From Episode 60: Taking Montfaucon:
“The ruins of Montfaucon were secured, and in a ruined house on the western side of the hill a massive periscope was located. The periscope was mounted on a carriage, and within the confines of concrete walls constructed inside the house the periscope could be extended some 85 feet. In the attic of the building was a map room of the surrounding area, all done to scale so the scope could be aimed at any point on the map. The observers could be in the basement of the building, or on other floors, and could use a complex system of mirrors to observe the terrain for kilometers around. This was the Crown Prince’s observatory, and the legend that Crown Prince Willy had directed the onslaught at Verdun from here was just that–a legend. The Verdun front was too far away for that. It was used instead to watch the south and southwest, from which the Germans expected a French attack throughout the war.”
“The whole scope mechanism was dismantled by the men of the 3rd Division, who would relieve the men of the 79th on the 30th of September (more next episode). The scope eventually made its way to West Point, where in the interwar period it was a popular backdrop for photos. After the Second World War, the scope apparatus slowly moved into the shadows until it disappeared altogether. It resurfaced in Fort Sill, the home of the US Army’s artillery branch, and it is displayed there today.”
Many thanks to listener Clark for sharing these photos with us!
