User:Acroterion/National Redoubt (Belgium)
The Belgian National Redoubt refers to the fortifications built between World War I and World War II to replace or supplement obsolete fortifications around Antwerp and Ghent. The National Redoubt consolidated the Fortified Position of Antwerp (Position Fortifiée d'Antwerp) and the Ghent Bridgehead (Tête du Pont de Gent) into a defended region into which the Belgian Army could retreat in the event of invasion, receiving resupply though the port of Antwerp and preserving the government and army of Belgium.[1]
The Antwerp fortifications competed for resources at a time when Belgium was building expensive modern fortifications on the German border such as Fort Eben-Emael as part of the Fortified Position of Liège, modernizing the Brialmont fortifications of Liège and Namur and building lighter fortifications on the Albert Canal and the Dyle.[2]
Antwerp fortifications[edit]
Inner forts[edit]
The inner ring of Antwerp forts was constructed around 1860, together with a comprehensive set of bastioned city walls, wet ditches, advanced works and auxiliary citadels. These forts were made obsolete by advances in the range and explosive power of artillery in the late 19th century. In 1906 the forts were termed the "safety ring."
- City Walls of Antwerp
- Citadelle du Nord
- Fort de Dourde
- Tête de Flandres
- Belvedere
- Fort de Calico
- Fort Isabelle
- Fort de Burgh
Brialmont forts[edit]
Clockwise, starting north of the city at the Schelde:
- Fort Saint Philippe 51°15′34.64″N 4°18′31.58″E / 51.2596222°N 4.3087722°E
- Fort de Merksem 51°15′48.92″N 4°27′28.51″E / 51.2635889°N 4.4579194°E
- Fort 1
- Fort 2 51°12′05.74″N 4°29′38.46″E / 51.2015944°N 4.4940167°E
- Fort 3 51°11′10.81″N 4°28′47.17″E / 51.1863361°N 4.4797694°E
- Fort 4 51°10′25.37″N 4°27′35.81″E / 51.1737139°N 4.4599472°E
- Fort 5 51°10′05.21″N 4°25′59.23″E / 51.1681139°N 4.4331194°E
- Fort 6 51°09′55.16″N 4°24′19.93″E / 51.1653222°N 4.4055361°E
- Fort 7 51°09′54.06″N 4°22′39.28″E / 51.1650167°N 4.3775778°E
- Fort 8 51°09′55.74″N 4°20′52.08″E / 51.1654833°N 4.3478000°E
River Schelde
- Fort Crubeke (Fort Kruibeke) 51°11′21.21″N 4°19′19.74″E / 51.1892250°N 4.3221500°E
- Fort de Zwyndrecht 51°12′30.97″N 4°18′29.19″E / 51.2086028°N 4.3081083°E
- Fort Sainte Marie 51°15′12.36″N 4°17′46.02″E / 51.2534333°N 4.2961167°E
Third Antwerp Ring[edit]
Clockwise, starting north of the city at the Schelde:
- Fort Doel (not built)
- Battery Blauwgaren river battery
- Redoubt Berendrecht (1888-93) destroyed
- Fort Stabroeck (1902-1914) privately owned 51°20′31.94″N 4°21′10.53″E / 51.3422056°N 4.3529250°E
- Redoubt Smoutakker destroyed
- Fort Ertbrand privately owned 51°20′50.73″N 4°25′34.02″E / 51.3474250°N 4.4261167°E
- Fort Kappellen (1888-1893) military property
- Fort Merkesem (1871-1882) parkland
- Fort Brasschaat military property 51°19′44.57″N 4°29′46.27″E / 51.3290472°N 4.4961861°E
- Redoubt Dryhoek
- Fort Schoten (1886-1893) military property 51°17′11.02″N 4°31′47.20″E / 51.2863944°N 4.5297778°E
- Battery Audaan
- Fort Saint Gravenwezel built over with housing 51°15′42.33″N 4°35′23.90″E / 51.2617583°N 4.5899722°E
- Redoubt Schilde ruins
- Fort Oelegem nature association 51°13′29.03″N 4°36′52.37″E / 51.2247306°N 4.6145472°E
- Redoubt Massenhoven destroyed
- Fort Broechem military property, abandoned 51°10′39.19″N 4°37′08.74″E / 51.1775528°N 4.6190944°E
- Fort Kessel visitable on request 51°13′02.02″N 4°37′40.16″E / 51.2172278°N 4.6278222°E
- Fort Konigshooikt privately owned, restaurant 51°04′59.03″N 4°34′02.12″E / 51.0830639°N 4.5672556°E
- Redoubt Tallaart
- Fort Lier (1878-1893) 51°07′05.85″N 4°35′54.63″E / 51.1182917°N 4.5985083°E
- Redoubt Bosbeek ruin, privately owned
- Redoubt Dorpveld
- Fort Duffel (1886-1890) "railway fortress" ruin, privately owned 51°04′30.21″N 4°29′30.97″E / 51.0750583°N 4.4919361°E
- Fort Katelijne-Waver (1902-1914) ruin, privately owned 51°03′34.11″N 4°30′49.34″E / 51.0594750°N 4.5137056°E
- Fort Walem (1878-1893) Ministry of Finance 51°03′41.41″N 4°27′43.35″E / 51.0615028°N 4.4620417°E
- Fort Breendonk museum 51°03′24.33″N 4°20′24.22″E / 51.0567583°N 4.3400611°E
- Redoubt Letterheide 51°03′43.58″N 4°18′53.69″E / 51.0621056°N 4.3149139°E
- Fort Liezele museum 51°04′00.12″N 4°17′04.20″E / 51.0667000°N 4.2845000°E
- Redoubt Puurs 51°04′27.04″N 4°15′46.75″E / 51.0741778°N 4.2629861°E
- Fort Bornem privately owned 51°04′35.65″N 4°14′04.89″E / 51.0765694°N 4.2346917°E
River Schelde
- Fort de Rupelmonde (Fort Steendorp) (1882-1892) ruin 51°07′37.46″N 4°15′20.65″E / 51.1270722°N 4.2557361°E
- Redoubt Landmolen
- Redoubt Lauwershoek
- Fort Haasdonk military property 51°10′21.77″N 4°13′44.43″E / 51.1727139°N 4.2290083°E
- Fort Kruibeke (1870-1880) ruin, military property 51°11′21.47″N 4°19′18.87″E / 51.1892972°N 4.3219083°E
- Fort Zwijndrect (1870-1880) military property 51°12′30.40″N 4°18′29.78″E / 51.2084444°N 4.3082722°E
- Defensive Dike (1870-1880)
- Fort Sainte Marie
- Fort Saint-Filips (1877-1881)
- Fort de Perel (1877-1881)
- Fort Oorderen (1888-1893) destroyed
- Battery Prinsenhof river battery
- Battery Kruisschans river battery
- Fort Blauwgaren not built[3]
Notes[edit]
- ^ Kauffmann, p. 102
- ^ Kauffmann, pp. 101-104
- ^ "Tyhe Belgian Fortress of Antwerp - 1914".
References[edit]
- Kauffmann, J.E., Jurga, R., Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II, Da Capo Press, USA, 2002, ISBN 0-306-81174-X.