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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. Contrasting with the French forts built in the same era by Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières, the fort was built exclusively of unreinforced concrete, a new material, rather than masonry. The fort was heavily bombarded by German artillery in the Battle of Liège. Fléron was upgraded in the 1930s to become part of the fortified position of Liège in an attempt to forestall or slow an attack from Germany. Located in the center of Fléron, the fort has been buried and is surrounded by apartments. ==Description== The Fort de Fléron is located about southeast of the center of Liège, in the center of Fléron. The fort formed an isosceles triangle whose base is long and whose sides measured . A deep by ditch encircled the fort. The principal armament was concentrated in the central massif. The ditches were defended in enfilade by 57mm guns in casemates resembling counterscarp batteries, firing at shot traps at the other end of the ditch. One of the larger forts of Liège, it was armed with heavy artillery in rotating turrets, concentrated in a central massif. The compact center was surrounded by four turrets with lighter guns for close defense. 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 counterscarp, 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.〔Donnell, p. 36〕 The Brialmont forts were designed to be protected from shellfire equaling their heaviest guns: 21 cm.〔Donnell, p. 52〕 The top of the central massif used of unreinforced concrete, while the caserne walls, judged to be less exposed, used .〔Donnell, p. 12〕 Under fire, the forts were damaged by 21 cm fire and could not withstand heavier artillery.〔Donnell, pp. 45-48〕 ==Armament== Fléron's armament included 21 cm, 15 cm and 12 cm gun turrets for distant targets and 57mm gun turrets for local defense. It also mounted an observation turret with a searchlight. Rapid-fire 57mm guns were provided in casemates for the defense of the ditches and the postern.〔 The large weapons were all German products, made by Krupp in Essen, but the armor was by Cockerill (Belgium), Ateliers de Creusot (France) or Grüson (Germany).〔Donnell, p. 16〕 The fort was provided with signal lights to permit communication with the neighboring Fort de Loncin and Fort de Liers. The guns were fired using black powder rather than smokeless powder, producing choking gas in the confined firing spaces that spread throughout the fort.〔Donnell, p. 17〕 The fort was manned by 307 artillerymen and 80 infantry under the command of Commandant-Captain Mozin.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Fort de Fléron」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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