Troyon Fort

Troyon fort was built between 1878 and 1879, as part of the defence line between Nancy and Verdun that General Séré de Rivières had devised. This "central massif" or "low battery" fort stands between Troyon and Lacroix sur Meuse, and had two advantages: it was neither armour-clad nor concrete. Dimensions: 320 m wide, 270 m long, spanning 5 ha Garrison: 800 men (450 in 1914) Weapons: Trench protection: six canons, twelve breeches Six Hotchkiss 40-mm revolver canons Shooting platforms: twelve 90-mm canons (three batteries x four canons) Four 120L canons Indirect fire: Two 15-cm bronze "Louis-Philippe" mortars This fort also had two 1907 "Saint Etienne" machine-gun sections and three periscope observation posts. It did not have an armoured dome (as Loncin had), but it had 18 open-air double (two-gun) platforms.

German forces tried to surround Verdun very early on in the Great War. They moved 20 km into French terrain, from Bois le Prêtre to Eparges through Saint Mihiel, in September 1914. They held that pocket - Saillant de Saint Mihiel - despite France's deadly yet persistent attempts to take it, until American troops freed it in September 1918. Troyon Fort played a pivotal role in the September 1914 fighting that led to the Saillant de Saint-Mihiel.
The bombing started on 8 September 1914, and the troops there were ordered to ward off assaults for at least 48 hours - lest German troops surround Verdun (Troyon is south of Verdun). Major Neuhoff, a 10th Division German Army Staff Officer, ordered the fort's troops to surrender on 9 September 1914. But 166th Infantry Regiment Captain Heym, the man in charge of the fort, dismissed him. German forces pounded the fort with shell fire shortly afterwards. The pummelling ceased on 10 September 1914. The fort had held on and its heroic resistance changed the course of the war. Had it fallen, German forces would have crossed the Meuse river and enveloped Verdun.
Association Ceux de Troyon Association "Ceux de Troyon" BP 32 55300 Saint-Mihiel Tél. : 06.83.07.32.12 Fax : 03.29.84.35.99 Open 1.30 pm to 6.00 pm Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. Getting there: you will find signs to Fort de Troyon leaving Troyon and Lacroix Group visits (for 10 or more people) poss. weekdays by appointment. Comité Départemental du Tourisme (Departmental Tourist Authority) Tel: +33 (0) 329 45 78 40 Conseil Général de la Meuse (Meuse Department General Council) Hôtel du Département Place Pierre-François Gossin 55012 Bar-le-Duc cedex Tel: +33 (0) 329 45 77 55