987. 2nd edition, special edition. Bernard and Graefe, Bonn 1994, ISBN 3-7637-5929-8 .
  • Otmar Schäuffelen: The federal fortress Ulm and its history. Europe's largest fortress. 2nd Edition. Vaas, Ulm 1982, ISBN 3-88360-019-9 .

References and comments

  1. ↑ M. von Prittwitz and Gaffron : Textbook of the art of fortification and the fortification war. Completely reworked for all weapons . Herbig, Berlin 1865, pp. 619f. .
  2. ^ Kahlenberg: Kurmainzische defensive facilities and building history of the fortress Mainz in the 17th and 18th centuries. 1963, pp. 152-175.
  3. ↑ Until then, in Germany such fortifications, which were individually located in front of a town, were referred to as fortresses or entrenchments, the latter especially when they were of a provisional nature.
  4. ^ Kahlenberg: Kurmainzische defensive facilities and building history of the fortress Mainz in the 17th and 18th centuries. 1963, pp. 152-175.
  5. ^ Neumann: Fortress architecture and fortress technology. 1994, p. 121; Georg Ortenburg: Weapons and the use of weapons in the age of the cabinet wars (= armies of the modern age. Department 2: The age of the cabinet wars. Vol. 1). Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1986, ISBN 3-7637-5463-6 , 184ff.
  6. ↑ Free-standing guns on the ramparts
  7. ↑ Sir Howard Douglas: Observations on modern Systems of Fortification. John Murray, London 1859, pp. 117–170 (summarizing description and criticism of the new German system); Georg Ortenburg: Weapons and use of weapons in the age of the wars of unification (= armies of the modern age. Department 4: The age of wars of unification. Vol. 1). Bernard & Graefe, Koblenz 1990, ISBN 3-7637-5809-7 , pp. 202-207; A. v. Zastrow : History of the permanent fortification or manual of the most excellent systems and manners of fortification art. 3rd revised and enlarged edition. Winter, Leipzig 1854, 325ff. (Reprint. (= Bibliotheca rerum militarium. Vol. 47). Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1983, ISBN 3-7648-1262-1 ).
  8. ↑ M. von Prittwitz and Gaffron: Textbook of the art of fortification and the fortification war. Completely reworked for all weapons . Herbig, Berlin 1865, pp. 614-623.