The elements of the plan are those of the early bastioned trace, but
we find added both ravelins and lunettes, very regular in design.
There is also the ditch at the foot of the glacis, and surrounding the
rampart of the enceinte a continuous fausse-braie. This work, which
partook of the nature of both boulevard and counterguard, served
several purposes. It was desirable that the weight of the rampart
should be drawn back a little from the edge of the ditch, and the
fausse-braie filled what would otherwise have been dead ground at the
foot of the rampart. It also afforded a grazing fire over the ditch,
which was very important, and which the rampart supported by a
plunging fire.
Coehoorn.
Coehoorn (q.v.), the contemporary and nearest rival to Vauban, was the
greatest light of the Dutch school. Like Vauban he was distinguished as
a fighting engineer, both in attack and defence; but in the attack he
differed from him in relying more on powerful artillery fire than
systematic earthworks. He introduced the Coehoorn mortar. His "first
system," which was employed at Mannheim (fig. 32), is reproduced for the
sake of comparison with the Coevorden front designed a hundred years
earlier. Among other points will be noticed the combination of wet and
dry ditches; the very broad main ditch with counterguard; the roomy keep
of the ravelin; the expansion of the fausse-brais into an independent
low parapet; and the powerful flanking fire in three tiers.
[Illustration: FIG. 32.--Coehoorn's First System.]
German school.
The "tenaille" system and the "polygonal" system which grew out of it
are mainly identified with the _German school_. That school, says von
Zastrow, does not, like that of France, represent the authoritative
teaching of an official establishment, but rather the general practice
of the German engineers. It was founded on the principles of Durer,
Speckle and especially Rimpler, and much influenced in execution by
Montalembert. "The German engineers desired a simple trace, a strong
fortification with retrenchments and keeps, bomb-proof accommodation and
an organization suitable for an offensive defence."
These had always been the German principles. Already in the 16th century
the Prussian defences of Kustrin, Spandau and Peitz had large bomb-proof
casemates sufficient for a great part of the garrison. The same thing is
seen in the defences of Giogau, Schweidnitz, &c., built by Frederick the
Great. These works show various applications of the tenaille system. In
1776 Frederick became acquainted with the work of Montalembert, and his
influence is seen in the casemates of Kosel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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