Fort Saint Frederic - Animation (1 Viewer)

[Fraxinus]

Animation Fun ---- Fort Saint Frederic, principle French fort on Lake Champlain at Crown Point, New York (built 1734). Destroyed by the retreating French in 1759. The citadel itself is an octagon, 75-foot width, so only about 30-inches wide at our scale. Long bastion distances are about 245 feet, but feel free to only build the tower. Can you say Hirst Art Bricks (they already have an octagon mold) !!!

The citadel is an artillery tower, immediately adjacent to Lake Champlain. The engineer, who designed the fort, "sold" the design based largely on manpower needs. The idea was during peacetime, the garrison could be reduced to 50 men and at time of war 100 men could effectively hold the position. The permanent protection of the artillery pieces inside the citadel was a distinct bonus. The bastion walls would have a few sentries and small cannon or swivel guns, but not a strong presence. The bastion walls are not thick artillery resistant walls. Maintenance of the limestone block construction eventually proved burdensome and expensive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP3KI9sgNpE

 

[mikemiller1955]

looks like a couple of 12 pounders would bring that down quick...

 

[Fraxinus]

The stone walls of the citadel are 12-foot thick. I agree that it seems a few well placed rounds would send the tower crashing, but coastal artillery towers in Europe proved to be exceptionally tough targets. Frequently, much tougher than anticipated. What the presence of the artillery bastions does, it forces the opposition to haul in an artillery siege train of their own. You are not going to be able to gain this location with just infantry or light cannon. Not an easy task in 18th century North America.

Fort Chambly, also on Lake Champlain, but closer to Quebec, is a smaller fort, but a decidedly elegant fort and now fully restored and managed by Parks Canada (180-feet between bastions). There is artillery mounted in each of the corner bastion towers and in one of the curtain walls, but the curtain walls are way too thin to protect from opposition artillery fire. Although the walls are not strong, the artillery mounted in the towers is sufficient to require any attacker to haul a siege train to take the position. Logistic nightmare. But it is awfully pretty with a very high SNAZZY factor. If I were Bill Gates, I definitely would have one of these in my backyard, smaller than 1 acre square, so definitely not excessive. In the link below, make sure to check out the parade ground shot at the bottom of the link.

Now back to Shutters III. Shutter II was a total disaster, much worse than Shutter I, and didn't even bother posting. Mike will understand!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Chambly

Fun if you have Google Earth on your machine. It is free and so useful to have.

 

[Fraxinus]

http://flintlockandtomahawk.blogspot.com/2012/05/french-abandon-and-blow-up-fort-st.html

PLUS THE WINDMILL !!!! Click on the photo, should enlarge. In the animation, there is a 2nd drawbridge leading into the citadel itself.

French are retreating before the British advance and elect to "blow-up" Fort Saint Frederic just before the British arrive.