Fortress Europe- European Fortifications Of World War II

by J E Kaufmann

  Interviews and Correspondence

  Allcom, William. Correspondence December 1996.

  Airila, Markku. Correspondence, 1996-1997.

  Boleslav, Libor. Correspondence, February 5,1996.

  Chin, Brian Burr. Correspondence, December 15,1996.

  Clerici, Carlo A. Correspondence 1997.

  Dahlquist, Olle. Correpsondence, 1997.

  Egger, Martin. Correspondence, 1996-1997.

  Engvist, Ove. Correspondence, 1996-1997.

  Fugate, Bryan. Correspondence, 1997.

  Hasque, Joseph de. Interview in Belgium, 1982.

  Heymes, Raoul. Interview at Hackenberg June 1979 and correspondence 1979-1982.

  Holberg, Leif. Correspondence 1998.

  Horak, Ales. Interviewed in Czech Republic and at various Czech fortifications, June 1996.

  Kedryna, Anna. Interviewed at various positions on East Wall, June 1996.

  Kiel, Machiel. Interviewed at home in The Netherlands, 1982.

  Lang, Patrice. Correspondence 1997.

  Lansivaara, Iikka. Correspondence 1997.

  Maistret, Georges. Interview 1979 at Fermont and correspondence 1979-1984.

  Olsen, Svein Wiiger. Correspondence, January 24,1997.

  Pipes, Jason. E-Mail Correspondence, 1997.

  Reiss, Gunther. Correspondence, 1994-1997.

  Sundquist, Dag. Correspondence, 1997-1998.

  Tarleton, Robert. Correspondence, 1998.

  Truttmann, Phillip. Correspondence, 1982-1997.

  Wahl, Jean Bernard. Interview at Schoenenbourg June 1982.

  GLOSSARY

  Betonhockerhindernisse (Ger.)

  Concrete-pole-barrier known as "Dragon's Teeth".

  Bunkkeri (Fin.)

  Concrete bunker.

  Barbette mount

  The gun mount fixes the weapon in a position above the parapet for both loading and firing. Gun shields can be added, but this refers mainly to a weapon in an open firing position as opposed to a casemate.

  Caponier

  Usually a position giving flanking fires on the counterscarp and includes an underground passage, but the term is more liberally used with modern fortifications. For the Russians it is any casemate firing to the flanks.

  Caserne (Fr.)

  Garrison area.

  Casemate

  A term with mixed meanings throughout history, it usually refers to a bunker-like position for weapons that fire through embrasures. The Germans only referred to positions that had flanking fires as casemates, but in the case of French and Czech positions some of them fired forward.

  Chicane (Fr.)

  Refers to a defensive feature to deny direct access. It is designed so a person will have to make one or two turns to enter a position or pass an obstacle on a road.

  CKM (Pol.)

  Heavy machine gun.

  Cloche (Fr.)

  A non-movable armored cupola mounted, This term is used to refer to any all such items in the text to avoid confusion with a movable turret.

  Coffre (Fr.)

  Defensive position in the counterscarp covering the moat and connected to the main work by tunnel.

  DOT (Rus.)

  Bunker.

  Episcope

  Term seldom used in English, but refered to a type of vision device used on tanks. Its optics are arranged differently than a periscope and it gives a view through slit opening.

  Feste (Ger.)

  German fort, usually refers to new type from turn of century.

  Fosse (Fr.)

  Moat used with fortifications that can vary in size. Those with combat and entrance blocks of fortifications were not very wide and were angular are called them "diamond fosse." In the text these small protective positions are called fosses to avoid confusion with a traditional moat.

  Fusil Mitrailleur (Fr.)

  Light machine gun or automatic rifle. Abbreviated FM.

  Genie (Fr.)

  French army engineers

  Gross Ouvrage/GO (Fr.)

  Large fort or artillery fort.

  Gun House

  Armored shield covering a gun on a barbette type mount, a fully enclosed gun house may give the appearance of a turret.

  Half Cloche

  See Half Cupola.

  Half Cupola (Ger.)

  Non-moveable armored cupola mounted just below a bunkers roof level on one of its walls. referred to in the text as a half cloche.

  Korsu (pl. -t, Fin.)

  Wooden bunker or what was known as a dugout. This term was also sometimes applied to concrete bunkers, but was actually supposed to represent a wooden fortification.

  Monte Charge (Fr.)

  Refers to any type of elevator or lift from those large enough for equipment to those small enough to only carry up single rounds of ammunition.

  Objekt (Pol.)

  Bunker or block of some type of permanent fortified position.

  Obszar Warownyor/OW (Pol.)

  Fortified district

  Opere (pl.-e, It.)

  Large Italian fortification, the same term as the French "ouvrage." In the text it refers only to the new subterranean fortifications built in the twentieth century.

  Ouvrage (fr.)

  means a "work". Used in text to refer for the newer type of French fort.

  Panzer fort (Ger.)

  An armored fort refering to a fort with positions like armored casemates and turrets.

  Panzerwerke (Ger.)

  Bunker or combat block of a Werkgruppen with one or more armored cupolas.

  Petit Ouvrage/PO (Fr.)

  Small fort.

  Pillbox

  British term applied to the bunkers built during World War I that looked much like a pill box. The term remained in use both in British and American English and referred to most types of machine gun or anti-tank gun shelter.

  Pimples

  British term for concrete AT obstacles similar to Dragon's Teeth. Not to be confused with AT cubes.

  PF (Belg.)

  Position Fortifiee or fortified position.

  Pioneer (Ger.)

  Term refers to army engineers

  Punkt Oporu/PO (Polish)

  Defensive Point.

  Reconnaisance

  Also refers to making a survey of a site.

  Region Fortifiee/RF (Fr.)

  Fortified region.

  Sapper or Sapeur

  Usually refers to British or French engineers.

  Schron (pl. -y, Pol.)

  A bunker or shelter.

  Secteur Fortifiee/SF (Fr.)

  Fortified sector.

  Stutzpunkt (Ger.)

  Strongpoint whose positions are not linked by an underground tunnel system.

  Stutzpunktgruppen (Ger.)

  Several strong points serving a battalion size unit.

  Tobruck

  (also spelled Tobruk) Refers to type of position in concrete with ring shaped opening in roof for weapon which was usually designed for a machine gun or a mortar.

  Tradytor (Pol.)

  Traditionally, a defensive position in a fortification similar to a caponier; modern use: artillery casemate for flanking fire.

  Turret

  Revolving armored position with weapons on the exposed dome area and controls below or in the turret column similar to that of a ship. Guns with a full armored shield, but no actual turret column are usually not considered turrets, but guns with a gun house. A non-moveable turret in this text is referred to as a cloche to avoid confusion.

  Tvrz (Czech)

  Fortress. This term was used with the new forts similar to French Maginot Line ouvrages and has the same meaning. The Czechs refer to individual independent combat blocks with their own facilities as forts which creates some confusion, just as labeling their subterraean fortifications as "fortresses"

  UR (Rus.)

  Ukreplinnje Rajony or fortified district

  Usine (Fr.)

  Engine room or Power room usually containing diesel engines, transform
ers, and a fuel supply.

  Verteidigungsbereich (Ger.)

  Defense Area

  WC

  Water closet i.e. urinal, toilets, and/or sinks.

  Werk (Ger.)

  Position. B-Werk refers to a position with one or more blocks, is considered to be an independent fort by the Germans (see Werkgruppe)

  Werkgruppe/WG (Ger.)

  Group of two or more blocks linked by a tunnel system with supporting facilities.

  Widerstand (Ger.)

  Resistance point garrisoned by a platoon sized units

  INDEX