FORT FORNO
The Forno Coastal Polygonal Armored Fortress
Construction of the Forno Fortress began in 1902, and the fortress was completed in 1914. It was built 25 meters above sea level and, like other forts, was constructed using traditional building techniques with stone from nearby quarries and a reinforced concrete structure. The fortress was built directly into the rock and architecturally integrated into its surroundings in such a way that it was difficult to spot from the sea.
Since it was a newly completed fortress, Forno was the most modern fortification on the island of Pula at the outbreak of the war. Although its armament might have been considered obsolete even at the start of construction, the fortress was equipped with 30.5 cm D/40 coastal guns (in the left battery) and 28 cm D/35 coastal guns (in the right battery), each housed in lightly armored turrets. Thanks to their favorable strategic position, the Forno and Brioni Minor forts (located on Little Brion) were able to provide crossfire and thus block access to the Fažana Channel. This was extremely important, as the Fažana Channel was one of the three entrances to the port of Pula.
To defend against a possible ground attack, the fortress was surrounded by a defensive moat carved into the rock. The defensive moat encircled the fortress’s area of 13,893 square meters. The fortress’s garrison consisted of nine officers and 321 soldiers. The fortress was also equipped with double funnels—devices for detecting the sound of aircraft engines.
To the left of the entrance was the engine room, which was equipped with gasoline generators and batteries. Today, the engine room is the most mysterious part of the fortress. It was destroyed in an explosion of unknown cause.
