The Fort des Ayvelles, also known as the Fort Dubois-Crancé, is a fortification near the French communes of Villers-Semeuse and Les Ayvelles in the Ardennes, just to the south of Charleville-Mézières. As part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications, the fort was planned as part of a new ring of forts replacing the older citadel of Mézières with dispersed fortifications. With advances in the range and destructive power of artillery, the city's defensive perimeter had to be pushed away from the city center to the limits of artillery range. The Fort des Ayvelles was the only such fortification to be completed of the ensemble, as resources were diverted elsewhere. At the time of its construction the fort controlled the Meuse and the railway line linking Reims, Montmédy, Givet and Hirson. The Fort des Ayvelles was reduced in status in 1899, its masonry construction rendered obsolete by the advent of high-explosive artillery shells. However, it was re-manned for the First World War before it was captured by the Germans on 29 August 1914. The fort was partly destroyed in 1918. During the Battle of France in 1940 the fort was bombarded. French resisters were executed at Ayvelles during both world wars. At present the fort is maintained by a preservation society, and may be visited.
The FortdesAyvelles, also known as the Fort Dubois-Crancé, is a fortification near the French communes of Villers-Semeuse and Les Ayvelles in the Ardennes...
Fort des AyvellesFortdes Basses Perches Fort de Bois-d'Arcy Fort de Bois l'Abbé Fort du Bois d'Oye Fort de Bourlémont Fort du Bruissin Fort de Champigny...
The Fortdes Dunes, also known as Fort Leffrinckoucke and sometime Fort de l'Est, is located in the commune of Leffrinckoucke, France, about 6 kilometres...
Fortdes Basses Perches, also known as Fort Valmy, was built between 1874 and 1877 in Danjoutin and Belfort in northeastern France. It is part of the...
Fort Vaux (French: Fort de Vaux), in Vaux-Devant-Damloup, Meuse, France, was a polygonal fort forming part of the ring of 19 large defensive works intended...
Fort Douaumont (French: Fort de Douaumont) was the largest and highest fort on the ring of 19 large defensive works which had protected the city of Verdun...
Les Ayvelles (French pronunciation: [le.z‿ɛvɛl]) is a commune in the Ardennes department in the Grand Est region of northern France. Les Ayvelles is located...
Fort de Joux (French pronunciation: [fɔʁ də ʒu]) or Château de Joux (French pronunciation: [ʃato də ʒu]) is a castle, later transformed into a fort,...
Fort du Salbert, also known as Fort Lefebvre, was built between 1874 and 1877. It was named after General François Joseph Lefebvre. It forms part of the...
included the construction of Fort de Montessuy and Fort de Caluire to the north; Fortdes Brotteaux, Fort Montluc and Fort du Colombier to the east; the...
Fort Souville, briefly called Fort Lemoine, was one of the forts of the Verdun Fortification District, situated in the commune of Fleury-devant-Douaumont...
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort du Sapey. Ouvrage Sapey is a work (gros ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also...
The Fort de la Pompelle, also known as Fort Herbillon, is one of a number of forts built around Reims after 1870 as part of a fortification belt in the...
casemates, guns and mounts missing), Fort Tête de Chien (gun missing), FortdesAyvelles (destroyed) and the Batterie de l'Eperon (two casemates, parts of...
Sere de Rivieres. This belt of forts included the forts of Bron, Vancia itself, Feyzin and Mont Verdun. This pentagonal fort covers about 18 hectares. Located...
Fort de Roppe, also known as Fort Ney, was built between 1875 and 1877. It is part of the second ring of fortifications around the city of Belfort in...
The Fort du Replaton is a fortification of the Séré de Rivières system in Modane, France. The fort was built to provide artillery cover for the French...
The Fort de Vaujours, located in the commune of Courtry, Seine-Saint-Denis, near the town of Vaujours, is one of the forts built at the end of the 19th...
The Fort de Domont was built following the Franco-Prussian War to defend Paris. Located to the north of Paris in Domont, the fort was part of an outer...
The Fort de Montmorency was built following the Franco-Prussian War to defend Paris. Located to the north of Paris in Montmorency, the fort was part of...
The Fortdes Adelphes, or Fort Richepance, is part of the fortifications of Épinal. It was built near the village of Deyvillers between 1883 and 1885,...
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