The Fort de Seclin, also known as Fort Duhoux, is located near the commune of Seclin, France, about south of

Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...

. Built from 1873 to 1875, it is part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications that France built following the defeat of the Franco-Prussian War. It was never modernized to cope with improvements in artillery technology in the late 19th century. It has been preserved and is interpreted by a local preservation association for the public.

Description

The Fort de Seclin is trapezoidal in shape, with a central artillery position on top of barracks and support facilities, surrounded by a defended ditch and counterscarp. The ditch is covered by a double

caponier A caponier is a type of defensive structure in a fortification. Fire from this point could cover the ditch beyond the curtain wall to deter any attempt to storm the wall. The word originates from the French ', meaning "chicken coop" (a ''capon'' ...

and an aileron. The main entry has its own

ravelin A ravelin is a triangular fortification or detached outwork, located in front of the innerworks of a fortress (the curtain walls and bastions). Originally called a ''demi-lune'', after the ''lunette'', the ravelin is placed outside a castle ...

. The two-level barracks are recessed into courtyards and covered with earth and turf. The fort is constructed in brick and stone masonry and was never upgraded with concrete protection. The fort was initially armed with about forty artillery pieces, served by between 700 and 800 men. It had two satellite batteries.

History

World War I

The fort did not see significant 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 it was to the rear of Lille and was among the last positions to be overrun. The Germans took over the fort and used it as a supply depot until 1918, when it was occupied by British forces from the 68th Battalion, King's Liverpool Regiment, as they advanced into Lille.

World War II

The Fort de Seclin saw no significant action in the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

in 1940. The fort was again occupied by the Germans and used as a prison for

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

fighters. A total of 69 people were executed at the fort. In the most notable event, seven employees of the French national railways were arrested and accused of sabotage, spying and armed resistance. The six male prisoners were executed by firing squad at the Fort de Seclin on 7 June 1944. A monument commemorates the dead. Following the war it continued in use as an ammunition depot until the French Army abandoned it.

Present

The Fort de Seclin was purchased by private owners in 1996. In 2003 they opened a museum on the site showing military equipment from the era of the Franco-Prussian War up to the

First World War 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 ...

, focusing particularly on artillery and horse-drawn carriages.

References

Bibliography

* ''Les fusillés du Fort de Seclin'', Mémorial at Ascq 1944

External links

Fort de Seclin website

Fort de Seclin – Tourism in Nord-Pas de Calais

* ttp://www.fortiff.be/iff/index.php?page=s155 Fort de Seclinat fortiff.be
Seclin
at Chemins de Mémoire {{DEFAULTSORT:Seclin, Fort De Séré de Rivières system World War I museums in France World War II museums in France