In a Special Sunday edition,
Comes some speculation,
Over the situation of Paris'
defence.
Fortification lines around
the capital city
Of France, make up the
number of three.
Dating from 1870, comes the
first line,
Made in the reign of Louis
Philippe.
But old walls and earthworks
are little use.
A second ring of fortified
positions from 1878,
Does not form a complete
circumference,
But form a number of
separate fortresses.
The most likely approach to
Paris, of attack,
Would be from a northerly
direction.
Between the rivers of the
Oise and the Seine
Lay a number of strong
positions, mainly upon
The higher ground; the
forest of Montmorency
A backbone of defensive
forts –
Sitting with the Seine is
the fort of Cormeilles -
The redoubt of Francaville,
before Les Cotillons,
Being supported by
batteries.
Remember that Cormeilles
stands 500 feet
Above the Seine, the slopes
of which, being steep,
Commands great power. Then
between Cormeilles
And Forest of Montmorencey,
is the valley of Ermont,
Along which sweep the forts.
At the north east
Of
the forest, stands the fort of Domont - further on
A defensive group includes
the Fort of Ecouen -
Along with various connected
batteries.
Moving southwards is battery
of Pincon Hill
And the forts of Stains -
Perhaps the most secure
Against attacks being formed
with open spaces,
Permanent trenches, with
entanglements
Of barbed wire fences –
Exposed to this fort,
Is an open low lying plain.
The defence of Vaujours
To the south, may be flooded
If necessary,
By the trailing rivers of
the Trond and Moree.
Between the swift waters of
the Marne,
And Canal de l’Durque,
Fortifications of Vaujours
and Chelles cover part of
the access to Paris.
Higher than the Marne, and
lying between
Seine and river Chelles are
the forts of Villiers,
Champigny, Suey and
Villenueve, St Georges,
That makes up strong
Bulwarks of Paris.
Being strengthened by
batteries, felled timber
Wire defences and permanent
trenches.
In the wide Plain of Seine
and Palaiseau
Are no existing permanent
defences,
But are covered by
fortifications on either side,
So here the forts of
Palaiseau, Villiers,
Haut Buc, Saint Cyr and
batteries,
South of Versailles, form a
solid fortress wall.
The Fort de Chatillon stands
as the pivotal fort –
Beyond Versaille and St
Germain are further
Strong works of Le Trou de
Fer, forming batteries
About the Forest of Marly –
furthermore,
Beyond this group Mont
Valerien is made,
To have the greatest of
military defence.
So out goes a warning to
potential Invaders,
By this description of an
impregnable city,
In facing its latest
dangerous enemy.
The French capital Paris is
quite prepared.
Standing ready, grateful for
former
Felicitous defenders,
building such forts.
by
Jamie Mann.
Anon.,
1914. Fortified Paris - Defensive Preparations - Almost Impregnable. The
Daily Telegraph - Special War Edition, [online] 6
Sept. p.6. Col.2. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11068680/Daily-Telegraph-September-6-1914.html
[Accessed: 6th September 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100
years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 6
September 2014).
#WW1
#WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary #worldwarone
#worldwaroneremembered #Paris
