Fort de Dave The Fort de Dave 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 . Dave 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 presently abandoned on state property . Description . The Fort de Dave is located about south of the center of Namur . The fort , one of the smaller Brialmont forts , is a triangle overlooking the Meuse . A deep by ditch encircles the fort . The ditches were defended in enfilade by 57mm guns in casemates resembling counterscarp batteries , firing at shot traps at the other end of the ditch . The principal armament was concentrated in the central massif , closely grouped in a solid mass of concrete . Belgian forts made little provision for the daily needs of their wartime garrisons , locating latrines , showers , kitchens and the morgue in the fort ' s counterscarp , a location that would be untenable in combat . This would have profound effects on the forts ' ability to endure a long assault . The service areas were placed directly opposite the barracks , which opened into the ditch in the rear of the fort ( i . e . , in the face towards Namur ) , with lesser protection than the front and " salient " sides . The Brialmont forts placed a weaker side to the rear to allow for recapture by Belgian forces from the rear , and located the barracks and support facilities on this side , using the rear ditch for light and ventilation of living spaces . In combat heavy shellfire made the rear ditch untenable , and German forces were able to get between the forts and attack them from the rear . The Brialmont forts were designed to be protected from shellfire equaling their heaviest guns : 21 cm . The top of the central massif used of unreinforced concrete , while the caserne walls , judged to be less exposed , used . Under fire , the forts were damaged by 21 cm fire and could not withstand heavier artillery . The three forts on the right bank of the Meuse were linked by a military railway . Armament . Dave ' s guns included one twin 15 cm turret , one single 21 cm turret and two twin 12 cm turrets , all for distant targets . Three 57mm turrets with another six 57mm guns in embrasures providing defense of the fort ' s ditches and postern . The fort also mounted an observation turret with a searchlight . The fort ' s heavy guns were German , typically Krupp , while the turret mechanisms were from a variety of sources . The fort was provided with signal lights to permit communication with neighboring forts . The guns were fired using black powder rather than smokeless powder , producing choking gas in the confined firing spaces that spread throughout the fort . World War I . In 1914 the Fort de Dave was commanded by Captain - Commandant Manteau , with 269 artillerymen and 82 fortress troops . Dave was first attacked on 20 August , and resisted until the 25th , when it surrendered honorably . Fortified Position of Namur . Dave ' s armament was upgraded in the 1930s to become part of the Fortified Position of Namur , which was planned to deter a German incursion over the nearby border . Protection was substantially increased and armament was modernized . This was accompanied by improvements to ventilation , protection , sanitary facilities , communications and electrical power . The area surrounding the fort was equipped with improved shelters for the interval troops , with two large shelters , called Relève and Troonois , nearby . The new air intake was camouflaged into the rocky bluff overlooking the Meuse , to the northwest . It also provided protected access to the Relève and Troonois blockhouses . Weapons in 1940 included one twin 75mm turret , three single retracting 75mm turrets , two observation cloches and a twin machine gun cloche . T = The entrance was defended by two machine gun positions and a grenade launcher . The Abri de la Relève was defended by two machine guns and an observation cloche , and the Abri du Troonois had two machine guns and a 60mm anti - tank gun . Second World War . The Fort de Dave was commanded in 1940 by Captain - Commandant Noel . It was first attacked by invading German forces on 15 May 1940 and surrendered honorably on 24 May , with one dead . Present . The Fort de Dave is not open to the public and remains state property . Most of the metal was salvaged from the site and was used for testing explosives . It was never repaired or rehabilitated after World War II .