The Prövesten Fort is the second fort on this place. The first Prövesten Fort was founded in 1713, when a barge of the same name was sunk as a reinforced artificial island to to provide emergency port for the navy.
The facility that exists today was built in 1859-63.
The fort 1900
The fort is built on an artificial island of boulders.
The fort is part of the inner line of the sea fortifications. Together with the Strickers Battery, the Mellemfort, the Lynetten battery and Trekroner Fort, The Prövesten should keep enemy ships at a distance from Copenhagen and especially prevent him from penetrating into the Kongedybet – the waters between the Saltholm island and Zealand and thus the entrance to the port of Copenhagen.
The cannons were placed on open emplacements divided by five concrete traverses with magazines and rooms for the crew.
The facility had observation stations and floodlights. There was a small port in the throat of the fort.
The Armament
The fort has been rearmed several times.
Just before the First World War, the fort was armed as follows:
17 cm. gun
16 pcs. of 17 cm. steel cannons,
6 pcs. of 29 cm iron howitzers,
8 pcs. of 47 mm quick firing cannons, of which three were for the air defense.
1 pcs. of 75 mm cannon and 2 pcs. of machine guns for air defense as well
2 pcs. of 90 cm floodlights.
The armament was later reduced to twelve 17 cm, cannons.
A 75 mm cannon and three 47 mm cannons and two machine guns for the air defense.
The fort was closed in 1922.
The exterior
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- The throat
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- The gate to the fort
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- The eastern end
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- Travers with magazine
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- The front
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- Gun emplacements
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- Gun emplacements
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- Gun emplacements
The interior
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- The casemate corridor
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- Ammunition magazine
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- Ammunition magazine
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- Gun emplacement in casemate
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- Gate to casemate
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- Stairs to the battery floor
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- Entrance to the battery floor
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- Crane for the guns
