{"id":518,"date":"2025-12-19T12:49:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T12:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/?page_id=518"},"modified":"2026-03-22T10:39:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T10:39:24","slug":"le-fort","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/en\/le-fort\/","title":{"rendered":"The Forteresse"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Forteresse<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Infrastructure<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Construction<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Work began in May 1935 on the schist spur of TANCREMONT at an altitude of 302 m. The Fort of PEPINSTER began to take shape. It was inaugurated on 8 August 1937.\u00a0Fort Code \u2013 HSW\u00a0<\/i><\/b>) is starting to take shape.
It was inaugurated on August 8, 1937.

This future Battery is part of the LIEGE Fortress Regiment (\u00a0HSW\/IV\/RFL<\/b><\/a><\/i>\u00a0), under the command of the III Corps (\u00a0III AC\u00a0<\/i><\/b>).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The military area.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The military terrain extends over 45 Ha. The structure consists of a central massif with an area of 3.30 Ha, including the combat buildings. A moat (1.20 Ha) surrounds the massif and is defended by four armed flanking chests.
The Fort cost BF 80,000,000 in 1940, or \u20ac2.160 billion.<\/p>

The site is still part of the Defence , and access to it is still prohibited outside our openings.\u00a0Flyover with drone<\/a> is it strictly forbidden!!! <\/b>(With reference to the Criminal Code Art 120ter\u00a72, Art 534, AR 1 of 06\/12\/1897)<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The underground barracks consist of:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u2013 nine independent battle blocks,
\u2013 a command post, (PC)
\u2013 technical rooms,
\u2013 from the barracks: kitchen, rooms and hospital.
\u2013 of two air intake blocks, ventilation is provided by the chimney of block P or O, at a rate of 32000 M3\/h,<\/p>

\u2013 All the blocks are connected by galleries over a total distance of 2500 m to a depth of between 20 and 27 m, in addition to the 1411 steps.
\u2013 900 light points are required for lighting the infrastructure.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Combat vessels shall comprise:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u2013 the entrance block (BI) with a Mi bell,
\u2013 two blocks (BII and BIV) with a dome of two C75s, and protected by two Mi bells.
\u2013 block (BIII) with three MG-turrets,
\u2013 the mortar block (BM)
\u2013 armed safes (CI, CII\/III, CIV), prohibiting access to the ditch.
\u2013 Outside the massif, block P is access in time of war, block O has no access. Both blocks are defended by an FM. These two blocks have the particularity of having an air intake chimney for constant overpressure in the structure.
\u2013 the anti-tank casemates (VESDRE, MONT) are on the periphery and are armed with a 4.7 and an FM.
\u2013 There are 16 OPs, or observation posts, located in the operational area of the fort.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Its armament<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\u2013 2 X 2 75 mm FRC guns (C75<\/strong>) under dome,<\/p>

\u2013 3 mortars of 81 mm fortress, STOKES-BRANDT\u00a0<\/p>

\u2013 4 47 mm FRC guns, known as \u2018\u00a04.7<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u2019,<\/p>

\u2013 34 machine guns MG 8-15, Cal 7.65 (Mi<\/strong>), including 8 anti-aircraft machine guns (MiCA<\/strong>)
\u2013 7 machine guns FN, Cal 7.65 (FM<\/strong>)
\u2013 Mauser FN 1889\/16, GP35, PLF, grenades \u2018\u00a0Mills \u00bb<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The barracks, the hospital and the technical rooms<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The fort is powered by 4 130 hp CARELS generators, with 7 tanks of 2 M3 of oil.
A radio room with an ERM-SBR and RADIO BELL transceiver.
The barracks consist of rooms, a canteen, a kitchen, showers, a washroom, but also a hospital, treatment room, pharmacy...
Living reserves are stored for 600 people for a period of one month.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The garrison<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In May 1940, the staff consisted of:
\u2013 15 Officers, including a surgeon, two doctors and a chaplain.
\u2013 54 Non-commissioned officers,
\u2013 412 Brigadiers and Soldiers,
\u2013 9 reinforcements from the 3 Engineer Battalion (1 NCO, 8 Soldiers),
\u2013 11 telegraph operators, (1 non-commissioned officer, 10 soldiers)
\u2013 8 nurses.
\u2013 Seconded to LIEGE (EM-RFL): 1 Officer, 4 NCOs, 65 Soldiers.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Holy Beard<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On August 8, 1937, the Patron of Gunners was inaugurated at the same time as the fort. (Photo opposite). It was donated to the Garrison by the 1914-1918 Veterans of PEPINSTER and THEUX.
It is erected on the access to the peacetime barracks.<\/p>

At the end of the war, the Veterans moved it and installed it in the current location, on the edge of the N666, in order to facilitate access to it during ceremonies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Le fort L’infrastructure La construction Les travaux commencent en mai 1935, sur l’\u00e9peron schisteux de TANCR\u00c9MONT \u00e0 une altitude de […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-518","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=518"}],"version-history":[{"count":136,"href":"https:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/518\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2108,"href":"https:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/518\/revisions\/2108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fort-de-tancremont.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}