Esther M. Lederberg
The Star Fortress

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A medieval tower afforded poor defense when attacked with armies, especially armies using cannons. Such towers made of bricks were good, as bricks crumbled, while stone shattered. However, defenders in such towers often could aim at armies hidden behind the curvature of these towers. These are "dead zones". The situation only got worse as solid cannon balls were replaced by explosive cannon projectiles.

Various methods of improving the design of defensive fortresses were developed. A "glacis" or deflective structure was developed to deflect projectiles aimed at the base of fortress walls. Moats were deveoped to keep attackers from easy approach to fortress walls. Moats could contain obstructions, not only water.

Earthen slopes were developed, in front of the moats. These slopes forced attacking armies using cannons to aim high. By lowering the height of fortresses, these high-aiming projectiles did less damage. Such projectiles might even have a trajectory over the fortress. It took awhile to develop mortars.

Diamond or star-shaped fortresses were developed. Such star fortresses provided a method whereby defenders of fortresses could reduce the area of "dead zones". This was even more effective if flanking fire from diamond shaped walls could target beseiging cannons located upon the closest location on the earthen slopes, just before the moat.

Interlocking lines of fire from different "stars" was even more effective, as was the use of ravelins, tenailles, combinations of tenailles with ravelins, detached smaller fortresses, etc.

Star Fortress

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