285:, 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.
322:
47:
60:
330:
been tried at Liège, at a heavy cost, preferring to batter the Namur positions with artillery. The Namur forts fell quickly. On the 24th the fort was hit by about 1500 heavy projectiles, causing significant damage. On the 25th Suarlée was hit from the rear by another 1500 210mm, 305mm and 420mm shells, nearly destroying the fort and resulting in its surrender that day.
67:
342:, which was planned to deter a German incursion over the nearby border. Protection was substantially increased and armament was modernized. This was accompanied by improvements to ventilation, protection, sanitary facilities, communications and electrical power. The area surrounding the fort was equipped with improved shelters for the interval troops.
359:
with artillery fire. Suarlée's ventilation tower was attacked by infantry on the 16th and 17th. The main fort was attacked by infantry on the night of the 17th. On the 18th there was another aerial attack, knocking out four 75mm guns and the machine gun turret. More bombardment followed on the 19th,
329:
In the summer of 1914 the Fort de Suarlée was under the command of
Captain-Commandant Moisse, with about 400 artillerymen and 80 fortress troops. The fort was bombarded by invading German forces beginning on 23 August 1914. The Germans did not bother with infantry assault at the Namur forts as had
345:
After its renovation, Suarlée was armed with one twin 75mm turret, four retractable 75mm single turrets, two twin machine gun turrets and a number of observation cloches. Machine guns provided close protection. Ventilation was provided by an air inlet tower 900 metres (3,000 ft) outside the
368:
The Fort de Suarlée is on private property, formerly leased from the state for hunting, and is not open to the public, although it is unsecured. It has been stripped of all salvageable materials. The air gallery is flooded. It was never repaired or rehabilitated after World War II.
354:
The Fort de Suarlée in May 1940 was commanded by
Captain-Commandant Tislair with about 250 men. The fort was attacked from the air on the 10th, 11th and 12th. Aerial attack resumed on the 15th, together with firing from German anti-tank guns. On the 16th Suarlée supported the
297:
and two twin 12 cm turrets, all for distant targets. Four 57mm turrets with another nine 57mm guns in embrasures providing defense of the fort's ditches and postern. The fort also mounted an observation turret with a searchlight.
238:, 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 Battle of Namur. Suarlée was upgraded in the 1930s to become part of the
581:
305:, 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
278:
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.
675:
346:
perimeter of the fort that doubled as an observation post. Six anti-aircraft guns were installed as well. It served as the instruction battery for the Namur area forts.
262:. It commands the Brussels-Namur train line. A 6-metre (20 ft) deep by 8-metre (26 ft) ditch encircles the fort. The ditches were defended in
574:
281:
Belgian forts made little provision for the daily needs of their wartime garrisons, locating latrines, showers, kitchens and the morgue in the fort's
235:
522:
397:
670:
567:
90:
537:
59:
590:
339:
239:
321:
609:
665:
267:
223:
25:
231:
629:
356:
46:
294:
624:
533:
518:
393:
259:
243:
201:
242:
in an attempt to forestall or slow an attack from
Germany. It saw action in 1940 during the
634:
619:
310:
604:
254:
The Fort de Suarlée is located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi)northwest of the center of
218:
639:
313:, producing choking gas in the confined firing spaces that spread throughout the fort.
659:
246:, and was captured by German forces. The fort is now abandoned on private property.
644:
306:
282:
275:
255:
559:
550:
463:
33:
258:. The fort, one of the larger Brialmont forts, is a triangle, similar to the
105:
92:
271:
263:
230:. It was built between 1888 and 1892 according to the plans of General
227:
37:
338:
Suarlée's armament was upgraded in the 1930s to become part of the
320:
302:
293:
Suarlée's guns included one twin 15 cm turret, two single
563:
234:. Contrasting with the French forts built in the same era by
530:
597:
196:
188:
173:
168:
160:
150:
142:
134:
129:
121:
84:
18:
479:
477:
575:
301:The fort's heavy guns were German, typically
8:
457:
455:
453:
451:
449:
447:
445:
222:) is one of nine forts built as part of the
582:
568:
560:
383:
381:
15:
676:Buildings and structures in Namur (city)
377:
66:
515:The Forts of the Meuse in World War I
390:The Forts of the Meuse in World War I
217:
7:
517:, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, 2007,
14:
236:Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières
65:
58:
45:
468:Index des fortifications belges
1:
532:, Da Capo Press, USA, 2002,
528:Kauffmann, J.E., Jurga, R.,
226:in the late 19th century in
671:Fortified position of Namur
591:Fortified position of Namur
340:Fortified Position of Namur
334:Fortified Position of Namur
240:fortified position of Namur
692:
360:and the fort surrendered.
388:Donnell, Clayton (2007).
53:
44:
31:
23:
470:(in French). fortiff.be.
224:Fortifications of Namur
26:Fortifications of Namur
610:Fort de Saint-Héribert
392:. Osprey. p. 32.
326:
232:Henri Alexis Brialmont
630:Fort de Marchovelette
357:Fort de Marchovelette
324:
219:[fɔʁdəsɥaʁle]
215:French pronunciation:
192:Unreinforced concrete
106:50.48622°N 4.80108°E
464:"Suarlée (fort de)"
102: /
513:Donnell, Clayton,
492:Donnell, pp. 55-56
439:Donnell, pp. 45-48
327:
325:The forts of Namur
295:21 cm turrets
143:Controlled by
653:
652:
523:978-1-84603-114-4
462:Puelinckx, Jean.
399:978-1-84603-114-4
260:Fort de Boncelles
244:Battle of Belgium
207:
206:
202:Battle of Belgium
200:Battle of Namur,
111:50.48622; 4.80108
683:
635:Fort de Maizeret
625:Fort de Cognelée
584:
577:
570:
561:
556:
502:
499:
493:
490:
484:
481:
472:
471:
459:
440:
437:
431:
428:
422:
419:
413:
410:
404:
403:
385:
350:Second World War
311:smokeless powder
221:
216:
184:
182:
130:Site information
117:
116:
114:
113:
112:
107:
103:
100:
99:
98:
95:
69:
68:
62:
49:
40:
16:
691:
690:
686:
685:
684:
682:
681:
680:
666:Brialmont forts
656:
655:
654:
649:
615:Fort de Suarlée
605:Fort de Malonne
593:
588:
554:
551:Fort de Suarlée
547:
510:
505:
500:
496:
491:
487:
482:
475:
461:
460:
443:
438:
434:
429:
425:
420:
416:
411:
407:
400:
387:
386:
379:
375:
366:
352:
336:
319:
291:
252:
214:
211:Fort de Suarlée
180:
178:
153:the public
152:
110:
108:
104:
101:
96:
93:
91:
89:
88:
80:
79:
78:
77:
76:
75:
74:
73:Fort de Suarlée
70:
32:
19:Fort de Suarlée
12:
11:
5:
689:
687:
679:
678:
673:
668:
658:
657:
651:
650:
648:
647:
642:
637:
632:
627:
622:
617:
612:
607:
601:
599:
595:
594:
589:
587:
586:
579:
572:
564:
558:
557:
553:at fortiff.be
546:
545:External links
543:
542:
541:
526:
509:
506:
504:
503:
501:Donnell, p. 59
494:
485:
483:Donnell, p. 17
473:
441:
432:
430:Donnell, p. 12
423:
421:Donnell, p. 52
414:
412:Donnell, p. 36
405:
398:
376:
374:
371:
365:
362:
351:
348:
335:
332:
318:
315:
290:
287:
251:
248:
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:
688:
677:
674:
672:
669:
667:
664:
663:
661:
646:
643:
641:
638:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
620:Fort d'Emines
618:
616:
613:
611:
608:
606:
603:
602:
600:
596:
592:
585:
580:
578:
573:
571:
566:
565:
562:
552:
549:
548:
544:
539:
538:0-306-81174-X
535:
531:
527:
524:
520:
516:
512:
511:
507:
498:
495:
489:
486:
480:
478:
474:
469:
465:
458:
456:
454:
452:
450:
448:
446:
442:
436:
433:
427:
424:
418:
415:
409:
406:
401:
395:
391:
384:
382:
378:
372:
370:
363:
361:
358:
349:
347:
343:
341:
333:
331:
323:
316:
314:
312:
308:
304:
299:
296:
288:
286:
284:
279:
277:
273:
269:
265:
261:
257:
249:
247:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
225:
220:
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:
645:Fort de Dave
640:Fort d'Andoy
614:
529:
514:
508:Bibliography
497:
488:
467:
435:
426:
417:
408:
389:
367:
353:
344:
337:
328:
309:rather than
307:black powder
300:
292:
283:counterscarp
280:
276:counterscarp
253:
210:
208:
197:Battles/wars
169:Site history
151:Open to
555:(in French)
317:World War I
274:resembling
250:Description
109: /
85:Coordinates
660:Categories
373:References
268:57 mm guns
94:50°29′10″N
272:casemates
189:Materials
164:Abandoned
161:Condition
97:4°48′04″E
289:Armament
264:enfilade
24:Part of
364:Present
228:Belgium
179: (
146:Belgium
138:Private
38:Belgium
34:Suarlée
536:
521:
396:
303:Krupp
256:Namur
174:Built
135:Owner
534:ISBN
519:ISBN
394:ISBN
209:The
181:1888
177:1888
125:Fort
122:Type
598:PFN
270:in
266:by
662::
476:^
466:.
444:^
380:^
156:No
36:,
583:e
576:t
569:v
540:.
525:.
402:.
213:(
183:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.