Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné
Encyclopedia
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 comparison with the integrated defenses of the main Maginot Line, or even of the Fortified Sector of the Maritime Alps to the south, the Dauphiné sector consisted of a series of distinct territories that covered two main invasion routes into France: the route from Turin
over the Col de Montgenèvre
to Briançon and Grenoble
, and the route from Coni
over the Col de Larche to Barcelonette and Gap
. The sector was the scene of probing attacks by Italian forces during the Italian invasion of France
in 1940, in which the French defenses successfully resisted Italian advances until the June 1940 armistice that granted Italy access to southeastern France.
The sector was extensively subdivided into informal districts, sub-sectors and quarters or quartiers, reflecting the fragmented nature of the Alpine landscape in which each valley was a distinct defensive entity. Small units were employed to patrol the border and to man individual posts ranging from observation bunkers to excavated mountaintop artillery ouvrages.
and Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières
, culminating in the enormous Fort de Tournoux
. The Italian Fort Chaberton
presented a menace to the area with its heavy battery on a commanding 3131 metres (10,272.3 ft) peak just across the border, 11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi) from Briançon. Measures were proposed in 1929 to counteract the threat by building four large ouvrages at Gondran, les Aittes, Janus and les Alberts. These major Alpine positions were to be built by the Commission pour l'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées (CORF), the primary organization dedicated to the planning and funding of the Maginot Line. Resources were soon diverted into fortifications for the SF Alpes-Maritimes to the south, and initial improvements were limited to a reconstruction of the old Fort du Janus.
Other funds were provided to create border posts (avants-postes) close to the frontier. These projects were administered by the Military Works Administration (Main d'Ouevre Militaire (MOM)), which built more economical but less secure and less strongly-armed versions of the CORF works. MOM avants-postes superficially resembled CORF ouvrages, with underground gallery systems linking individual combat blocks, but lacked heavy armament and thick concrete shielding, as well as independent (or any) electric power supplies and underground troop accommodations. A number of the later CORF-proposed ouvrages were carried out by MOM, many of which were incomplete in 1940. These MOM-built positions covered secondary passes and mountain basins. The Col de Larche corridor was defended by the CORF-built gros ouvrage Roche-la-Croix, its upper battery and the Forts Tournoux and Viraysse, as well as a variety of CORF positions around Saint-Ours. The Montgenèvre corridor was covered by the extensive network of forts around Briançon, centering on the renovated and expanded fortifications at Janus. The Col de la Bonette
received attention as well, despite its 2800 metres (9,186.4 ft) altitude, with the gros ouvrage Restefond and three subsidiary petits ouvrages.
Troop units for these fortifications were extensively customized to deal with the fragmented nature of the military positions. Typical, somewhat confusingly-named units included:
These formations were supplemented by Position Artillery Regiments (Régiments d'Artillerie de Position) (RAP) ), which provided mobile artillery support. A demi-brigade was similar to a large regiment, with three demi-brigades equivalent to four regiments.
, under the command of General René Olry
. Subordinate to the Army of the Alps was the 14th Army Corps under General Beynet. The SF Dauphiné itself was commanded by General Cyvoct at Gap and La-Roche-de-Rame. The interval troops, the army formation that was to provide the mobile defense for the sector, to support and be supported by the fixed defenses, was the 64th Infantry Division. Artillery support for the sector was provided by the 154th and 162nd Position Artillery Regiments (Régiment d'Artillerie de Position (RAP)), which controlled both fixed and mobile artillery, commanded by Lt. Colonel Maury and Chef d'Escadron Jarrix, respectively. The 64th ID was made up of Class B reservists, not suited for sustained combat, under General de Saint-Vincent at Embrun.
Command post at the Col de Cristol, elements of the 82nd BAF
Command post at the Bois du Villar, 95th Alpine Cavalry Battalion (95e Bataillon des Chasseurs Alpins (BCA))
Command post at La Lame, 91st Alpine Cavalry Battalion (91e Bataillon des Chasseurs Alpins (BCA))
Ouvrage la Vachette was started 20 March 1940, no substantial progress made before war broke out. A stop line of about 25 smaller fortifications was constructed in the area. These fortifications have been cleaned up and may be visited.
Command post at La Seyte, elements of the 72nd BAF
Barracks for peacetime:
A number of concrete emplacements were built by the Main d'Oeuvre Militaire (MOM) in the quarter.
No fixed positions, 107th Alpine Cavalry Battalion (107e Bataillon des Chasseurs Alpins (BCA)), command post at Fort Queyras.
No fixed positions, 87th Alpine Cavalry Battalion (87e Bataillon des Chasseurs Alpins (BCA)) and elements of the 92nd BAF, command post at La Motte Tremblante.
Five small avants postes, manned by the 1st and 3rd companies of the 92nd BAF and a company of the 87th BCA., command post at Sommet-Bucher.
102nd Alpine Fortress Battalion (102e Bataillon Alpin de Forterresse (BAF)), command post at the Col de Bramousse.
A number of concrete emplacements were built by the MOM in the quarter.
Command post at Grande=Serrenne
First company of the 73rd BAF.
Ouvrage des Sagnes was proposed but not built.
Second company of the 73rd BAF. Ouvrage Restefond
(RE), gros ouvrage of six blocks (CORF)
Ouvrage Granges Communes
(GC), petit ouvrage of two blocks (CORF)
Avant-poste des Fourches (FO), six blocks watching the Col des Fourches (MOM)
Additionally, 36 concrete shelters were built by MOM in 1939 in the area.
near the base of the Janus massif. Skirmishing took place on the 23rd, when the Italians captured the avant-poste Est du Chenaillet. Chaberton began firing again, receiving counter-battery fire from the French batteries in reply. The exchange continued the next day, and stopped only when the armistice took effect on the 25th, with six of eight Italian gun positions destroyed.
Farther south in the Queyras, the Italian Julia Division
mounted weak probes without much success. In the Ubaye, the Italian 2nd Army Corps (2o Corpo d'Armata) under General Bertini sought to move across the Col de Larche in Operation M (named for the Italian name of the pass, Colle della Maddalena). The corps was composed of five divisions: the 2nd Alpine Group (Raggrupamento Varaita-Po), and the Cuneense, Forli
, Pusteria
and Livorno Divisions. The principal activity took place, as expected, in the vicinity of the Col de Larche, starting on 17 June with infantry patrols that were engaged by the artillery of Roche-la-Croix, producing heavy Italian casualties. On the 20th the Observatoire de Viraysse was heavily bombarded, prompting retaliatory fire from Roche-la-Croix against Italian observation positions. The next day a strong column of Italians of the Acqui Division
moving across the Col de Sautron and the Col des Monges to the Fort de Viraysse were turned back by field artillery fire. On the 22nd Italian artillery again concentrated on the Observatoire de Viraysse and the avant-post de Larche, again answered by Roche-la-Croix's 75mm gun turret. Other batteries took on a new advance over the Col des Monges. The Fort de Viraysse was encircled. Snow fell on the 23rd, but late that day the Italians launched an unsuccessful assault on the Fort de Viraysse. The bad weather continued on the 24th, but a sharp engagement on the Col Rémi and around Tête-Dure resulted in heavy Italian casualties and a number of prisoners.
The area around the Col de Restefond was subject to heavy snow, and had been unoccupied from October 1939 to mid-May 1940, when enough snow had cleared to allow the positions to be used and occupied. Apart from some skirmishing and artillery barrages, more decisive action was hampered by bad weather. Action in all areas stopped when the armistice took effect on 25 June. The Italians had failed to accomplish any significant penetration of the frontier, but German forces had come down the valley of the Rhône
and were operating to the rear of the Alpine Line.Under the terms of the armistice, the frontier became a demilitarized zone, at least as far as French forces were concerned, 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) deep. It was nominally occupied by Italian forces, but the French forces had surrendered to the Germans.
and the Fort de Queyras. After mobilization the reorganized battalion held the Gondran-Aittes quarter, occupying ouvrages Janus, Gondran and Les Aittes. Interval troops held the crest of the Gondran massif and the road at Clôt Enjaime. In May 1940 the battalion took up its positions as soon as high-altitude snows permitted. The battalion saw action on 23 June against the Italian 30th Infantry Regiment at the avant-poste Chenaillet, losing 19 captured in foggy conditions. After the June 25 armistice the 72nd returned to Briançon, then moved on to the southeast of Gap, where it was dissolved on 31 July. Active-duty personnel were incorporated into the Vichy French bataillon départmental des Hautes-Alpes at Gap and a guard unit at Briançon.
, the French Resistance
was instructed to impede German reinforcements from reaching northwest France by sabotaging the choke points through the Alps. The Petit Saint-Bernard, the Mont-Cenis and the Col de Larche were to be blocked. On 15 August 1944, the Operation Dragoon
landings were accomplished by the Allies against light opposition. Briançon, which had been occupied by the German 5th Gebirgsjäger Division, was evacuated on 24 August and occupied by Resistance forces. However, the Germans remained in the surrounding fortresses, and the 90th Panzergrenadier Division mounted an unsuccessful counterattack against American patrols and French forces, operating from the Fort du Randouillet. The newly-arrived 4th RTM and 3rd Moroccan under Colonel Molle mounted an offensive to drive the Germans over the Col du Montgenèvre starting on 4 September, and taking Gondran, Infernet, Croix-de-Bretagne, Chenaillet and Janus the same day. Randouillet and the Fort des Têtes were captiured on the 6th, but German forces on the crest of the Col du Montgenèvre continued to fire into Briançon. The area around Les Fourches and Restfond was captured by French and American forces in late September, but was evacuated for the winter in October. The reactivated Fort Chaberton continued to fire on Briançon until it was captured in April 1945. Roche-la-Croix was captured by a new offensive on 22 April 1945. The next day Saint-Ours Haut and Bas were captured.
, the Franco-Italian border was adjusted to place Mont Chaberton and the upper reaches of the Col du Larche in France. Nevertheless, the major Alpine positions remained operational, preserved until the 1970s when interest in expensive fixed fortifications had declined.
The Vauban
and Séré de Rivières
-era fortifications around Briançon have been preserved, or remain military installations. The Vauban fortifications of Briançon have been designated Unesco World Heritage Sites.
Alpine Line
The Alpine Line or Little Maginot Line was the component of the Maginot Line that defended the southeastern portion of France...
portion 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,...
facing Italy in the vicinity of Briançon
Briançon
Briançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
. By comparison with the integrated defenses of the main Maginot Line, or even of the Fortified Sector of the Maritime Alps to the south, the Dauphiné sector consisted of a series of distinct territories that covered two main invasion routes into France: the route from Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
over the Col de Montgenèvre
Col de Montgenèvre
The Col de Montgenèvre is a high mountain pass in the Cottian Alps, between France and Italy.The pass takes its name from the village Montgenèvre , which lies in the vicinity...
to Briançon and Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, and the route from Coni
Coni
Coni may refer to:*Cuneo, Italy*Coni, Azerbaijan*Italian National Olympic Committee...
over the Col de Larche to Barcelonette and Gap
Gap, Hautes-Alpes
Gap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River...
. The sector was the scene of probing attacks by Italian forces during the Italian invasion of France
Italian invasion of France
The Italian invasion of France in June 1940 was a small-scale invasion that started near the end of the Battle of France during World War II. The goal of the Italian offensive was to take control of the Alps mountain range and the region around Nice, and to win the colonies in North Africa...
in 1940, in which the French defenses successfully resisted Italian advances until the June 1940 armistice that granted Italy access to southeastern France.
The sector was extensively subdivided into informal districts, sub-sectors and quarters or quartiers, reflecting the fragmented nature of the Alpine landscape in which each valley was a distinct defensive entity. Small units were employed to patrol the border and to man individual posts ranging from observation bunkers to excavated mountaintop artillery ouvrages.
Concept and organization
The area around Briançon and the Ubaye valley had already been extensively fortified by VaubanVauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
and Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières
Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières
Raymond Adolphe Séré de Rivières was a French military engineer and general whose ideas revolutionized the design of fortifications in France. He gave his name to the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications constructed after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870...
, culminating in the enormous Fort de Tournoux
Fort de Tournoux
The Fort de Tournoux is a fortification complex in the Ubaye Valley in the French Alps. It was built between 1843 and the early 20th century to defend France against invasion from Italy and Savoy. It was described as the "Military Versailles of the 19th century," resembling a Tibetan monastery on...
. The Italian Fort Chaberton
Mont Chaberton
Mont Chaberton is a peak in the French Alps in the group known as the Massif des Cerces in the département of Hautes-Alpes.Chaberton is in the municipality of Montgenèvre in the Briançonnais region...
presented a menace to the area with its heavy battery on a commanding 3131 metres (10,272.3 ft) peak just across the border, 11.6 kilometres (7.2 mi) from Briançon. Measures were proposed in 1929 to counteract the threat by building four large ouvrages at Gondran, les Aittes, Janus and les Alberts. These major Alpine positions were to be built by the Commission pour l'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées (CORF), the primary organization dedicated to the planning and funding of the Maginot Line. Resources were soon diverted into fortifications for the SF Alpes-Maritimes to the south, and initial improvements were limited to a reconstruction of the old Fort du Janus.
Other funds were provided to create border posts (avants-postes) close to the frontier. These projects were administered by the Military Works Administration (Main d'Ouevre Militaire (MOM)), which built more economical but less secure and less strongly-armed versions of the CORF works. MOM avants-postes superficially resembled CORF ouvrages, with underground gallery systems linking individual combat blocks, but lacked heavy armament and thick concrete shielding, as well as independent (or any) electric power supplies and underground troop accommodations. A number of the later CORF-proposed ouvrages were carried out by MOM, many of which were incomplete in 1940. These MOM-built positions covered secondary passes and mountain basins. The Col de Larche corridor was defended by the CORF-built gros ouvrage Roche-la-Croix, its upper battery and the Forts Tournoux and Viraysse, as well as a variety of CORF positions around Saint-Ours. The Montgenèvre corridor was covered by the extensive network of forts around Briançon, centering on the renovated and expanded fortifications at Janus. The Col de la Bonette
Col de la Bonette
Col de la Bonette is a high mountain pass in the French Alps, near the border with Italy. It is situated within the Mercantour National Park on the border of the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence...
received attention as well, despite its 2800 metres (9,186.4 ft) altitude, with the gros ouvrage Restefond and three subsidiary petits ouvrages.
Troop units for these fortifications were extensively customized to deal with the fragmented nature of the military positions. Typical, somewhat confusingly-named units included:
- Alpine Fortress Demi-Brigade (Demi-Brigade Alpin de Forteresse (DBAF) )
- Alpine Cavalry Demi-Brigade (Demi-Brigade des Chasseurs Alpins (DBCA) )
- Alpine Infantry Regiment (Régiment d'Infanterie Alpin (RIA) )
- Alpine Fortress Battalion (Battaillon Alpin de Forteresse (BAF) )
- Alpine Cavalry Battalion (Bataillon des Chasseurs Alpins (BCA) )
These formations were supplemented by Position Artillery Regiments (Régiments d'Artillerie de Position) (RAP) ), which provided mobile artillery support. A demi-brigade was similar to a large regiment, with three demi-brigades equivalent to four regiments.
Command
The Dauphiné sector was under the overall command of the French Army of the Alps, headquartered at ValenceValence, Drôme
Valence is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Drôme department, situated on the left bank of the Rhône, south of Lyon on the railway to Marseilles.Its inhabitants are called Valentinois...
, under the command of General René Olry
René Olry
René-Henri OlryCLH was a French general and commander of the Army of the Alps during the Battle of France of World War II.-Early life:Olry was born on 28 June 1880 in Lille in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France....
. Subordinate to the Army of the Alps was the 14th Army Corps under General Beynet. The SF Dauphiné itself was commanded by General Cyvoct at Gap and La-Roche-de-Rame. The interval troops, the army formation that was to provide the mobile defense for the sector, to support and be supported by the fixed defenses, was the 64th Infantry Division. Artillery support for the sector was provided by the 154th and 162nd Position Artillery Regiments (Régiment d'Artillerie de Position (RAP)), which controlled both fixed and mobile artillery, commanded by Lt. Colonel Maury and Chef d'Escadron Jarrix, respectively. The 64th ID was made up of Class B reservists, not suited for sustained combat, under General de Saint-Vincent at Embrun.
Description
The sector includes, in order from west to east, the following major fortified positions, together with the most significant casemates and infantry shelters in each sub-sector:Briançonnais district
The direct command of the Briançon valley remained with General Cyvoct, with a command post at La Roche-du-Rame, and a forward command post at the Fort du Randouillet.Sub-sector Haute-Clarée-Guisane
82nd Alpine Fortress Battalion (82e Bataillon Alpin de Forteresse (BAF)), Lt. Colonel Perdreau, command post at the Bois du VillarQuartier Bufère-Granon
Command post at the Col de Cristol, elements of the 82nd BAF
- Ouvrage Col de BuffèreOuvrage Col de BuffereOuvrage Col de Buffere is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one combat block at an altitude of on the Col de la Buffère...
, petit ouvrage of three combat blocks, incomplete (CORF/MOM) - Ouvrage Col du GranonOuvrage Col du GranonOuvrage Col du Granon is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, one infantry block and one observation block covering the Col du Granon as part of the defenses of Briançon and Grenoble...
, petit ouvrage of four combat blocks, incomplete (CORF/MOM)
Quartier Peyrolles
Command post at the Bois du Villar, 95th Alpine Cavalry Battalion (95e Bataillon des Chasseurs Alpins (BCA))
- Fort de l'OliveFort de l'OliveThe Fort de l'Olive is a fortification in the vicinity of Briançon in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France. Initially called the Ouvrage du Bois des Gasquets, it was the third and final fort built near Briançon as part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications in the 1870s and 1880s...
, pre-1914 fort near the Col de Granon at 2239 metres (7,345.8 ft) - Blockhaus des Acles, at the Col des Acles on the Italian border, pre-1914
- Blockhaus de la Cleyda, pre-1914
- Blockhaus de Lenlon, pre-1914
- Avant-poste de Plampinet, single gallery, incomplete (MOM)
Sub-sector Haute Durance-Cerveyrette
72nd Alpine Fortress Bataliion (72e Bataillon Alpin de Forteresse (BAF)), Lt. Colonel Brasset, in charge of the defense of Briançon, command post at Randouillet.Quartier Vachette-Janus
Command post at La Lame, 91st Alpine Cavalry Battalion (91e Bataillon des Chasseurs Alpins (BCA))
- Ouvrage JanusOuvrage JanusOuvrage Janus is a work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, located to the east of Briançon on near the Col de Montgenèvre. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, two infantry blocks, two artillery blocks, two observation blocks and one combination block at an altitude of ,...
, gros ouvrage of seven combat blocks and an entrance (CORF) - Avant-poste du Chenaillet, incomplete gallery system (MOM)
- Fort du RandouilletFort du RandouilletThe Fort du Randouillet, is a fortification in the vicinity of Briançon in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France. Briançon was surveyed by Vauban in 1700. His master plan for the defenses of the city would result in one of the most heavily fortified locales in France over the next forty years...
, pre-1914 - Fort des Trois-Têtes, pre-1914
- Fort de la Croix-de-BretagneFort de la Croix-de-BretagneThe Fort de la Croix-de-Bretagne is a fortification in the vicinity of Briançon in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France. It was built as part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications in 1876-79 to defend France against invasion from Italy, at a cost of 1,416,642 francs. It overlooks...
, Séré de Rivières systemSéré de Rivières systemThe 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... - Fort de l'InfernetFort de l'InfernetThe Fort de l'Infernet is a fortification complex near Briançon in the French Alps. It was built as part of the Séré de Rivières system of fortifications in 1876-78 to defend France against invasion from Italy. It specifically overlooks the valley of the Durance behind and the Fort du Gondran,...
, Séré de Rivières system - Barrage du Pont-de-la-Vachette, anti-tank barrier
- Barrage de Montgenèvre (Clot Enjaime), anti-tank barrier (CORF)
- Observatiore/Batterie de la Croix-de-Toulouse, observation post reporting to Janus, with a prepared location for an artillery battery
- Abri de la Lame, abri-caverne, command post
- Blockhaus de la Grand-Maye
- Blockhaus de la Lausette, pre-1914
Ouvrage la Vachette was started 20 March 1940, no substantial progress made before war broke out. A stop line of about 25 smaller fortifications was constructed in the area. These fortifications have been cleaned up and may be visited.
Quartier Gondran-Aittes
Command post at La Seyte, elements of the 72nd BAF
- Ouvrage GondranOuvrage GondranOuvrage Granon is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. 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 and Les Aittes. The site is close to...
(Gondran E, Godran Est), petit ouvrage of five blocks (CORF) - Ouvrage Les AittesOuvrage Les AittesOuvrage Les Aittes is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, three infantry blocks and one observation block, about two kilometers east of Cervières, Hautes-Alpes at an altitude of ..-Description:Construction of Les Aittes...
, petit ouvrage of four blocks (CORF) - Gondran C, old fort
- Gondran D, old fort
Barracks for peacetime:
- Casernement de Briançon
- Casernement du Fort du Randouillet
- Casernement du Fort des Têtes
- Baraquement du Col du Granon
- Baraquement de Clôt-Enjaime
A number of concrete emplacements were built by the Main d'Oeuvre Militaire (MOM) in the quarter.
Vallée du Queyras region
The Queyras valley was commanded by Lt. Colonel Bonnet of the 45th DBCA, with a command post at Guillestre, and a forward command post at Villargaudin.Sub-sector Guil
45th Alpine Cavalry Demi-Brigade (45e Demi-Brigade des Chasseurs Alpins (DBCA)), Lt. Colonel Martin, command post at the Villargaudin.Quartier Péas
No fixed positions, 107th Alpine Cavalry Battalion (107e Bataillon des Chasseurs Alpins (BCA)), command post at Fort Queyras.
Quartier Queyras
No fixed positions, 87th Alpine Cavalry Battalion (87e Bataillon des Chasseurs Alpins (BCA)) and elements of the 92nd BAF, command post at La Motte Tremblante.
- Pont-du-Roi, anti-tank barricade
Quartier Sommet-Bucher
Five small avants postes, manned by the 1st and 3rd companies of the 92nd BAF and a company of the 87th BCA., command post at Sommet-Bucher.
Quartier Ceillac
102nd Alpine Fortress Battalion (102e Bataillon Alpin de Forterresse (BAF)), command post at the Col de Bramousse.
A number of concrete emplacements were built by the MOM in the quarter.
Vallée de l'Ubaye district
Colonel Dessaux, command post at either Jausiers or Batterie XII at Tournoux.Sub-sector /Ubaye-Ubayette
83rd Alpine Fortress Battalion (83e Bataillon Alpin de Forterresse (BAF)), command post at the Fort Moyen at Tournoux.Quartier Saint-Paul
Command post at Grande=Serrenne
- Ouvrage Plate LombardOuvrage Plate LombardOuvrage Plate Lombard is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, two infantry blocks and one observation block. Unusually for an ouvrage, Plate-Lombard was built by MOM , which usually was responsible for lesser fortifications...
(PL), petit ouvrage of four blocks (MOM)
Quartier Meyronnes
- Ouvrage Saint Ours HautOuvrage Saint Ours HautOuvrage Saint Ours Haut is a work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also known as the Little Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of one infantry block, one artillery block, two observation blocks and one combination block in the vicinity of the Col de Larche. It is located...
(SOH), petit ouvrage of five blocks (CORF) - Ouvrage Nord-Est de Saint-OursOuvrage Saint Ours Nord-estOuvrage Saint Ours Nord-est is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks. The associated underground support galleries are arranged with a short gallery connecting Blocks 1 and 2, with parallel stubs at Block 2...
(NESO), petit ouvrage of two blocks (CORF) - Ouvrage Nord-Ouest de FontviveOuvrage Fontvive Nord-ouestOuvrage Fontvive Nord-ouest is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks...
(NOF), petit ouvrage of two blocks (CORF) - Ouvrage Saint Ours BasOuvrage Saint Ours BasOuvrage Saint Ours Bas is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one infantry block. The location is unusual on lacking the underground galleries typical of a Maginot fortification, making it more like a blockhouse than an ouvrage...
(SOB), petit ouvrage, single block (CORF) - Ouvrage Roche-la-Croix (RLC), gros ouvrage of five blocks built into a pre-1914 fort (CORF)
- Ouvrage Ancien CampOuvrage Ancien CampAncien Camp is an abri or infantry shelter associated with the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The position consists of two entry blocks. Neither block was armed. One machine gun cloche and embrasures for a heavy twin machine gun and a light machine gun were built, but not equipped...
(AC), petit ouvrage or abri passif of two blocks (MOM) - Fort de TournouxFort de TournouxThe Fort de Tournoux is a fortification complex in the Ubaye Valley in the French Alps. It was built between 1843 and the early 20th century to defend France against invasion from Italy and Savoy. It was described as the "Military Versailles of the 19th century," resembling a Tibetan monastery on...
, an elaborate series of pre-1914 fortifications- Batterie XII at valley level with four casemates
- Fort Grouchy at an intermediate level
- Fort Supérieure on the heights
- Batterie du Claus des Caures
- Batterie du Vallon Claous
- Fortin de Serre de Laut, anti-aircraft battery
- Fort de Viraysse, pre-1914 at 2700 metres (8,858.3 ft)
- Avant-post de Larche (L), of six blocks (MOM)
- Batterie du Roche-la-Croix Supérieure, pre-1914 artillery battery
- Observatoire de la Duyère, series of observation points
- Observatoire des Challances, observation point
- Observatoire de Serre-la-Plate (SLP), two-block observation post (MOM)
- Abri Nord-Est de Saint-Ours (NESO)
- Barrage du Cimitière de Larche
- Blockhaus du Colombier MOM Rocher
Sub-sector Jausiers
157th Alpine Fortress Demi-Brigade (157e Demi-Brigade Alpin de Forteresse (DBAF)) and 73rd BAFQuartier Sagnes
First company of the 73rd BAF.
Ouvrage des Sagnes was proposed but not built.
Quartier Restefond
Second company of the 73rd BAF.
- Ouvrage Col de RestefondOuvrage Col de RestefondOuvrage Col de Restefond is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of three infantry blocks. It is located directly adjacent to the Col de Restefond road at an altitude of...
(RD),
Ouvrage Restefond
Ouvrage Restefond is a work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one artillery block and three observation blocks at the summit of the Col de la Bonnette. The entry block and an artillery block were not completed, and a further block was never built...
(RE), gros ouvrage
Ouvrage Granges Communes
Ouvrage Granges Communes is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one infantry block facing Italy. Additional blocks were planned but not built...
(GC), petit ouvrage of two blocks (CORF)
Quartier Rougna
- Ouvrage La MoutièreOuvrage La MoutiereOuvrage La Moutière is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line at an altitude of 2440 meters. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, one infantry block and one observation block, with an unarmed exit block. The ouvrage supported the Ouvrage Restefond on the crest...
(MO), petit ouvrage of four blocks (CORF) - Abri de la Moutière with four entries (MOM)
- Avant-poste du Pra (LP), five blocks to watch the Pra valley (MOM)
- Casernement de Jausiers
- Casernement de Barcelonette
- Casernement de Restefond
- Baraquement de Viraysse
- Baraquement des Fourches
Additionally, 36 concrete shelters were built by MOM in 1939 in the area.
History
When Italy declared war on France on 10 June 1940, the French forces along the Alpine Line amounted to two corps constituting the Army of the Alps. They faced two poorly equipped Italian armies, the 1st and 4th. The northern portion of the SF Dauphiné around Briançon was held by elements of the French XVI Corps, while the southern, Ubaye district was held by XIV Corps. These formations faced the Italian Fourth Army.Italian invasion of France
Actions in the Briançon area were focused on the threat posed by the mountaintop batteries at the Italian Fort Chaberton, armed with eight 149mm guns in turrets. On 17 June 1940, Chaberton opened fire on the Fort de l'Olive, with little effect. The next day, infantry pressure was applied around the Cleyda blockhouse, and fire was exchanged between Italian batteries and ouvrage Janus. By the 20th, Italian forces of the Assietta Division were infiltrating around Montgenèvre and Chaberton was firing on Janus, Gondran, les Aittes and Infernet, cutting electricity to Janus. Janus operated on local power while a battery of 280mm mortars of the 154th Position Artillery Regiment (154e Régiment d'Artillerie de Position) was set up in two locations near Gondran and Infernet. Several columns of Italian infantry made probing attacks in the vicinity of Cerveyrette. On the 21st, Chaberton fired on Janus and Gondran, firing about 900 shells at Janus alone, causing moderate damage to the surface installations. However, the French mortar batteries were by this time in place. Fire from the heavy mortars damaged five of the eight Italian guns of Chaberton. The next day was relatively quiet, apart from some infantry infiltration by the Italian Sforzesca Division2 Mountain Infantry Division Sforzesca
The 2 Mountain Infantry Division Sforzesca was an Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Division was mobilized in June 1940, for the Italian invasion of France. In the took part in the Greco-Italian War in 1941. It was then chosen to be part of the Italian Expeditionary...
near the base of the Janus massif. Skirmishing took place on the 23rd, when the Italians captured the avant-poste Est du Chenaillet. Chaberton began firing again, receiving counter-battery fire from the French batteries in reply. The exchange continued the next day, and stopped only when the armistice took effect on the 25th, with six of eight Italian gun positions destroyed.
Farther south in the Queyras, the Italian Julia Division
3 Alpine Division Julia
The 3rd Alpine Division Julia was a World War II light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini that formed the divisions are a highly decorated and elite mountain corps of the Italian Army comprising both infantry and artillery units...
mounted weak probes without much success. In the Ubaye, the Italian 2nd Army Corps (2o Corpo d'Armata) under General Bertini sought to move across the Col de Larche in Operation M (named for the Italian name of the pass, Colle della Maddalena). The corps was composed of five divisions: the 2nd Alpine Group (Raggrupamento Varaita-Po), and the Cuneense, Forli
36 Mountain Infantry Division Forlì
The 36 Mountain Infantry Division Forlì was a Mountain Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The division was formed in October 1939 and in June 1940, was part of the First Army and took part in the Italian invasion of France. Afterwards it was moved to Albania for the...
, Pusteria
5 Alpine Division Pusteria
The 5th Alpini Division Pusteria was a light Infantry division of the Italian Army, specializing in Mountain Combat. The Alpini are a mountain infantry corps of the Italian Army, that distinguished itself in combat during World War I and World War II...
and Livorno Divisions. The principal activity took place, as expected, in the vicinity of the Col de Larche, starting on 17 June with infantry patrols that were engaged by the artillery of Roche-la-Croix, producing heavy Italian casualties. On the 20th the Observatoire de Viraysse was heavily bombarded, prompting retaliatory fire from Roche-la-Croix against Italian observation positions. The next day a strong column of Italians of the Acqui Division
33 Mountain Infantry Division Acqui
The 33rd Mountain Infantry Division Acqui was a Mountain Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Acqui Division was mobilized for war in October 1939, and took part in the Battle of France...
moving across the Col de Sautron and the Col des Monges to the Fort de Viraysse were turned back by field artillery fire. On the 22nd Italian artillery again concentrated on the Observatoire de Viraysse and the avant-post de Larche, again answered by Roche-la-Croix's 75mm gun turret. Other batteries took on a new advance over the Col des Monges. The Fort de Viraysse was encircled. Snow fell on the 23rd, but late that day the Italians launched an unsuccessful assault on the Fort de Viraysse. The bad weather continued on the 24th, but a sharp engagement on the Col Rémi and around Tête-Dure resulted in heavy Italian casualties and a number of prisoners.
The area around the Col de Restefond was subject to heavy snow, and had been unoccupied from October 1939 to mid-May 1940, when enough snow had cleared to allow the positions to be used and occupied. Apart from some skirmishing and artillery barrages, more decisive action was hampered by bad weather. Action in all areas stopped when the armistice took effect on 25 June. The Italians had failed to accomplish any significant penetration of the frontier, but German forces had come down the valley of the Rhône
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
and were operating to the rear of the Alpine Line.Under the terms of the armistice, the frontier became a demilitarized zone, at least as far as French forces were concerned, 50 kilometres (31.1 mi) deep. It was nominally occupied by Italian forces, but the French forces had surrendered to the Germans.
Units
The 72nd Alpine Fortress Battalion was, on mobilization in 1939, the source of the 82nd, 92nd and 102nd BAFs, as the battalion's four companies grew in size. The battalion was stationed at Briançon at the Fort du RandouilletFort du Randouillet
The Fort du Randouillet, is a fortification in the vicinity of Briançon in the Dauphiné region of southeastern France. Briançon was surveyed by Vauban in 1700. His master plan for the defenses of the city would result in one of the most heavily fortified locales in France over the next forty years...
and the Fort de Queyras. After mobilization the reorganized battalion held the Gondran-Aittes quarter, occupying ouvrages Janus, Gondran and Les Aittes. Interval troops held the crest of the Gondran massif and the road at Clôt Enjaime. In May 1940 the battalion took up its positions as soon as high-altitude snows permitted. The battalion saw action on 23 June against the Italian 30th Infantry Regiment at the avant-poste Chenaillet, losing 19 captured in foggy conditions. After the June 25 armistice the 72nd returned to Briançon, then moved on to the southeast of Gap, where it was dissolved on 31 July. Active-duty personnel were incorporated into the Vichy French bataillon départmental des Hautes-Alpes at Gap and a guard unit at Briançon.
1944
During the Occupation, the completed ouvrages had been provided with caretakers and were kept in good condition. With the Normandy landingsOperation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
, the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
was instructed to impede German reinforcements from reaching northwest France by sabotaging the choke points through the Alps. The Petit Saint-Bernard, the Mont-Cenis and the Col de Larche were to be blocked. On 15 August 1944, the Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
landings were accomplished by the Allies against light opposition. Briançon, which had been occupied by the German 5th Gebirgsjäger Division, was evacuated on 24 August and occupied by Resistance forces. However, the Germans remained in the surrounding fortresses, and the 90th Panzergrenadier Division mounted an unsuccessful counterattack against American patrols and French forces, operating from the Fort du Randouillet. The newly-arrived 4th RTM and 3rd Moroccan under Colonel Molle mounted an offensive to drive the Germans over the Col du Montgenèvre starting on 4 September, and taking Gondran, Infernet, Croix-de-Bretagne, Chenaillet and Janus the same day. Randouillet and the Fort des Têtes were captiured on the 6th, but German forces on the crest of the Col du Montgenèvre continued to fire into Briançon. The area around Les Fourches and Restfond was captured by French and American forces in late September, but was evacuated for the winter in October. The reactivated Fort Chaberton continued to fire on Briançon until it was captured in April 1945. Roche-la-Croix was captured by a new offensive on 22 April 1945. The next day Saint-Ours Haut and Bas were captured.
Post-War
As part of the Paris Peace Treaties of 1947Paris Peace Treaties, 1947
The Paris Peace Conference resulted in the Paris Peace Treaties signed on February 10, 1947. The victorious wartime Allied powers negotiated the details of treaties with Italy, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Finland .The...
, the Franco-Italian border was adjusted to place Mont Chaberton and the upper reaches of the Col du Larche in France. Nevertheless, the major Alpine positions remained operational, preserved until the 1970s when interest in expensive fixed fortifications had declined.
Present status
Both Saint-Ours Haut and Saint-Ours Bas have been preserved and are available for tours by the public. Ouvrage Janus is owned by the Commune of Montgenèvre, and is being considered for public access. Many of the high-altitude positions are open to the elements.The Vauban
Vauban
Sébastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban , commonly referred to as Vauban, was a Marshal of France and the foremost military engineer of his age, famed for his skill in both designing fortifications and breaking through them...
and Séré de Rivières
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...
-era fortifications around Briançon have been preserved, or remain military installations. The Vauban fortifications of Briançon have been designated Unesco World Heritage Sites.
External links
- Fort de l'Infernet at Chemins de Mèmoire
- Fort de la Croix de Bretagne at Chemins de Mèmoire
- Fort du Randouillet at Chemins de Mèmoire
- Fort des Têtes at Chemins de Mèmoire