fortification
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Lati ...
complex near
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 a ...
in the French
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
. It was built as part of the
Séré de Rivières system
The system was an ensemble of fortifications built from 1874 along the frontiers, ridges and coasts of France. The fortifications were named after their architect, Brigadier-General Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières. The fortresses were obso ...
of fortifications in 1876–78 to defend
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
against invasion from
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. It specifically overlooks the valley of the
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 .Fort du Gondran, closer to Italy. Built at an elevation of , the fort was accessed by an
aerial tramway
An aerial tramway, aerial tram, sky tram, cable car or aerial cablecar, aerial cableway, ropeway, téléphérique (French), or Seilbahn (German) is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary cables for support, with a third movin ...
, which connected to the older
Fort du Randouillet
The Fort du Randouillet, is a fortification in the vicinity of Briançon in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France. Briançon was surveyed by Vauban in 1692. His master plan for the defenses of the city would result in one of the most heavily ...
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 138 mm guns, five 155 mm guns, two 220 mm mortars, two 150 mm mortars and six more 138 mm 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 Seyte, with a portion of the total contingent rotated into the fort for duty. The aerial tramway was operated by mule power.
In 1940 the fort was manned as a backup fortification to the
Alpine Line
The Alpine Line () 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 ...
fortifications of the
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line (; ), named after the Minister of War (France), French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by French Third Republic, France in the 1930s to deter invas ...
program, and was bombarded on 21 and 23 June 1940 by mortars at Fort Chaberton. 280 mm field mortars placed at Infernet replied, silencing the Italian battery.