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 The Vaag Line

      The Vaag Line was built in the 1860’s, almost 20 years after the building of  the Palatine Line. It is reflected in the conception and solution of its construction. Influenced by the Austrian-Prussian war in 1866, the building work speeded up. The chain of  fortifications consists of six main fort elements (VI., VII., VIII., IX., X., XI. ramparts – batteries), out of which only the first two are considered as bastions (VI., VII. ramparts). The Vaag Line compared with the Palatine Line is more modest in its design because of its location as it spreads along the river Vaag. The river actually represented an advanced defence zone. The walls which connect the fortifications are also simpler. A tall, steep earthen rampart forms the defence line towards the town, it is then followed by a water ditch which is bordered by a fort wall from the inner side. Loopholes based in the stone walls face the ditches. Except from the loopholes, the protection of the ditch lengthwise was also ensured due to the heavy artillery casemates based in the sides of bastions VI and VII. The heavy artillery casemates which connect  the fifth and sixth bastions played a similar role. The walls of the Vaag Line are also repeatedly broken from the seventh bastion towards the central fortress because the gun-emplacements based in the bays ensured the protection of the walls lengthwise. This section is divided by buildings with simple, symmetrical and rectangular groundplans and narrow courts. We can conclude from the openings in the buildings [entrance, windows, ventilation] that they were mainly used as arsenals. The cannons were placed in the four big halls of the building. The entrance gates of the building led to the court. The four smaller rooms of the building most probably served as quarters for the commanders and the guards. The windows of these rooms overlooked the town. Only those parts of the arsenal which overlooked the town served as quarters for the soldiers.

      The gate and some casemates of the last, the eleventh rampart of the Vaag Line, survived in good state. Its function was to close the defence line and at the same time connect the external ramparts of the New Fortress with the Vaag Line. An earthen rampart spread from the right wing of the New Fortress towards the confluence of the Danube and Vaag rivers. It went as far as the eastern bastion of the Old Fortress. In the inner part of the Vaag Line, between the eighth and ninth ramparts, an independent rampart was built which was marked as VIII ½. This battery position, which could be approached from two ramps, enabled one to shoot at further points in the forefield,  thus increasing the efficiency of defence of the Vaag Line.

 

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