Fort du Télégraphe
Encyclopedia
The Fort du Télégraphe, or Fort Berwick, is located in the Maurienne
valley on the road to the Col du Galibier
between Valloire
and Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne
, at the Col du Télégraphe
, dominating the valley of the Arc
. The location at an altitude of 1585 metres (5,200.1 ft) previously accommodated a telegraph of the Chappe system using articulating arms to send messages between Lyon and Milan, and after 1809, Venice. The fort has two entrances with drawbridge
s to allow access to different levels of the fort, with inclined ramps to allow easy movement of artillery pieces. When completed in 1884 after four years of construction, the fort was manned by 170 men, firing four artillery pieces at the main fort and four more at detached batteries.
in the early 18th century. The Fort du Télégraphe was completed between 1886 and 1890 as a part of the Séré de Rivières system
of fortifications. It saw no action until 1940, when it fired on Italian forces with 155mm guns. The fort was part of the "Second Position" (Deuxième Position), a backup to the main fortifications of the modern Alpine Line
, the southwestern component of the Maginot Line
. The fort was armed with six 155mm and four 95mm guns, manned by the 6th battery of the 164th Position Artillery Regiment (164e Régiment d'Artillerie de Position (RAP)).
In 1944 the fort was used by the French Forces of the Interior
(FFI) as an artillery position. The fort's peacetime barracks have been retained as high-altitude quarters for the 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment (Regiment d'Artillerie de Montagne (RAM)) of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade
.
The Fort du Télégraphe is open for visitation during the summer months. The continuing military use has resulted in its preservation, much as the fort's advantageous position has resulted in its continued use as a communications post, albeit using microwaves in place of semaphores.
Maurienne
Maurienne is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.-Location:...
valley on the road to the Col du Galibier
Col du Galibier
Col du Galibier is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the ninth highest paved road in the Alps and the sixth highest mountain pass. It is often the highest point of the Tour de France....
between Valloire
Valloire
Valloire is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The ski resort Valloire-Galibier is located in the commune, at the foot of the Col du Galibier and next to the ski resort of Valmeinier, France....
and Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne
Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne
Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Savoie department*The 1917 Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne derailment, which killed several hundred French troops....
, at the Col du Télégraphe
Col du Télégraphe
Col du Télégraphe is a mountain pass in the French Alps situated above the Maurienne valley between the eastern end of the massif d'Arvan-Villards and the massif des Cerces....
, dominating the valley of the Arc
Arc (Savoie)
The Arc is a 128 km long river in the Savoie département of south-eastern France. It is a left tributary of the Isère River, which it joins at Chamousset, approximately 15 km downstream from Albertville. Its source is near the border with Italy, in the Graian Alps, northeast of Bonneval-sur-Arc...
. The location at an altitude of 1585 metres (5,200.1 ft) previously accommodated a telegraph of the Chappe system using articulating arms to send messages between Lyon and Milan, and after 1809, Venice. The fort has two entrances with drawbridge
Drawbridge
A drawbridge is a type of movable bridge typically associated with the entrance of a castle surrounded by a moat. The term is often used to describe all different types of movable bridges, like bascule bridges and lift bridges.-Castle drawbridges:...
s to allow access to different levels of the fort, with inclined ramps to allow easy movement of artillery pieces. When completed in 1884 after four years of construction, the fort was manned by 170 men, firing four artillery pieces at the main fort and four more at detached batteries.
History
The site was first occupied by Marshal BerwickJames FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick
James FitzJames, 1st Duke of Berwick, 1st Duke of Fitz-James, 1st Duke of Liria and Jérica was an Anglo-French military leader, illegitimate son of King James II of England by Arabella Churchill, sister of the 1st Duke of Marlborough...
in the early 18th century. The Fort du Télégraphe was completed between 1886 and 1890 as a part of the Séré de Rivières system
Séré de Rivières system
The Séré de Rivières system was an ensemble of fortifications built from 1874 and first used at the beginning of the First World War along the frontiers and coasts of France...
of fortifications. It saw no action until 1940, when it fired on Italian forces with 155mm guns. The fort was part of the "Second Position" (Deuxième Position), a backup to the main fortifications of the modern Alpine Line
Alpine Line
The Alpine Line or Little Maginot Line was the component of the Maginot Line that defended the southeastern portion of France...
, the southwestern component of the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
. The fort was armed with six 155mm and four 95mm guns, manned by the 6th battery of the 164th Position Artillery Regiment (164e Régiment d'Artillerie de Position (RAP)).
In 1944 the fort was used by the French Forces of the Interior
French Forces of the Interior
The French Forces of the Interior refers to French resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II. Charles de Gaulle used it as a formal name for the resistance fighters. The change in designation of these groups to FFI occurred as France's status changed from that of an occupied nation...
(FFI) as an artillery position. The fort's peacetime barracks have been retained as high-altitude quarters for the 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment (Regiment d'Artillerie de Montagne (RAM)) of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade
27th Mountain Infantry Brigade (France)
The 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade is a mountain infantry formation of the French Army. It is heir to the traditions of the 27th Alpine Division, the division alpine FFI créée in 1944,...
.
The Fort du Télégraphe is open for visitation during the summer months. The continuing military use has resulted in its preservation, much as the fort's advantageous position has resulted in its continued use as a communications post, albeit using microwaves in place of semaphores.
Source
- This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding French Wikipedia article as of October 14, 2010.