Fort de Sucy
Encyclopedia
Fort de Sucy was built following the Franco-Prussian War
to defend Paris
. Located to the southeast of Paris in Sucy-en-Brie
, the fort was part of an outer ring of eighteen major fortifications built in response to improvements in the range and effectiveness of artillery
since the construction of the Thiers fortifications
of the 1840s. It was built in accordance with improved principles of fortification developed for the Séré de Rivières system
.
The Fort de Sucy was built between 1879 and 1881 on a location that had been used by the Prussia
ns to bombard the Saint-Maur peninsula in the 1870 war. The site controlled movement on the Route nationale 4
(Paris-Strasbourg) and Route nationale 19
(Paris-Mulhouse). The site also overlooked the Bois Notre-Dame and the Armainvillers Forest. With the advent of improved explosive shells, the fort was modernized with concrete cover almost immediately after it was completed.
The roughly rectangular fort has an indented front with the main entrance at the centre, flanked by caponier
s in a nine-metre-wide ditch. A central magazine in the barracks could hold 67 tons of gunpowder. The barracks accommodated 372 men, ten officers, and a tank.
The fort was modernized in 1911, with additional fortifications in concrete, including three shelters and two observation turrets with machine guns. In 1914 the fort contained fourteen guns on the rampart and ten on the caponiers. By 1915 two 75mm anti-aircraft guns were installed.
Additional armament was installed in 1935, but the fort saw little action during World War II
. The barracks munitions storage was destroyed on 22 August 1944.
The abandoned Fort de Sucy was purchased by Sucy-en-Brie in 1970. It has been under restoration since 1996
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
to defend Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Located to the southeast of Paris in Sucy-en-Brie
Sucy-en-Brie
Sucy-en-Brie is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Transport:Sucy-en-Brie is served by Sucy – Bonneuil station on Paris RER line A.-Personalities:*Nicolas Maurice-Belay,footballer...
, the fort was part of an outer ring of eighteen major fortifications built in response to improvements in the range and effectiveness of artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
since the construction of the Thiers fortifications
Thiers wall
The Thiers wall was the last of the defensive walls of Paris. It was an enclosure constructed between 1841 and 1844 under a law enacted by the government of the French prime minister, Adolphe Thiers. It covered , along the 'boulevards des Maréchaux' of today...
of the 1840s. It was built in accordance with improved principles of fortification developed for the Séré de Rivières system
Séré de Rivières system
The Séré de Rivières system was an ensemble of fortifications built from 1874 and first used at the beginning of the First World War along the frontiers and coasts of France...
.
The Fort de Sucy was built between 1879 and 1881 on a location that had been used by the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
ns to bombard the Saint-Maur peninsula in the 1870 war. The site controlled movement on the Route nationale 4
Route nationale 4
The Route nationale 4 is a trunk road in France between Paris and the frontier with Germany.-Reclassification:The RN 4 has been re-classified around Nancy as the RD 400 as through traffic is now directed onto the Autoroutes A 31 and A 33....
(Paris-Strasbourg) and Route nationale 19
Route nationale 19
The Route nationale 19 is a trunk road in north east France. The road forms part of European route E54.-Reclassification:The RN19 has been subsequently downgraded in several sections to the RD319 and RD619.-Route:...
(Paris-Mulhouse). The site also overlooked the Bois Notre-Dame and the Armainvillers Forest. With the advent of improved explosive shells, the fort was modernized with concrete cover almost immediately after it was completed.
The roughly rectangular fort has an indented front with the main entrance at the centre, flanked by caponier
Caponier
A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" - which strictly means capon-cote i.e. chickenhouse.The fire coming from the feature A caponier is a type of fortification structure. The word originates from the French word "caponnière" -...
s in a nine-metre-wide ditch. A central magazine in the barracks could hold 67 tons of gunpowder. The barracks accommodated 372 men, ten officers, and a tank.
The fort was modernized in 1911, with additional fortifications in concrete, including three shelters and two observation turrets with machine guns. In 1914 the fort contained fourteen guns on the rampart and ten on the caponiers. By 1915 two 75mm anti-aircraft guns were installed.
Additional armament was installed in 1935, but the fort saw little action during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The barracks munitions storage was destroyed on 22 August 1944.
The abandoned Fort de Sucy was purchased by Sucy-en-Brie in 1970. It has been under restoration since 1996
External links
- A la découverte du Fort de Sucy Association, official site
- The Fort at Sucy-en-Brie at Chemins de mémoire