Gun place
As a place of arms ( French place d'armes ) is the vacant space in the middle of a fortress or citadel . In the event of a siege , large contingents of troops could be collected on this site for a counterattack .
layout
In the fortress construction, extensions of the covered path, which primarily served as assembly points for troops, are designated as weapon stations. They were mainly located at the corners of the covered path that jumped in and out . The weapon stations were intended to enable concentrated infantry close defense and at the same time served as starting points for failures. They were first used according to plans by Pietro Cataneo in the New Italian style of fortress construction. Daniel Specklin increased their utility by placing guns. Since the middle of the 17th century , a log house was often built in the throat of the weapon area to serve as a solid support during storm attacks.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, the term arsenal refers to a military complex or garrison , which consists of barracks, facilities, facilities and grounds. A weapon station is used for training, accommodation, food and leisure for the troops. The weapon positions are primarily used or occupied by recruits and cadre schools / courses, but also by WWII troops and other military courses. For more information see: Military Training Area .
There are federal and cantonal arms stations; In 1993 an initiative tried unsuccessfully (No: 55.3% and 16 stalls) to limit its number to 40. However, only 39 weapon stations are currently in operation.
See also
literature
- Christopher Duffy: Siege Warfare. The Fortress in the Early Modern World, 1494-1660. 2nd edition, Routledge, London 1996, ISBN 0-415-14649-6 .
- Michael Losse : Arms place. In: Horst Wolfgang Böhme , Reinhard Friedrich, Barbara Schock-Werner (Hrsg.): Dictionary of castles, palaces and fortresses. Reclam, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-15-010547-1 , p. 257, doi: 10.11588 / arthistoricum.535 .