Fort VII½ "Tarnawce"

In the years 1854-1855 on a hill between the towns of Ostrow and Kuńkowce the wood and earthwork rampart No.2 was built.. In 1887, the rampart was rebuilt and given a new designation: battery 4 "West". In 1899, the Austro-Hungarian War Ministry issued a regulation requiring the construction of a new fort on the site of battery 4. This time the fort was named VII½ "Tarnawce". The construction work was carried out probably in 1901-1902. After the second fall of the Przemyśl Fortress it was partially blown up. From the front, access to the fort was limited by a trench defended the caponier bulkhead. The shoulders and the neck of the trench were much shallower, and were in part also defended by the caponier. In the neck of the fort were multi-storey barracks, whose walls were brick and with steel and concrete floors. Over the wings of the barrackstwo traditors extended, each armed with two 80mm M.98 cannons The barracks lead to a small postern emergency shelter with steps to the the shaft, and further to caponier bulkhead in the trench. On the shaft there were positions for infantry. The main task of the fort was shelling the roads leading through the San Valley from Przemyśl to Kraśiczyn, which continued south towards Sanok and Hungary, and the second road to Dubiecko which led further west in the direction of Krakow. In addition, it shells foreland of forts VII "Prałkowce" and VIII "Łętownia", especially in the valley where the village Łętownia is located. From the infantry positions firing was carried out only into direct foreground of the fort.

Creator of the text: Sławomir Hanus

The author of photos: Łukasz Bargieł