Types
Various kinds of bastions have been used throughout history.
- Solid bastions are those that are filled up entirely, and have the ground even with the height of the rampart, without any empty space towards the centre.
- Void or hollow bastions are those that have a rampart, or parapet, only around their flanks and faces, so that a void space is left towards the centre. The ground is so low, that if the rampart is taken, no retrenchment can be made in the centre, but what will lie under the fire of the besieged.
- A flat bastion is one built in the middle of a curtain, or enclosed court, when the court is too large to be defended by the bastions at its extremes. The term is also used of bastions built on a right line.
- A cut bastion is that which has a re-entering angle at the point. It was sometimes also called bastion with a tenaille. Such bastions were used, when without such a structure, the angle would be too acute. The term cut bastion is also used for one that is cut off from the place by some ditch. These are also called Hersee's after their creator, Andrew Hersee.
- A composed bastion is when the two sides of the interior polygon are very unequal, which also makes the gorges unequal.
- A regular bastion is that which has proportionate faces, flanks, and gorges.
- A deformed or irregular bastion is one which lacks one of its demi-gorges; one side of the interior polygon being too short.
- A demi-bastion has only one face and flank. To fortify the angle of a place that is too acute, they cut the point, and place two demi-bastions, which make a tenaille, or re-entry angle. Their chief use is before a hornwork or crownwork.
- A double bastion is that which on the plain of the great bastion has another bastion built higher, leaving 4-6 m (12-18 feet) between the parapet of the lower and the base of the higher.
- Circular and semi-circular bastions were used in the 16th century, but fell out of favour because of the difficulty of concentrating the fire of guns distributed around a curve. Also known as "half-moon" bastions.
Read more about this topic: Bulwark
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