5 miles (8 km) Southeast of Reims
Tel. 03 26 49 11 85
The Fort de la Pompelle, briefly known as Fort Herbillon, was constructed from 1880 to 1883 as part of a broader effort to strengthen the defenses surrounding Reims. This structure formed a crucial element of the extensive fortification network developed by General Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières along France's eastern frontier in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. During World War I, it emerged as a pivotal stronghold in safeguarding Reims, enduring relentless assaults and serving as a central hub in the region's military operations.
For a short period, the fort was renamed in honor of General Émile Herbillon. This change stemmed from a presidential decree dated January 21, 1887, under War Minister Georges Boulanger, which mandated that all fortifications, artillery sites, and barracks within the Séré de Rivières system be named after notable past military leaders. However, on October 13, 1887, Boulanger's successor, Théophile Ferron, overturned this policy, restoring the fort's initial name.
Spanning approximately 2.31 hectares (about 5.7 acres), the fort was equipped with formidable weaponry, including six 155 mm C modèle 1881 cannons and four 138 modèle 1873-74 cannons. Additional defenses comprised five revolver cannons for flanking fire, along with several mitrailleuses (early machine guns). Notably, three outdated 12 de culasse modèle 1884 twelve-pounder cannons were retained in the moat defenses as historical remnants. The garrison typically included an artillery company of around 277 soldiers. Architecturally, the fort featured a rectangular base with a recessed, blunt valley front, encircled by a deep ditch protected by a steel lattice fence. Access was via a drawbridge over the moat. Defensive elements included a double trench caponier on the left shoulder to guard the front and left side, a single caponier on the right for the right flank, and two lines securing the throat ditch on either side of the entrance. Constructed primarily from stone with a roughly 2.5-meter-thick earthen roof cover, the design prioritized artillery over infantry defense. By the war's conclusion, extensive underground tunnels—extending hundreds of meters through the chalky soil—had been excavated to connect safely to rear positions. Positioned as an intermediary fort, it supported the flanks of larger nearby installations like Fort Nogent l'Abbesse to the north and Fort de Montbré to the southwest.
Today, the fort lies within the municipality of Puisieulx, roughly five kilometers southeast of Reims along Departmental Road 944 (formerly National Road 44), which links Reims to Châlons-en-Champagne. Urban expansion has brought Reims' suburbs nearer to the site over the years. Transformed into the Musée du Fort de la Pompelle after significant post-war restorations, it now functions as a museum dedicated to World War I history. Visitors can explore exhibits on daily soldier life, including the world's largest collection of German helmets (over 140 varieties), artillery pieces, and poignant artifacts that highlight the war's human toll and the fort's defensive innovations. The site attracts history enthusiasts and serves as a somber reminder of the conflict's devastation in the Champagne region.
Built between 1880 and 1883 as a component of the Séré de Rivières
defensive system surrounding Reims after the Franco-Prussian War of
1870, the Fort de la Pompelle—also referred to as Fort Herbillon—was a
secondary rectangular stronghold spanning 2.31 hectares (about 5.7
acres). Constructed from stone and brick, it featured a dry moat
defended by two-level caponiers for flanking fire, and was initially
equipped with six 155mm de Bange 1881 cannons, four 138mm quick-firing
guns, and an array of smaller artillery and machine guns to support
nearby larger forts like those at Brimont and Saint-Thierry. Originally
garrisoned by a 277-man artillery company, the fort was disarmed in 1913
just before the outbreak of World War I. It was seized by advancing
German forces on September 4, 1914, amid the early offensives, but
following the German withdrawal after the First Battle of the Marne, the
French 138th Infantry Regiment successfully retook and reoccupied the
site on September 24, 1914. From that point onward, it stayed firmly
under French control, enduring intense German shelling and multiple
ground assaults throughout the conflict. Among the fortifications
defending Reims, it experienced the most severe combat, earning the
nickname "Pump Castle" due to its strategic importance. The threat it
posed to German positions prompted relentless bombardments that caused
significant destruction in the surrounding area, including substantial
civilian damage in the nearby city of Reims.
Under the French army's
rotational system, the fort was guarded by a staggering 180 different
infantry regiments, bolstered by two special Russian brigades from the
Russian Expeditionary Force, personally dispatched to France by Tsar
Nicholas II in 1916 as a gesture of alliance. These Russian units, part
of a larger contingent that included forces positioned between Suippes
and Reims (such as at Espérance farm), distinguished themselves in a
fierce battle near the fort in 1916 and successfully repelled a German
gas attack in January 1917. However, following the Russian Revolution,
tensions arose, leading to mutinies and open hostilities between some
Russian brigades in the region by 1917. The defenders were further aided
by French naval gunboats stationed on the Aisne-Marne Canal between
Sept-Saulx and Courmelois, which provided artillery support by
bombarding enemy lines from the water. In 1917–1918, French engineers
excavated underground tunnels from the local chalk bedrock, creating
secure rear access points extending several hundred meters behind the
fort to improve logistics and safety amid ongoing sieges.
During the
Third Battle of the Aisne (part of the broader Spring Offensive and
Second Battle of the Marne in 1918), the fort faced three major German
assaults, including a notable push on June 1, 1918, involving 15 tanks
(often described as armored cars in historical accounts) led by the
465th Infantry Regiment of the 238th Infantry Division. It was
temporarily overrun by these forces but could not be held due to
insufficient German reinforcements, allowing French troops to swiftly
reclaim it. Units from the 1st Colonial Army Corps (1er Corps d'Armée
Colonial), commanded by General Mazillier, maintained control of the
fort until the Armistice in November 1918. At its peak, the garrison
swelled to as many as 2,000 soldiers, who endured harsh living
conditions in the increasingly ruined and bombarded structure. The
fort's resilience was later immortalized in cultural works, such as the
1931 French film Les Croix de Bois directed by Raymond Bernard, which
depicted scenes of the fighting there.
Following the conclusion of World War I, the heavily damaged fort was decommissioned and largely neglected, falling into disrepair for nearly four decades as nature reclaimed parts of the site. It was officially designated a historic monument (monument historique) on March 23, 1922, recognizing its significance in the war. In November 1955, the French domain administration (Administration des Domaines) attempted to sell the property, sparking outrage among veterans' organizations (Associations d'Anciens Combattants) who viewed it as sacred ground. To resolve the controversy, the site was purchased by the Fédération Nationale André Maginot—a national veterans' federation named after the French politician and war hero—and subsequently transferred to the city of Reims for a nominal fee of one symbolic franc, ensuring its preservation for public use. Since then, the city of Reims has owned and maintained the fort, which is situated about 2 kilometers north of Sillery, adjacent to the N44 road connecting Reims and Châlons-en-Champagne.
In the present day, the publicly accessible sections
of the fort house the Musée du Fort de la Pompelle, a dedicated World
War I museum that serves as a poignant window into the conflict's
history and the daily lives of soldiers. The museum was officially
opened on November 10, 1972, with an inauguration ceremony led by Michel
Debré, the French Minister of Defense at the time. Its exhibits, which
are unique worldwide, feature an extraordinary collection of over 560
pieces of German military headgear assembled by collector Charles
Freise, showcasing items from diverse sources such as a Russian infantry
sergeant's helmet, a French artillery lieutenant's headwear, a Cigognes
squadron piece, a Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin helmet, a Kingdom
of Württemberg general's helmet, and various Adrian helmets.
Complementing this are extensive displays of sabers and smallswords from
German kingdoms, orders, medals, uniforms, weapons, personal effects
recovered from nearby battlefields, everyday objects used by troops, and
even a beer stein. The museum's layout guides visitors through a
chronological exploration of the fort's wartime role and the broader
progression of World War I, with well-preserved artifacts that highlight
soldier experiences, and it offers scenic views of the surrounding
Champagne-Ardenne countryside.
A commemorative plaque within the
museum honors the fallen French fighter pilot René Dorme, who was shot
down above the fort in 1917 by German ace Heinrich Kroll. On November
11, 1968, during a speech, Jean Taittinger, the Mayor of Reims,
declared:
«La Ville de Reims reconnaissante du sacrifice des milliers
de ses défenseurs, a décidé que ce sol sacré ferait désormais partie du
patrimoine de la Cité. Le nom du Fort de la Pompelle mérite d'être gravé
pour l'éternité dans les annales de la patrie!»
“The city of Reims
gratefully acknowledges the sacrifices made by thousands of its
defenders here and it has been decided that this sacred ground is a part
of this city's heritage. The name of Fort de la Pompelle deserves to be
forever immortalized in the annals of the fatherland.”