Fortified Position of Namur
Encyclopedia
The fortified position of Namur ( position fortifiée de Namur (PFN)) was established by Belgium
following World War I
to fortify the traditional invasion corridor between Germany and France through Belgium. The position incorporated the fortress ring of Namur
, originally designed by Belgian General Henri Alexis Brialmont
to deter an invasion of Belgium by France. The old fortifications consisted of nine forts built between 1881 and 1884 on either side of the Meuse, surrounding Namur. In the years immediately prior to World War II
the forts were modernized to address shortcomings exposed during the 1914 Battle of Liège
and the short siege of Namur. While the Namur defenses continued to nominally deter France from violating Belgium's neutrality, the upgraded forts were intended as a backstop to the fortified position of Liège
, which was designed to prevent a second German incursion into Belgium on the way to France. The neutrality policy and fortification programs failed, and the Namur forts saw brief combat during the Battle of Belgium
in 1940.
. The forts made a belt around Namur at a distance of about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the city center. Following the Franco-Prussian War
, both Germany and France had extensively fortified their new frontiers in Alsace
and Lorraine
. Belgium's comparatively undefended Meuse valley provided an attractive alternative route for forces seeking invade either France or Germany. The plains of Flanders
could provide transportation, food and fuel for an invading force. Brialmont recognized that France and Germany would once again go to war. Fortifications at Liège and Namur might dissuade France and Germany from fighting their next war in Belgium. The Liège fortifications were intended to deter Germany, while the Namur forts were to dissuade the French.
The forts were built using a small set of basic plans, with standardized details. Forts were typically triangular to minimize the number of defensive batteries in the forts' defensive ditches, presenting their apex to the enemy. Construction began on 28 July, 1888. The work was carried out by a French consortium, Hallier, Letellier Frères and Jules Barratoux. All of the new forts were built of concrete
, a new material for the time, and were equipped with the most modern arms available in 1888. The concrete was placed in mass, without reinforcement. Lack of useful nighttime illumination in the 1880s meant that concrete could only be placed in daylight, causing weak joints between partially cured daily pours. The forts' heavy 12cm, 15cm and 21 cm guns were made by the German Krupp
firm, and were housed in armored steel turrets made by various French, Belgian and German firms. The forts of Liège and Namur mounted a total of 171 heavy guns, at an overall cost of 29 million francs. Lighter 57mm guns provided close defense. The forts were each equipped with a steam-powered electrical generating plant powering lights, pumps and searchlights..
The Namur forts are arranged as follows:
Other fortifications of Namur, obsolete in Brialmont's time, included the Citadel of Namur, never included in Brialmont's program or the PFN.
All of the forts were built entirely in concrete, a new material for the time, rather than the more traditional masonry. The concrete was poured in mass, without reinforcement. The forts were equipped with guns of equal or greater power than those commonly used as siege artillery in 1888, 22cm for the French and 21cm for the Germans. The forts' military purpose was to delay an enemy advance, allowing Belgian forces to mobilize.
Of triangular or quadrilateral form depending on the terrain, the Namur forts are identical in design to the forts of the fortified position of Liège
, with a central massif with concrete cover of 3 metres (9.8 ft) to 4 metres (13.1 ft) thickness, surrounded by a defended ditch 8 metres (26.2 ft) wide. The single entries are placed in the rear or the fort, facing Namur, with a long access ramp. The entry is defended by several elements:
Each fort possessed three types of armament:
In 1914 each fort also possessed a detachment of infantry which in theory could make sorties onto the surrounding cleared areas to harass a besieging enemy. In practice, it was impossible to make such sorties under German artillery fire. Happily for the defenders, the dispersion of German artillery fire was considerable. At least 60% of German shells, and more for large pieces, failed to find their targets. The fortress guns were less powerful than the German guns, but were more accurate and could take advantage of observation and fire support provided by neighboring forts.
) and Third (von Gallwitz
) Armies with approximately 107,000 men on 16 August 1914. Namur was garrisoned by about 37,000 in the forts and under the Belgian 4th Division (Michel). The Belgian goal was to hold at Namur until the French Fifth Army could arrive. After attacking the Fort de Marchovelette on 20 August, the Second Army started general fire the next day. At the same time, hoping to prevent the French Fifth Army from reinforcing, the Second Army attacked in the direction of Charleroi
. This action was successful, with only one French regiment making it to Namur.
During the siege of Namur the Germans employed the lessens learned from their assault on the similar fortress ring on Liège. Unlike at Liège, where a quick German assault gave way to siege tactics, at Namur the Germans immediately deployed siege artillery on 21 August 1914. The guns included Austrian 304mm mortars and 420mm Big Bertha
howitzers, firing from beyond the range of the forts' guns. The contest was unequal, and the forts suffered the same problems that plagued the Liège forts. Namur was evacuated by field forces on 23 August, the forts surrendering immediately after.
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 had profound effects on the forts' ability to endure a long assault. These 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. This arrangement was calculated to place a weaker side to the rear to allow for recapture by Belgian forces from the rear, and in an age where mechanical ventilation was in its infancy, allowed natural ventilation of living quarters and support areas. However, the concept proved disastrous in practice. Heavy shellfire made the rear ditch untenable, and German forces were able to get between the forts and attack them from the rear. The massive German bombardments drove men into the central massif, where there were insufficient sanitary facilities for 500 men, rendering the air unbreathable, while the German artillery destroyed the forts from above and from the rear.
The Namur forts presented less of a check to the German advance than the Liège forts, as the Germans quickly assimilated the lessons of Liège and applied them to the nearly identical fortifications of Namur, but taken together the Belgian fortifications held the German advance for several days longer than the Germans had anticipated, allowing Belgium and France to mobilize, and preventing the Germans from falling on an unprepared Paris.
on the Belgian-Dutch-German border, designated Position Fortifiée de Liège I (PFL I), backed up by the renovated Liège fortress ring, PFL II. The Position Fortifiée de Namur (PFN) was a further fallback, while securing the road and rail crossings of the Meuse at Namur.
The Belgians rebuilt seven of the Namur forts from 1929. The improvements addressed the shortcomings revealed by the battles of Liège and Namur. Improvements included replacing 21cm howitzers with longer-range 15cm guns, 150cm howitzers with 120mm guns, and adding machine guns. Generating plants, ventilation, sanitation and troop accommodations were improved, as well as communications. The work incorporated alterations that had already been made by the Germans during their occupation of the forts in World War I. Most notably, the upgraded forts received defended air intake towers, intended to look like water towers, that could function as observation posts and emergency exits. The remaining two forts were used for ammunition storage.
in May 1940, the Belgian VII Corps, consisting of the 8th Infantry Division and the Chasseurs Ardennais established a strong position in the Namur defenses, anchoring the southern end of the Dyle line. However, Namur was outflanked to the south by German forces that had broken the French line at Sedan, and VII Corps pulled back without a fight to avoid entrapment. The forts took initial German fire on 15 May. Marchovelette surrendered on 18 May, Suarlée on 19 May, Malonne and Saint-Héribert on 21 May, and Andoy and Maizeret on the 23rd. Maizeret was targeted by German .8 cm FlaK 18/36/37/41|88mm anti-aircraft guns, which would provide to be accurate and highly effective against fixed armored targets.
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...
following 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...
to fortify the traditional invasion corridor between Germany and France through Belgium. The position incorporated the fortress ring of Namur
Namur (city)
Namur is a city and municipality in Wallonia, in southern Belgium. It is both the capital of the province of Namur and of Wallonia....
, originally designed by Belgian 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....
to deter an invasion of Belgium by France. The old fortifications consisted of nine forts built between 1881 and 1884 on either side of the Meuse, surrounding Namur. In the years immediately prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the forts were modernized to address shortcomings exposed during the 1914 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...
and the short siege of Namur. While the Namur defenses continued to nominally deter France from violating Belgium's neutrality, the upgraded forts were intended as a backstop to 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...
, which was designed to prevent a second German incursion into Belgium on the way to France. The neutrality policy and fortification programs failed, and the Namur forts saw brief combat 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...
in 1940.
The Namur fortress ring
The first modern forts at Namur were built between 1888 and 1891 at the initiative of Belgian General Henri Alexis BrialmontHenri Alexis Brialmont
Henri Alexis Brialmont was a Dutch-born Belgian military engineer. He was one of the leading fortifications engineers in the 19th century....
. The forts made a belt around Namur at a distance of about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the city center. Following the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
, both Germany and France had extensively fortified their new frontiers in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
and Lorraine
Lorraine (région)
Lorraine is one of the 27 régions of France. The administrative region has two cities of equal importance, Metz and Nancy. Metz is considered to be the official capital since that is where the regional parliament is situated...
. Belgium's comparatively undefended Meuse valley provided an attractive alternative route for forces seeking invade either France or Germany. The plains of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
could provide transportation, food and fuel for an invading force. Brialmont recognized that France and Germany would once again go to war. Fortifications at Liège and Namur might dissuade France and Germany from fighting their next war in Belgium. The Liège fortifications were intended to deter Germany, while the Namur forts were to dissuade the French.
The forts were built using a small set of basic plans, with standardized details. Forts were typically triangular to minimize the number of defensive batteries in the forts' defensive ditches, presenting their apex to the enemy. Construction began on 28 July, 1888. The work was carried out by a French consortium, Hallier, Letellier Frères and Jules Barratoux. All of the new forts were built of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
, a new material for the time, and were equipped with the most modern arms available in 1888. The concrete was placed in mass, without reinforcement. Lack of useful nighttime illumination in the 1880s meant that concrete could only be placed in daylight, causing weak joints between partially cured daily pours. The forts' heavy 12cm, 15cm and 21 cm guns were made by the German 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...
firm, and were housed in armored steel turrets made by various French, Belgian and German firms. The forts of Liège and Namur mounted a total of 171 heavy guns, at an overall cost of 29 million francs. Lighter 57mm guns provided close defense. The forts were each equipped with a steam-powered electrical generating plant powering lights, pumps and searchlights..
Forts
- Left bank of the Meuse :
- Fort de MalonneFort de MalonneThe Fort de Malonne is one of nine forts built as part of the Fortifications of Namur in the late 19th century in Belgium. It was built between 1881 and 1884 according to the plans of General Henri Alexis Brialmont...
, modernized for the PFN (50°26′40"N 04°48′30"E) - Fort de Saint-Héribert, modernized for the PFN (50°24′45"N 04°49′54"E)
- Fort de Suarlée, modernized for the PFN (50°29′09"N 04°48′04"E)
- Fort d'Emines, not modernized (50°30′24"N 04°51′00"E)
- Fort de Cognelée, not modernized (50°31′28"N 04°53′19"E)
- Fort de MarchoveletteFort de MarchoveletteThe Fort de Marchovelette is one of nine forts built as part of the fortifications of Namur in the late 19th century in Belgium. It was built between 1881 and 1884 according to the plans of General Henri Alexis Brialmont...
, modernized for the PFN (50°30′24"N 04°56′6"E)
- Fort de Malonne
- Right bank of the Meuse :
- Fort de Maizeret, modernized for the PFN (50°27′49"N 04°59′13"E)
- Fort d'Andoy, modernized for the PFN (50°26′28"N 04°56′30"E)
- Fort de Dave, modernized for the PFN (50°25′17"N 04°53′25"E)
Other fortifications of Namur, obsolete in Brialmont's time, included the Citadel of Namur, never included in Brialmont's program or the PFN.
All of the forts were built entirely in concrete, a new material for the time, rather than the more traditional masonry. The concrete was poured in mass, without reinforcement. The forts were equipped with guns of equal or greater power than those commonly used as siege artillery in 1888, 22cm for the French and 21cm for the Germans. The forts' military purpose was to delay an enemy advance, allowing Belgian forces to mobilize.
Of triangular or quadrilateral form depending on the terrain, the Namur forts are identical in design to the forts 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...
, with a central massif with concrete cover of 3 metres (9.8 ft) to 4 metres (13.1 ft) thickness, surrounded by a defended ditch 8 metres (26.2 ft) wide. The single entries are placed in the rear or the fort, facing Namur, with a long access ramp. The entry is defended by several elements:
- A tambour with numerous gun embrasures perpendicular to the entry.
- A rolling drawbridge retracting laterally, revealing a 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) deep pit, equipped with grenade launchers
- The entrance grille
- A 57mm gun firing along the axis of the gate
Each fort possessed three types of armament:
- Armored gun turrets for distant action, five to eight guns per fort
- Retractable armored gun turrets equipped with 57mm guns for close defense, three for triangular forts, four for others
- 57mm guns in casemates for the defense of the ditches, six to nine per fort
In 1914 each fort also possessed a detachment of infantry which in theory could make sorties onto the surrounding cleared areas to harass a besieging enemy. In practice, it was impossible to make such sorties under German artillery fire. Happily for the defenders, the dispersion of German artillery fire was considerable. At least 60% of German shells, and more for large pieces, failed to find their targets. The fortress guns were less powerful than the German guns, but were more accurate and could take advantage of observation and fire support provided by neighboring forts.
The Namur forts in 1914
Namur was invested by the German Second (von BülowKarl von Bülow
Karl von Bülow was a German Field Marshal commanding the German 2nd Army during World War I from 1914 to 1915.-Biography:...
) and Third (von Gallwitz
Max von Gallwitz
Max Karl Wilhelm von Gallwitz was a German general from Breslau , Silesia, who served with distinction during World War I on both the Eastern and Western Fronts.-Biography:...
) Armies with approximately 107,000 men on 16 August 1914. Namur was garrisoned by about 37,000 in the forts and under the Belgian 4th Division (Michel). The Belgian goal was to hold at Namur until the French Fifth Army could arrive. After attacking the Fort de Marchovelette on 20 August, the Second Army started general fire the next day. At the same time, hoping to prevent the French Fifth Army from reinforcing, the Second Army attacked in the direction of Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
. This action was successful, with only one French regiment making it to Namur.
During the siege of Namur the Germans employed the lessens learned from their assault on the similar fortress ring on Liège. Unlike at Liège, where a quick German assault gave way to siege tactics, at Namur the Germans immediately deployed siege artillery on 21 August 1914. The guns included Austrian 304mm mortars and 420mm Big Bertha
Big Bertha (Howitzer)
Big Bertha Bertha") is the name of a type of super-heavy howitzer developed by the famous armaments manufacturer Krupp in Germany on the eve of World War I...
howitzers, firing from beyond the range of the forts' guns. The contest was unequal, and the forts suffered the same problems that plagued the Liège forts. Namur was evacuated by field forces on 23 August, the forts surrendering immediately after.
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 had profound effects on the forts' ability to endure a long assault. These 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. This arrangement was calculated to place a weaker side to the rear to allow for recapture by Belgian forces from the rear, and in an age where mechanical ventilation was in its infancy, allowed natural ventilation of living quarters and support areas. However, the concept proved disastrous in practice. Heavy shellfire made the rear ditch untenable, and German forces were able to get between the forts and attack them from the rear. The massive German bombardments drove men into the central massif, where there were insufficient sanitary facilities for 500 men, rendering the air unbreathable, while the German artillery destroyed the forts from above and from the rear.
The Namur forts presented less of a check to the German advance than the Liège forts, as the Germans quickly assimilated the lessons of Liège and applied them to the nearly identical fortifications of Namur, but taken together the Belgian fortifications held the German advance for several days longer than the Germans had anticipated, allowing Belgium and France to mobilize, and preventing the Germans from falling on an unprepared Paris.
Position Fortifiée de Namur
The Fortified Position of Namur was conceived by a commission charged with recommending options for the rebuilding of Belgium's defenses following World War I. The 1927 report recommended the construction of a line of new fortifications to the east of the Meuse. These new forts included 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...
on the Belgian-Dutch-German border, designated Position Fortifiée de Liège I (PFL I), backed up by the renovated Liège fortress ring, PFL II. The Position Fortifiée de Namur (PFN) was a further fallback, while securing the road and rail crossings of the Meuse at Namur.
The Belgians rebuilt seven of the Namur forts from 1929. The improvements addressed the shortcomings revealed by the battles of Liège and Namur. Improvements included replacing 21cm howitzers with longer-range 15cm guns, 150cm howitzers with 120mm guns, and adding machine guns. Generating plants, ventilation, sanitation and troop accommodations were improved, as well as communications. The work incorporated alterations that had already been made by the Germans during their occupation of the forts in World War I. Most notably, the upgraded forts received defended air intake towers, intended to look like water towers, that could function as observation posts and emergency exits. The remaining two forts were used for ammunition storage.
1940
During the Battle of BelgiumBattle 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...
in May 1940, the Belgian VII Corps, consisting of the 8th Infantry Division and the Chasseurs Ardennais established a strong position in the Namur defenses, anchoring the southern end of the Dyle line. However, Namur was outflanked to the south by German forces that had broken the French line at Sedan, and VII Corps pulled back without a fight to avoid entrapment. The forts took initial German fire on 15 May. Marchovelette surrendered on 18 May, Suarlée on 19 May, Malonne and Saint-Héribert on 21 May, and Andoy and Maizeret on the 23rd. Maizeret was targeted by German .8 cm FlaK 18/36/37/41|88mm anti-aircraft guns, which would provide to be accurate and highly effective against fixed armored targets.
Present day
In contrast to the Liège fortifications, where seven of the Brialmont forts and all of the PFL I forts may be visited, none of the Namur forts are visitable by the public. All are on private or military property. St. Héribert has been buried and Malonne is closed as a refuge for bats.Source
- This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding French Wikipedia article as of October 26, 2010.
External links
- Belgian Fortifications, May 1940, WWII Armed Forces - Orders of Battle
- Centre liègeois d’histoire et d’archéologie militaire, Construction of the Brialmont Forts