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Report - - Group Fortification Verdun, France 2017 | European and International Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Group Fortification Verdun, France 2017

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TheTimeChamber

Torch Wavker
Regular User
This was our second Metz German Fortification of the day and it did not disappoint. Whilst GF L'Yser had the murals, Verdun has the turrets.

History

On May 9, 1899, Kaiser Wilhelm II laid the first stone of Fort St. Blaise. Group Fortification Verdun group is built on top of two hills and consists of two forts, the fort Sommy 30 ha in the south, and Fort Saint-Blaise 45 ha on the north. Group Fortification Verdun has four 150mm howitzers and six short 100mm guns. Fort St. Blaise was planned for 500 men and Fort Sommy for 200 men. It could then receive two infantry companies, in addition to the gunners. St. Blaise, whose fortified barracks could receive 500 people, has 10 observation domes and 12 lookout posts. The water tank's capacity was 1,300 m. 4 diesel engines of 25HP each, providing the energy necessary for Fort St. Blaise. The fort Sommy, including the fortified barracks, could accommodate 200 people, and has 6 observation domes and 8 lookouts. Its water tank could hold 600 m and it had 3 diesel engines of 20HP each, to provide the energy needed for its operation. The coat of arms of Count of Haeseler is carved on the pediment of the door of the fort.

During The Annexation of the Alsace-Lorraine, the fort receives a garrison of gunners belonging to the XVIth Army Corps. From 1914-1918, it served as a relay for the German soldiers at the front. Its equipment and weapons are then at the forefront of military technology. In 1919, the fort was occupied by the French army.
 After the departure of French troops in June 1940, the German army retook the forts and rearmed them. In early September 1944, at the beginning of the Battle of Metz, the German command integrates the defensive system set up around Metz. Given the American "bridgehead" at Dornot, fierce fighting took place around the fort in September 1944. Currently, the fort is abandoned. The strong German has remarkable wall paintings prior to 1918.


Entrance guard block

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The thing you don't realise until you get there is that the French Army have not removed any of the barbed wire entanglements, complete with foot spikes and in some places

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Fort St Blaise

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Battle scars

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Fort Sommy

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freshwateriow

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Some images from a Fort at Verdun L'Ouvrage de Froideterre. Met a French couple and joined forces. Need some boots as lower parts had quite a bit of water. Lower level ladders sealed with concrete. Well worth a visit, there is also another in the forest where you can get even lower, left for my next visit.
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O-ren

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
GF Verdun isn't located in or around Verdun. The name of that fortified complex is a bit confusing, the french Ouvrage Forideterre is located north of Verdun and is impressive as well, but not as big and impressive as GF Verdun. ;-)
 
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