330:, 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.
82:
98:
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The
Brialmont forts were designed to be protected from shellfire equaling their heaviest guns: 21 cm. The top of the central massif used 4 metres (13 ft) of unreinforced concrete, while the caserne walls, judged to be less exposed, used 1.5 metres (4.9 ft). Under fire, the forts were
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II, which was planned to deter a German incursion over the nearby border. The armament was upgraded with new guns in the turrets. This was accompanied by improvements to ventilation, protection, sanitary facilities, communications and electrical power. An air intake tower was added overlooking the
402:
Liège first came under attack on 6 August 1914. When the Liège's fortifications proved unexpectedly stubborn, the
Germans brought heavy siege artillery to bombard the forts with shells far larger than they were designed to resist. Chaudfontaine was heavily bombarded starting 12 August, with firing
403:
rates of 200 to 300 shells per hour. On 13 August a shell hit the 21 cm turret, causing an explosion in the turret. The explosion, fire and the resulting toxic fumes killed at least 58 of the garrison. With the interior atmosphere unbreathable, the fort surrendered that day.
306:
The fort was built as an irregular rectangle, in contrast to most
Brialmont forts, which were triangular. A 6-metre (20 ft) deep by 8-metre (26 ft) ditch encircles the fort. The principal armament was concentrated in the central massif. The ditches were defended in
362:
gun turrets were provided for local defense. The fort also mounted an observation turret with a searchlight. Nine rapid-fire 57 mm guns were provided in casemates for the defense of the ditches and the postern.
447:
The fort de
Chaudfontaine is occupied by an adventure park. A small cemetery and war memorial are located just outside the main gate, containing the bodies of the 71 killed in 1914, including two from the
326:
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
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in the early hours of the 17th, setting off explosions within the fort. A German attack in the daytime resulted in casualties among the garrison, and at 1930 hours the fort surrendered.
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279:, the fort was built exclusively of unreinforced concrete, a new material, rather than masonry. The fort was heavily bombarded by German artillery in the
370:, while the turret mechanisms were from a variety of sources. The fort was provided with signal lights to permit communication with the neighboring
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Vesdre. New barracks were built at this time for peacetime accommodation. A large infantry shelter was constructed on the fort's
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Occupying the fort during the remainder of the war, Germans made a number of improvements to the fort in 1914 and 1915.
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batteries, firing at shot traps at the other end of the ditch. The fort is one of the smaller Liège forts.
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The Fort de
Chaudfontaine is located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) southeast of the center of
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452:, ten killed in the interval between the forts, and a civilian who was executed at Romsée.
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271:. Fort de Chaudfontaine was built between 1881 and 1884 according to the plans of General
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Chaudfontaine's armament was upgraded in the 1930s to become part of the
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turret with two Krupp guns, all for distant targets. Four
Grusonwerke
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damaged by 21 cm fire and could not withstand heavier artillery.
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Donnell mentions 97 killed immediately and 30 mortally wounded.
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275:. Contrasting with the French forts built in the same era by
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656:(in French). Commune de Chaudfontaine. Archived from
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949:Military installations established in the 1880s
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366:The fort's heavy guns were German, typically
283:. The fort is now used as an adventure park.
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16:19th-20th century defence for Liège, Belgium
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529:"Le fort de Chaudfontaine, 1914 & 1940"
431:Chaudfontaine came under attack during the
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423:, intended to be linked to the main fort.
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741:Le fort de Chaudfontaine 1914 & 1940
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435:on 16 May 1940. It was bombarded by the
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295:, on the heights above the community of
267:was a constituent part of the country's
263:, in the late 19th century. The overall
533:La Position Fortifiée Liègeois (P.F.L.)
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354:turret with twin guns and a 12 cm
944:Government buildings completed in 1884
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255:) is one of twelve forts built around
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705:The Forts of the Meuse in World War I
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493:The Forts of the Meuse in World War I
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342:Chaudfontaine's armament included a
707:, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, 2007,
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759:article on the fort's 1914 action
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277:Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières
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574:Index des fortifications belges
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761:, reprinted from 28 June 1918
682:(in French). fortadventure.be
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722:, Da Capo Press, USA, 2002,
718:Kauffmann, J.E., Jurga, R.,
378:. The guns were fired using
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939:Fortified position of Liège
805:Fortified position of Liège
535:(in French). Archived from
416:Fortified Position of Liège
410:Fortified Position of Liège
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265:Fortified Position of Liège
61:Fortified Position of Liège
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680:"Chaudfontaine Adventure"
570:"Chaudfontaine (fort de)"
489:Donnell, Clayton (2007).
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824:Fort d'Aubin-Neufchâteau
576:(in French). fortiff.be.
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654:"Fort de Chaudfontaine"
252:[fɔʁdəʃofɔ̃tɛn]
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273:Henri Alexis Brialmont
86:Entry to Chaudfontaine
37:50.591028°N 5.641306°E
865:Fort de Chaudfontaine
765:Fort de Chaudfontaine
397:
346:turret with a single
248:French pronunciation:
244:Fort de Chaudfontaine
222:Unreinforced concrete
111:Fort de Chaudfontaine
54:Fort de Chaudfontaine
144:50.59101°N 5.64132°E
527:Hoet, Jean-Claude.
356:Châtillon-Commentry
140: /
42:50.591028; 5.641306
33: /
834:Fort de Tancrémont
757:Revue de la Presse
746:2010-04-29 at the
703:Donnell, Clayton,
643:Donnell, pp. 55-56
613:Donnell, pp. 45-48
497:. Osprey. p.
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299:, overlooking the
173:Controlled by
921:
920:
875:Fort de Boncelles
713:978-1-84603-114-4
568:Puelinckx, Jean.
508:978-1-84603-114-4
433:Battle of Belgium
240:
239:
235:Battle of Belgium
149:50.59101; 5.64132
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905:Fort de Pontisse
885:Fort de Hollogne
880:Fort de Flémalle
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427:Second World War
384:smokeless powder
348:21 cm Krupp
269:National Redoubt
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168:Site information
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850:Fort de Barchon
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829:Fort de Battice
819:Fort Eben-Emael
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398:The Liège forts
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281:Battle of Liège
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231:Battle of Liège
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183:the public
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698:Bibliography
684:. Retrieved
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662:. Retrieved
658:the original
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541:. Retrieved
537:the original
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382:rather than
380:black powder
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328:counterscarp
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321:counterscarp
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243:
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227:Battles/wars
199:Site history
181:Open to
25:50°35′27.7″N
18:
769:(in French)
751:(in French)
344:Grusonwerke
319:resembling
287:Description
147: /
123:Coordinates
40: /
28:5°38′28.7″E
928:Categories
686:3 November
664:3 November
543:2010-11-03
474:References
313:57 mm guns
132:50°35′28″N
437:Luftwaffe
317:casemates
219:Materials
194:Preserved
191:Condition
135:5°38′29″E
744:Archived
338:Armament
309:enfilade
303:valley.
59:Part of
443:Present
352:Creusot
261:Belgium
209: (
176:Belgium
73:Belgium
843:PFL II
726:
711:
505:
421:glacis
301:Vesdre
812:PFL I
456:Notes
368:Krupp
360:57 mm
293:Liège
257:Liège
204:Built
724:ISBN
709:ISBN
688:2010
666:2010
503:ISBN
374:and
242:The
211:1881
207:1881
163:Fort
160:Type
315:in
311:by
186:Yes
930::
627:^
572:.
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531:.
517:^
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499:32
481:^
259:,
233:,
71:,
797:e
790:t
783:v
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246:(
213:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
