“A ring of defense around Bucharest,” they said. That was the idea behind Bateria Nr. 15 – 16. Let me tell you the story of this place and the larger fortress it was part of.
King Carol I wanted to protect his capital. So, in the late 19th century, he initiated a massive project. It was a ring of 36 fortifications. Eighteen forts and 18 batteries surrounded Bucharest. Bateria Nr. 15 – 16 was one of these crucial batteries.
Henri Alexis Brialmont, a Belgian military architect, designed the fortifications. Construction began in 1884. The forts were about 4 kilometers apart. The entire project cost a fortune. It was 111.5 million gold lei. That was three times the annual army budget.
It took over two decades to build these fortifications. The walls were incredibly thick. They measured two meters in some places. A road and a railway linked all 18 forts. This is now DN100, Bucharest’s ring road. The fortification ring included around 240 artillery pieces.
Romania had just gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. The military doctrine of the time dictated that the capital must be defended. Bucharest was to be a point of retreat. It would also be the starting point for military operations. These would spread from the Danube to the Carpathians.
Bateria Nr. 15 – 16 was a type 3 battery. This means it had a specific design and armament. Other batteries of this type were 2/3, 8/9, 9/10, 16/17, 17/18, and 18/1.
Advances in technology soon rendered the forts obsolete. Chemical and aeronautical advancements changed warfare. Explosives and aerial bombardment made classical fortifications useless. In 1914, the Battle of Liège showed how easily forts could fall. The German Army broke through Brialmont-designed fortifications.
The artillery pieces were dismantled quickly. They became mobile artillery. By 1916, the forts were abandoned. The German Army took Bucharest without much resistance.
The total armament of the forts included various weapons. There were 210mm howitzers. There were 150mm guns. And there were 57mm guns. Bateria Nr. 15 – 16 along with battery 14/15 was initially planned to have two 210mm howitzers each. It also had 57mm flanking guns. However, many guns were missing by 1900.
The initial plan estimated a garrison of 33,000 men was needed. The 2nd Fortress Regiment was stationed here. Later it was renamed the 1st Fortress Regiment.
Today, the military has mostly abandoned these forts. Some forts now house stray dogs. Some serve as storage. Others are used for growing mushrooms. During the Communist era, Fort 18 was a pickled goods market. A few forts are still used by the military. They serve as firing ranges and munitions deposits. Civilians are forbidden from entering these.
Bateria Nr. 15 – 16 stands as a silent witness. It reminds us of a time when Bucharest prepared for a different kind of war. It is a piece of history hidden in plain sight.