295:, included several new features as a result of World War I experience. The gun turrets were less closely grouped. Reinforced concrete was used in place of plain mass concrete, and its placement was done with greater care to avoid weak joints between pours. Ventilation was greatly improved, magazines were deeply buried and protected, and sanitary facilities and general living arrangements for the troops were given careful attention. Tancrémont was among the smaller of the new Belgian forts, armed with a maximum gun caliber of 75mm. These guns did not have sufficient range to provide mutual support between neighboring fortifications.
377:, demanded the surrender of Battice and Tancrémont on 20–21 May after the German capture of Aubin-Neufchâteau had resulted in significant casualties on both sides. Battice complied on 22 May, but Tancrémont refused. The Germans therefore bypassed Tancrémont. The fort held out through the capitulation of the Belgian field army, Captain Devos believing that the surrender applied only to field forces. Devos eventually obtained written confirmation of the general surrender order signed by General Spang and surrendered the fort the day after the general capitulation, on 29 May 1940. The garrison was sent by the Germans to labor in
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The fort is preserved and open for public tours. The main body of the fort, in its defensive enclosure, is just to the south of the main road. Blocks B.O. and B.P. are across the road. The fort is administered by the
Amicale du Fort de Tancrémont, descended from the Fraternelle du Fort de Pepinster
341:
positions arranged to fire along the ditches with 47mm guns, machine guns and grenade launchers, designated C.II, C.III and C.IV. Two ventilation blocks designated B.O. and B.P. provided air. B.P. was located above the main living accommodations and was the combat entrance, armed with machine guns,
401:
The last surviving veteran of the fort's original garrison was
Maurice Gast. He had been conscripted into the Belgian Army from his civilian employment as an electrician at the Houget-Duesberg-Bodson textile works and was retained at the fort after the surrender to maintain its electrical systems.
372:
At the time of the German invasion of
Belgium, some construction was taking place at the fort. The main fort was accessible by workers' excavations, compromising security and protection. On 12 May 1940 the Germans attacked, having already captured Eben-Emael the previous day. The German commander,
345:
The subterranean galleries totaled slightly less than 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) of passages buried between 20 metres (66 ft) and 28 metres (92 ft) below the surface, linking troop accommodations, a command post ammunition magazines and utility plants. Construction was directed by
223:, augmenting the twelve original forts built to defend Liège in the 1880s with four more forts closer to the Belgian frontier with Germany. The fort was the last Belgian fort to surrender to German forces in the opening days of
283:, a relatively compact ensemble of gun turrets and observation posts disposed on a central massif of reinforced concrete, surrounded by a defended ditch. This was in contrast with French thinking for the contemporary
353:, made at the Fonderie Royale des Canons (FRC). The 47mm guns were FRC Model 1936. Tancrémont was intended to receive 120mm guns like Eben-Emael and Battice, but block B.III received only machine guns.
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concept, with no clearly defined perimeter, a lesson learned from the experiences of French and
Belgian forts in World War I. The new Belgian forts, while more conservative in design than the French
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The Fort de Tancrémont was completed on 8 August 1938, the last of the new forts in the
Fortified Position of Liège. In 1940 the fort was commanded by Captain Abel Devos.
342:
while O was an emergency exit. Both B.O. and B.P. were outside the defended perimeter, above deeply buried galleries. The fort included a false cupola, designated "K."
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comprised five combat blocks on a ridge between
Pepinster and Theux. Only the tops of the blocks were visible, with the majority of the fort sunk into the ground.
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In 1940 Tancrémont was commanded by
Commandant-Captain Devos of the 4th Battalion of the Liègeois Fortress Regiment, commanded by Major Parmentier.
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Lieutenant Victor Gérard. Unlike its three sisters, Tancrémont lacked a rolling drawbridge entrance, a result of its late completion.
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The fort is the southernmost of the four 1930s forts, located about 18 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Liège.
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organized by
Captain Devos in September 1942 to reunite the troops of the garrison with their families.
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The Fort de Tancrémont was a development of the original
Belgian fortifications designed by General
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255:. Collectively, the line was known as the Fortified Position of Liège I (
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333:, in the center, mounting three 81mm mortars and an observation block.
235:. Tancrémont has been preserved and may be visited by the public.
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fortification located about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of
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742:"Le plus ancien survivant du fort de Tancrémont s'en est allé"
321:, three observation cloches with periscopes and machine guns.
315:, equipped with retractable turrets mounting twin 75mm guns.
626:(in French). Amicale du Fort de Tancrémont. Archived from
460:
Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques (2001).
782:
at Centre Liégeois d’Histoire et d’Archéologie
Militaire
464:(in French). Histoire & Collections. pp. 17–19.
259:(PFL I) ), the original Liège forts constituting PFL II.
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Fort Eben Emael: The Key to Hitler's Victory in the West
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Fortress Europe: European Fortifications of World War II
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287:fortifications, which were based on the dispersed
219:. The fort was built in the 1930s as part of the
402:Gast died on 21 August 2020, at the age of 100.
462:Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 1
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695:(in French). Amicale du Fort de Tancrémont
588:(in French). Amicale du Fort de Tancrémont
551:(in French). Amicale du Fort de Tancrémont
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715:"Le der des ders du Fort de Tancrémont"
657:(in French). fortiff.be. Archived from
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271:Map of the Fortified Position of Liège
487:The Forts of the Meuse in World War I
439:. Combined Publishing. p. 103.
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182:Reinforced concrete, deep excavation
740:Maurage, Martin (24 August 2020).
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251:are smaller than Eben-Emael and
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16:Place in World War II in Belgium
949:World War II museums in Belgium
655:Index des fortifications belges
1:
257:Position Fortifiée de Liège 1
231:on Tancrémont's sister fort,
954:Fortified position of Liège
820:Fortified position of Liège
221:fortified position of Liège
29:Fortified Position of Liège
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514:. Osprey. pp. 10–11.
489:. Osprey. pp. 55–56.
393:View of the fort's surface
959:Museums in Liège Province
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485:Donnell, Clayton (2007).
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47:
34:
26:
839:Fort d'Aubin-Neufchâteau
435:Kauffmann, J.E. (1999).
412:Fort d'Aubin-Neufchâteau
349:The main 75mm guns were
249:Fort d'Aubin-Neufchâteau
208:[fɔʁdətɑ̃kʁemɔ̃]
766:Fort de Tancrémont site
510:Dunstan, Simon (2005).
337:The fort also included
678:Kauffmann, pp. 116-117
394:
277:Henri Alexis Brialmont
272:
880:Fort de Chaudfontaine
392:
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204:French pronunciation:
630:on 24 September 2019
109:50.55295°N 5.79094°E
719:Vedia (broadcaster)
651:"Organigramme 1940"
105: /
849:Fort de Tancrémont
780:Fort de Tancrémont
774:Fort de Tancrémont
693:Fort de Tancrémont
624:Fort de Tancrémont
586:Fort de Tancrémont
549:Fort de Tancrémont
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327:, similar to B.II.
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200:Fort de Tancrémont
138:Controlled by
76:Fort de Tancrémont
22:Fort de Tancrémont
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890:Fort de Boncelles
721:. 31 January 2020
649:Puelinckx, Jean.
609:Kauffmann, p. 109
496:978-1-84603-114-4
351:Bofors Model 1934
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191:Battle of Belgium
114:50.55295; 5.79094
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298:The Fort de
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285:Maginot Line
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225:World War II
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187:Battles/wars
164:Site history
146:Open to
784:(in French)
769:(in French)
385:Present day
319:Block B.III
281:World War I
263:Description
112: /
88:Coordinates
943:Categories
744:. L'Avenir
699:24 October
665:2010-10-27
634:24 October
620:"Armement"
592:24 October
582:"Histoire"
555:24 October
423:References
331:Block B.M.
325:Block B.IV
313:Block B.II
300:Tancrémont
289:fort palmé
245:Tancrémont
97:50°33′11″N
964:Pepinster
689:"Amicale"
545:"Le Fort"
357:Personnel
307:Block B.I
239:Situation
217:Pepinster
179:Materials
159:Preserved
156:Condition
100:5°47′27″E
37:Pepinster
406:See also
373:General
293:ouvrages
173: ()
27:Part of
379:Silesia
365:History
279:before
213:Belgian
211:) is a
141:Belgium
41:Belgium
858:PFL II
518:
493:
468:
443:
827:PFL I
169:Built
750:2022
727:2022
701:2010
636:2010
594:2010
557:2010
516:ISBN
491:ISBN
466:ISBN
441:ISBN
247:and
198:The
128:Fort
125:Type
151:Yes
945::
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202:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
