The Fort d'Uxegney, or Fort Roussel, is part of the fortifications of
Épinal. It was built near the village of
Uxegney
Uxegney () is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Vosges department
The following is a list of the 507 communes of the Vosges department of France.
The communes coope ...
between 1882 and 1884, and was modernized in 1910. It is an example of a
Séré de Rivières system fortification. It retains its armament and is maintained as a museum.
Located northwest of Épinal, the Fort d'Uxegney is part of a line of sixteen major fortifications designed to bar the advance of a German army into France. It retains a functioning example of an eclipsing Galopin turret. Armed with a 155mm gun, the assembly weighs 250 tons and was installed in 1907. A considerable amount of the fort's equipment remains in place, including kitchens, living facilities and details of armament, in an unusually good state of preservation.
Description
The fort was situated at an altitude of 379 meters above the valley of the
Avière with the mission of controlling the Épinal-
Mirecourt axis, the Épinal-
Nancy railway and the
Canal de l'Est
The Canal de la Meuse is the current name of what used to be the northern branch of the Canal de l'Est ("canal of the east"). It is a canal in northeastern France, predominantly made up of the canalised river Meuse. The Canal de l'Est was built fro ...
. The fort was laid out in a pentagon, surrounded by a ditch. Construction took only two years (1882–1884). The fort includes fortified barracks, storage facilities and magazines, and shelters for troops. The stone buildings of variegated cut stone were built in the open, then covered with earth from the excavation of the ditch and the leveling of the natural terrain. The initial garrison comprised 287 men, and the construction cost of the original fort amounted to about 1.7 million francs.. The principal armament consisted of five 155mm and five 120mm
de Bange
Charles Ragon de Bange (17 October 1833 – 9 July 1914) was a French artillery officer and Polytechnician. He invented the first effective obturator system for breech-loading artillery, which remains in use. He also designed a system of field g ...
or Lahotolle guns on the three forward-facing walls of the fort, in the open air on platforms.
The first improvements came in 1892, when the fort's entry, powder magazine, a cistern, an infantry shelter and a number of other spaces were covered with concrete. From 1900 a series of spiral ''queue de cochon'' (pig tail-shaped) infantry shelters were placed on and around the fort. The second major phase of work, executed from 1910, completely transformed the fort. A retractable or "eclipsing" turret was installed, mounting a 155mm gun. Another turret mounted two 75mm guns with shortened barrels, and two more turret mounted machine guns. Two ''casemates de Bourges'' mounted two 75mm guns in each casemate to cover the intervals between the forts to either side of Uxegney, while armored observation points were created with steel cupolas or cloches. Further concrete reinforcement was placed, while subterranean passages linked all sections of the fort. The defenses were improved with the addition of
counterscarp positions in the outer walls of the ditch. A small central electrical plant was installed as well. The cost of these renovations came to 1.2 million francs. The renovated fort's garrison comprised 15 officers, 36 non-commissioned officers and 416 enlisted men.
In 1914 a further project to add two 155mm gun turrets in a separate armored battery was proposed, but was canceled by the outbreak of war.
History
The Fort d'Uxegney saw no action during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, as the Germans did not advance into the area around Épinal.
Between
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the fort remained military property and was kept under maintenance. Along with the neighboring
Fort de Bois l'Abbé
The Fort de Bois l'Abbé, or Fort Poniatowski, is part of the fortifications of Épinal, France. It was built near the village of Uxegney between 1883 and 1885. It is an example of a Séré de Rivières system fortification. It escaped significant ...
, Fort d'Uxegney was used as an ammunition depot.. During World War II the Germans left Uxegney intact even as they stripped other forts around Épinal.
The French army used both forts as ammunition depots until 1960. They were afterwards abandoned.
Present status
Since 1989 the ''Association pour la Restauration du Fort d'Uxegney et de la Place d'Épinal'' (ARFUPE) has restored and maintained the Uxegney site. The fort may be visited between May and September. The Fort de Bois l'Abbé was used after 1960 by private tenants, but was restored by ARFUPE beginning in 1995. It may be visited on special occasions.
References
External links
Site de l'Association pour la Restauration du Fort d'Uxegney et de la Place d'Epinal
at fortiffsere.fr
Fort d'Uxegneyat Chemins de mémoire
{{authority control
Séré de Rivières system
Fortifications of Épinal
World War I museums in France
Ammunition dumps