Siege of the Belgian Fortress of Aubin-Neufchateau: Day 5 Log

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 5: Tuesday the 14th of May 1940

0.01 One of Bloc BI’s machine gun cupolas reports being under fire from a German machine gun hiding amongst the anti-tank obstacles surrounding the moat. One of the servicemen in the cupola is wounded in the head by shrapnel. Order sent to Mortar Bloc (BM) and BI gun turret to neutralize the threat.

0.30 One of the sentries in the Mortar Bloc Observation cupola is wounded by enemy fire. All 3 mortars fire over 360 degrees to try and suppress the threat. An 88mm AP shell penetrates inside the cupola without touching or wounding anybody and gets stuck in the opposite wall. As the crew evacuates the cupola, another shell penetrates. The damaged embrasure will be repaired with armor plates before the cupola can be deemed safe enough to be manned again.

0.37 Enemy infantry rush toward flanking coffer CI. BM opens fire with ten 81mm mortar rounds. Lights are being seen around the glacis (area around the dry moat, beyond the outer walls), all the fort’s machine guns open fire. A dead German soldier hangs over the wall in front of the main entrance Bloc (BIII).

1.35 Bloc P signals lights at the Les Waides farm and machine guns heard in the cemetery. Order sent to Mortar Bloc to fire two rounds on the cemetery and for BII to engage Les Waides with 4 rounds. The gunners overshoot the farm. They correct their aim and fire again. This time, they hit the farm where the lights vanish.

Continued Engagement Throughout the Day

2.00 BP signals it is under fire from the former AA gun emplacements just on the other side of the road. Order sent to BM to fire 20 rounds on that emplacement. Order sent to BII to fire 4 rounds on the Halleux farm, 20 rounds on the Berneaux crossroad and 25 rounds on the Goffard farm where headlights have been sighted.

7.00 The fort is being shelled again. Muzzle flash observed near the Clochettes mansion. The officers look at a map and guess the emplacement of the German battery near the mansion. Fire coordinates sent to both gun turrets. Order to fire 100 HE rounds and 25 shrapnel rounds in that direction. Objective neutralized, the shelling of the fort ceases.

7.36 BM fires toward the Fouron St Martin crossroad and the rail tracks near Hottegroeven to harass possible enemy movements.

7.45 The fort is being shelled again. One big hit every 5 minutes. One enemy round lands on top of the Mortar Bloc but the structure holds. Report sent to HQ.

Observations and Orders

8.55 Muzzle flash spotted near Wixhou. BII fires 50 shrapnel rounds in that direction.

9.45 German infantry spotted near the Coolen farm. 10 mortar rounds fired on the group. HQ calls in. All forts (11 out of 12) are resisting the enemy. Congratulations on the hard battle being fought.

10.50 German convoy spotted near the Croix-de-Pierre crossroad, in Battice. Info relayed to Battice. Aubin engages the target with 50 rounds of 75mm.

12.45 Enemy seen assembling near Charneux. Gun turrets fire 50 rounds on the position. The Germans retreat.

13.33 The enemy tries to assemble near Charneux again. It is again engaged with the fort’s 75mm guns. The fort receives a telegram. It is encrypted and cannot be deciphered. It is deemed to be a fake sent by the Germans. HQ warned about it.

German Advances and Counteractions

14.10 Tanks and armored vehicles are seen on the Mouland-Berneau road. 50 rounds are fired on the objective.

15.10 German artillery battery spotted being deployed near the Smeet farm. It is engaged immediately with 50 rounds of 75mm. Both machine gun cupolas on BIII are being engaged by AT guns.

15.50 BM observation cupola is being engaged by AT guns. BP signals enemy firing on the fort from Waides. BM fires 40 rounds at the enemy. Enemy fire ceases.

16.50 German convoy spotted at the Smeet farm. 25 rounds of 75mm sent in their direction. The enemy retreats. BII engages the Weykmans farm with 25 rounds of 75mm. The farm explodes: it was certainly being used by the Germans as an ammo dump.

Continued Conflict and Communication

17.15 Several German planes fly over the fort.

17.20 HQ sends a list of instructions:

• If a fort has fired all its shells for one particular type of gun, it has to evacuate its gun crews toward the forts of Namur. Crew members to travel dressed as civilians to try and break through the siege.
• Every gun that runs out of ammunition must be destroyed.
• Every fort should have a team commanded by an officer ready to defend the moat against infantry assault should the outer walls be breached.

18.47 Bloc O spots a convoy driving near the 3 pine trees crossroad. 50 rounds fired on the convoy.

19.00 BM spots a convoy on the Mortroux road, 25 mortar rounds fired on the objective.

19.35 The fort’s gun turrets engage German infantry near the Fourons Crossroad.

19.47 BO signals intense enemy activity along the Dutch border near the 3 pine trees crossroad. Information relayed to Battice and to HQ.

Nighttime Activity

20.20 The fort shoots down another plane that was flying low over the site. The German convoy observed near the Dutch border at 19.47 is now near Witlhuis and is under fire from Pontisse fort. Aubin observes and corrects the coordinates for Pontisse.

22.00 BM fires its mortars over 360 degrees around the fort to protect it against enemy infiltrations.

23.00 A searchlight suddenly illuminates BI. BM fires 17 rounds in the direction of the searchlight until it goes off.

23.40 A red flare is observed near one of the fort’s bunkers. The guns open fire in the direction of the flare. BM fires 60 rounds over 360 degrees around the fort.

See you tomorrow for Day 6!

-RBM