Construction decision 1870 (≈ 1870)
After the Franco-Prussian war, expropriation of the village.
1875
Start of work
Start of work 1875 (≈ 1875)
Construction of the fort began.
1881
Initial weapons
Initial weapons 1881 (≈ 1881)
Eight 155 mm guns and four 24 c guns.
1943-1944
German occupation
German occupation 1943-1944 (≈ 1944)
Equipped with 88 mm guns by the Wehrmacht.
26 août 1944
Redistribution of the fort
Redistribution of the fort 26 août 1944 (≈ 1944)
Capitulation against the French spahis.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
355e Flak-Abteilung - German military unit
Gera 88 mm guns in 1943-44.
Origin and history
Six Fours Fort was built in the late 19th century after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, when the National Navy decided to strengthen the site. In 1875, the old fortified village, its church Sainte-Marie de Cortine and its castle were razed to give way to this strategic military construction. The fort, conceived as an irregular pentagon, integrated defenses against land attacks via the Ollioules gorges and coastal landings towards Le Brusc or Bandol.
During the Second World War, between 1943 and 1944, the fort was occupied by the Wehrmacht, equipped with four 88 mm guns held by the 355th Flak-Abteilung. He capitulated on 26 August 1944 against the French spahis, who made 490 prisoners. Today, it houses a National Navy communications centre and serves as a base for the Nuclear Naval Force, maintaining an internal organization comparable to that of a warship.
Architecturally, the fort is distinguished by its monumental four-level barracks, backed by the rock, and its 32 rooms capable of welcoming a thousand men. Its facades combine bricks and limestone bellows, while its underground defences, dug into the rock, included a central store of 100 tons of ammunition. Among its features are a 6-metre-wide elevator well, which is necessary to transport cannons and ammunition vertically, and bread ovens that are still occasionally used.
The initial armament in 1881 consisted of eight 155 mm guns for land defence and four 24 c guns oriented towards the sea. The site, located at 200 meters above sea level, illustrates the ingenuity of the Séré de Rivières system, combining military functionality and decorative elements such as a staircase and a balcony. Its interior organization, with underground galleries and casemates, reflects a defensive logic adapted to topographical constraints.
Today, the fort remains an active site of the National Navy, preserving its historical heritage while playing a modern operational role. Its use as a communications centre and its comparison with a "warship" underscore its continuing strategic importance, almost 150 years after its construction.
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Future
Today, the fort is used by the French Navy's transmission service.
