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Fortified Sector Of Boulay
The Fortified Sector of Boulay (''Secteur Fortifiée de Boulay'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line to the north and east of Metz in northeastern France. The left (western) wing of the Boulay sector was among the earliest and strongest portions of the Maginot Line. The right wing, started after 1931, was progressively scaled back in order to save money during the Great Depression. It was attacked in 1940 by German forces in the Battle of France. Despite the withdrawal of the mobile forces that supported the fixed fortifications, the sector successfully fended off German assaults before the Second Armistice at Compiègne. The positions and their garrisons finally surrendered on 27 June 1940. Following the war many positions were reactivated for use during the Cold War. Three locations are now preserved and open to the public. Concept and organization The Boulay sector was part of the larger Fortified Region of Metz, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line (french: Ligne Maginot, ), named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by France in the 1930s to deter invasion by Germany and force them to move around the fortifications. The Maginot Line was impervious to most forms of attack. In consequence, the Germans invaded through the Low Countries in 1940, passing it to the north. The line, which was supposed to be fully extended further towards the west to avoid such an occurrence, was finally scaled back in response to demands from Belgium. Indeed, Belgium feared it would be sacrificed in the event of another German invasion. The line has since become a metaphor for expensive efforts that offer a false sense of security. Constructed on the French side of its borders with Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium, the line did not extend to the English Channel. French strategy therefore envisioned a move into Belgium ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Hackenberg
Ouvrage Hackenberg, one of the largest (a ''gros ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line fortifications, is part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay. It is situated twenty kilometres east of Thionville, in the Moselle ''département'', near the village of Veckring, on the Hackenberg (343 metres). It is located between ''gros ouvrage'' Billig and ''petit ouvrage'' Coucou, facing Germany. The fort occupies the wooded Hackenberg ridge. Before World War II it was considered a showpiece of French fortification technology, and was visited by British King George VI. In 1940 Hackenberg was never directly attacked, providing covering fire to neighboring positions and harassing nearby German forces. Its garrison was one of the last French units to surrender after the June 1940 armistice. In 1944, under German occupation, it was in action against American forces advancing along the Maginot Line. It resisted for three days before artillery bombardment from the rear forced the Germans to evacuat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Coume Annexe Sud
Ouvrage Coume Annexe Sud is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks, one artillery block and one observation block, and is located between ''petits ouvrages'' Coume and Mottemberg, facing Germany. Design and construction The site was surveyed by CORF (''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées''), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Coume was approved for construction in May 1931. It was completed at a cost of 13 million francs.Mary Tome 1, p. 52 The ''petit ouvrage'' was to receive a separate entry block in a second phase, never carried out.Mary, Tome 3, p. 110 Description Coume Annexe Sud comprises four infantry blocks, connected by underground galleries, with a small underground utility area and barracks. The galleries are excavated at an average depth of up to . Mary, Tome 2, p. 117 *Block 1: Infantry block with one automatic rifle cloche ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Coume
Ouvrage Coume is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ''ouvrage'' consists of two infantry blocks, and was located between ''petits ouvrages'' Coume Annexe Nord and Coume Annexe Sud, facing Germany. Design and construction The site was surveyed by CORF (''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées''), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Coume was approved for construction in early 1931. It was completed at a cost of 7 million francs by the contractor Duval-Weyrich of Nancy.Mary, Tome 1, p. 52 The ''petit ouvrage'' was originally planned as a ''gros ouvrage'' with twelve combat blocks, mounting artillery. The project was progressively scaled back to the point that the two infantry blocks that were actually built were not even connected by an underground gallery. A second phase was planned to link the two, never carried out.Mary, Tome 3, p. 109 Description Coume comprises two unconne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Coume Annexe Nord
Ouvrage Coume Annexe Nord is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of one infantry block, and is located between ''petits ouvrages'' Village Coume and Coume, facing Germany. Design and construction The site was surveyed by CORF (''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées''), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Village Coume was approved for construction in July 1931. It was completed at a cost of 7 million francs by the contractor Duval-Weyrich of Nancy.Mary, , Tome 1 p. 52 The ''petit ouvrage'' was in effect designed and built as an isolated casemate, as opposed to an ''ouvrage'' with multiple combat blocks, deep underground support services and accommodationsMary, Tome 3, p. 109 Description Coume Annex Nord comprises a single casemate. Armament includes two automatic rifle cloches (GFM), one retractable twin machine gun turret, one twin machine gun embrasure and one ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Village Coume
Ouvrage Village Coume is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of three infantry blocks, and is located between ''petits ouvrages'' Bovenberg and Coume Annexe Nord, facing Germany. The position saw little action in World War II. It was sold in the 1970s and stripped by salvagers. Design and construction The site was surveyed by CORF (''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées''), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Village Coume was approved for construction in May 1931. It was completed at a cost of 12 million francs by the contractor Duval-Weyrich of Nancy.Mary, Tome 1, p. 52, The ''petit ouvrage'' was planned for construction in two phases. The second phase was to provide a separate entry block less than behind the ''ouvrage''.Mary, Tome 3, p. 108 Description Village Coume comprises three infantry blocks. A separate entrance block was planned for a second phase ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Denting
Ouvrage Denting is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line. Part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of three infantry blocks, and is located between ''petits ouvrages'' Bovenberg and Village Coume, near the village of Denting in Moselle ''département'', facing Germany. The position saw little action in World War II. Design and construction The site was surveyed by CORF (''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées''), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Denting was approved for construction in May 1931. It was completed at a cost of 11 million francs by the contractor Duval-Weyrich of Nancy.Mary, Tome 1, p. 52 The ''petit ouvrage'' was planned for construction in two phases. The second phase was to provide a separate entrance block a short distance to the rear. Heavy water infiltration required the provision of more extensive drainage work than originally planned.Mary, Tome 3, p. 108 Description Denting compris ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Bovenberg
Ouvrage Bovenberg is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ''ouvrage'' is located between ''petits ouvrages'' Berenbach and Denting, facing Germany. It consists of two infantry blocks and two artillery blocks. Design and construction The site was surveyed by CORF (''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées''), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Bovenberg was approved for construction in early 1931. It was completed at a cost of 26 million francs by the contractor Omnium of Paris.Mary, Tome 1, p. 52 The ''petit ouvrage'' was planned for construction in two phases, the original second phase designed to expand the position into a ''gros ouvrage'' with artillery. A scaled-down second phase was contemplated in 1939. No version of the second phase was ever carried out.Mary, Tome 3, p. 108 Description Bovenberg comprises six infantry blocks. Block 3 is not connected to the main ''ouvra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Berenbach
Ouvrage Berenbach, also known as Ouvrage Behrenbach, is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ''ouvrage'' is located between ''gros ouvrage'' Anzeling and ''petit ouvrage'' Bovenberg, facing Germany. The ''ouvrage'' consists of two infantry blocks and one observation block. Uniquely, the blocks are not connected by subterranean galleries, as is the case in virtually all other Maginot fortifications. Design and construction The site was surveyed by CORF (''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées''), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Berenbach was approved for construction in August 1930. It was completed at a cost of 11 million francs by the contractor La Parisienne d'Enterprises.Mary, Tome 1, p. 52 The ''petit ouvrage'' was planned as an annex to Anzeling.Mary, Tome 3, p. 107 Description Berenbach comprises three separate infantry blocks. Blocks 1 and 2 were planned for the deep u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Anzeling
Ouvrage Anzeling is a ''gros ouvrage'' of the Maginot Line, part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay. It is located between ''petit ouvrage'' Bousse and ''petit ouvrage'' Berenbach, facing Germany just to the east of Bockange. With one of the longest main galleries of any Maginot position, it consists of two entrance blocks, three infantry blocks and four artillery blocks. A second phase of construction was planned to add nine more combat blocks and an anti-tank ditch, but was never executed. Anzeling saw limited action in World War II, and was rehabilitated for use during the cold war. It was de-activated in the 1970s and sold for private use. Design and construction The site was surveyed by CORF (''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées''), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Anzeling was approved for construction in May 1931. It was completed at a cost of 122 million francs by the contractor La Parisienne d'Enterprises.Mary, Tome 1. p. 52 The ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Bousse
Ouvrage Bousse, also known as Ouvrage Bois de Bousse, is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line in the Fortified Sector of Boulay. The ''ouvrage'' is located between ''petit ouvrage'' Ouvrage Hobling, Hobling and ''gros ouvrage'' Ouvrage Anzeling, Anzeling, near Hestroff in the Bois du Bousse, facing Germany. A small position, it was manned primarily by reservists. It is noted for the events of 15 June 1940, when it received orders to prepare for an evacuation as German forces advanced along the Line in the Battle of France. As the garrison prepared to abandon the position, sabotaging equipment, they destroyed their telephone connection, leaving them unable to receive the order countermanding the evacuation. The garrison was captured three days after leaving Bousse. Bousse is now managed as a museum and is open to public visitation. Design and construction Bousse was approved for construction by the Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées (CORF), the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ouvrage Hobling
Ouvrage Hobling is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks and two observation blocks, and is located between ''gros ouvrage'' Michelsberg and ''petit ouvrage'' Bousse, facing Germany. It has been stripped of metals and abandoned. Design and construction Hobling was approved for construction by CORF (''Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées''), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency, in 1931 and became operational by 1935,Kaufmann 2006, p. 25 at a cost of 14 million francs. The contractor was Gianotti of Nice.Mary, Tome 1, p. 52 Description Hobling is a ''petit ouvrage'' with four combat blocks. The blocks are linked by an underground gallery with barracks and a utility area (''usine'').Mary, Tome 3, p. 105 The galleries are excavated at an average depth of up to .Mary, Tome 2, p. 117 * Block 1: infantry block with two automatic rifle cloches (GFM)a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
