The Fortified Sector of Montbéliard (''Secteur Fortifié de Montbéliard'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the French border with

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

in the vicinity of Montbéliard. The Montbéliard sector stands in the vicinity of the

Belfort Gap The Belfort Gap ( ) or Burgundian Gate ( ) is the area of relatively flat terrain in Eastern France between the Vosges Mountains to the north and the Jura Mountains to the south. It marks the watershed between the drainage basins of the River Rhin ...

, a traditional invasion route into eastern France. However, the area was lightly defended, as the Swiss border was not regarded as an area with a high risk of invasion, and because the left bank of the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

was firmly in French hands.

Concept and organization

The Montbéliard sector was chiefly composed of old Séré de Rivières system fortifications constructed to defend the Belfort Gap. The main positions were the

Fort du Mont Bart Fort du Mont Bart is located to the south of Montbéliard, France. It was built between November 1874 and July 1877 as part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications. The fort overlooks the valleys of the Doubs and the Allan at an elevat ...

and the Fort du Lomont.

Command

The Montbéliard sector was under the command of the Fortified Region of Belfort until 16 March 1940, when the Belfort region became the 44th Army Fortress Corps (''44e Corps d'Armée de Forteresse''), retaining the Montbéliard sector under its command. The sector's commanding general was General de Bizemont until 19 May 1940, then Colonel Gard, with a command post at the Fort de Lomont. The sector was known as the Defensive Sector of Montbéliard until 16 March 1940. No field army forces were assigned to the sector. At the midpoint of the Battle of France on 1 June 1940, the troops of the SF Montbéliard amounted to a ''chasseurs pyrénéens'' regiment in two battalions, comprising 235 officers and 7,390 men.Mary, Tome 3, p. 189

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 Défensif de Montbelliard
at wikimaginot.eu {{DEFAULTSORT:Montbeliard, Fortified Sector Of French border defenses before World War II