Redoubt (fortress)
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A redoubt (from the French, pronounced rödūt ', Italian ridotto, from the medieval reductus , a place of seclusion) is a closed field rampart in the fortress construction, which is surrounded on all sides by equally strong parapets and only has protruding angles.
Description and history
The simplest redoubt had a quadrangular floor plan and, with an inclined stop of 30 °, resulted in an "unpainted space" of 30 ° in front of the protruding angle. The later five- and six-sided redoubts were cheaper and only slightly more difficult to erect. With a polygon angle of 108 ° and 120 ° with an inclined stop, they resulted in an unpainted space of 12 ° and 0 °. The Napoleonic redoubt was in the shape of a trapezoid .
The crew of a redoubt consisted on average of 100 to 300 soldiers and at least two field guns. A fifth to a third of the crew was in reserve, and each defender was three feet wide at the firing line . The riflemen were set up in one or two ranks. Each man had four and a half square steps at his disposal, and 50 square steps were calculated for each gun. The guns were usually located in the corners or, in the case of strong redoubts, separate loopholes were provided in the wall.
In larger redoubts, a redoubt (namely a log house) was built to protect against throwing fire. This also served as a retreat in order to be able to drive the enemy out of the redoubt after a successful storm.
Redoubts were already considered obsolete in the 19th century. They were visible from afar to the enemy artillery, which is why permanent shelters had to be built for the crew.
The half-redoubt was an open or semi-closed work in the throat , the floor plan of which shows a front line and two flanks. The half redoute was used earlier for field fortifications , but also in fortification, especially as part of a larger fortification (in a "recessed position").
Examples of preserved redoubts from earlier fortifications can be found in Kolberg , which belonged to the German Empire in the 19th century. The Salzredoute was not built until 1832-1836 . It got its name because the defenders housed there had access to the Kolberg salt spring. The rest of the building, which is under monument protection , is used for a small café.
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- Public domain entry in Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon
- Public domain entry in Pierer's Universal-Lexikon 1857
- Public domain entry in the Brockhaus Universal Lexicon 1839