![Devonshire Redoubt (Bermuda)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Devonshire_Redoubt_%28Bermuda%29.png)
A redoubt (historically redout)
is a
fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on
earthworks
Earthworks may refer to:
Construction
*Earthworks (archaeology), human-made constructions that modify the land contour
* Earthworks (engineering), civil engineering works created by moving or processing quantities of soil
*Earthworks (military), m ...
, although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a hastily constructed temporary fortification. The word means "a place of retreat".
Redoubts were a component of the military strategies of most European empires during the colonial era, especially in the outer works of
Vauban-style fortresses made popular during the 17th century, although the concept of redoubts has existed since
medieval times
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. A redoubt differs from a
redan
Redan (a French word for "projection", "salient") is a feature of fortifications. It is a work in a V-shaped salient angle towards an expected attack. It can be made from earthworks or other material.
The redan developed from the lunette, ...
in that the redan is open in the rear, whereas the redoubt was considered an enclosed work.
The advent of
mobile warfare
Mobile warfare () is a military strategy of the People’s Republic of China employing conventional forces on fluid fronts with units maneuvering to exploit opportunities for tactical surprise, or where a local superiority of forces can be real ...
in the 20th century diminished the importance of stationary defence positions and
siege warfare
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterized ...
.
Historically important redoubts
English Civil War
During the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
redoubts were frequently built to protect older fortifications from the more effective artillery of the period. Often close to ancient fortifications there were small hills that overlooked the defences, but in previous centuries these had been too far from the fortifications to be a threat. A small hill close to Worcester was used as an artillery platform by the
Parliamentarians when they successfully
besieged Worcester in 1646. In 1651 before the
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 in and around the city of Worcester, England and was the last major battle of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell def ...
the hill was turned into a redoubt by the
Royalists
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governme ...
, (the remains of which can be seen today in
Fort Royal Hill Park). During the
Battle of Worcester
The Battle of Worcester took place on 3 September 1651 in and around the city of Worcester, England and was the last major battle of the 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A Parliamentarian army of around 28,000 under Oliver Cromwell def ...
, the Parliamentarians did capture this redoubt and turned its guns on Worcester. In so doing they made the defence of the city untenable. This action effectively ended the battle, the last of the
English Civil War
The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...
.
Malta
From 1715 onwards, the
Order of Saint John
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...
built a number of redoubts in
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, as part of an effort to improve the
coastal fortifications
The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...
of the islands. They were built in the middle of bays to prevent enemy forces from disembarking and outflanking the
coastal batteries
Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications.
From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of c ...
.
The design of the redoubts was influenced by ones built in the French colonies. In all, eleven pentagonal redoubts and a few semi-circular or rectangular ones were built. Most redoubts have been demolished over the years, but a few still survive, such as
Briconet Redoubt
Briconet Redoubt ( mt, Ridott ta' Briconet), also known as Marsaskala Redoubt ( mt, Ridott ta' Marsaskala) or the Vendôme Entrenchment ( mt, It-Trunċiera ta' Vandomu), is a redoubt in Marsaskala, Malta. It was built in 1715 by the Order of Saint ...
,
Saint George Redoubt
Saint George Redoubt ( mt, Ridott ta' San Ġorġ) is a redoubt in Birżebbuġa, Malta. It was built in 1714–1716 by the Order of Saint John as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands, and it got its name from a chap ...
and
Ximenes Redoubt
Ximenes Redoubt ( mt, Ridott ta' Ximenes) is a redoubt in Salina Bay, Naxxar, Malta. It was built by the Order of Saint John in 1715-1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands, and it was originally called Salina ...
.
Four ''tour-reduits'' were also built. These were redoubts built in the form of a tower, with rows of musketry loopholes. Three were around
Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishermen and history. As at March 2014, the village had a population of 3,534. The ...
Bay, and one was located in
Marsalforn
Marsalforn (Pronounced: ''Marsa el-Forn, , '' Maltese: ''Marsalforn''), also written as M'Forn for shortcut purposes, is a town on the north coast of Gozo, the second largest island of the Maltese archipelago. The town lies between the hi ...
,
Gozo
Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...
. The only one still in existence is
Vendôme Tower
Vendôme Tower ( mt, Torri Vendôme, colloquially ''Torri tal-Vandomu'') is a '' tour-reduit'' in Marsaxlokk, Malta. It was built by the Order of Saint John in 1715 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the coasts of the Maltese Is ...
in Marsaxlokk.
During the
siege of Malta of 1798–1800, Maltese insurgents built
a number of fortifications to bombard French positions and repel a possible counterattack. Most of the fortifications were batteries, but at least two redoubts,
Windmill Redoubt
Windmill Redoubt ( mt, Ridott tal-Mitħna) was a redoubt in Żabbar, Malta. It was built by Maltese insurgents during the French blockade of 1798–1800. It was part of a chain of batteries, redoubts and entrenchments encircling the French positi ...
and
Żabbar Redoubt, were also built. In 1799, British forces also built
San Rocco Redoubt
San Rocco Redoubt ( mt, Ridott ta' San Rokku) was a redoubt in Kalkara, Malta. It was built by Great Britain during the French blockade of 1798-1800. It was part of a chain of batteries, redoubts and entrenchments encircling the French positions ...
and
San Lucian Redoubt in Malta. No redoubts from the French blockade survive today.
In the late 19th century, the British built a redoubt near
Fomm ir-Riħ
Fomm ir-Riħ (meaning ''mouth of the wind'' in Maltese), is a small bay in the limits of Mġarr on the western side of the island of Malta. The area is characterised by a fault line which creates an interesting landscape with vertical cliffs and ...
as part of the
Victoria Lines
The Victoria Lines, originally known as the North West Front, are a line of fortifications that spans 12 kilometres along the width of Malta, dividing the north of the island from the more heavily populated south.
Location
The Victoria Lines ru ...
.
Other important redoubts
![Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt mine (1 July 1916) 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Hawthorn_Ridge_Redoubt_mine_%281_July_1916%29_2.jpg)
The American Revolution defenses at
West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
, New York included several redoubts, forts, and the
Great Chain
The Hudson River Chains were a series of chain booms constructed across the Hudson River at West Point by Continental Army forces from 1776 to 1778 during the American Revolutionary War. These served as defenses preventing British naval vessels ...
with links weighing more than 100 pounds each that Continental Army military engineers stretched across the Hudson River. The purpose behind the West Point defensive system was to prevent the British Army and Royal Navy from gaining control of the Hudson and splitting New England off from the mid-Atlantic and southern states. The chain blocked the river, the forts were positioned to fire on ships attempting to approach the chain, and outlying redoubts were well placed to defend land routes into West Point.
Examples where redoubts played a crucial role in military history:
*
Battle of Poltava
The Battle of Poltava; russian: Полта́вская би́тва; uk, Полта́вська би́тва (8 July 1709) was the decisive and largest battle of the Great Northern War. A Russian army under the command of Tsar Peter I defeate ...
(1709)
*
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...
(1775)
*
Battle of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, also known as the Battle of Yorktown, the surrender at Yorktown, or the German battle (from the presence of Germans in all three armies), beginning on September 28, 1781, and ending on October 19, 1781, at Yorktown, Virgi ...
(1781) where Alexander Hamilton led his only infantry command's assault against a British redoubt
*
Lines of Torres Vedras
The Lines of Torres Vedras were lines of forts and other military defences built in secrecy to defend Lisbon during the Peninsular War. Named after the nearby town of Torres Vedras, they were ordered by Arthur Wellesley, Viscount Wellington, ...
of the
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
(1809–1810)
*
Harwich Redoubt
Harwich Redoubt is a circular fort built in 1808 to defend the port of Harwich, Essex from Napoleonic invasion. The Harwich Society opens it to the public.
Construction
The Redoubt was built between 1808 and 1810 to protect the port of Har ...
(1809–1810)
*
Battle of Borodino
The Battle of Borodino (). took place near the village of Borodino on during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The ' won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napoleon ...
(1812)
*
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to se ...
(1854)
*
Railroad Redoubt
The Railroad Redoubt (a/k/a "Fort Beauregard" in post-War accounts) was one of several redoubts, or small defensive earthworks, that were constructed during the American Civil War to protect the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi, from Union attack. ...
of the
Battle of Vicksburg
The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Missis ...
(1863)
*
Battle of Plevna (1877–1878)
*
Battle of Rorke's Drift
The Battle of Rorke's Drift (1879), also known as the Defence of Rorke's Drift, was an engagement in the Anglo-Zulu War. The successful British defence of the mission (station), mission station of Rorke's Drift, under the command of Lieutenants ...
(1879)
* 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 ...
:
National Redoubt of Antwerp (1914), German
Hohenzollern Redoubt
The Hohenzollern Redoubt () was a strongpoint of the German 6th Army on the Western Front during the First World War, at Auchy-les-Mines near Loos-en-Gohelle in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. Named after the House of Hohenzollern, ...
, and
Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt
Hawthorn Ridge Redoubt was a German Empire, German field fortification, west of the village of Beaumont Hamel on the Somme River, Somme. The redoubt was built after the end of the Battle of Albert (1914), Battle of Albert (25–29 September 1914 ...
(1916)
* During
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 ...
:
Vercors plateau
The Vercors Massif is a range in France consisting of rugged plateaus and mountains straddling the ''départements'' of Isère and Drôme in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps, from which it is separated by the rivers Drac ...
redoubt used by the
Free French Forces
__NOTOC__
The French Liberation Army (french: Armée française de la Libération or AFL) was the reunified French Army that arose from the merging of the Armée d'Afrique with the prior Free French Forces (french: Forces françaises libres, l ...
National redoubt
A national redoubt is an area to which the remnant forces of a nation can be withdrawn if the main battle has been lost, or beforehand if defeat is considered inevitable. Typically a region is chosen with a geography favouring defence, such as a mountainous area or a peninsula, in order to function as a final hold-out to preserve national independence for the duration of the conflict.
See also
*
List of military structures
*
Reduit
A reduit is a fortified structure such as a citadel or a keep into which the defending troops can retreat when the outer defences are breached. The term is also used to describe an area of a country, which, through a ring of heavy fortifications o ...
References
{{Redoubts
Fortification (architectural elements)