The Fortified Sector of Lille (''Secteur Fortifié de Lille'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the
French
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 ...
border with
Belgium opposite
Lille. The sector was part of a system of fortifications that included the
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 the ...
in other sectors. In the case of the Lille sector, no large fortifications of the kind typified by the Maginot Line were built in the area. Fortifications were confined to a total of 65 blockhouses and 23 infantry shelters within a few kilometers of the border, mainly between
Roubaix and
Tourcoing and the border. The Fortified Sector of Lille was bordered on the east by the
Fortified Sector of the Escaut The Fortified Sector of the Escaut (''Secteur Fortifié de l'Escaut''), also known as the Fortified Sector of the Schelde, was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line between the French border with ...
and on the west by the
Fortified Sector of Flanders. The sector figured in the
Pillbox affair
The Pillbox affair, also known as the Pillbox incident, was a military and political episode which occurred in Britain between November 1939 and January 1940 during the Second World War which resulted in the January 1940 dismissal of Leslie Hore-Be ...
of 1939-40. It was quickly overrun by German forces during the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
.
Command
In 1940 the Lille sector was under the overall command of the
British Expeditionary Force, under the command of
General Gort, which was in turn part of Army Group 1 under General
Gaston Billotte. The sector was commanded by French general Bertschi. Until 16 March 1940 the sector was known as the Defensive Sector of Lille (''Secteur Défensif de Lille'').
Concept and organization
Unlike the Maginot fortifications, the Lille sector fortifications were comparatively light structures built close to the frontier. Most were built in the 1930s. A total of 65 blockhouses of eleven types were built, 23 infantry firing shelters (''abris de tir'') of four types, and nine turrets using small armored vehicle turrets and weapons.
As many as 700 light blockhouses existed in all, many built by the British Expeditionary Force or adapted from German World War I positions.
Other positions were built by the ''Main d'Oeuvre Militaire'' (MOM), ''Section Technique du Génie'' (STG) or the ''Fortifications de Campagne Renforcées'' (FCR).
References
Bibliography
*Allcorn, William. ''The Maginot Line 1928-45.'' Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003.
*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
Le secteur fortifié de Lille at wikimaginot.eu
Lille (secteur fortifié de)at fortiff.be .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lille, Fortified Sector Of
French border defenses before World War II