Design and construction
Ferme Chappy was approved for construction in April 1932. It was completed at a cost of 11 million francs.Mary, Tome 1, p. 52 The ''ouvrage'' was named for the adjoining farm whose buildings sit nearly on top of the underground barracks and entry.Mary, Tome 3, p. 81 The ''ouvrage'' is immediately to the east of Longuyon and the valley of the Crusnes river, with a considerable space between Ferme Chappy and the next ''ouvrage'' to the west, Ouvrage Vélosnes. A ''gros ouvrage'' (Bois du Rafour) was planned immediately to the rear of Longuyon in the direction ofDescription
*Block 1: Entry block with two machine gun/anti-tank gun embrasures (JM/ AC47), two machine gun embrasures (JM), two automatic rifle cloches (GFM) and one machine gun cloche (JM). The block also served as an observation post for Fermont. *Block 2: one machine gun turret, one GFM cloche and one JM cloche. A combination personnel and ammunition entry was planned for a second phase of construction. The block was intended to be equipped with a GFM cloche, an AC47/JM embrasure and two automatic rifle embrasures.Manning
The 1940 manning of the ''ouvrage'' under the command of Lieutenant Thibeau comprised 109 men and 3 officers of the 149th Fortress Infantry Regiment and the 152nd Position Artillery Regiment. The units were under the umbrella of the 42nd Fortress Corps of the 3rd Army, Army Group 2. The Caserne Lamy provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Ferme Chappy and other fortifications in the area.History
:''See Fortified Sector of the Crusnes for a broader discussion of the events of 1940 in the Crusnes sector of the Maginot Line.'' Ferme Chappy, lacking long-range artillery, played no part in the artillery fire of May 1940 between the larger ''ouvrages'' and opposing German forces in Belgium. After the Germans broke out behind the Maginot Line in June, Ferme Chappy was threatened from the rear. The ''ouvrage'' was attacked during the Battle of France on June 21 by the German 161st Infantry Division. The attack was repelled with help from the nearby ''gros ouvrage'' Fermont. Firing continued until the armistice of 25 June, but no further assault was launched by the Germans. Chappy's garrison surrendered to the Germans on 27 June after negotiations with German forces that were undertaken by Commandant Pophillat of Ouvrage Latiremont.Mary, Tome 3, pp. 228-229 Once the area was occupied, Chappy's machine gun turret was removed by the Germans,Mary, Tome 5, p. 153 along with all of the interior fittings. The position saw no fighting in the 1944 Lorraine Campaign and remained abandoned after the war.Current condition
The ''ouvrage'' is the property of M. Peiffert who now owns the farm. The interior, though bare, remains in good condition. It is not open to the public.See also
* List of all works on Maginot Line * Siegfried Line * Atlantic Wall *Notes
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 2.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. *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.External links