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Fort De La Croix-de-Bretagne
The Fort de la Croix-de-Bretagne is a fortification in the vicinity of Briançon in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France. It was built as part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications in 1876–79 to defend France against invasion from Italy, at a cost of 1,416,642 francs. It overlooks the valley of the Durance from an altitude of and monitors the Cervière road to Italy. The position was used by the French Army in the defense of Briançon until 1940, when it was part of the Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné. The position overlooks the earlier Fort des Têtes and, in conjunction with the Grande Maye, was planned to bar an advance from Italy over the Col du Montgenèvre in the vicinity of the Gondrans. The garrison comprised 496 men, serving seven 155mm guns, five 138mm guns and four mortars. Croix-de-Bretagne and the Fort de l'Infernet The Fort de l'Infernet is a fortification complex near Briançon in the French Alps. It was built as part of the Séré ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Séré De Rivières System
The system was named after Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières, its originator. The system was an ensemble of fortifications built from 1874 along the frontiers and coasts of France. The fortresses were obsolescent by 1914 but were used during the First World War. Background Following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, France found itself seriously weakened and isolated from the rest of Europe, menaced by Germany and stung by the loss of Alsace-Lorraine. At the same time as the departure of the last German troops, France created the Defence Committee (), which was active between 1872 and 1888, whose mission was to reorganize the defence of the French frontiers and coasts. It was necessary to compensate for the lost territories of the north-east; to modernise old fortifications, which had been shown to be wanting in the last war and to create new fortifications proof against modern weaponry using new and more powerful explosives. The committee was created by a preside ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fortified Sector Of The Dauphiné
The Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné (''Secteur Fortifié du Dauphiné'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Alpine Line portion of the Maginot Line facing Italy in the vicinity of Briançon. By comparison with the integrated defenses of the main Maginot Line, or even of the Fortified Sector of the Maritime Alps to the south, the Dauphiné sector consisted of a series of distinct territories that covered two main invasion routes into France: the route from Turin over the Col de Montgenèvre to Briançon and Grenoble, and the route from Coni over the Col de Larche to Barcelonette and Gap. The sector was the scene of probing attacks by Italian forces during the Italian invasion of France in 1940, in which the French defenses successfully resisted Italian advances until the June 1940 armistice that granted Italy access to southeastern France. The sector was extensively subdivided into informal districts, sub-sectors and quarters or ''qu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Briançon
Briançon (, ) is the sole Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hautes-Alpes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is the highest city in France at an altitude of , based on the national definition as a community containing more than 2,000 inhabitants. Its most recent population estimate is 11,084 (as of 2018) for the Communes of France, commune. Briançon has been part of the Fortifications of Vauban UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Fortifications of Vauban UNESCO World Heritage Sites since they were established in 2008. History Briançon was the ''Brigantium'' of the Romans and formed part of the kingdom of Cottius, King Cottius. Brigantium was marked as the first place in Gaul, Gallia after Alpis Cottia (Mont Genèvre). At Brigantium the road branched, to the west through Grenoble to ''Vienna'' (modern Vienne), on the Rhone; to the south through ''Ebrodunum'' (modern Embrun, Hautes-Alpe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its Metropolitan France, metropolitan area extends from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea; overseas territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean. Due to its several coastal territories, France has the largest exclusive economic zone in the world. France borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Monaco, Italy, Andorra, and Spain in continental Europe, as well as the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Netherlands, Suriname, and Brazil in the Americas via its overseas territories in French Guiana and Saint Martin (island), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical region. Italy is also considered part of Western Europe, and shares land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino. It has a territorial exclave in Switzerland, Campione. Italy covers an area of , with a population of over 60 million. It is the third-most populous member state of the European Union, the sixth-most populous country in Europe, and the tenth-largest country in the continent by land area. Italy's capital and largest city is Rome. Italy was the native place of many civilizations such as the Italic peoples and the Etruscans, while due to its central geographic location in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, the country has also historically been home ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Durance
The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Bassin versant : Durance (La) Observatoire Régional Eau et Milieux Aquatiques en PACA Its source is in the southwestern part of the , in the ski resort near ; it flows southwest through the following [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fort Des Têtes
The Fort des Têtes, also known as the Fort des Trois Têtes, is a fortification in the vicinity of Briançon in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France. Partially designed by Vauban, the fort was first established as a permanent fortification in the 1720s and was used by the French army until 1940. Owing to its testimony to the advancement of military fortifications and Vauban's influence in military architecture, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. History It was first surveyed by Vauban in 1700. In 1709 the James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, Marshal Berwick established a fortified camp on the plateau, overlooking the valley of the Durance from a height of . The position controlled the high valleys of Fontenil and Fontchristiane. A permanent bastioned triangular fort was built between 1721 and 1723 to designs by Tardif and Nègre. The position was used by the French Army in the defense of Briançon until 1940, when it was part of the Fortified Sector o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Col Du Montgenèvre
In geomorphology, a col is the lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks.Whittow, John (1984). ''Dictionary of Physical Geography''. London: Penguin, 1984, p. 103. . It may also be called a gap. Particularly rugged and forbidding cols in the terrain are usually referred to as notches. They are generally unsuitable as mountain passes, but are occasionally crossed by mule tracks or climbers' routes. The term col tends to be associated more with mountain rather than hill ranges. It is derived from the French ''col'' ("collar, neck") from Latin ''collum'', "neck". The height of a summit above its highest col (called the key col) is effectively a measure of a mountain's topographic prominence. Cols lie on the line of the watershed between two mountains, often on a prominent ridge or arête. For example, the highest col in Austria, the ''Obere Glocknerscharte'' ("Upper Glockner Col", ), lies between the Kleinglockner () and Grossglockner () mountains, giving the Klei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Gondran
Ouvrage Gondran is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, one infantry block and one observation block. Gondran was commenced in June 1933, and was intended to cover the gap between Janus and Les Aittes. The site is close to two older forts, designated Gondran C and Gondran D. The Maginot fortification became known as Gondran E.Mary, Tome 5, p. 28 The fortified area is near the Les Gondrans portion of the Montgenèvre ski area. Description :''See Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné for a broader discussion of the Dauphiné sector of the Alpine Line.'' The ''ouvrage'' was never completed. As the emergency exit was on the same level as the main portion it was used during peacetime as the main entrance. It is sometimes called "Gondran E."Kaufmann 2011, p. 261 *Block 1 (entry): one machine gun cloche and one heavy twin machine gun embrasure. *Block 2 (infantry): one machine gun embrasure. *Bl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fort De L'Infernet
The Fort de l'Infernet is a fortification complex near Briançon in the French Alps. It was built as part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications in 1876–78 to defend France against invasion from Italy. It specifically overlooks the valley of the Durance behind and the Fort du Gondran, closer to Italy. Built at an elevation of , the fort was accessed by an aerial tramway, which connected to the older Fort du Randouillet at lower elevation. It was the last French fort to be built from cut stone masonry. The construction of the fort required that its mountaintop be leveled, a process that produced landslides. The 210-man garrison served an armament consisting of seven 138mm guns, five 155mm guns, two 220mm mortars, two 150mm mortars and six more 138mm guns in a separate battery. Much of the armament was placed on a cavalier or gun platform on top of the masonry barracks. The garrison was accommodated in two barracks at somewhat lower elevation, La Cochette and La Se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fortified Sector Of Dauphine
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ("to make"). From very early history to modern times, defensive walls have often been necessary for cities to survive in an ever-changing world of invasion and conquest. Some settlements in the Indus Valley civilization were the first small cities to be fortified. In ancient Greece, large stone walls had been built in Mycenaean Greece, such as the ancient site of Mycenae (famous for the huge stone blocks of its 'cyclopean' walls). A Greek '' phrourion'' was a fortified collection of buildings used as a military garrison, and is the equivalent of the Roman castellum or English fortress. These constructions mainly served the purpose of a watch tower, to guard certain roads, passes, and borders. Though smaller than a real fortress, they ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alpine Line
The Alpine Line (french: Ligne Alpine) or Little Maginot Line (French: ''Petite Ligne Maginot'') was the component of the Maginot Line that defended the southeastern portion of France. In contrast to the main line in the northeastern portion of France, the Alpine Line traversed a mountainous region of the Maritime Alps, the Cottian Alps and the Graian Alps, with relatively few passes suitable for invading armies. Access was difficult for construction and for the Alpine Line garrisons. Consequently, fortifications were smaller in scale than the fortifications of the main Line. The Alpine Line mounted few anti-tank weapons, since the terrain was mostly unsuitable for the use of tanks. Ouvrage Rimplas was the first Maginot fortification to be completed on any portion of the Maginot Line, in 1928. The Alpine Line was unsuccessfully attacked by Italian forces during the Italian invasion of France in 1940. Following World War II, some of the larger positions of the Alpine Line were retai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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