Fort Abcoude

Fort Abcoude is part of the Defense Line of Amsterdam. A defensive ring around the capital at a distance of 15 to 20 km with forts, batteries, dikes, and sluices. The Defense Line was constructed between 1880 and 1914. The area outside this defensive work could be flooded in times of danger with a refined sluice system. Since 1996, it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The fort at Abcoude was tasked with closing and defending the waterways, the road, and the railway between Amsterdam and Utrecht. It was the first fort designed and built for the Defense Line. The ground plan was adapted to a circular layout. Defensible from the front and sides, with a weak throat defense. The fort can be considered a transition between traditional masonry forts and the "modern" concrete structures, such as Fort Nigtevecht and Fort Waver-Amstel. By then, the high-explosive shell had been developed. This shell was capable of penetrating the 3m thick sand cover. The roof was not resistant to the air pressure from the explosion. The newly developed forts were only covered with a layer of topping sand, allowing the air pressure to enter freely without causing damage.

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