A casemate is a bombproof defensive chamber, built of reinforced concrete or thick masonry, fitted with embrasures, or gun openings, from which artillery or machine guns can be fired while the crew stays under cover.
Characteristics
The purpose of a casemate is to let defenders fight while remaining protected from enemy fire.
- Heavy walls and roof of reinforced concrete or thick masonry resist shelling and bombing.
- Embrasures, narrow openings in the wall, allow guns to fire outward.
- The crew and their weapons stay sheltered within the enclosed chamber.
The design is a compromise between offence and protection: the embrasures must be wide enough to aim and fire through, yet small enough not to expose the crew inside. The result is a strong, low, purpose-built firing position.
Application
Casemates form part of larger defensive works such as forts, bunkers and continuous defensive lines. They were used to command approaches, roads, rivers and open ground, giving defenders protected positions from which to lay down fire. Many survive today as historical monuments and reminders of past military engineering, and they are often found alongside other elements of fortification such as bunkers and parapets.
Related terms
- Bunker
- Fort
- Embrasure
- Parapet
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