The gate or sally port was the redoubt's weakest point and its most vital one — the access through which defenders sallied out to disrupt besieging trenches, reinforcements moved in, and supplies came up from the rear. It was also the natural focal point of any direct assault, the place where attackers concentrated to break the wall rather than scale it. At Fort Mercer in October 1777 the Hessian grenadiers of Colonel Carl von Donop tried to force the gate area and were repulsed with heavy losses, including Donop's own mortal wound; at Yorktown four years later, Hamilton's light infantry and the French Royal Deux-Ponts grenadiers broke through the redoubt walls and gates of Redoubts 9 and 10 with the bayonet. This 3-piece W. Britain section combines the earthwork wall, the wooden gate, and the gabion-reinforced approach — making it a complete focal point for a fortification scene diorama, with the British 43rd Foot defending the works from inside, the Continental Line in hunting-shirt charging figure rushing the gate from outside, and the Regal Enterprises Knox's Artillery Regiment positioned to fire on or defend the position with their 6-pounder.

Set Number: 51010 / W. Britain Scenic / 1/30 (60mm) scale / matte finish / 3-piece set / 8"L x 8"D x 4"H