Fort de la Pompelle, also known as Fort Herbillon, is one of a number of forts built around Reims after 1870 as part of a fortification belt in the Séré de Rivières system. The forts saw combat during the First World War in the defence of Reims (the front that was stalled at Verdun had one of its greatest southern elongations down to the outskirts of Reims). It was built in 1880 - 83 as a supporting position for larger forts and though disarmed in 1913, it saw the heaviest fighting of the Reims forts. It was bombarded during that war and remains in a state of ruin.
The relatively small rectangular fort was surrounded by a ditch defended by two-level caponiers. With a surface area of 2.31 hectares (5.7 acres), it was provided with six 155mm de Bange 1881 guns, four 138mm guns and a variety of lesser pieces. An artillery company of 277 men garrisoned the fort. In 1917-18 a number of underground passages were cut from the chalk to provide access points a few hundred meters to the rear of the fort
It’s now a really impressive museum and has case after case of German helmets, bayonets, etc. Could have spent many hours there. Unfortunately you don’t get to read the Fort as a structure so well, but the collection makes up for it.
I think this shows the shell-torpedo
Anyone else see a resemblance to Klaus Kinski as Woyzeck?
The defences of Reims
The relatively small rectangular fort was surrounded by a ditch defended by two-level caponiers. With a surface area of 2.31 hectares (5.7 acres), it was provided with six 155mm de Bange 1881 guns, four 138mm guns and a variety of lesser pieces. An artillery company of 277 men garrisoned the fort. In 1917-18 a number of underground passages were cut from the chalk to provide access points a few hundred meters to the rear of the fort
It’s now a really impressive museum and has case after case of German helmets, bayonets, etc. Could have spent many hours there. Unfortunately you don’t get to read the Fort as a structure so well, but the collection makes up for it.
I think this shows the shell-torpedo
Anyone else see a resemblance to Klaus Kinski as Woyzeck?
The defences of Reims
I'm kicking myself for not having bought some of these years ago - I was after an Afrika Korps forage cap for years but never did find one. I should have looked for some of these instead 
