Ouvrage Gondran is a lesser work (''petit ouvrage'') of 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 ...

's Alpine extension, the

Alpine Line The Alpine Line (french: Ligne Alpine) 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 Fra ...

. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, one infantry block and one observation block. Gondran was commenced in June 1933, and was intended to cover the gap between

Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; la, Ianvs ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janu ...

and Les Aittes. The site is close to two older forts, designated Gondran C and Gondran D. The Maginot fortification became known as Gondran E.Mary, Tome 5, p. 28 The fortified area is near the Les Gondrans portion of the

Montgenèvre Montgenèvre (; oc, Montginebre; Italian: ''Monginevro'') is a commune on the Italian border in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2018, it had a population of 456. Geography Montgen ...

ski area.

Description

:''See

Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné The Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné (''Secteur Fortifié du Dauphiné'') was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Alpine Line portion of the Maginot Line facing Italy in the vicinity of Briançon. By compar ...

for a broader discussion of the Dauphiné sector of the Alpine Line.'' The ''ouvrage'' was never completed. As the emergency exit was on the same level as the main portion it was used during peacetime as the main entrance. It is sometimes called "Gondran E."Kaufmann 2011, p. 261 *Block 1 (entry): one machine gun cloche and one heavy twin machine gun embrasure. *Block 2 (infantry): one machine gun embrasure. *Block 3 (observation): one observation cloche.

Fort Gondran

Fort Gondran is the center of a series of high-altitude fortifications in the area of Montgenevre, built between 1885 and 1910. The positions were anchored by the main fort, also known as Gondran C , with smaller positions designated Gondran A, B and D, extending in a line roughly long. The positions were occupied by 800 men, and were known as the "Gondran line." *Gondran A: small infantry position with a breastwork wall shielding the barracks. *Gondran B: small infantry position similar to Gondran A. *Gondran C: Stone fort at altitude, housing 288 men. Also known as Fort Gondran, built 1887-1890. *Gondran D: Stone redoubt, built 1875 south of Gondran C. The redoubt is now used for telecommunications equipment.

Action

On 18 June 1940 the ''ouvrage'' was fired upon by the Italian Fort Chaberton.Kaufmann 2006, p. 177

Present condition

Gondran is managed by the ''Association de Vauban à Maginot'', which opens it a few days each year, including

Bastille Day Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. In French, it is formally called the (; "French National Celebration"); legally it is known as (; "t ...

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 4 - La fortification alpine.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009. *Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009.

External links

Gondran (petit ouvrage de)
at fortiff.be
Gondran (ligne de)
at fortiff.be

at fortiffsere.fr {{DEFAULTSORT:Gondran, Ouvrage GOND Maginot Line Alpine Line World War II museums in France Fortifications of Briançon