Fort de Souville

Built between 1876 and 1879 as part of the defensive belt around Verdun. The fort played a crucial role during the Battle of Verdun (1916), especially in July when German troops almost took it. Strategically located on a hill, it offered a view of the Meuse valley and was connected to other forts by telephone lines. The fort contained an underground shelter (abri sous roc) and a Bussière tower with a 155 mm gun. Despite heavy shelling, it remained in French hands and became a symbol of steadfastness.

Fort de Souville was built from 1876 to 1877. In 1888, there were a number of modernisations; the powder magazine was reinforced with concrete. It cost a total of 2650,000 francs to build. The fort is also known as Fort Lemoine.It belongs to the very first line of forts built around Verdun, the so-called ‘Redoutes de Panique‘. It was built in brick. The fort is quite large compared to the other forts in the area. It is located on top of a hill, which can be seen almost everywhere in the area around Verdun.The fort also has another special feature: it is connected to the abri-caverne of Souville. This abri-caverne (underground shelter) consists of two large galleries (20 metres apart), with a number of rooms in between and around them. The abri-caverne is located 10 metres below the surface. One gallery led to a staircase that led directly into the fort (this gallery has collapsed at the end today). The other gallery leads to ammunition warehouse 18, a concrete storage room in the fort's courtyard. The shelter served as shelter for troops against artillery fire.Read more at verdun1916.eu/?page_id=517