The system Séré de Rivières is a whole of fortifications built as from 1874 and until the beginning of the First World War along the borders and of the coasts of France. It owes its name with its originator and promoter the general Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières.

Genesis of the system

The shortly after the war of 1870, France strongly finds itself weakened and isolated from the remainder of the Europe, under the threat of a Germany reinforced by the profit of the Alsace-Lorraine.

Parallel to the evacuation of the last troops of German occupation, the Defense committee is created which sits of 1872 with 1888. This committee has the role the defensive reorganization of all the borders of France, as well terrestrial as maritime. For that, it was necessary to stop the breach left by the loss of the fortified towns of the North-East, to modernize the old fortified towns which were shown exceeded during the confrontation of 1870 and to recreate new places adapted to the novel methods of combat and in particular to the great progress which the Artillerie had made at that time.

This committee is created by an order in Council on July 28th, 1872. It counts with its creation nine members of which the Minister for the War and the representatives of artillery and the genius. The general Séré de Rivières, ordering genius of the 2 {{E}} Army corps of Versailles, present as of the beginning in this committee is named secretary of the Committee in 1873. February 1st, 1874, it is promoted with the head of the Service of the genius to the ministry for the War. During these years, Séré de Rivières is really the thinking head of the Committee by having all the capacities necessary to make admit its ideas and carry them out without real opposition.

The first section of work of the new French strengthened system is launched as of 1874.

In 1880, whereas work is already quite advanced and following internal competitions and political operations, the general Séré de Rivières is évincé CDF. In spite of that, one continues work envisaged, section by section.

The fortification of 1874

Since the fortifications set up by Vauban, the fortification had practically not evolved/moved during the XIXe century. During the combat of 1870, it shows its weaknesses quickly: the principle of the impregnable citadel does not resist the attacks. It is thus necessary to reconsider the fortified towns by adapting them to progress of artillery. Finished the citadels including the cities, maintaining the forts are rejected outside the cities, with approximately ten kilometers, even more, urban center with an aim of leaving artillery and the enemy sufficiently far. One creates from now on around the fortified towns a belt of distant forts of only a few kilometers, so that their defensive means can cover the intervals effectively.

The forts which one builds give up the principle of the Bastion, still become obsolete there because of the projections of the armaments. Their layout is, more simply, a Polygone surrounded by a ditch covered by fire of bodies of flanking called Caponnière S (which are only one evolution of the bastion). These forts, built in masonry and abundantly using the stone of size, are organized around their barracks being used to shelter the garrison of the fort by protecting it from the enemy bombardments. The pieces of artillery, as for them, are laid out on the tops of the fort, generally with the free air. In addition to different the fortified towns distributed along all the French borders, one builds two defensive curtains (a line of forts making the junction between two fortified towns) and a whole series of forts isolated called strong from stop intended to control certain points of passages and objectives considered to be sensitive, as well as a great number of coastal battery S. Among all these units, one can quote, for example, the fortified towns of Verdun, Toul, Épinal, Belfort in the North-East, of Paris, Brest, the two curtains defensive of the Meuse (making the junction between the places of Verdun and Toul) and of the High-Moselle (stretching itself, in the the Vosges, of Épinal to Belfort). For the forts of stops, one can quote those of Manonviller (Meurthe-et-Moselle) and of Bourlémont (the Vosges).

The crisis of the shell torpedoes

Of 1883 with 1885, a revolution appears in artillery with the introduction of new materials, in particular the gun with tube striped and the discovery of the Mélinite, a powerful explosive which multiplies by ten the destroying capacity of artillery on the forts. Starting from the tests carried out on the fort of Malmaison, one realizes that all the fortifications built hitherto became obsolete. Masonries of the forts are not sufficiently any more resistant, the pieces of artillery placed on the superstructures became extremely vulnerable. It is thus necessary to find an answer to these new threats.

Fortunately, the solution quickly is found thanks to the discovery a few years before of the special Béton which makes it possible to offer sufficient resistance to the new explosives. In addition to the special concrete, in 1885, the reinforced concrete is discovered and allows the Séré fortifications Rivers to remain of topicality. Remain to solve a last point: that to make already built forts which represent all the same most of the system.

The party is taken to modernize certain forts and to preserve in the state or to downgrade the other forts. After this decision, one starts to add on certain forts a concrete carapace to protect the essential bodies like the barracks, the forts start more and more to bury oneself, in particular the stores with powder, sensitive part and weak point of the forts of 1st generation.

Remained the problem of protections of artillery. Although taken into account since 1874, one confined oneself with some shy persons tests. The alarm clock comes with the crisis from the shell torpedoes.

Armourings

Stammerings of the Armouring S

Progress which makes to industry as regards Sidérurgie assistance largely the engineers attached to the problems of armourings. Thus in 1875, with inter alia, work of the commander Mougin, armouring takes form. The first with being installed are the Casemate S in Fer rolled (Mougin system). Built four in three of the forts of the curtain of the High-Moselle, they are designed to receive a gun of 138 mm Reffye and are armoured against the field gun.

Rolled iron appearing a little weak against the new types of armament and in particular the weapons of seat, the commander Mougin proposes an evolution of its rolled iron casemate. This time, it is in cast iron hard and designed to resist the gun of seat. Ten specimens of this casematte are installed and equipped with a gun with 155 mm long model 1877.

Mougin also proposes a revolving hard cast iron turret for 2 guns of 155 mm long model 1877. This extremely innovative armouring for the time is built with 25 specimens. Unfortunately, the hard cast iron shows its limits with the crisis of the shell torpedoes. One tried to modernize some as of these turrets but the majority remained in their country of origin although completely exceeded.

These armourings were too weak to effectively protect the parts - and the artillerists - new threats. One gave up the cast iron lasts in 1882.

Appearance of steel

As from 1885, one seriously starts to take again the problem of armouring. Of this recovery a certain number of prototypes of armouring (primarily of the turrets) are born and are tested to very hard find a successor with the Mougin turret out of hard cast iron. The special steel (developed in these years there per Schneider and Co) is this time largely employed. Among all the prototypes proposed, one can note the revolving turret for 2 guns of 155 mm long of the commander Mougin (an evolution of its preceding turret), a turret with eclipse of the Bussière lieutenant-colonel for 2 tubes of 155 mm long. The basic difference in these two turrets lies in the principle of protection of the embrasures of armourings. For the revolving turrets of Mougin, only the permanent rotation of the turret makes it possible to protect its embrasures. In the case of the turrets with eclipse, the turret is erased to leave on the surface fort only its strongly armor-plated cap. This system shows its superiority during the tests led to the Camp of Châlons between 1887 and 1888.

But the turret which is finally retained is the turret model 1890 per two 155 mm long designed by the Galopin captain. This very complex turret technically was shown of a frightening effectiveness. One installed of them only five because of his very high manufacturing costs.

However, one can note that the prototypes of the turrets developed for the various tests were preserved and installed in various forts of the System Séré de Rivières.

Because of the cost of the turret Urchin Bi-tube, Galopin developed a smaller version and especially less expensive of its turret. It is adopted in 1907. One thus builds Galopin turrets with only one gun of 155 mm shortened. One had envisaged to install twenty-two of them but in 1914, only twelve specimens were ready with the combat, in particular with the Fort of Douaumont. Really effective, this turret with eclipse of 37 tons (which goes up to draw and go down again at once) appeared the best armouring of its time, but of serious problems of ventilation combined with the noise inside (resonance was infernal), slowed down the rate of shooting considerably of it.

Light armourings

Beside armourings which one can regard as heavy, one can also find a whole series of lighter armourings intended for the observation or the protection of weapons of infantry or more doors.

Indeed, it is decided to put at the shelter the observers as well as the means of defense close to the forts and flanking. Among all these armouring, one finds a whole series of guérites and armor-plated bells of observation as well as projectors with eclipse under turret.

For the weapons of infantry, one can quote the turret with eclipse of 57 mm conceived in 1890 by the Bussière lieutenant-colonel and equipped with two guns of 57 Misters Seul four specimens are built and installed: two at the height of Manonviller, one with the work of Bouvron and the last with the Ouvrage Are Old man-Canton close to Toul. The latter is transformed besides to receive two guns of 75 Misters.

The turret of machine-gun is initially designed to receive a machine-gun Gatling with seven rotary guns, replaced by two machine-guns Hotchkiss. Hundred specimens of this small turret are installed. The prototype of Gatling turret finished at the height of Manonviller.

The turret of 75 mm model 1905, equipped with the famous gun of 75 mm in shortened version, is built with 73 specimens of which only 55 are installed in 1914; it continues its career within the Ligne Maginot.

One can also quote the Pamard casemates, of the name of their inventor. They are small fixed armourings being able to receive one or two machine-guns. These casemates are installed in 1916 mainly in the forts of Verdun.

Casematées batteries

As of the first work, one tried to install pieces of artillery (primarily mortars) under built casemates. Unfortunately, in much of case, masonry did not resist the breath of the shootings and the idea is abandoned until the appearance of the casemates of Bourges.

These concreted casemates owe their name with the armament which they protect: two gun of 75 mm Bourges. These concreted casemates all, built on a similar level have the role of beating the intervals between the various forts. They are often preferred with the turrets of 75 mm model 1905 because of a largely lower cost.

Defensive organization

The system Séré de Rivières is based on the concept of fortified towns and defensive curtains. The fortified towns, true fortified camps make it possible to provide important points of resistance around the main cities. They also have the role of fulcrums to carry out possible counter-attacks. Between these places, one finds sometimes a defensive curtain (line of several forts distant each one of a few kilometers) allowing to defend the passage between two places. These curtains are not continuous. Indeed, one voluntarily spares perforated for " canaliser" enemy openings. These perforated all lead to fortified towns of second line intended to fix the enemy projection while the troops operate on the sides of these armies to be able to take them with reverse.

One can quote, for example, perforated Charmes located in the the Vosges. This perforated spared between the places of Toul and Epinal was to force the enemy to lead to the strongly defended place of Langres. In addition to these devices, a series of obstacles, actually of powerful isolated forts, are disseminated on the road of the invader in order to slow down his progression making it possible to obtain sufficient times with the installation of the armies charged to fight it.

Anatomy of a place

A fortified town consists of a crown of forts surrounding, with ten kilometers center, all city. These forts have the capacity to be defended mutually. Each fort can thus draw towards its neighbor to help it to release itself from a projection from the infantry. In addition to the principal forts, there exists a whole series of installations intended to be used with the troops as intervals.

One thus finds defensive tiny rooms (or works of infantry) intended to receive from the infantry, on the shelters of combat allowing the troops intervals to shelter during the bombardments and also being used as quartering, on the intermediate batteries intended to receive additional artillery (envisaged right from the start) or to replace artillery of the forts (in 1915, one had decided to partly disarm the forts Séré de Rivières which one judged too " concentrés" and thus easy to reach).

Behind of the line of forts, one finds a whole series of buildings intended for the logistical support. Thus in the center of the places one finds the stores central of vivres, materials and ammunition. These stores make it possible to supply the forts and the frontline. This supply is carried out by means of a vast network of military Railroad with way of 60 cm (the Système Péchot adopted by artillery in 1888 is developed besides on the place of Toul) specific to each place. Along these " lines of ways of fer" , one finds intermediate deposits of ammunition intended for the troops of intervals.

The forts Séré de Rivières

One can describe three different types of fort: strong of stop, forts of curtain and forts of place. In addition to that, one can differentiate the forts having been modernized and those remained in their country of origin.

The fort of stop by definition is isolated from the remainder of the system. It must thus be able to function in total autonomy and to be able to ensure its defense. Often from great dimension, this fort can draw in all the directions.

The forts of curtain and the forts of place can, as for them, to count on the assistance of their neighbors and must defend oneself in general only on one face. This is why their artillery was concentrated on the directions occupied by their neighbors and on the zone which they were supposed to control.

Forts of 1st generation

These forts, not modernized, are carried out almost completely in masonry, using in great proportions the stone of size. These forts are surrounded by a ditch, a depth 6 m for 12 m broad, according to the instructions which are respected little, delimited by a wall of escarpe (retaining the solid mass of the fort) and, towards the outside of the fort, by a wall of against-escarpe. In the forts Séré de Rivières built, it is very rare to find water ditches. Certain walls of escarpe are provided with crenels allowing the defense of the ditch. This defense is with the load of bodies of flanking called Caponnière S and built with projecting of the forts (angles of the forts) on the level of the bottom of the ditch. These shelters were either simple (one only direction of shooting), or doubles (defending two portions of the ditch).

The entry in the fort is generally done by a retractable bridge: drawbridge or bridge with obliteration. On this subject one can note that the engineers of the time showed a real imagination to develop different systems as many.

Inside the perimeter of the fort, one finds one or more barracks (sometimes on several floors) whose frontages lead to courses interior. In these barracks, half-sunken (only the frontage appears), intended for the housing of the troop, one finds a kitchen, cisterns for drinking water (supplied with recovery of rainwater, collectings of sources or by wells) and sometimes of the baker's ovens.

Another important place of a fort, the store with powder centralizes the storage of the various explosives and artifices of the fort. This part closed by two doors with three different locks was built in order to isolate as well as possible the powder from moisture and the flames. Covered a strong thickness of ground, this store was lit by a system of oil lamps isolated from the powder by panes armor-plated strong thickness and accessible only from the outside of the store to powder.

The artillery of the forts is generally laid out with the free air on platforms of shooting framed by cross-piece-shelter . These cross-piece-shelter are small buildings intended for the storage of the hardware requirement at piece-rates and for the shells ready with employment. The platforms of shooting can find either on the barracks (extremely with rider ), in this case, certain cross-pieces are enracinées' 'and communicate directly with the barracks, or along a way traversing all the perimeter of the fort (called street of the rampart ).

In certain case, the artillery can be under built or armor-plated casemates (Mougin casemates) even, for certain forts, under turrets (Mougin turret).

The infantry is, as for it, only made up of the troop of the fort, and can take seat in positions of infantry especially arranged in overhang of the ditch.

The modernization of the forts

After the crisis of the shell torpedoes, certain forts, those which are considered to be most important, are modernized. The problems are simple: to protect to the maximum the men and the weapons. As the majority of the forts are already built, one took the party only to modify them without to shave them completely.

Thus the built barracks receive an additional concrete carapace to put them at the shelter new means of destruction. In certain case, one rebuilds new barracks entirely out of concrete while preserving the old ones in masonry.

The stores with powder showed their brittleness and their weak points during the tests carried out, inter alia, at the height of Malmaison. One thus decides to remove these stores by as well as possible distributing the powder stock in all the fort and especially by creating new stores deeply hidden to put them at the shelter of the most destroying shells. One thus digs new stores with powder called stores under rock' 'or stores cave .

The shelters considered to be too fragile are also removed with the profit of trunks of against-escarpe . Less projecting than the shelters, these trunks are " encastrés" in the wall of against-escarpe and connected at the height via an underground sheath passing under the ditch.

In certain forts, one creates even new entries protected better from the shootings and located at the bottom of the ditches of the fort (also called entered of war ).

For the armament, one sees the massive appearance of armourings and the casemates of Bourges. Indeed the pieces of artillery leave the ramparts and the riders of the forts to protect itself under the thick shielding from armourings. Although losing of many parts, the forts preserve all their firepower: a part under turret is only equivalent to it with a whole battery, i.e. 4 parts with the free air. The infantry of these forts is also reinforced by turrets with eclipse for machine-guns and by projectors armor-plated under turrets. The observatories of the forts take seat in armor-plated bells.

One can also note the appearance, in all the forts of great importance which are modernized, of a central of electrical production.

Forts according to 1885

These forts builds very out of concrete must also take into account the reductions of the budget allocated with the fortifications. One reduces masonries to the minimum (more wall of escarpe in masonry but simply out of collapsing ground barred by a grid in bottom of ditch). These forts are also definitely less wide than their predecessors.

Ultimate work during the engagements

At the time of the battles around Verdun, in which the forts Séré de Rivières often take share, under a flood of fire, the troops fearing for the resistance of the concrete start to be buried. These troops dig during the battle of deep and vast networks of galleries under the forts to connect the various bodies of the forts but also to make use of it like quartering. They benefit from it to create new accesses at the height, behind and less exposed, and also to add blocks of engagements with light shieldings (Pamard casemates) for machine-guns. This work called work of 17 (because realized for the majority in 1917) precedes in fact the starter of the evolution of the fortifications towards the underground whole which one finds in 1930 with the Ligne Maginot.

See too

Related articles

External bonds

  • Index of the fortifications Frenchwomen 1874 - 1914: Inventory of the fortifications of the system Séré de Rivières.
  • Photographs of abandoned forts and batteries of type Séré de Rivières

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