Fort de Battice
Encyclopedia
The Fort of Battice is a Belgian
fortification located just to the east of the town of Battice. 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. Battice is nearly as large as the more famous Fort Eben-Emael
. Work began in April 1934, with some finish work continuing in 1940 when war broke out. Following the successful German surprise attack on Eben-Emael
, Battice held out against the Germans until 28 May 1940, when all Belgian forces surrendered. Battice has been preserved and may be visited by the public.
to the north and the Fort de Tancrémont
to the south, about 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) east of Liège. Tancrémont and Aubin-Neufchâteau are smaller than Eben-Emael and Battice. Collectively, the line was known as the Fortified Position of Liège I (Position Fortifiée de Liège 1 (PFL I) ), the original Liège forts constituting PFL II.
The Fort de Battice was a greatly enlarged development of the original Belgian fortifications designed by General Henri Alexis Brialmont
before World War I
. Even in its larger form, the fort comprised a relatively compact ensemble of gun turrets and observation posts, surrounded by a defended ditch. This was in contrast with French thinking for the contemporary Maginot Line
fortifications, which were based on the dispersed fort palmé concept, with no clearly defined perimeter, a lesson learned from the experiences of French and Belgian forts in World War I. The new Belgian forts, while more conservative in design than the French ouvrages, included several new features as a result of World War I experience. The gun turrets were less closely grouped. Reinforced concrete was used in place of plain mass concrete, and its placement was done with greater care to avoid weak joints between pours. Ventilation was greatly improved, magazines were deeply buried and protected, and sanitary facilities and general living arrangements for the troops were given careful attention. Battice, along with Eben-Emael, featured 120mm and 75mm guns, giving the fort the ability to bombard targets across a wide area of eastern Liège region. The 120mm guns had sufficient range to provide artillery cover to Tancrémont and Aubin-Neufchâteau, but not with 75mm guns, nor could the other forts' 75mm guns or Eben-Emael's 120mm guns reach Battice.
The Fort de Battice comprised at least twelve combat blocks just to the east of Battice, north of the present-day E40
highway. The roughly pentagonal fort has a surface area of about 13.5 hectares (33.4 acre), of a total site area of about 47 hectares (116.1 acre). The fort was armed similarly to Eben-Emael in both scale and equipment, only with fewer 60mm anti-personnel guns. All of Battice's heavy artillery was housed in turrets, while Eben-Emael also disposed heavy guns in casemate
s.
The fort also included counterscarp
positions arranged to fire along the ditches with 47mm guns, machine guns and grenade launchers, one designated B.IVce. Three blocks designated B.J., B.O. and B.W. provided air and access. B.W. was located above the main living accommodations and was the combat entrance, armed with machine guns, while J and O were emergency exits. All were outside the defended perimeter, above deeply-buried galleries. Block B.I also served as an entrance, with truck access along the railway grade. The subterranean accommodations and utilities are outside the surface perimeter. The fort included a false 120mm cupola.
The subterranean galleries total about 4000 metres (13,123.4 ft) of passages buried between 20 metres (65.6 ft) and 28 metres (91.9 ft) below the surface, linking troop accommodations, a command post, ammunition magazines and utility plants.
and Evegnée. German 305mm mortars fired on Battice on the 12th without significant damage. German infantry attacks started on the 13th. On 21 May Block B.I's sally port
had been struck by an aerial bomb. A nine-hour cease-fire was negotiated to remove the thirty dead and four survivors. After Aubin-Neufchâteau was forced to surrender, the German commander, General Fedor von Bock
demanded the surrender of Battice and Tancrémont. Battice finally surrendered on 22 May after twelve days of fighting 34 defenders were killed in action and 36 died while prisoners of war, out of a garrison of 939 personnel.
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...
fortification located just to the east of the town of Battice. The fort was built in the 1930s as 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...
, augmenting the twelve original forts built to defend Liège in the 1880s with four more forts closer to the Belgian frontier with Germany. Battice is nearly as large as the more famous Fort Eben-Emael
Fort 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...
. Work began in April 1934, with some finish work continuing in 1940 when war broke out. Following the successful German surprise attack on Eben-Emael
Battle of Fort Eben-Emael
The Battle of Fort Eben-Emael was a battle between Belgian and German forces that took place between 10 May and 11 May 1940, and was part of the Battle of the Netherlands, Battle of Belgium and Fall Gelb, the German invasion of the Low Countries and France...
, Battice held out against the Germans until 28 May 1940, when all Belgian forces surrendered. Battice has been preserved and may be visited by the public.
Situation
The fort is located between Fort d'Aubin-NeufchâteauFort 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...
to the north and the Fort de Tancrémont
Fort de Tancrémont
The Fort de Tancrémont is a Belgian fortification located about south of Pepinster. 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...
to the south, about 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) east of Liège. Tancrémont and Aubin-Neufchâteau are smaller than Eben-Emael and Battice. Collectively, the line was known as the Fortified Position of Liège I (Position Fortifiée de Liège 1 (PFL I) ), the original Liège forts constituting PFL II.
Description
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....
before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Even in its larger form, the fort comprised a relatively compact ensemble of gun turrets and observation posts, surrounded by a defended ditch. This was in contrast with French thinking for the contemporary Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
fortifications, which were based on the dispersed fort palmé concept, with no clearly defined perimeter, a lesson learned from the experiences of French and Belgian forts in World War I. The new Belgian forts, while more conservative in design than the French ouvrages, included several new features as a result of World War I experience. The gun turrets were less closely grouped. Reinforced concrete was used in place of plain mass concrete, and its placement was done with greater care to avoid weak joints between pours. Ventilation was greatly improved, magazines were deeply buried and protected, and sanitary facilities and general living arrangements for the troops were given careful attention. Battice, along with Eben-Emael, featured 120mm and 75mm guns, giving the fort the ability to bombard targets across a wide area of eastern Liège region. The 120mm guns had sufficient range to provide artillery cover to Tancrémont and Aubin-Neufchâteau, but not with 75mm guns, nor could the other forts' 75mm guns or Eben-Emael's 120mm guns reach Battice.
The Fort de Battice comprised at least twelve combat blocks just to the east of Battice, north of the present-day 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 roughly pentagonal fort has a surface area of about 13.5 hectares (33.4 acre), of a total site area of about 47 hectares (116.1 acre). The fort was armed similarly to Eben-Emael in both scale and equipment, only with fewer 60mm anti-personnel guns. All of Battice's heavy artillery was housed in turrets, while Eben-Emael also disposed heavy guns in casemate
Casemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
s.
- Block B.I, designed to interdict the N648 road and a railway line, equipped with two 60mm guns, a machine gun embrasure, a grenade ejector and a searchlight.
- Blocks B.II, B.III, B.V and B.VII flanking casemates disposed around the perimeter ditch to take the ditch in enfilade
- Blocks A.Nord, B.IV and B.VI, artillery blocks each equipped with a retractable twin 75mm gun turret and, at B.IV only, two machine gun cloches.
- Blocks B.Nord and B.Sud housed the fort's 120mm guns, one per block in twin non-retractable gun turrets. Both turrets have been dismantled. Also called B.IX and B.X.
The fort also included 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...
positions arranged to fire along the ditches with 47mm guns, machine guns and grenade launchers, one designated B.IVce. Three blocks designated B.J., B.O. and B.W. provided air and access. B.W. was located above the main living accommodations and was the combat entrance, armed with machine guns, while J and O were emergency exits. All were outside the defended perimeter, above deeply-buried galleries. Block B.I also served as an entrance, with truck access along the railway grade. The subterranean accommodations and utilities are outside the surface perimeter. The fort included a false 120mm cupola.
The subterranean galleries total about 4000 metres (13,123.4 ft) of passages buried between 20 metres (65.6 ft) and 28 metres (91.9 ft) below the surface, linking troop accommodations, a command post, ammunition magazines and utility plants.
Personnel
In 1940 Battice was commanded by Commandant-Captain Guery of the 5th Battalion of the Liègeois Fortress Regiment. The battalion was commanded by Major Bovy from Battice. Major Bovy had been hospitalized on 6 May for heart problems, but returned to the fort on the 10th at 0430. He died of a heart attack at 0600 the same day.History
The Fort de Battice was largely complete by 1940. On 10 May 1940 German forces attacked all four PFL I forts, having largely neutralized Eben-Emael by airborne assault and driving its garrison below, unable to operate the fort's turrets. Battice supported Tancrémont and Aubin-Neufchâteau with suppressing fire, as well as FléronFort de Fléron
The Fort de Fléron 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 1891 according to the plans of General Henri Alexis Brialmont...
and Evegnée. German 305mm mortars fired on Battice on the 12th without significant damage. German infantry attacks started on the 13th. On 21 May Block B.I's sally port
Sally port
The primary modern meaning for sally port is a secure, controlled entryway, as at a fortification or a prison. The entrance is usually protected in some way, such as with a fixed wall blocking the door which must be circumvented before entering, but which prevents direct enemy fire from a distance...
had been struck by an aerial bomb. A nine-hour cease-fire was negotiated to remove the thirty dead and four survivors. After Aubin-Neufchâteau was forced to surrender, the German commander, General Fedor von Bock
Fedor von Bock
Fedor von Bock was a German Generalfeldmarshall who served in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. As a leader who lectured his soldiers about the honor of dying for the German Fatherland, he was nicknamed "Der Sterber"...
demanded the surrender of Battice and Tancrémont. Battice finally surrendered on 22 May after twelve days of fighting 34 defenders were killed in action and 36 died while prisoners of war, out of a garrison of 939 personnel.
Present day
The fort is preserved and open for public tours. Much of the fort's equipment and armament was removed during and after World War II. A memorial to the 36 dead is located on the side of Block B.I.External links
- Fort de Battice at fortiff.be