Nick Wotherspoon
Souville - Tourelle Bussière
The defences of Fort Souville had been strengthened in 1890-91 with the building of this Bussière system retracting or eclipsing turret. It was built some 150 meters outside the main fort and was originally equipped with two 155mm guns, protected by a 45cm thick armoured cupola. The turret itself weighed 184 tonnes with power provided by a steam engine, which raised and lowered the turret via a hydraulic system with an 80 tonnes counterweight. Between 24 February and 6 March 1916 some 600 shells were fired from this turret, but it was put out of action when one of its gun’s barrels exploded on 10 April of the same year. It was March 1917 before it was back in action, now with just one gun and a new electric motor driven system. At the same time the turret was linked to the fort and an armoured observation post via a bombproof tunnel system.
Souville - Tourelle Bussière
The defences of Fort Souville had been strengthened in 1890-91 with the building of this Bussière system retracting or eclipsing turret. It was built some 150 meters outside the main fort and was originally equipped with two 155mm guns, protected by a 45cm thick armoured cupola. The turret itself weighed 184 tonnes with power provided by a steam engine, which raised and lowered the turret via a hydraulic system with an 80 tonnes counterweight. Between 24 February and 6 March 1916 some 600 shells were fired from this turret, but it was put out of action when one of its gun’s barrels exploded on 10 April of the same year. It was March 1917 before it was back in action, now with just one gun and a new electric motor driven system. At the same time the turret was linked to the fort and an armoured observation post via a bombproof tunnel system.