Saturday, July 5, 2008

Glossary of Military Terms 

Abatis (Ah-ba-tee):
A barrier of felled trees with sharpened and entangled branches pointing toward the enemy and lined up in a mass along the glacis. The abatis served to impede the enemy advance upon the fort.

Banquette (baun-kett):
The narrow walk behind the breastheight or interior slope on which the infantry stands while firing. The flat walk is the banquette tread; the slope up to it is the banquette slope.

Barbette:
Raising a gun by placing it on a high carriage or mound of earth so that it fires over the parapet rather than through an opening in the wall, expanding its range of fire.

Bastioned fort:
A fortification plan which assures that every section of the fort is mutually supported by fire from another part. The star-shaped fort with five or more bastions is considered the ideal fort and is generally used only for important works.

Breastheight or interior slope:
The inside of the fort wall (parapet) where the defender leans while firing.

Counterscarp:
The outer slope of the ditch (dry moat), opposite the parapet.

Ditch:
A deep dry moat surrounding the fort in front of the parapet. It is designed to impede access to the parapet.

Embrasure:
An opening in the parapet (fort wall) through which a gun is fired. Although it weakens the parapet to assault, the embrasure provides protection for the gun crew.

Emplacement:   see Embrasure.

Exterior slope:
That part of the parapet facing toward the enemy.

Filling room:
An underground structure like a powder magazine where rounds were armed and loose powder, shot and firing implements were kept.

Flanking maneuver:
The movement of troops around an enemy or his works in an effort to get behind and cut off any possibility of escape. In a defensive system like the forts that surrounded Washington, D.C., rifle trenches and outlying gun batteries constructed between the forts all but eliminated the possibility of such a movement.

Gabion (gay-bee-un):
A round, wicker cylinder, approximately 24" in diameter and 3' high, filled with sod. Gabions were used to line gun embrasures and could be used for other purposes like supporting the walls of a temporary fortification.

Garrison:
The troops stationed at a fort or other military stronghold.

Glacis (gla-see):
The raised ground in front of the ditch, which exposes the enemy to the defenders' fire.

Interior slope:  see Breastheight.

Ordnance:
Military weapons, ammunition and equipment.

Parade ground:
The flat area in the center of the fort.

Parapet:
An elevated wall or embankment constructed from earth, wood or stone designed to intercept enemy fire.

Powder magazine:
An underground structure where containerized rounds and black powder for the ordnance of a fort were kept.

Profile:
A vertical cross-section of the fort.

Revetment:
Material such as blocks of sod, trunks of small trees (pole revetting), or horizontally placed boards used to support the earthen walls on the interior of a field fortification. Pole revetting was the preferred choice.

Rifle trench:
A deep ditch with excavated earth piled along the exposed side that protected infantry from enemy fire and enabled them to prevent a flanking maneuver on the fort or battery.

Scarp:
The inner slope of the ditch (or moat) that surrounds a fort; the same as the exterior slope.

Superior slope:
The top of the parapet.

Trace:
The ground-plan or outline of the fort.

Terreplein   (ter-a-plane):
The flat ground inside the fort, at least 6'6" below the top of the parapet.

Traverse:
A breastheight placed on top of the magazine, bombproof or filling room to form a second line of defense, usually accessed by a ladder or steps.

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