page_title: Fort de Maizeret
section_title: World War I
hierarchical_section_title: Fort de Maizeret / World War I
caption_attribution_description: English: A global map of the 9 forts surrounding the city of Namur in Belgium. Those where build under the Design of Belgian army general Henri Alexis Brialmont in 1889-1892. Forts are represented in red. When an external air intake tower was added (around 1930), it's position is mentionned via a small red circle. Purple squares are infantery shelters (bunkers) in intervals between the forts, as built between WW I and IIFrançais&#160;: Carte globale des 9 forts entourant Namur (Belgique) Ces forts furent concus par le général Henri Alexis Brialmont en 1889-1892. Sur la carte, les forts sont représentés en rouge. Lorsqu'une "tour d'air" externe leur a été adjointe, elle est représentée par un petit rond rouge relié au fort Les carrés mauves représentent les bunkers construits entre les deux guerres afin de protéger l'infanterie présente dasn les intervalles entre les forts, offrant uen meilleure protection que les abris de tôle des tranchées de la première guerre mondiale
context_page_description: The Fort de Maizeret is one of nine forts built as part of the Fortifications of Namur in the late 19th century in Belgium. It was built between 1888 and 1892 according to the plans of General Henri Alexis Brialmont. Contrasting with the French forts built in the same era by Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières, the fort was built exclusively of unreinforced concrete, a new material, rather than masonry. In 1914 the fort was heavily bombarded by German artillery in the Battle of Namur. Maizeret was upgraded in the 1930s to become part of the fortified position of Namur in an attempt to forestall or slow an attack from Germany. It saw action in 1940 during the Battle of Belgium, and was captured by German forces. The fort is now abandoned on private property.
context_section_description: In the summer of 1914 the Fort de Maizeret was under the command of Captain-Commandant Poncelet, with about 400 men. The fort was bombarded by invading German forces beginning on 21 August 1914. The Germans did not bother with infantry assault at the Namur forts as had been tried at Liège, at a heavy cost, preferring to batter the Namur positions with artillery. The Namur forts fell quickly. Maizeret was abandoned by Poncelet and his garrison on 22 August, its ability to resist destroyed by the heavy German artillery.
caption: The forts of Namur
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