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The Forts of the Meuse in World War I (Fortress)

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This book introduces the reader to the new system of fortifications devised by Belgian General Brailmont in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and how a fortress system was setup around Liege and Namur the block a major invasion route along the Meuse. The author explains the failings of the system and its strengths. Brialmont had warned that more complete measures were needed an additional forts needed to cover crossings of the Meuse beyond the fortress rings built around these two cities. IN addition his new forts, although strong, were part of fortress rings that were as sold as Swiss cheese.
The author also explains the integral weakness in the forts themselves resulting from construction methods and how they were only designed to resist weapons of 210-mm caliber which the Germans countered by building the Big Bertha's of 420-mm. In addition to a description of the forts, the author covers the preparation for war and the campaign of August 1914 and how each fort finally succumbed to the enemy. You are not going to find such detail information on these forts and the campaign in such a small work with many excellent illustrations including maps to enhance the text. This may be one of the best of the Osprey FORTRESS series books.

Although the role of the Liege forts in Belgium in the opening days of the First World War in August 1914 are well known, the actual composition of the fortifications involved is typically glossed over in most standard histories. Furthermore, many readers familiar with the fighting around Liege assume that the forts were resistant to German attacks until the arrival of the German `secret weapon' - a new 420mm field howitzer. In Osprey Fortress #60, author Clayton Donnell sets the record about the role and structure of these famous fortifications. This volume is vital for anyone desiring insight into the opening moves on the Western Front in the First World War. Overall, this is an excellent volume, although at times the author's description of the layout of the fortifications is confusing.

The volume opens with a discussion of the conditions that led to Belgium's decision to modernize its outmoded system of fortifications in the 1880s. Belgian military leaders realized that their outmoded system of forts were made obsolescent by the development of new types of artillery and high explosive, just as they realized the potential for German invasion in the event of a renewed Franco-German conflict. Belgian engineer General Henri Brialmont developed a plan to construct a ring of forts around the key transportation nodes of Liege and Namur, which lay along the most likely invasion routes. Brialmont's plan was well considered, incorporating the latest designs and was the first in Europe to be built entirely of concrete and steel. The forts, which were armed with turrets mounting 150mm, 120mm and 57mm guns, were built to withstand direct hits from 210mm howitzers - the largest field artillery in existence when the forts were completed in 1891. However, the fortification system was seriously weakened by financial parsimony by the Belgian Government, which failed to fully fund all the necessary construction; the author notes that the Germans were quick to take advantage of gaps in the fortified ring at the outset of the war. The section on the design and development of the forts is excellent, but a bit confusing at times. Some of the explanatory material does not appear until later in the volume, which leads to a lot of page flipping to tie it all together. The author then does a `tour of the sites,' which adds more detail.

The section on principles of defense is very good and it is here that the role of the forts in Belgium's defense are made clear. Following this, the `living sites' section details life and pre-war activities in the forts (which were only manned by skeleton crews). Most readers will focus on the "sites at war," which details their role in the campaign of August 1914. Some interesting points that emerge from this section are that the Germans were able to exploit gaps in the system (not enough Belgian infantry to cover the gaps) and that several forts were pounded into submission by batteries of 240mm howitzers, before the novel 420mm howitzers arrived. Indeed, the author points out that the Belgians had failed to modernize the forts after 1891 and they were hopelessly obsolete by 1914. The author did not discuss machineguns, but clearly the Belgians had failed to add these new weapons to their expensive forts and because of this deficiency, German infantry could get fairly close to the fortifications. Indeed, the Belgian defense was further compromised by the lack of communications between forts (except for searchlights) and they could not call for artillery support. Although the armored domes soon proved vulnerable to direct hits from 240mm and 420mm howitzers, the author makes the interesting observation that most of the forts actually surrendered due to poor ventilation and poor latrine facilities.

The author also discusses the sites today at length, although focusing on the few that are open to the public. Readers will note that the fortifications at Namur receive very little coverage in this volume. Artwork includes scenes depicting the construction of the forts, a 210mm turret, a postern entry, a central massif, an overview, a German night attack, and the explosion at Fort de Loncin. The volume also includes two excellent maps as well as numerous color photos of the wrecks of the forts today. This volume is one of the better ones in the Fortress series, valuable for the depth of research conducted by the author and the insight it provides into the eternal race between the defense and the offense in war.

Clayton Donnell's THE FORTS OF THE MEUSE IN WORLD WAR I tells of new forts built around the cities of Liege and Namur, known as the 'forts of the Meuse'. It was a huge project which produced over twenty modern forts to defend strategic gaps and transportation arteries: any collection strong in World War 1 strategy needs to understand this project's history and evolution.

THE FORTS OF THE MEUSE IN WORLD WAR I
CLAYTON DONNELL
OSPREY PUBLISHING, 2007
QUALITY SOFTCOVER, $16.95, 64 PAGES, ILLUSTRATIONS, MAPS, PHOTOGRAPHS, DIAGRAMS


Before the start of World War I, considerable importance was placed upon fortifications, influenced by the work of such engineers as the noted Belgian officer Henri Alexis Brialmont (1821-1903). His perception of defending a country included fortifying the capital and important harbors, the points where lines of communication crossed a strategic barrier (mountain-chain, etc.) and any points through which an enemy might advance, and constructing fortified camps from which a defending army could operate. Because of increased ranges of artillery, it was no longer possible to base fortifications based upon a continuous enceinte: the strategic place had to be protected by mutually-supportive detached forts some distances away, such forts having guns mounted in armored cupolas (thus protected from overhead fire), with support from batteries between the main fortifications. Much use was made of concrete (more resistant than stone or brick) and soft earth, the later best at absorbing fire. Defenses of this nature were used in Belgium for the strategic centers of Antwerp, Liege, and Namur, which were protected by chains of pentagonal forts and smaller, triangular fortlets or fortins. The defenses of Antwerp were based upon the 1859 enceinte and detached forts some 3,500 yards away, a series of Brialmont forts built from 1879, and a further series (filling the gaps) in 1913, at which the time the old forts received increased concrete defenses and new cupolas. Antwerp had 31 forts and further defense in an area which could be flooded. Liege and Namur were intended as "barrier" fortresses, to delay rather than block the invasion, but under Brialmont were turned into positions of more significance, Liege having a ring of six forts and six fortins, and Namur four and five respectively; the forts were armed with two 6 inch, four 4.7 inch, and four light quick-firing guns, and two 8 inch mortars. Together with supporting artillery, Liege mustered about 400 guns and Namur 350. Considerable faith was placed in these defenses, but ordnance had progressed markedly since the last great siege (Port Arthur in 1904-1905), had the increased weight of shell demonstrated in 1914 that such defenses were vulnerable. The ease with which the Belgian forts were overcome undermined confidence in permanent fortifications to the extent that Verdun was considerably denuded of its artillery in late 1915, yet it was the rings of fortifications around Verdun which stopped the Germans from capturing the position: these were mutually supportive and equipped with heavy artillery in retractable steel turrets, supported by a web of fieldworks and bunkers. On October 29, 1891, the new forts built around the cities of Liege and Namur, known as the "forts of the Meuse", were turned over to the Belgian Army. The huge product produced produced 21 forts to modern lives to defend the strategic rail, river, and road arteries in the Oise and Condroz Gaps. In August, 1914, the German Army attempted a quick crossing of this area in order to reach France, but it took them 12 crucial days to destroy the fortresses. Containing maps, diagrams, and photographs taken from private collections, THE FORTS OF THE MEUSE IN WORLD WAR I explores the design, development, and influence of the forts of the Meuse, highlighting the importance of their role during the opening battles of World War I.


Lt. Colonel Robert A. Lynn, Florida Guard
Orlando, Florida

I purchased this book before leaving for Western Europe. I am working on a story about WWI and was going to spend a few days in Belgium before heading to Verdun. The book was very interesting and quite helpful. I recomend it to anyone with an interest in the subject matter.

Excellent coverage of these WWI forts. This was an interesting book on Belgian forts that played a significant role in the early stages of WWI. The Belgiams had expected them to hold out for a long time and secur Liege and Namur, but the Germans captured or destroyed them rapidly. The rapid capture of Belgium was the result. This book covers the forts in question. There were many cut away diagrams, rare period photos, explanations of how the forts and their weapons functioned, 3-d representations of how the forts fit in with the local terrain, and explanation of the damage the forts recieved in combat.

I'm hoping the author does a similar book covering the French forts in the Verdun sector, as well as the system of German forts cosnstructed around Metz.