Siege of the Belgian Fortress of Aubin-Neufchateau

Relive day by day the siege of the Belgian fortress of Aubin-Neufchateau as recorded in the commander’s log.

BI = B1 or Bloc 1. Armed with a twin 75mm gun turret and two machine gun cupolas.
BII = B2 or Bloc 2. Armed with a twin 75mm gun turret and two machine gun cupolas.
BIII = B3 or Bloc 3. Peacetime entrance. Armed with 3 machine gun cupolas and a machine gun in casemate.
BO = Bloc O. Air intake and observation bloc.
BM = Mortar Bloc. Armed with three 81mm mortars and an observation cupola.
BP = Bloc P. Wartime entrance and auxiliary air intake. Two observation cupolas and a machine gun casemate.
CI = C1 or Coffer 1. Protects the moat. Armed with a 47mm AT gun and a machine gun.
CII = C2 or Coffer 2. Protects the moat. Armed with two 47mm AT guns and two machine guns.
CIII = C3, Coffer 3 or Anti-Tank Bloc. Armed with two 47mm AT guns in cupolas.

Day 12: Tuesday the 21st of May 1940

00.00 B3 reports being shelled heavily.
BM fires 100 x 81mm bombs on each side of the fort.

00.20 C3 reports hearing noises around the bloc. BM fires 25 rounds around C3 to secure it. C1, B1, and C3 are shelled.
The engineers are trying to repair the B2 gun turret. It is still stuck halfway between the eclipsed and raised position.

01.05 Both B1 and B2 gun turrets are shelled.

Progress of the Siege

05.00 The fort’s chimneys are targeted, as are blocs B1 and C1.
German infantry and a gun are located near the decoy/fake cupola. BM engages them with 25 rounds of 81mm. The German infantry then tries to dash to safety toward the ruins of the peacetime surface barracks. 10 rounds of 81mm are fired at the ruins. Enemy neutralised. Request Battice fortress to fire on our Glacis to protect our perimeter.

05.50 Smoke grenade in front of C1 flanking coffer! The coffer fires at ground level with its machine gun and 47mm gun.
37mm Pak gun sighted near the 3 chimneys crossroad. C3 engages it with its 47mm gun.

Battice fortress calls to report that all their guns are showing severe signs of wear and tear.

07.20 Infantry spotted around BO which is not occupied but vital to the fort as it is one of the two air intake stations. BM fires 25 rounds on the bloc which is also engaged with a machine gun from B3.

09.10 BM is shelled heavily. They cannot determine where they are targeted from.

Confronting German Assaults

09.25 B2 machine gun cupola engages German infantry spotted near C2 bloc. A large breach can be seen on the outer wall in front of C2. A smaller breach is visible in front of C1.

10.20 B3 spots German activity near the 3 chimneys crossroad. B1 fires 50 rounds of 75mm in that direction.

10.31 The fort is being bombed by the Luftwaffe.

11.05 BP is attacked by infantry. BM and C3 fire on the bloc to protect it.

11.30 The engineers give up on the gun turret in B2. It cannot be repaired. Explosives are brought in place at the base of the B2 bloc. Charges are detonated and the bloc is sealed. The fort, which is triangular in shape, has lost a whole “corner” with both C2 and B2 out of service. Artillery-wise, Aubin is down to one turret with a single gun in working order.

Dealing with Continued Attacks

11.50 Distress call sent to Battice: TZ Inf! German assault ongoing.
Battice fires on us but its rate of fire is much slower than usual. German assault repulsed nevertheless.

At C1 and B3, grenades are dropped in the grenade ramps at regular intervals to stop the Germans hiding in the moat from coming close to the blocs.

12.10 Harassing fire from BM on Winnerotte woods where German activity has been spotted. B2 is assaulted by German infantry.
B3 is under assault. German bodies are visible in front of the entrance from the casemate defending the bridge/main entrance.

12.15 BP shelled. None of its two observation cupolas can be used anymore. The bloc is only defended by two automatic rifles in casemate and grenades. A charge explodes on the air intake tube cap. The ventilation still works but the tube is no longer protected, and the Germans drop explosives inside. Those charges explode inside the bloc. Ventilation is temporarily stopped to avoid contaminating the whole fort with smoke, dust, and powder.

12.20 The fort is bombed and shelled again.
BO is too damaged and represents a risk as it is undefended and could be breached by the Germans. Demolition charges are placed, the bloc is sealed and detonated.

Order to prepare the destruction of B1 and BM if needed.

The Final Stand

13.05 B1 fires grapeshots on the glacis, A lot of smoke is visible around the fort.

13.10 Big explosion on the mortar bloc. 2 out of the 3 mortars cannot be used as their embrasures are blocked by rubble.

The mortar bloc has fired 5260 rounds in 10 days (out of the 6000 rounds initially supplied). The 47mm cannon in C1 is running short on ammunition.

Distress call sent to Battice: TZ Inf!

13.40 The last mortar in BM can no longer be used safely: Its tube is so worn out, it misfires.

13.47 Gun turret B1 is jammed and can’t be rotated any more.

It is pretty clear by now that German sappers and assault teams are roaming on the massif (roof) of the fort and engaging combat blocs with satchels and shaped charges.

14.20 Flanking coffer C1 is attacked with flame throwers. Respond to the attack with grenades and automatic rifles. Its 47mm gun runs out of ammunition.

14.25 B3 is attacked by flamethrowers.

The situation is desperate. Battice no longer answers calls for help (they are under heavy attack also). We send them a farewell telegram and thank them for their support.

14.32 B3, C1, and C3 are still engaging enemies running on the glacis and inside the moat.
BP is targeted with direct fire. C3 is running out of ammunition.

14.40 B3 still holds. The rolling bridge has moved after a German charge was detonated in the bloc’s postern. 50cm of the bridge is now visible… Enough for a man to run across.

The Fort’s Defence Board is convened.

The commandant wants to fight to the end. He proposes that B3 be condemned by a demolition charge and that steel beams and sandbags barrages be prepared inside the fort in advance for tunnel fighting. The other officers do not approve. The fort is now almost 200 kilometres behind enemy lines, there is no chance of relief and no point in throwing lives away. They agree to keep on fighting until they reach a point they can no longer defend B3.

B3 is attacked with flamethrowers again. A soldier is badly burned to the face when operating one of the grenade ramp flaps. A strong explosion is felt near the main doors. One of the double doors is damaged. The enemy cannot enter the bloc as behind that double door is a steel beam and sandbags barrage and another set of double doors. Grenades from the other blocs are brought up to B3.

Surrender and Aftermath

15.00 German Stukas in action. C1 and B3 still holding.
In the command centre, all the radios and phone equipment are destroyed. Men are ordered to prepare to leave the fort. They are told to take one change of clothes in their bag and are given chocolates, food and cigarettes.

15.52 Another explosion near the main door at B3.

The garrison is assembled in the barracks. The commander congratulates the men for their tenacity and bravery. He asks them to trust him to defend their interests. Standing ovation.

Two of the 4 diesel engines producing the fort’s electricity are sabotaged.
All handguns are thrown inside the diesel tanks.
All rifles are disabled.
The fort’s paperwork is set on fire inside the chimney.
All alcohol is destroyed.
Diesel tanks are flushed into the sewage system.

16.45 The last grenades have been used in B3. The fort cannot fight any longer. The commandant goes into one of the machine gun cupolas and hoists a white flag through the periscope tube. The Germans cease fire.

The door is opened and a German officer helps the Belgian commandant climb over the steel beam barrage. He is informed that Colonel Runge is on his way to negotiate with him.

17.00 Colonel Runge arrives and shakes Commandant D’Ardenne’s hand.

D’Ardenne says “Colonel, The fort’s means of defence are all expended. Before carrying on a fight that can only be a desperate one, and because you have twice spoken to me about humanity for my garrison, I offer the surrender of the fort if all three of my requests are accepted”.

The conditions offered by the Belgian commandant are:

• A decent burial for the dead Belgian soldiers currently in the fort’s morgue.
• That all wounded be tended to.
• 24 hours of rest in the outdoors for the garrison that has just fought hard, for 12 days underground.

Colonel Runge answered: “Commandant D’Ardenne, you have been a loyal and chivalrous adversary. All your conditions are accepted”. Commandant D’Ardenne then hands his officer sword to Colonel Runge.

17.30 German General Korner arrives on site with his staff. He gives Commandant D’Ardenne his officer’s sword back. He will be allowed to bear it in captivity as a sign of his bravery in combat.

The garrison is authorised to come out of the fort in formation and bearing arms. The German troops are lining up the outer wall and on both sides of the bloc’s entrance to honour the garrison. The Belgian flag is only lowered when the last Belgian soldier has left the building.

The garrison is then disarmed and led away toward a farm in Warsage where they will be allowed to rest for 24 hours. Colonel Runge will honour all three of his promises.

This is the end of the war for Aubin fortress and its garrison.
Battice fortress will surrender honourably the following day. 7 days later, Belgium surrendered. A day later, the last Belgian fort, Tancremont, finally surrendered after 19 days of combat.

THE END.

-RBM.