Ring of fortresses around Liege

Description: Liege place is quite rich in fortifications from all the periods. By the way, several sites are dedicated to the fortifications anterior to the 18th century. As far as I am concerned, I will limit myself to the works constructed after 1885, wich already gives me quite a lot of work.

So in Liege, we have the twelve forts of the first world war, builded all around the city, on the two banks of the river Meuse, at an approximate distance of 8 kilometers from the center of the town. And then, we have four moderns forts builded for the second world war on the right bank of the river, at about 18 kilometers from the center of the town, facing Germany.

Among the twelve older forts, the six on the right bank of the river were strengthened and rearmed for the second world war. On the left bank, the two closest to the river (Flemalle in the South, and Pontisse in the North) were modernised and strengthened too. Hollogne, Lantin, and Liers were used as a back base for the munitions reserve. Loncin, with its completly destructed central massif, continues to be used as a necropolis for the braves killed during the first world war battles.

All the forts were linked together by a telephone network deeply buried, so as to shelter the lines from the bombings and shellings, and from the possible sabotages. However, the cuts rooms were too visible, and permitted to the enemy to make derivations so as to lesson to the conversations.

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