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.

Fortress Bloc Designations

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 10: Sunday, 19th of May 1940

The calm before the storm.

00.50 Every bloc is ordered to drop a Mils grenade through their respective grenade ramp, just in case the moat would be compromised.

02.00 All blocs ordered to open fire across their respective arcs of fire in order to secure their perimeter. Shots fired across the massif (roof) just in case.

B1 detects Germans trying to fortify a position within the ruins of the Weykmans farm. 25 rounds of 75mm and 25 81mm bombs are fired on the objective.

02.40 and 3.30 10 rounds fired on each side of the fort to secure the glacis.

04.55 Germans spotted near the Weykmans farm again. 25 rounds of 75mm fired upon them.

08.45 HQ requests we harass enemy activity in two places near the Fleron fortress. 50 rounds of 75mm per hour are fired on both objectives.

11.31 German battery firing on Evegnee fort is spotted. 50 rounds of 75mm fired on that position. The German battery stops firing when the 12th Belgian round lands square on their position. By the 32nd round, the battery is completely destroyed.

11.58 B3 spots German infantry trying to set a position near the bunker NV25. 50 rounds of 75mm fired on the position.

13.15 German infantry spotted near a farm in chemin des Waides. Engaged with 25 rounds of 75mm. The enemy tries to escape toward the woods. 25 rounds of shrapnel (75mm) are fired on that position too.

Ongoing Engagements

13.45 German infantry spotted on the Julemont-Mortier road. Engaged with both gun turret: One firing HE, one firing Shrapnel. 25 rounds per gun turret. The 5th round fired explodes right on top of the column.

14.15 Battice fortress informs us its 75mm guns show some serious signs of fatigue. Their rate of fire is subsequently slowed down.

19.43 BO reports that a tank and a lorry are parked in front of the « Belle Vue » cafe near Julemont. 25 rounds of 75mm fired in that direction. As soon as the first rounds land in the vicinity, the tank and the lorry move on but German infantry suddenly appears and runs in all directions. 25 more rounds of 75mm are fired on their position to scatter them.

21.10 50 rounds per hour are fired on the Houssiere crossroad to harass possible German traffic.

21.35 All machine guns ordered to fire over the glacis to secure the perimeter. 30 rounds of 81mm bombs are fired by the mortar bloc to that effect also.

We receive a call from Evegnee fort: The commandant says goodbye. They can no longer carry on the fight. Evegnee was the last of the old fortresses of Liege that was still holding on. This means that only 3 forts out of 12 are still holding the line: Aubin, Battice and Tancremont (All three of them modern forts built in the 1930s).

Day 11 tomorrow.

-RBM.