A
redan shaped outwork immediately in front of the salient angle of a bastion
or demi-lune that shielded the enceinte and demi-lunes from distant artillery
fire. In general, counterguards provided an intermediate line of defensive
works between the covered way and enceinte (or more important outworks) that
was intended to delay the besieging army's attack and prolong the period
required to the establish breaching batteries that could reach bastion faces
and flanked angles. Counterguards before demi-lunes compelled the attacking
army to crown the crest of the covered way and breach the counterguard prior
to establishing batteries on the captured counterguard capable of reaching
and breaching the salient of the protected demi-lune. Demi-lune counterguards
also had the advantage of throwing the bastion between two collateral
counterguards into a re-entering angle that could not be attacked until both
counterguards were captured, but if the bastion itself was not covered by
a counterguard its faces could be breached by fire directed down the ditch
of the counterguard. In rasante fortifications counterguards could also prevent
fire from the enceinte from reaching the glacis and the intervening demi-lune
could prevent fire from the bastion faces and curtain from reaching the interior
of the counterguards.
A
redan shaped outwork immediately in front of the salient angle of a bastion
or demi-lune that shielded the enceinte and demi-lunes from distant artillery
fire. In general, counterguards provided an intermediate line of defensive
works between the covered way and enceinte (or more important outworks) that
was intended to delay the besieging army's attack and prolong the period
required to the establish breaching batteries that could reach bastion faces
and flanked angles. Counterguards before demi-lunes compelled the attacking
army to crown the crest of the covered way and breach the counterguard prior
to establishing batteries on the captured counterguard capable of reaching
and breaching the salient of the protected demi-lune. Demi-lune counterguards
also had the advantage of throwing the bastion between two collateral
counterguards into a re-entering angle that could not be attacked until both
counterguards were captured, but if the bastion itself was not covered by
a counterguard its faces could be breached by fire directed down the ditch
of the counterguard. In rasante fortifications counterguards could also prevent
fire from the enceinte from reaching the glacis and the intervening demi-lune
could prevent fire from the bastion faces and curtain from reaching the interior
of the counterguards.
