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Fort de Cognelée

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272:, a location that would be untenable in combat. This would have profound effects on the forts' ability to endure a long assault. The service areas were placed directly opposite the barracks, which opened into the ditch in the rear of the fort (i.e., in the face towards Namur), with lesser protection than the front and "salient" sides. The Brialmont forts placed a weaker side to the rear to allow for recapture by Belgian forces from the rear, and located the barracks and support facilities on this side, using the rear ditch for light and ventilation of living spaces. In combat heavy shellfire made the rear ditch untenable, and German forces were able to get between the forts and attack them from the rear. The Brialmont forts were designed to be protected from shellfire equaling their heaviest guns: 21 cm. The top of the central massif used 4 metres (13 ft) of unreinforced concrete, while the caserne walls, judged to be less exposed, used 1.5 metres (4.9 ft). Under fire, the forts were damaged by 21 cm fire and could not withstand heavier artillery. 47: 309: 60: 67: 284:
and two twin 12 cm turrets, all for distant targets. Four 57mm turrets with another eight 57mm guns in embrasures providing defense of the fort's ditches and postern. The fort also mounted an observation turret with a searchlight.
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Cognelée was not chosen to be upgraded in the 1930s. It was instead used as a munitions depot. Two bunkers were built in 1939 and 1940 to provide for local defense with automatic arms.
554: 292:, while the turret mechanisms were from a variety of sources. The fort was provided with signal lights to permit communication with neighboring forts. The guns were fired using 265:
batteries, firing at shot traps at the other end of the ditch. The principal armament was concentrated in the central massif, closely grouped in a solid mass of concrete.
648: 249:. The fort, one of the larger Brialmont forts, is a triangle. A 6-metre (20 ft) deep by 8-metre (26 ft) ditch encircles the fort. The ditches were defended in 229:, the fort was built exclusively of unreinforced concrete, a new material, rather than masonry. In 1914 the fort was heavily bombarded by German artillery in the 316:
Cognelée was heavily bombarded in August 1914 by large-caliber artillery. Cognelée surrendered on 23 August, one of the last of the Namur forts tosurrender.
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Belgian forts made little provision for the daily needs of their wartime garrisons, locating latrines, showers, kitchens and the morgue in the fort's
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The Fort de Cognelée is on private property and is not open to the public. It was never repaired or rehabilitated after World War II.
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The Germans re-armed Cognelée and upgraded its protection and habitability with additional concrete and ventilation.
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The Fort de Cognelée is located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the center of
300:, producing choking gas in the confined firing spaces that spread throughout the fort. 632: 356: 617: 293: 269: 262: 246: 532: 523: 397: 105: 92: 258: 250: 221:. It was built between 1888 and 1892 according to the plans of General 218: 37: 307: 289: 280:
Cognelée's guns included one twin 15 cm turret, two single
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Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II
570: 196: 188: 173: 168: 160: 150: 142: 134: 129: 121: 84: 18: 452: 450: 422: 420: 548: 288:The fort's heavy guns were German, typically 8: 391: 389: 387: 385: 383: 555: 541: 533: 349: 347: 213:is one of nine forts built as part of the 15: 649:Buildings and structures in Namur (city) 66: 343: 488:The Forts of the Meuse in World War I 358:The Forts of the Meuse in World War I 7: 490:, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, 2007, 14: 227:Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières 65: 58: 45: 402:Index des fortifications belges 1: 505:, Da Capo Press, USA, 2002, 501:Kauffmann, J.E., Jurga, R., 217:in the late 19th century in 644:Fortified position of Namur 564:Fortified position of Namur 323:Fortified Position of Namur 235:fortified position of Namur 665: 354:Donnell, Clayton (2007). 53: 44: 31: 23: 404:(in French). fortiff.be. 215:Fortifications of Namur 26:Fortifications of Namur 583:Fort de Saint-Héribert 313: 223:Henri Alexis Brialmont 603:Fort de Marchovelette 311: 192:Unreinforced concrete 398:"Cognelée (fort d')" 106:50.52464°N 4.88774°E 102: /  486:Donnell, Clayton, 465:Donnell, pp. 55-56 444:Donnell, pp. 45-48 362:. Osprey. p.  314: 312:The forts of Namur 282:21 cm turrets 143:Controlled by 626: 625: 496:978-1-84603-114-4 396:Puelinckx, Jean. 373:978-1-84603-114-4 207: 206: 202:Battle of Belgium 200:Battle of Namur, 111:50.52464; 4.88774 656: 608:Fort de Maizeret 598:Fort de Cognelée 557: 550: 543: 534: 529: 524:Fort de Cognelée 475: 472: 466: 463: 457: 454: 445: 442: 436: 433: 427: 424: 415: 412: 406: 405: 393: 378: 377: 361: 351: 298:smokeless powder 211:Fort de Cognelée 184: 182: 130:Site information 117: 116: 114: 113: 112: 107: 103: 100: 99: 98: 95: 73:Fort de Cognelée 69: 68: 62: 49: 40: 19:Fort de Cognelée 16: 664: 663: 659: 658: 657: 655: 654: 653: 639:Brialmont forts 629: 628: 627: 622: 588:Fort de Suarlée 578:Fort de Malonne 566: 561: 527: 520: 483: 478: 473: 469: 464: 460: 455: 448: 443: 439: 434: 430: 425: 418: 413: 409: 395: 394: 381: 374: 353: 352: 345: 341: 333: 325: 306: 278: 243: 231:Battle of Namur 180: 178: 153:the public 152: 110: 108: 104: 101: 96: 93: 91: 89: 88: 80: 79: 78: 77: 76: 75: 74: 70: 32: 12: 11: 5: 662: 660: 652: 651: 646: 641: 631: 630: 624: 623: 621: 620: 615: 610: 605: 600: 595: 590: 585: 580: 574: 572: 568: 567: 562: 560: 559: 552: 545: 537: 531: 530: 526:at fortiff.be 519: 518:External links 516: 515: 514: 499: 482: 479: 477: 476: 474:Donnell, p. 59 467: 458: 456:Donnell, p. 17 446: 437: 435:Donnell, p. 12 428: 426:Donnell, p. 52 416: 414:Donnell, p. 36 407: 379: 372: 342: 340: 337: 332: 329: 324: 321: 305: 302: 277: 274: 242: 239: 205: 204: 198: 194: 193: 190: 186: 185: 175: 171: 170: 166: 165: 162: 158: 157: 154: 148: 147: 144: 140: 139: 136: 132: 131: 127: 126: 123: 119: 118: 86: 82: 81: 72: 71: 64: 63: 57: 56: 55: 54: 51: 50: 42: 41: 29: 28: 21: 20: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 661: 650: 647: 645: 642: 640: 637: 636: 634: 619: 616: 614: 611: 609: 606: 604: 601: 599: 596: 594: 593:Fort d'Emines 591: 589: 586: 584: 581: 579: 576: 575: 573: 569: 565: 558: 553: 551: 546: 544: 539: 538: 535: 525: 522: 521: 517: 512: 511:0-306-81174-X 508: 504: 500: 497: 493: 489: 485: 484: 480: 471: 468: 462: 459: 453: 451: 447: 441: 438: 432: 429: 423: 421: 417: 411: 408: 403: 399: 392: 390: 388: 386: 384: 380: 375: 369: 365: 360: 359: 350: 348: 344: 338: 336: 330: 328: 322: 320: 317: 310: 303: 301: 299: 295: 291: 286: 283: 275: 273: 271: 266: 264: 260: 256: 252: 248: 240: 238: 236: 232: 228: 224: 220: 216: 212: 203: 199: 195: 191: 187: 176: 172: 167: 163: 159: 155: 149: 145: 141: 137: 133: 128: 124: 120: 115: 87: 83: 61: 52: 48: 43: 39: 35: 30: 27: 22: 17: 618:Fort de Dave 613:Fort d'Andoy 597: 502: 487: 481:Bibliography 470: 461: 440: 431: 410: 401: 357: 334: 326: 318: 315: 296:rather than 294:black powder 287: 279: 270:counterscarp 267: 263:counterscarp 244: 210: 208: 197:Battles/wars 169:Site history 151:Open to 528:(in French) 304:World War I 261:resembling 241:Description 109: / 85:Coordinates 633:Categories 339:References 255:57 mm guns 94:50°31′29″N 259:casemates 189:Materials 164:Abandoned 161:Condition 97:4°53′16″E 276:Armament 251:enfilade 34:Dassoulx 24:Part of 331:Present 219:Belgium 179: ( 146:Belgium 138:Private 38:Belgium 509:  494:  370:  290:Krupp 247:Namur 174:Built 135:Owner 507:ISBN 492:ISBN 368:ISBN 209:The 181:1888 177:1888 125:Fort 122:Type 571:PFN 257:in 253:by 635:: 449:^ 419:^ 400:. 382:^ 366:. 364:32 346:^ 156:No 36:, 556:e 549:t 542:v 513:. 498:. 376:. 183:)

Index

Fortifications of Namur
Dassoulx
Belgium

Fort de Cognelée is located in Belgium
50°31′29″N 4°53′16″E / 50.52464°N 4.88774°E / 50.52464; 4.88774
Battle of Belgium
Fortifications of Namur
Belgium
Henri Alexis Brialmont
Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières
Battle of Namur
fortified position of Namur
Namur
enfilade
57 mm guns
casemates
counterscarp
counterscarp
21 cm turrets
Krupp
black powder
smokeless powder



The Forts of the Meuse in World War I
32
ISBN
978-1-84603-114-4

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