Fort du Salbert

Salbert hill held an important position commanding the ponds around Malsaucy, the area surrounding the Lure road, the Giromagny road and the Paris railway.

 

Situated on top of the hill, the fort was assisted by four batteries. The one adjoining the fort (which dates from 1875) still has its shelters and open artillery platforms which encircle the ruins of an optical telegraphic station (transmission of messages by light signals).

Fort du Salbert, also known as Fort Lefebvre, built between 1874 and 1877 to accommodate nearly 500 men and 44 pieces of artillery, had artillery platforms on the rampart crowning the ditch and above its central barracks ("cavalier" fort). After 1885, the majority of its long-range artillery was dispersed in external batteries. Due to lack of resources it was never modernised, despite being outdated. Only a handful of reinforcements were made in 1914.

 

Between 1953 and 1957, an important radar station was built at Salbert, using to a large extent the former fortifications: the fort was used for barracks while the large underground premises housed technical installations, and the operation headquarters for air defence was located in a former underground shelter (the two entrance doors can be seen from the access road to the fort).

In view of this change of role, the fort lost some of its original appearance; in particular, the cavalier (raised platform) on the central garrison was demolished and replaced with a terrace. These air-defence installations were only in operation for a short time. The metal aerials which poked up on the top of the hill have since been cut off, but their concrete bases are still visible in a number of places around the fort and in its vicinity.