Fort de Barchon
Encyclopedia
The Fort de Barchon is one of twelve forts built as part of the Fortifications of Liège in the late 19th century in Belgium
. It was built between 1881 and 1884 according to the plans of General Henri Alexis Brialmont
. Contrasting with the French forts built in the same era by Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières
, the fort was built exclusively of unreinforced concrete, a new material, rather than masonry. The fort was heavily bombarded by German artillery in the Battle of Liège
. Fléron was upgraded in the 1930s to become part of the fortified position of Liège
in an attempt to forestall or slow an attack from Germany. It saw action in 1940 during the Battle of Belgium
, and was captured by German forces. It is preserved as a museum and may be visited by the public.
, just off the E40
highway.
The fort forms an isosceles triangle whose base is 300 metres (984.3 ft) long and whose sides measure 235 metres (771 ft). A 6 metres (19.7 ft) deep by 8 metres (26.2 ft) ditch encircles the fort. The principal armament was concentrated in the central massif. The ditches were defended in enfilade by 57mm guns in casemates resembling counterscarp
batteries, firing at shot traps at the other end of the ditch. It is one of the larger forts of Liège.
With the exception of the Fort de Loncin, the Belgian forts made little provision for the daily needs of their wartime garrisons, locating latrines, showers, kitchens and the morgue in the fort's counterscarp
, a location that would be untenable in combat. This would have profound effects on the forts' ability to endure a long assault. The service areas were placed directly opposite the barracks, which opened into the ditch in the rear of the fort (i.e., in the face towards Liège), with lesser protection than the two "salient" sides. The Brialmont forts placed a weaker side to the rear to allow for recapture by Belgian forces from the rear, and located the barracks and support facilities on this side, using the rear ditch for light and ventilation of living spaces. In combat heavy shellfire made the rear ditch untenable, and German forces were able to get between the forts and attack them from the rear.
The fort's heavy guns were German, typically Krupp
, while the turret mechanisms were from a variety of sources. The fort was provided with signal lights to permit communication with the neighboring Fort de Loncin
and Fort de Liers
. The guns were fired using black powder rather than smokeless powder
, producing choking gas in the confined firing spaces that spread throughout the fort.
The fort was manned by 300 artillerymen and 90 infantry, commanded by Captain-Commandant Hannefstingels.
In 1915 the Germans undertook an improvement program for Barchon and other Liège positions, modifying the entrance, adding concrete cover and adding metal decking under concrete ceilings. Non-structural improvements included forced ventilation and moving latrines, kitchens and the bakery into the main fort.
II, which was planned to deter a German incursion over the nearby border. The 21cm turrets were replaced with longer-range 15cm turrets, the 15cm turret was replaced by a turret with machine guns and grenade launchers, and the 12cm turrets were replaced with turrets containing twin 105mm guns. Twin twin 120mm mortars were added. These new weapons were German in origin. Five 75mm turrets were added as well as an anti-aircraft battery of machine guns. Protection was substantially increased. This was accompanied by improvements to ventilation, protection, sanitary facilities, communications and electrical power. A fortified air intake tower was provided to improve ventilation. New barracks were built at this time for peacetime accommodation. The fort also featured a pigeon loft for carrier pigeons. The fort was manned by 221 men, 53 non-commissioned officers and 11 officers, under the command of Captain-Commandant Pourbaix.
with 15cm guns. The anti-aircraft battery shot down a German plane. Belgian Army field forces withdrew on 11 May, leaving the Liège forts to fight alone. Barchon continued to support Eben-Emael and Aubin-Neufchâteau
. On the 12th the fort was directly attacked by German infantry. The next day Barchon was heavily bombarded by artillery. One of the 75mm guns was overcharged and exploded. Bombardment and infantry attacks continued through the 17th, when the fort was attacked by air. Heavily damaged, the fort fought into the 18th, when the 105mm turret was knocked out. The Germans requested surrender, whereupon the artillery and aerial bombardments resumed. The Germans mounted an infantry assault in the afternoon, supported by flamethrowers, that took the fort at 1800 hours. The garrison suffered four dead and twenty-two wounded.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. It was built between 1881 and 1884 according to the plans of General Henri Alexis Brialmont
Henri Alexis Brialmont
Henri Alexis Brialmont was a Dutch-born Belgian military engineer. He was one of the leading fortifications engineers in the 19th century....
. Contrasting with the French forts built in the same era by Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières
Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières
Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières was a French military engineer and general whose ideas revolutionized the design of fortifications in France. He gave his name to the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications constructed after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870...
, the fort was built exclusively of unreinforced concrete, a new material, rather than masonry. The fort was heavily bombarded by German artillery in the Battle of Liège
Battle of Liège
The Battle of Liège was the opening engagement of the German invasion of Belgium, and the first battle of World War I. The attack on the city began on 5 August 1914 and lasted until the 16th when the last Belgian fort finally surrendered...
. Fléron was upgraded in the 1930s to become part of the fortified position of Liège
Fortified Position of Liège
The fortified position of Liège was established following World War I by Belgium to fortify the traditional invasion corridor from Germany through Belgium to France. The Belgian experience of World War I, in which the Belgian Army held the invading force for a week at Liège, impeding the German...
in an attempt to forestall or slow an attack from Germany. It saw action in 1940 during the Battle of Belgium
Battle of Belgium
The Battle of Belgium or Belgian Campaign formed part of the greater Battle of France, an offensive campaign by Germany during the Second World War...
, and was captured by German forces. It is preserved as a museum and may be visited by the public.
Description
The Fort de Barchon is located about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) northeast of the center of LiègeLiège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
, just off the E40
European route E40
European route E 40 is the longest European route, more than long, connecting Calais in France via Belgium, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Ridder in Kazakhstan near the border to China....
highway.
The fort forms an isosceles triangle whose base is 300 metres (984.3 ft) long and whose sides measure 235 metres (771 ft). A 6 metres (19.7 ft) deep by 8 metres (26.2 ft) ditch encircles the fort. The principal armament was concentrated in the central massif. The ditches were defended in enfilade by 57mm guns in casemates resembling counterscarp
Counterscarp
A scarp and a counterscarp are the inner and outer sides of a ditch used in fortifications. In permanent fortifications the scarp and counterscarp may be encased in stone...
batteries, firing at shot traps at the other end of the ditch. It is one of the larger forts of Liège.
With the exception of the Fort de Loncin, the Belgian forts made little provision for the daily needs of their wartime garrisons, locating latrines, showers, kitchens and the morgue in the fort's counterscarp
Counterscarp
A scarp and a counterscarp are the inner and outer sides of a ditch used in fortifications. In permanent fortifications the scarp and counterscarp may be encased in stone...
, a location that would be untenable in combat. This would have profound effects on the forts' ability to endure a long assault. The service areas were placed directly opposite the barracks, which opened into the ditch in the rear of the fort (i.e., in the face towards Liège), with lesser protection than the two "salient" sides. The Brialmont forts placed a weaker side to the rear to allow for recapture by Belgian forces from the rear, and located the barracks and support facilities on this side, using the rear ditch for light and ventilation of living spaces. In combat heavy shellfire made the rear ditch untenable, and German forces were able to get between the forts and attack them from the rear.
Armament
Barchon's armament included a two rotating Grüsonwerke turrets with a single 21cm gun, a15cm Creusot turret with twin guns and two 12cm Châtillon-Commentry turret with two guns, all for distant targets. Four retractable 57mm Grüsonwerke gun turrets were provided for local defense. The fort also mounted an observation turret with a searchlight. nine rapid-fire 57mm Grüsonwerke guns were provided in casemates for the defense of the ditches and the postern, as well as two mobile guns.The fort's heavy guns were German, typically Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
, while the turret mechanisms were from a variety of sources. The fort was provided with signal lights to permit communication with the neighboring Fort de Loncin
Fort de Loncin
The Fort de Loncin is one of twelve forts built as part of the Fortifications of Liège in the late 19th century in Belgium. It was constructed between 1881 and 1884 according to the plans of General Henri Alexis Brialmont...
and Fort de Liers
Fort de Liers
The Fort de Liers is one of twelve forts built as part of the fortifications of Liège in the late 19th century in Belgium. It was built between 1881 and 1884 according to the plans of General Henri Alexis Brialmont...
. The guns were fired using black powder rather than smokeless powder
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
, producing choking gas in the confined firing spaces that spread throughout the fort.
The fort was manned by 300 artillerymen and 90 infantry, commanded by Captain-Commandant Hannefstingels.
First World War
Barchon first came under attack on 5 August 1914, a day before the city first came under fire. On the 6th German forces seeking to infiltrate between Barchon and the Meuse were forced to retreat. Because the Liège fortifications had proved to be unexpectedly stubborn, the Germans brought heavy siege artillery to bombard the forts with shells far larger than they were designed to resist. Barchon was heavily bombarded starting 8 May with 21cm artillery. The fort's surrender was demanded under a flag of truce: once refused, the bombardment recommenced. Much of the fort's armament was damaged, and the air became unbreathable. Barchon surrendered at 1600 hours, the first of the Liège forts to do so. Twenty-two of the garrison had been killed.In 1915 the Germans undertook an improvement program for Barchon and other Liège positions, modifying the entrance, adding concrete cover and adding metal decking under concrete ceilings. Non-structural improvements included forced ventilation and moving latrines, kitchens and the bakery into the main fort.
Fortified Position of Liège
Barchon's armament was upgraded in the 1930s to become part of the Fortified Position of LiègeFortified Position of Liège
The fortified position of Liège was established following World War I by Belgium to fortify the traditional invasion corridor from Germany through Belgium to France. The Belgian experience of World War I, in which the Belgian Army held the invading force for a week at Liège, impeding the German...
II, which was planned to deter a German incursion over the nearby border. The 21cm turrets were replaced with longer-range 15cm turrets, the 15cm turret was replaced by a turret with machine guns and grenade launchers, and the 12cm turrets were replaced with turrets containing twin 105mm guns. Twin twin 120mm mortars were added. These new weapons were German in origin. Five 75mm turrets were added as well as an anti-aircraft battery of machine guns. Protection was substantially increased. This was accompanied by improvements to ventilation, protection, sanitary facilities, communications and electrical power. A fortified air intake tower was provided to improve ventilation. New barracks were built at this time for peacetime accommodation. The fort also featured a pigeon loft for carrier pigeons. The fort was manned by 221 men, 53 non-commissioned officers and 11 officers, under the command of Captain-Commandant Pourbaix.
Second World War
Barchon opened fire on the morning of 10 May in support of Fort Eben-EmaelFort Eben-Emael
Fort Eben-Emael is an inactive Belgian fortress located between Liège and Maastricht, on the Belgian-Dutch border, near the Albert Canal, and designed to defend Belgium from a German attack across the narrow belt of Dutch territory in the region. Constructed in 1931–1935, it was reputed to be...
with 15cm guns. The anti-aircraft battery shot down a German plane. Belgian Army field forces withdrew on 11 May, leaving the Liège forts to fight alone. Barchon continued to support Eben-Emael and Aubin-Neufchâteau
Fort d'Aubin-Neufchâteau
The Fort of Aubin-Neufchâteau is a Belgian fortification located near Neufchâteau. The fort was built in the 1930s as part of the fortified position of Liège, augmenting the twelve original forts built to defend Liège in the 1880s with four more forts closer to the Belgian frontier with Germany...
. On the 12th the fort was directly attacked by German infantry. The next day Barchon was heavily bombarded by artillery. One of the 75mm guns was overcharged and exploded. Bombardment and infantry attacks continued through the 17th, when the fort was attacked by air. Heavily damaged, the fort fought into the 18th, when the 105mm turret was knocked out. The Germans requested surrender, whereupon the artillery and aerial bombardments resumed. The Germans mounted an infantry assault in the afternoon, supported by flamethrowers, that took the fort at 1800 hours. The garrison suffered four dead and twenty-two wounded.
Present
The fort has been restored by and is operated by a preservation organization. The fort's air intake tower remains as a prominent landmark.External links
- Le fort de Barchon 1914 & 1940
- Fort de Barchon at fortiff.be