![Fort Schoenenbourg entree munitions](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Fort_Schoenenbourg_entree_munitions.jpg)
The Fortified Sector of Haguenau (''Secteur Fortifiée de Haguenau'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the most easterly section of the
Maginot Line, to the north of
Strasbourg. The left (western) wing of the Haguenau sector adjoined the
Fortified Sector of the Vosges The Fortified Sector of the Vosges (''Secteur Fortifiée des Vosges'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line at the northern end of the Vosges Mountains in northeastern France. The sector was b ...
, includes two of the largest Maginot fortifications,
Ouvrage Hochwald
Ouvrage Hochwald is a ''gros ouvrage'' of the Maginot Line, one of the largest fortifications in the Line. Located on the Hochwald ridge in the Fortified Sector of Haguenau in the community of Drachenbronn-Birlenbach in the Bas-Rhin department ...
and
Ouvrage Schoenenbourg
Ouvrage Schoenenbourg is a Maginot Line fortification. It is located on the territory of the communes of Hunspach, Schœnenbourg and Ingolsheim, in the French ''département'' of Bas-Rhin, forming part of the Fortified Sector of Haguenau ...
. The right wing, started after 1931, was progressively scaled back in order to save money during the
Great Depression, abandoning plans for four ''petit ouvrages'' and substituting
casemates. The sector's northern and eastern sides bordered on Germany. To the south the sector borders the
Fortified Sector of the Lower Rhine
The Fortified Sector of the Lower Rhine (''Secteur Fortifié du Bas-Rhin'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the French frontier with Germany in the vicinity of Strasbourg. The sector's principal defence w ...
, from which it received several casemates in a boundary shift in 1940.
The SF Haguenau was attacked in 1940 by German forces in the
Battle of France. The sector successfully fended off German assaults before the
Second Armistice at Compiègne
The Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed at 18:36 near Compiègne, France, by officials of Nazi Germany and the Third French Republic. It did not come into effect until after midnight on 25 June.
Signatories for Germany included Wilhelm Keitel, ...
. The positions and their garrisons finally surrendered on 1 July 1940. The sector saw action again in 1944 and 1945 as American forces advanced into Alsace. The sector's easternmost sections saw heavy fighting in January 1945 during the German
Operation Nordwind
Operation Northwind (german: Unternehmen Nordwind) was the last major Nazi Germany, German offensive of World War II on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front. Northwind was launched to support the German Ardennes offensive campaign in ...
offensive. Following the war some positions were reactivated for use during the
Cold War, with continued use of
Ouvrage Hochwald
Ouvrage Hochwald is a ''gros ouvrage'' of the Maginot Line, one of the largest fortifications in the Line. Located on the Hochwald ridge in the Fortified Sector of Haguenau in the community of Drachenbronn-Birlenbach in the Bas-Rhin department ...
as an air defense command center to the present day.
Ouvrage Schoenenbourg
Ouvrage Schoenenbourg is a Maginot Line fortification. It is located on the territory of the communes of Hunspach, Schœnenbourg and Ingolsheim, in the French ''département'' of Bas-Rhin, forming part of the Fortified Sector of Haguenau ...
has been preserved as a museum and is open to the public, as well as the
Casemate d'Esch.
Concept and organization
The Haguenau sector was part of the larger
Fortified Region of the Lauter
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'' ...
, a strongly defended area between the
Sarre to the west and the
Rhine
), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source1_coordinates=
, source1_elevation =
, source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein
, source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland
, source2_coordinates=
, so ...
Valley to the east. The Lauter region was more important during the planning and construction phase of the Maginot Line than it was in the operational phase of the Line, when the sectors assumed prominence. The Fortified Region of the Lauter was dissolved as a military organization on 5 March 1940, becoming the 43rd Fortress Army Corps.
[Mary, Tome 3, p. 134]
The Haguenau sector uniquely combined two aspects of the Maginot fortifications: two ''gros ouvrages'' of the largest kind in the west, and lighter casemate lines farther east, with multilayered lines of casemates along the Rhine. The sector thus forms a transition from the heavily fortified section of the central Line to the lighter positions along the Rhine sectors. In preliminary planning in 1925 the ''Commission de Défense des Frontiers'' regarded the Rhine and its branches as a significant obstacle, backed by the heights of the
Vosges
The Vosges ( , ; german: Vogesen ; Franconian and gsw, Vogese) are a range of low mountains in Eastern France, near its border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the border, they form a single ...
. The Hochwald and Schoenenbourg positions were planned to anchor the right flank of the Maginot defenses on the easternmost heights of the Vosges. To the south, Strasbourg was to be considered an
open city
In war, an open city is a settlement which has announced it has abandoned all defensive efforts, generally in the event of the imminent capture of the city to avoid destruction. Once a city has declared itself open the opposing military will be ...
, as it could otherwise be easily destroyed by German artillery on the other side of the Rhine.
[Mary, Tome 1, p. 15]
The Herrlisheim sub-sector of the neighboring Fortified Sector of the Lower Rhine was transferred to the SF Haguenau on 5 March 1940 when the SF Lower Rhine was reorganized as the 103rd Fortress Infantry Division.
[Mary, Tome 3, pp. 142-143] The riverbank fortifications were of a basic nature, with protection only up to 155mm caliber, machine gun armament and no electrical system. The second and third lines were more robust in construction and equipment, with electric generators and anti-tank weapons.
File:Insigne du 23° RIF.jpg, Insignia of the 23rd RIF.
File:Insigne régimentaire du 68e RIF (1939).jpg, Insignia of the 68th RIF.
File:Insigne régimentaire du 70e RIF.jpg, Insignia of the 70th RIF.
File:Insigne du 79° RIF.jpg, Insignia of the 79th RIF.
Command
The Haguenau sector was under the overall command of the
French 5th Army
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
, headquartered at Wangenbourg, under the command of General Bourret, which was in turn part of Army Group 2 under General
André-Gaston Prételat A 1939 portrait of Prételat.
André-Gaston Prételat (14 November 1874, Wassy, Champagne, France – 6 December 1969, Paris, France) was a general in the French Army.
Military career 1910–1918
His first post, from 1910 to 1912, was as mili ...
. The SF Haguenau was commanded by Commandant Laherre, then Lieutenant Colonel Schwartz. The command post was located at Reimerswiller, although Schwartz's command post was at Hochwald. The interval troops, the army formations that were to provide the mobile defense for the sector, to support and be supported by the fixed defenses, were under the command of the 12th Corps (''12e Corps d'Armee''), General Dentz, commander. The 6th Corps was in turn made up of the 16th and 70th Infantry Divisions. Artillery support for the sector was provided by the 156th Position Artillery Regiment (''Régiment d'Artillerie de Position (RAP)''), which controlled both fixed and mobile artillery, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Duval. The 16th ID was a Class A reserve formation, while the 70th ID was a Class B reserve division, unsuitable for heavy or sustained combat.
At the midpoint of the Battle of France on 1 June 1940, the fortress troops of the SF Haguenau amounted to five fortress infantry regiments in 12 battalions, comprising 670 officers and 22,000 men.
[Mary, Tome 3, p. 189]
Description
The sector includes, in order from west to east, the following major fortified positions, together with the most significant casemates and infantry shelters in each sub-sector:
Sub-sector of Péchelbronn
![15-26-56-ouv-schoenenbourg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/15-26-56-ouv-schoenenbourg.jpg)
22nd Fortress Infantry Regiment (''164e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)''), Lt. Colonel Lemai, followed by Chef de Bataillon Fabre in May 1940, command post in the Bois de Kirschpiel.
*
Ouvrage Hochwald
Ouvrage Hochwald is a ''gros ouvrage'' of the Maginot Line, one of the largest fortifications in the Line. Located on the Hochwald ridge in the Fortified Sector of Haguenau in the community of Drachenbronn-Birlenbach in the Bas-Rhin department ...
, ''gros ouvrage'' E 700/O720 of eleven combat blocks with nine detached casemates. Hochwald is effectively a complex of two connected ''gros ouvrages'', and with
Ouvrage Hackenberg is one of the two largest Maginot ''ouvrages''.
*
Ouvrage Schoenenbourg
Ouvrage Schoenenbourg is a Maginot Line fortification. It is located on the territory of the communes of Hunspach, Schœnenbourg and Ingolsheim, in the French ''département'' of Bas-Rhin, forming part of the Fortified Sector of Haguenau ...
, ''gros ouvrage'' O 800 of six combat blocks
* Ouvrage de Bremmelbach, proposed ''petit ouvrage'', completed as the linked casemates Bremmelbach Nord and Sud
* Casemate de Schmeltzenbach Est
* Abri de Walkmühl
* Abri de Birkenbach
* Casemate de Drachenbronn Nord (linked underground to Drachenbronn Sud)
* Casemate de Drachenbronn Sud (linked underground to Drachenbronn Nord)
* Casemate de Bremmelbach Nord (linked underground to Bremmelbach Sud)
* Casemate de Bremmelbach Sud (linked underground to Bremmelbach Nord)
* Casemate de Breitenacker Nord (linked underground to Breitenacker Nord)
* Casemate de Breitenacker Sud (linked underground to Breitenacker Sud)
* Abri de Grassersloch
* Abri de Schoenenbourg
* Casemate d'Ingolsheim Ouest
* Casemate de Ingolsheim Est
Peacetime barracks and support:
* Casernement de Drachenbronn
(now
Drachenbronn Air Base, incorporating portions of Hochwald)
Sub-sector of Hoffen
79th Fortress Infantry Regiment (''79e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)''), Lt. Colonel Rethoré, command post at position 1416, then the Abri du Bucholzberg from 17 June 1940.
* Ouvrage Moulin d'Hunspach, proposed ''petit ouvrage'', completed as the casemates Moulin d'Hunspach Nord and Sud
* Ouvrage Bois d'Hoffen, proposed ''petit ouvrage'', completed as the casemates Hoffen Est and Bois d'Hoffen
* Ouvrage Oberroeden, proposed ''petit ouvrage'', completed as casemates Oberroeden Nord and Est
* Casemate d'Hunspach-Village
* Casemate d'Hunspach
* Casemate d'Hunspach-Station
* Casemate du Moulin d'Hunspach Ouest
* Casemate du Moulin d'Hunspach Ouest
* Abri du Buchholzberg
* Abri de Hoffen
* Abri de Hoffen Ouest
* Casemate de Hoffen Est
*
Casemate du Bois de Hoffen
*
Casemate d'Aschbach Ouest
*
Casemate d'Aschbach Est
*
Casemate d'Oberroedern Nord
*
Casemate d'Obberroedern Est (Sud)
* Casemate de la Seltz
* Observatoire d'Hatten
Peacetime barracks and support:
* Casernement de Bockange
Sub-sector of Soufflenheim
![Heidenbuckel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Heidenbuckel.jpg)
23rd Fortress Infantry Regiment (''23e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)''), Lt. Colonel Lefèvre, command post at Soufflenheim.
* Ouvrage Kauffenheim, proposed ''gros ouvrage'', completed as casemate Kauffenheim
[Mary, Tome 1, p. 38]
* Casemate d'Hatten Nord
* Casemate d'Hatten Sud
*
Casemate d'Esch
* Casemate d'Hatten (Abri de Hatten)
* Casemate du Bois-de-Rittershoffen 1
* Casemate du Bois-de-Rittershoffen 2
* Casemate du Bois-de-Rittershoffen 3
* Casemate du Bois-de-Rittershoffen 4
* Casemate du Bois-de-Rittershoffen 5
* Casemate du Bois-de-Rittershoffen 6
* Casemate de Koenigsbrück Nord
* Casemate de Koenigsbrück Sud
* Abri de Sauer
* Abri de Koenigsbrück
* Abri de Donau
* Casemate de Kauffenheim
* Abri du Heidenbuckel
* Casemate du Heidenbuckel
*
Casemate de Rountzenheim Nord (linked underground to Rountzenheim Sud)
* Abri de Soufflenheim
Peacetime barracks and support:
* Casernement de Soufflenheim
Sub-sector of Sessenheim
![Auenheim sud](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Auenheim_sud.jpg)
68th Fortress Infantry Regiment (''68e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)''), Lt. Colonel Blanloeil.
* Ouvrage Auenheim, proposed ''gros ouvrage'', completed as casemates Auenheim Nord and Sud
*
Casemate de Rountzenheim Sud (linked underground to Rountzenheim Nord)
*
Casemate d'Auenheim Nord
* Casemate d'Auenheim Sud 9/3
First line (riverbank)
* Casemate du Pont-de-Seltz
* Abri de Beinheim Nord 2/2
* Abri de Beinheim Sud 2''bis''/2
* Casemate du Pont-de-Roppenheim Nord
* Casemate du Pont-de-Roppenheim Sud
* Casemate de Neuhaeusel
* Casemate du Fort-Louis-Village
* Casemate du Fort-Louis-Ouest
* Casemate du Fort-Louis-Est
* Casemate de Stattmatten 10/3
Second line
* Casemate de Lobsann (never built)
* Casemate de Mettemuhl
* Casemate du Grosswald
* Casemate de Soultz Nord
* Casemate de Soultz Sud
* Casemate de Hohwiller (never built)
* Casemate de Kuhlendorf Nord
* Casemate de Kuhlendorf Sud
* Casemate de Niederbetschdorf Nord
* Casemate de Niederbetschdorf Nord-Est
* Casemate du Moulin-de-Rittershoffen
In addition to the casemate lines, a line of fifteen fortified frontier posts (''avant-postes'') and a line of approximately seventeen fortified houses completed the sector.
Peacetime barracks and support:
* Casernement d'Oberhoffen
* Casernement de Beinheim
Sub-sector of Herrlisheim
70th Fortress Infantry Regiment (''70e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)''), Lt. Colonel Schwartz, then Raynaud from April 1940. Transferred from the SF Lower Rhine 5 March 1940.
9th CEC
CEC = ''Compangnie d'Équipage de Casemates'', or "casemate company"
''First line (riverbank)''
* Casemate de Drusenheim Nord
* Casemate de Drusenheim Centre ("''Abri de l'Ancienne Redoute''")
* Casemate de Drusenheim Sud
''Second line (shelters)''
* Abri d'Ancien-Redoute 6/2
''Third line (villages)''
* Casemate de Neureid 12/3
* Casemate d'Ottendorf 14/3
Peacetime barracks and support:
* Casernement de Drusenheim
10th CEC
''First line (riverbank)''
* Casemate de
Gambsheim
Gambsheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France, in the historical region of Alsace.
Geography
Gambsheim lies adjacent to a river-crossing into Germany that is favoured by southbound traffic on th ...
Nord
* Casemate de Gambsheim Centre
* Casemate de Gambsheim Sud
''Second line (shelters)''
* Abri de Kaelbergrund 7/2
* Abri d Haugrund 7''bis''/2
''Third line (villages)''
* Casemate de Mulrhein 15/3
* Casemate d Bettenhoffen 15''bis''/3
* Casemate de Kilstett 16/3
Peacetime barracks and support:
* Casernement de Gambsheim
History
Battle of France
Hochwald was the first ''ouvrage'' to fire on the Germans on 8–9 September 1939 during the
Phoney War
The Phoney War (french: Drôle de guerre; german: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germa ...
, supporting French forces involved in the
Saar Offensive
The Saar Offensive was a French invasion of Saarland, Germany, in the first stages of World War II, from 7 to 16 September 1939. The original plans called for 40 divisions, and one armored division, three mechanised divisions, 78 artillery r ...
. A number of problems with ammunition and weaponry were revealed by this action, and compatibility problems with guns and ordnance persisted into 1940 in other locations. Hochwald and Schoenenbourg fired their 75mm guns again on 16 October Hochwald fired again in November on Germans laying a minefield.
[Kaufmann 2006, p. 151] At Schoenenbourg a 120mm gun exploded during target practice in March 1940.
[Kaufmann 2006, p. 152]
The full German offensive opened on 10 May 1940. German attention was concentrated on Belgium and the Ardennes region, breaching a weak point in French frontier defenses at Sedan. The main Maginot Line was not directly attacked. However, as disaster overtook the French field armies, the interval troops were pulled out of the Line on 15 June in the central Line, but remained in the SF Haguenau.
[Kaufmann 2006, p. 168] Having broken through at the Sarre, German troops moved behind the Line, heading east. Hochwald and Schoenenbourg came under aerial and artillery attack on 19 June, continuing the next day. Hochwald supported Lembach with its 75mm guns when the latter came under infantry attack, but the German 215th ID broke through a weakly fortified section of the Line west of Lembach in the SF Vosges. On 21 June a German 420mm mortar and a 355mm weapon began shelling Schoenenbourg, causing some damage but not breaching the position.
[Kaufmann 2006, p. 173] Schoenenbourg received the heaviest bombardment of any Maginot fortification, comprising 160 aerial bombs, 50 42 cm shells, 33 28 cm shells, and approximately 3000 smaller projectiles,
In early June in the face of the German assault, all fortress units attached to the Fifth Army were ordered to prepare for withdrawal to the south and west. While fortress units under the 2nd, 3rd and 8th Armies received categorical instructions to prepare to sabotage their positions and conduct an orderly retreat from 14 to 17 June, Fifth Army commander General Bourret's instructions to the SFs Rohrbach, Vosges, Haguenau and Lower Rhine were not as definitive. The personnel of the SF Haguenau were to be consolidated into a ''Division de Marche'' entitled the DM ''Regard'', consisting of the I/22, II/23, XXI/23, I/68, II/68, II/70, II/79 and III/79e RIFs, along with the 69e RAMF and the 156e RAP. A partial withdrawal of fortress troops took place in the SF Haguenau, with some battalions of each fortress infantry regiment remaining in their positions until the armistice to cover the withdrawal of the interval troops and the fortress infantry assigned to the ''divisions de marche''.
None of the major positions in the SF Haguenau were captured by German forces prior to 25 June armistice.
[Kaufmann 2006, p. 174] However, by 20 June the town of
Haguenau to the rear of the Line had been captured by the German 215th Infantry Division, part of a German strategy to secure the
Pechelbronn
Merkwiller-Pechelbronn () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France.
It is notable as the original home of oil sands mining.
Oil sands were mined from 1745 in Merkwiller-Pechelbronn, initially under the direc ...
oilfield.
[Romanych, p. 76] To support the 215th ID, the German 246th Infantry Division was ordered to directly attack the SF Haguenau from the north. On the 20th the 246th attacked several casemates centering on Oberroeden Nord and Aschbach-Ouest and Est. Aerial bombing hit Oberroeden Nord and the Abri de Hoffen, disrupting communications but not seriously harming French defenses. German artillery hit an embrasure at Oberroeden Sud, killing one French soldier. Despite the intensity of the attack, the casemate line, aided by Hochwald and Schoenenbourg, held. The 246th withdrew with sixty-two killed, ten missing and about three hundred wounded.
[Romanych, p. 80]
The
Second Compiègne armistice took effect on 25 June, stopping the fighting. The final surrender of Hochwald, Schoenenbourg and their lesser positions was effected on 1 July 1940, in accordance with the terms of the armistice.
Hochwald had fired 19,550 of the 75mm, 135mm or 81mm rounds of the 90,315 on hand; Schoenenbourg 16,474 of 34,260.
[Mary, Tome 5, p. 255] Under German occupation in 1940, Schoenenbourg was subjected to a new bombardment, filmed for propaganda purposes. In 1944 Hochwald (''Werk Hochwald'') was used as an underground factory.
Units
The 22nd RIF was deployed in the Pechelbronn area. The unit's first battalion was ordered to withdraw from the fortified line on 14 June as part of the DI ''Regard'', falling back to
Lure, then
Héricourt to control the
Besançon
Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzer ...
-
Belfort
Belfort (; archaic german: Beffert/Beffort) is a city in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in Northeastern France, situated between Lyon and Strasbourg, approximately from the France–Switzerland border. It is the prefecture of the Terri ...
road. The battalion was captured at Héricourt on 19 June. The other units of the 22nd RIF remained in their fortifications and surrendered on 1 July.
The 23rd RIF was stationed in the Soufflenheim sub-sector. The sub-sector experienced bombardments beginning 14 May, with direct assault finally beginning 13 June, at the same time as orders arrived to detach the second and 21st battalions to the DF ''Regarde''. The second battalion was sent to
Vesoul
Vesoul () is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté located in eastern France.
It is the most populated municipality of the department with inhabitants in 2014. The same year, the Communauté d'agglo ...
, then to Lure, while the 21st was ordered to
Sainte-Croix-aux-Mines
Sainte-Croix-aux-Mines (; ; gsw-als, Sànkriz) is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is part of the arrondissement of Colmar-Ribeauvillé.
Coal mines were operating in the village until 1849.
Ge ...
and the Col de Sainte-Marie. The battalions saw action at several locations in the Haute-Saône before finally being captured on the 25th in the Vosges. The first battalion and CEC (''compagnie d'équipage de casemates'') 5 and 6 remained in their fortifications to surrender on 2 July.
The 68th RIF occupied the sub-sector of Sessenheim. From 14 June the first and second companies were attached to the DF ''Regard'' and were assigned to guard the rail line between
Épinal
Épinal (; german: Spinal) is a commune in northeastern France and the prefecture of the Vosges department.
Geography
The commune has a land area of . It is situated on the river Moselle, south of Nancy. Épinal station has rail connecti ...
and
Vaivre, the first company assigned to an area near Vesoul, and the second at Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. Both were captured between 19 and 22 June. The third battalion, left behind in the casemates, repelled attacks on 16 and 17 June and surrendering on 30 June.
The 70th RIF occupied the Herrlisheim sub-sector. Transferred from the Lower Rhine to the Haguenau sector on 5 March 1940, the regiment lost its first and second battalions to the 70/79 ''régiment de marche'' on 13 June. The formation was integrated into the 103rd DIF (the former SF Lower Rhine) and moved to
Plaine and Diespach. After the armistice the units moved to Salm and were captured on 25 June. The casemate garrisons became part of the so-called ''groupement Schwartz'' after the sector's commander, and were repositioned to face to the south in the direction of the German 215th ID's threat. The garrison units surrendered on 2 July.
Operation Nordwind
While the Haguenau positions played little role in Allied advances in 1944, the retreating Germans caused significant damage to Hochwald, blowing up turrets, entrance blocks and several combat blocks before abandoning the position. Somewhat later, in 1945, Schoenenbourg and nearby casemates Schmeltzbach Ouest, Drachenbronn Nordand Sud and Bremmelbach received the same treatment from the German 245th ID before the American
36th Infantry Division took possession. In the Alsace Plain Ingolsheim Nord and Ouest, Hunspach Village, Seltz and others were blown up.
The eastern portion of the sector was the scene of heavy fighting in January 1945 as a result of the German
Operation Nordwind
Operation Northwind (german: Unternehmen Nordwind) was the last major Nazi Germany, German offensive of World War II on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front. Northwind was launched to support the German Ardennes offensive campaign in ...
offensive aimed at the recapture of Strasbourg. German forces of
Army Group G
Army Group G (''Heeresgruppe G'') fought on the Western Front of World War II and was a component of OB West.
History
When the Allied invasion of Southern France took place, Army Group G had eleven divisions with which to hold France south of ...
attacked the
U.S. 7th Army
United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICO ...
and
French First Army
The First Army (french: 1re Armée) was a field army of France that fought during World War I and World War II. It was also active during the Cold War.
First World War
On mobilization in August 1914, General Auguste Dubail was put in the ch ...
. American units retreated south to the casemate line and dug in, holding on from 8 January to 21 January, before falling back to Haguenau.
''Môle de Haguenau''
Following World War II, the French military reclaimed the Maginot Line with the aim of renovating and improving it against a possible attack by
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist repub ...
forces. The strongest positions, Hochwald and Schoenenbourg were grouped with Four-à-Chaux and Lembach from the SF Vosges. They were designated the ''môle de Haguenau'' ("breakwater") in 1951 and were placed back into service after a period of rehabilitation. After the establishment of the
French nuclear strike force, the importance of the Line declined, and maintenance ceased in the 1970s, with most of the casemates sold.
in 1956, Hochwald was transferred to the French Air Force for use as an air defense command center. New underground galleries were built in the rear (i.e., near the entrance blocks). The nearby Caserne de Drachenbronn became the above-ground support and operations facility. The complex was briefly known as ''Ouvrage H'' before its designation as ''Base Aérienne 901 Drachenbronn''.
Present status
On 4 September 2001, Schoenenbourg was the first ''gros ouvrage'' to be sold by the Ministry of Defense to a local community.
Schoenenbourg is maintained as a museum and may be visited. The
Casemate d'Esch is maintained as a museum by the same organization. The site is notable for the American
M4 Sherman
}
The M4 Sherman, officially Medium Tank, M4, was the most widely used medium tank by the United States and Western Allies in World War II. The M4 Sherman proved to be reliable, relatively cheap to produce, and available in great numbers. It ...
tank perched on top of the casemate.
Hochwald remains in French military hands, housing the hardened command center for French Air Force activities at Drachenbronn Air Base/BA 901.
Its former caserne provides support and above-ground operational functions. The Bockange caserne is a
paintball
Paintball is a competitive team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called paintballs that break upon impact. Paintballs are usually shot using low-energy a ...
range.
The Casemate d'Oberroedern Sud is maintained as "Casemate Rieiffel" by the ''Association des Amis de la Ligne Maginot d'Oberroeden'', which has restored the casemate since 2001. The organization is also working on the casemates at Aschbach Est, Aschbach Ouest and Bois d'Hoffen, however these are not presently open to the public.
The Abri du Heidenbuckel has been preserved by the ''Association des Amis du Heidenbuckel'', and is open at times during the summer.
[Kaufmann 2011, p. 254] The Casemate de Kilstett is under restoration
The Casemate de Hatten is preserved by the Association des amis du museé de l'Abri de Hatten as the Abri de Hatten, and may be visited.
[Degon, Zylberyng, p. 101]
The Drusenheim Centre casemate is maintained as the "''Abri de l'Ancienne Redoute''" and may be visited. The same organization is restoring the Casemate de Kilstett.
[Degon, Zylberyng, p. 99]
Notes
References
Bibliography
*Allcorn, William. ''The Maginot Line 1928-45.'' Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003.
*Degon, André; Zylberyng, Didier, ''La Ligne Maginot: Guide des Forts à Visiter,'' Editions Ouest-France, 2014.
*Kaufmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W. ''Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II'', Stackpole Books, 2006.
*Kaufmann, J.E., Kaufmann, H.W., Jancovič-Potočnik, A. and Lang, P. ''The Maginot Line: History and Guide'', Pen and Sword, 2011.
*Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 1.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2001.
*Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 3.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003.
*Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009.
*Romanych, Marc; Rupp, Martin. ''Maginot Line 1940: Battles on the French Frontier.'' Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2010.
External links
Fortified sector of Haguenauat fortiff.be
Fortress Schoenenbourg and Casemate d'EschHatten websiteLe secteur fortifié de Haguenau at wikimaginot.eu
Haguenau (secteur fortifié d')at fortiff.be
at lignemaginot.com
Les ouvrages du SF de Haguenauat alsacemaginot.com
at ligne.maginot.corf.free.fr
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haguenau, Fortified Sector Of
Fortified sector of Haguenau
Maginot Line
French border defenses before World War II
Môle de Haguenau