Multilingual Fortification Dictionary
The Multilingual Fortification Dictionary (MFD) contains a illustrated list of fortifications and their translations in multiple languages (Croatian, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish).
For a definition of the World War II Atlantikwall, see: /files/Atlantikwall_definition_of_a_phenomenon.pdf
The IFC is considering to add new languages and new time periods, eventually including the ‘concrete’ and ‘reinforced concrete century’. IFC and EFFORTS will cooperate. See letter: /files/20181029_Efforts-IFC_MFD.pdf
You are invited to use the dictionary and to send comments etc. to the Secretariat, that will forward the comments to the Multilingual Fortification Dictionary Working Group. For a list of members of the Multilingual Fortification Dictionary Working Group see under the tab Contact.
Members of the Multilingual Fortification Dictionary Working Group can login here
merlon, crenel
tri-lobed caponier at angle of wall
machicolation
Tenaille-trace, tenaille-system
tenaille
Martello Tower
interior slope
These drawings are created by Chris Weber. © International Fortress Council
A: Basic forms of fortification
- A07a: bastion (Old Italian system)
- A07b: bastion (New Italian system)
- A07c: bastion (old Dutch system)
- A07d: bastion (improved Dutch system)
- A07e: bastion (Vauban system)
- A07f: bastion (new Dutch system)
- A08a: hollow (empty) bastion
- A08b: full (solid) bastion
- A08c: bastion, solid, with cat (cavalier)
- A09a: bastion, round
- A09b: bastion, almond shaped
- A09c: bastion, rounded
- A09d: bastion, tenailled
- A09e: bastion, mixed form
- A09f: bastion, rectangular
- A12:
- A12a: earthwork, quadrangular, bastioned
- A12b: earthwork, quadrangular with half bastions
- A12c: earthwork, triangular, bastioned
- A12d: earthwork, triangular with half bastions
- A12e:
- A13: starfort, fort of stellar trace
- A14:
B: Extensions, annexes, superstructures, expansions
- B01:
- B01b:
- B01c:
- B01d:
- B01e:
- B02a: merlon, crenel
- B02b: Hole ?
- B02c: wallwalk, allure
- B02d: machicoulis
- B05: turret, tower
- B06: round tower
- B07: bastion
- B10: caponnière, caponier, open
- B11: caponnière, caponier, covered
- B12: bastion with caponier
- B13: tri-lobed caponier at angle of wall
- B14:
- B15: echauguette, sentry-box, guerite, bartizan
- B16: machicolation
C: Bastion systems
- C01: old Italian system
- C02: new Italian system
- C03: French system, 1st Vauban
- C04: French, system, 2nd Vauban
- C05: French system, 3rd Vauban
- C06: old Dutch system
- C07: new Dutch system (Coehoorn)
- C08: Tenaille-trace, tenaille-system
- C09: polygonal system (-trace) polygonal fortification
- C10:
- C11:
- C12:
- C13:
- C14:
- C15:
D: Advanced works in bastioned systems
- D01: ravelin
- D02: demi-lune
- D03a: tenaille (straight)
- D03b: tenaille (broken)
- D04: tenaille
- D05a: swallow's tail, dovetail
- D05b: bishop's mitre, - bonnet
- D06: crownwork
- D07a: coverface, counterguard,
- D07b: counterguard, coverface, couvre-face
- D08: hornwork
- D11a:
- D11b:
- D11c:
- D11d:
- D11e: escarpe gallery, scarp gallery
- D12a: counterscarp gallery
- D12b: counterscarp gallery
- D13a: Carnot wall
- D13b:
E: Detached works
F: Designations, profiles, construction lines and angles in bastion-systems
- F01a: terre-plein
- F01b: main rampart
- F01c: faussebraye (shot trap)
- F01d: fosse, ditch, moat with cunette
- F01e: covered way
- F01f: glacis
- F01g: broken glacis
- F02a: interior slope
- F02b: exterior slope
- F02c: escarpe, scarp
- F02d: counterscarp
- F02e: parapet, breastwork
- F02f: crest, firing crest
- F02g: exterior crest
- F02h: banquette, firing step
- F02j: firing crest, interior crest
- F02k: wallwark, allure
- F02m: superior slope
- F04a: capital, magistral, magistral line
- F04b: exterior polygon
- F04c: curtain
- F04d: interior polygon
- F04e: salient, salient angle, flanked angle, bastion angle
- F04f: face
- F04g: flank, side
- F04h: gorge
- F04j:
- F04k:
- F05a: center angle
- F05b: polygonal angle
- F05c:
- F05d: angle of the gorge
- F05e: shoulder angle
- F05f: angle of the flanc, angle of the curtain
- F05g: angle of the tenaille, flanking angle
- F05h: defense angle
- F06a: escarpe, scarp
- F06b: counterscarp
- F06c:
- F06d:
- F06e:
- F07:
- F08:
- F09:
- F10:
- F11:
G: Directions of fire
H: Places of arms
- H01a:
- H01b: embrasure, gunport
- H02a: embrasure, gunport
- H02b: banquette, firing-step
- H02c: battery platform
- H02d: gunbank, barbet, barbette
- H03a: traverse
- H03b:
- H04: there was no H 04 picture
- H05:
J: Barricades and materials
- J01a: palisade
- J01b: tambour, defensible courtyard
- J01c: pitfall
- J01d: caltrop, mantrap
- J02: caltrop, mantrap
- J03: anti-personnel spikes
- J04: storm poles
- J05a:
- J05b:
- J07: top is cheval de fries; bottom is a knife rest
- J08: abatis
- J11: dragon's teeth
- J12:
- J13: anti-tank road block/barrier
- J14: hedgehog also known as a Czech hedgehog
- J15: there was no J 15 picture
- J18: there was no J 18 picture
K: Hydraulic constructions
L: Shelters, bunkers and casemates
- L01: gabions and timber revetments
- L01a: gabion, corbeil
- L02: open traverse
- L04c: citadel
- L04e:
- L06: shield of concrete or steel backed by a shock-absorbing layer of sand
- L07: Haxo casemate
- L08: Reiche casemate
- L09: traditor casemate, traditor battery
- L10:
- L11a:
- L11b:
- L11c:
- L12:
- L13:
- L14:
- L15:
- L16:
- L18: Tobruk machine gun position (Atlantic Wall type)
- L19:
© International Fortress Council: for the preservation of fortifications +31 6 14479368 