Forte Sommo Alto

Construction

The fort was originally to have two 10 cm howitzers in casemates facing Fort Serrada, but this plan was dropped in favor of two 10 cm howitzers in 25 cm-thick rotating armored domes placed 140 ft apart. Two more tower howitzers (T.H.) were planned, but because of rising costs, they were placed in the casemate battery. The fort was built of steel-reinforced concrete in three distinct parts: the casemate battery and two smaller infantry works, "S" and "R", near the fort. Only the top floor was above ground, and the rear of the fort was dug into the rock. Three of the four sides were covered by earth, while the fourth was partially exposed to fit more guns facing the Italian border.

Casemate block

The casemate block is rectangular and is anchored to the natural rock at each end. Its three floors were the basement, the 1st floor, and the 2nd floor, which housed the 10cm howitzers. Also on top of the fort was a rotatable observation stand and an armored machine gun dome.

In the rear of the basement, a tunnel led to the infantry works “R” and “S”. There was also a postern, which replaced the front entrance after Italian shelling made it unusable during the war.

On the 2nd floor there was a continuous corridor with entrances to the howitzers and the observation dome.

Infantry works

Complex “R” consisted of 2 adjacent bunkers "behind" Fort Sommo, named after their position (left or right) as seen from the fort. They are connected to each other and Sommo by a rock postern. The bunkers had the job of controlling the Val Orsana.

Complex “S”, just like Complex “R”, consists of 2 bunkers and is connected to the casemate block by a postern. The two bunkers are called "Front" and "Trench". Complex "S" had the job of guarding the Coe pass, as well as the access road.

Armament

2 armored domes with 1 dome having a machine gun, and 1 having 2 machine guns in Complex “R”’s right bunker

1 armored casemate with 2 machine guns in Complex “R”’s left bunker

2 armored domes, 1 with a machine gun, and 1 with 2 machine guns in Complex “S”’s front bunker