Fort de Vézelois, also known as Fort Ordener, was built between 1883 and 1886 near Vézelois, to the southeast of

Belfort Belfort (; archaic german: Beffert/Beffort) is a city in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Northeastern France, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg, approximately from the France–Switzerland border. It is the prefecture of the Territo ...

in northeastern France. It is part of the first ring of fortifications around the city of Belfort. It is part of the second ring of fortifications around the city of

in northeastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. This set of forts was built as part of the

Séré de Rivières system The system was named after Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières, its originator. The system was an ensemble of fortifications built from 1874 along the frontiers and coasts of France. The fortresses were obsolescent by 1914 but were used during ...

and incorporated improvements to deal with the improvement in efficacy of artillery in the late 19th century. The fort was formally named after French General Michel Ordener. The Fort de Vézelois is similar to the Fort de Bessoncourt and was designed to support Bessoncourt and the Fort du Bois d'Oye, covering the road from

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

and the

Mulhouse Mulhouse (; Alsatian language, Alsatian: or , ; ; meaning ''Mill (grinding), mill house'') is a city of the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, department, in the Grand Est Regions of France, region, eastern France, close to the France–Switzerl ...

railway line. It was garrisoned by between 500 and 600 men. The fort received concrete cover in 1888–89, its artillery dispersed to batteries outside the fort. In 1909 the

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'' ...

s were replaced by

counterscarp A scarp and a counterscarp are the inner and outer sides, respectively, of a ditch or moat used in fortifications. Attackers (if they have not bridged the ditch) must descend the counterscarp and ascend the scarp. In permanent fortifications th ...

s. Parapets and a subterranean shelter were provided for infantry, while a casemate, two machine gun turrets and a 75mm gun turret were added. From 1893 the fort was linked to other forts around Belfort via the Chemins de fer du Territoire de Belfort strategic railroad. In 1940 the fort was manned by the 8th Battery of the 159th Position Artillery Regiment (RAP), part of the

fortified region of Belfort The fortified region of Belfort () formed the first line of defense in the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications in the Belfort Gap. Located in northeastern France between Épinal and Besançon, the primary line was built in the late 19th ...

under the French 8th Army, Army Group 3. From 16 March 1940 the RF Belfort became the 44th Fortress Corps (CAF). After the

Second World War 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 was used by the French Army for ammunition storage until the 1990s. The fort is now owned by the Commune of Vézelois and is in the care of an association for its restoration. The fort may be visited.

References

External links

Fort de Vézelois
official site
Fort de Vézelois (90)
at Chemins de mémoire

at Fortiff' Séré {{DEFAULTSORT:Fort de Vezelois Fortifications of Belfort Séré de Rivières system Fortified region of Belfort Tourist attractions in the Territoire de Belfort Military installations established in 1886

See also

References

External links