Dave Fort

Dave: the reorganisation of forts in the period between the two wars

At the time of the reorganisation of the Defence of the Fortified Position of Namur in the 1930s, 7 forts were re-armed and reorganised. Only Emines and Cognelée were kept solely as ammunition depots and command posts. The new armament of forts was smaller in size than in 1914 but the cannons' range rose from 8.5km to 11km.

The reinforcement works aimed to address the weaknesses discovered in 1914: ensuring that communication was maintained by digging deeper tunnels, protecting munitions in underground passages dug beneath the fort and linked directly to artillery pieces by shafts, and strengthening the ring of cupolas with reinforced concrete.

The ventilation of the fort's inner parts was improved by the creation of an air vent at a distance of several hundred metres. It allowed air to be filtered in the event of a gas attack. Because each vent was linked to its fort via a passable duct, it allowed the relief to enter the fort sheltered from any enemy attack.