I have a little bit of knowledge in that area, but it's outside my specialty - masonry forts. I'll take a look at some of my source material and see what I can do.Would it be possible to do a similar thread on battlefield fortifications and entrenchments?
That's my overview of fort terminology. If there are terms that I didn't include, please let me know. Also, I am open to other thoughts about these terms. A good debate is always welcome!
I hope this thread was both interesting and useful.
I've read a good narrative of fortifications in the east by Earl Hess that explains how entrenchments influenced warfare. I guess what I would like to see is a technical description with diagrams and photos of the different means and methods of engineering, similar to what you did with your fort series.I have a little bit of knowledge in that area, but it's outside my specialty - masonry forts. I'll take a look at some of my source material and see what I can do.
Do you have any specific information that you are looking for? That would give me a place to start looking.
That's my overview of fort terminology. If there are terms that I didn't include, please let me know. Also, I am open to other thoughts about these terms. A good debate is always welcome!
I hope this thread was both interesting and useful.
That's an interesting analysis. Totten reduced the size of bastions on his forts, calling them "tower bastions." Forts like Delaware and Totten had bastions about the same size as those on Gaines and Clinch.I know you're going by Third System definitions but I consider the casemated structures at the corners of Clinch and Gaines to be caponiers, not bastions. They are quite small with very short faces; they had only one gun that commands the glacis and are intended almost exclusively for ditch control. Such structures are common on the English Palmerston forts and are there considered caponiers. Given that Clinch and Gaines were modern post bastion era Prussian style polygonal forts with Carnot scarps and long curtains that reflected a new emphasis on direct fire I think considering the structures caponiers is reasonable.
Besides, it's more fun to consider them caponiers, bastions are a dime a dozen. ;-)
View attachment 386554
That's an interesting analysis. Totten reduced the size of bastions on his forts, calling them "tower bastions."
This is a tower bastion at Fort Delaware.Ahh. Vauban himself used tower bastions at Belfort and Neuf Brisach though in conjunction with counterguards which kind'a acted as bastions.
I've read a good narrative of fortifications in the east by Earl Hess that explains how entrenchments influenced warfare. I guess what I would like to see is a technical description with diagrams and photos of the different means and methods of engineering, similar to what you did with your fort series.