Fort de Troyon, Fort in Troyon and Lacroix-sur-Meuse, France

Fort de Troyon is a military fortification built on elevated terrain and surrounded by ditches and ramparts. The site contains underground gun emplacements, open gun platforms, and connected defensive lines made of stone and earth.

Construction began on 15 August 1877 and was completed in June 1880, at a cost of 1,985,000 gold francs; the fort was placed under the fortified place of Verdun in 1879. From 8 September 1914 it was shelled with 305 and 320 mm guns and ordered to hold for at least 48 hours. On 9 September Captain Heym refused a German summons to surrender, and the bombardment ceased on 13 September. In 1918 it served as a rear hospital for American troops.

The name comes from the nearby village of Troyon. Visitors can see the gun emplacements and barracks today, which show how soldiers lived and worked at this outpost.

The fort stands at 264 metres on the communes of Troyon and Lacroix-sur-Meuse, south of Verdun. Visits are only possible under certain conditions, so check opening arrangements before travelling. The site is largely ruined: fallen timber and a wrecked artillery carriage lie on rubble-strewn ground, and the entrance doorway opens into a dark recess beneath an earth mound.

On 9 September 1914, German officer Major Neuhoff appeared at the gate to demand the fort's surrender; Captain Heym, commanding the 166th Infantry Regiment detachment, refused and told him to turn back. The fort then withstood shelling by 305 and 320 mm guns until 13 September, when the German fire stopped.