Fort des Basses Perches, also known as Fort Valmy, was built between 1874 and 1877 in

Danjoutin Danjoutin () is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in northeastern France. Population See also * Fort des Basses Perches *Communes of the Territoire de Belfort department The following is a list ...

and

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 Terri ...

in northeastern France. It is part of the first ring of fortifications around the city of Belfort. The Forts des Perches were unique among the first group in their re-use of older sites. They were rebuilt 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's official name was derived from François-Christophe Kellermann, Duke of Valmy and Marshal of France. The first fortification at the Perches hill was an excavated rampart dating to 1815. A dry-masonry fort was built at the Basses Perches location in 1870 by Colonel Pierre Denfert-Rochereau during his defense of Belfort, at an elevation of 425 m. The present Fort des Basses Perches was built on this site, as it had proven to be a strategically important part of the southern defenses of Belfort during the Franco-Prussian War. The roughly rectangular fort is notable for its early use of

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 in place of

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, which had been more popular until then. The Fort des Basses Perches is small compared to others in the Belfort defensive array. It accommodated 126 soldiers, 4 non-commissioned officers, and 2 officers. Initial cost was 939,000 francs d'or. It was initially armed with 4 155mm long guns, 9 138mm guns, 4 121mm guns, 1 22mm howitzer and 2 22mm mortars. From 1893 the fort was linked to other forts around Belfort via the Chemins de fer du Territoire de Belfort strategic railroad. The Fort des Hautes Perches is about one km to the northeast. Apart from a concrete observation post built between 1914 and 1918, the fort was never modernised. It is now owned by the commune of Danjoutin and is open to the public by appointment.

References

External links

Le fort des Basses PerchesFort des Basses-Perches (90)
at Chemins de mémoire

at Fortiff' Séré {{Séré de Rivières system Fortifications of Belfort Séré de Rivières system Tourist attractions in the Territoire de Belfort Military installations established in 1877 1877 establishments in France