Fort de Giromagny, also known as Fort Dorsner, was built between 1875 and 1879. The fort forms the southern end of the defensive curtain of the Haute Moselle Region, abutting the Fortified region of Belfort, which lies to its south. The Haute Moselle defences form a link between the fortified cities of Épinal and Belfort. The fort overlooks the main roads to the northeast of Belfort, which form a crossroads at Giromagny.
The fort was built as part of France's Séré de Rivières system of fortifications to defend France against a repeat of the Prussian invasion of the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War. The fort was among the most strongly armed forts in the northeast in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It received the first revolving armoured turrets to be installed in a land fortification in France
The pink sandstone walls enclose a court which contains a central block which in turn contained magazines and barracks, as well as two twin 155mm Mougin gun turrets, which were the fort's primary armament. It originally had a variety of guns on the ramparts, but these were gradually reduced as the vulnerability of fixed gun emplacements in the open air became apparent. An unusual feature is an optical signal post which communicated with a nearby fort.
Portions of the fort were reinforced with concrete against shellfire during the First World War.
In 1940 the fort was manned by part of the French 8th Army. During the Battle of France the Mougin turrets fired on German forces. After the armistice the Germans used Giromagny to make propaganda films purporting to show the capture of a Maginot Line fortification using flamethrowers on a turret before blowing it up with dynamite. The Germans reinforced the fort during the war, but blew up the entry on retreating in 1944
View of entrance across perimeter moat/fosse
Central courtyard
Casemates
The fort was built as part of France's Séré de Rivières system of fortifications to defend France against a repeat of the Prussian invasion of the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War. The fort was among the most strongly armed forts in the northeast in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It received the first revolving armoured turrets to be installed in a land fortification in France
The pink sandstone walls enclose a court which contains a central block which in turn contained magazines and barracks, as well as two twin 155mm Mougin gun turrets, which were the fort's primary armament. It originally had a variety of guns on the ramparts, but these were gradually reduced as the vulnerability of fixed gun emplacements in the open air became apparent. An unusual feature is an optical signal post which communicated with a nearby fort.
Portions of the fort were reinforced with concrete against shellfire during the First World War.
In 1940 the fort was manned by part of the French 8th Army. During the Battle of France the Mougin turrets fired on German forces. After the armistice the Germans used Giromagny to make propaganda films purporting to show the capture of a Maginot Line fortification using flamethrowers on a turret before blowing it up with dynamite. The Germans reinforced the fort during the war, but blew up the entry on retreating in 1944
View of entrance across perimeter moat/fosse
Central courtyard
Casemates
