... View of a great historical fort and memorial of WWI... the symbol of the Battle of Liège when facing the German troops in 1914... a direct hit from a heavy German shell penetrated the fort's unreinforced concrete roof and detonated the primary ammunition magazine, which held 12 tons of explosives... this apocalyptic explosion instantly killed roughly 350 of the 550 men in the garrison... most bodies were completely crushed or buried under massive blocks of collapsed concrete and earth... this event marked the debut of the "Big Bertha"-howitzer in combat... relatively few of the dead were recovered; the site is now a military cemetery... the fort was never reused but despite it got blown up it is very well preserved... there is a small museum with lot of artifacts recovered from the fort... Heel Erg Bedankt Veerle! (✿◠‿◠)
The Fort de Loncin is one of twelve forts built around Liège, in the late 19th century. Fort de Loncin was constructed between 1881 and 1884. Contrasting with the French forts built in the same era this fort was built exclusively of unreinforced concrete, a new material, rather than masonry.
Gerard Mathieu Joseph Georges, count Leman born in 1851 was a Belgian general. During World War I he was the commander of the forts surrounding the Belgian city of Liège. The German Forces had to use heavy artillery to break through the defences and capture Leman as a prisoner of War. He was released at the end of the war and died a hero, in 1920.
In 2023, UNESCO designated 139 Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front) as a World Heritage Site.
Stamp:
Fashion - This is Belgium
(Issued 15-04-2010)
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