Ouvrage Ferme Chappy
Encyclopedia
Ouvrage Ferme Chappy is a petit ouvrage of the Maginot Line
in northeastern France. It is located at the western end of the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes
near Longuyon
in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département
, facing Belgium
. The gros ouvrage Fermont
borders Ferme Chappy's artillery coverage to the east. A wide gap existed to the west in the direction of Longuyon
, covered only by blockhouses and natural obstacles such as rivers. Ferme Chappy was assaulted by German forces during the Battle of France
in June of 1940, fending off the attack with artillery support from Fermont. Chappy surrendered with its neighbors on 27 June. It was abandoned after the war and is now private property.
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 of Verdun
, along with two casemates (Casemates de la Chaudronnerie) just to the south of Ferme Chappy, but were replaced by a dense series of blockhouses closer to Longuyon.
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.
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
. Once the area was occupied, Chappy's machine gun turret was removed by the Germans, along with all of the interior fittings. The position saw no fighting in the 1944 Lorraine Campaign
and remained abandoned after the war.
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,...
in northeastern France. It is located at the western end of the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes
Fortified Sector of the Crusnes
The Fortified Sector of the Crusnes was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line extending eastwards approximately from Longuyon. The sector roughly follows the valley of the Crusnes river...
near Longuyon
Longuyon
Longuyon is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.The apartment blocks on the southwestern edge of town, still called "La Cité Canadienne", were home to Royal Canadian Air Force staff and their families in the 1950s and 1960s, when the RCAF had an airbase at nearby...
in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département
Meurthe-et-Moselle
Meurthe-et-Moselle is a department in the Lorraine region of France, named after the Meurthe and Moselle rivers.- History :Meurthe-et-Moselle was created in 1871 at the end of the Franco-Prussian War from the parts of the former departments of Moselle and Meurthe which remained French...
, facing Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The gros ouvrage Fermont
Ouvrage Fermont
Ouvrage Fermont is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, part of the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes in northeastern France, near the community of Montigny-sur-Chiers. It is located near the commune of Montigny-sur-Chiers, between the petit ouvrage Ferme Chappy and the gros ouvrage Latiremont...
borders Ferme Chappy's artillery coverage to the east. A wide gap existed to the west in the direction of Longuyon
Longuyon
Longuyon is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.The apartment blocks on the southwestern edge of town, still called "La Cité Canadienne", were home to Royal Canadian Air Force staff and their families in the 1950s and 1960s, when the RCAF had an airbase at nearby...
, covered only by blockhouses and natural obstacles such as rivers. Ferme Chappy was assaulted by German forces during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in June of 1940, fending off the attack with artillery support from Fermont. Chappy surrendered with its neighbors on 27 June. It was abandoned after the war and is now private property.
Design and construction
Ferme Chappy was approved for construction in April 1932. It was completed at a cost of 11 million francs. The ouvrage was named for the adjoining farm whose buildings sit nearly on top of the underground barracks and entry.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
Ouvrage Vélosnes
Ouvrage Vélosnes is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of Montmédy between the towns of Othe and Vélosnes, facing Belgium. It possesses four combat blocks and one entrance block. It is located to the east of petit ouvrage Thonnelle...
. A gros ouvrage (Bois du Rafour) was planned immediately to the rear of Longuyon in the direction of Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
, along with two casemates (Casemates de la Chaudronnerie) just to the south of Ferme Chappy, but were replaced by a dense series of blockhouses closer to Longuyon.
Description
- Block 1: Entry block with two machine gun/anti-tank gun embrasures (JM/AC47AC 47 anti-tank gunThe AC 47 was a French anti-tank gun of 47mm caliber. It was principally used in the ouvrages and casemates of the Maginot Line in the late 1930s; another version was created for naval use....
), two machine gun embrasures (JM), two automatic rifle cloches (GFM)GFM clocheThe GFM cloche was one of the most common defensive armaments on the Maginot Line. A cloche was a fixed and non-retractable firing position made of a thick iron casting which shielded its occupant...
and one machine gun cloche (JM)JM clocheThe JM cloche is an element of the Maginot Line. It is a non-retractable non-rotating cupola of steel alloy like GFM cloches, but are armed with twin heavy machine guns, as opposed to the lighter automatic rifles associated with the GFM. There are 179 JM cloches on the Maginot Line.JM is an acronym...
. 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 CrusnesFortified Sector of the CrusnesThe Fortified Sector of the Crusnes was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line extending eastwards approximately from Longuyon. The sector roughly follows the valley of the Crusnes river...
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
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
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
Ouvrage Latiremont
Ouvrage Latiremont is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes, sub-sector of Arrancy. It lies between the gros ouvrage Fermont and the petit ouvrage Mauvais Bois, facing Belgium. The village of Doncourt-Cités is nearby. Latiremont was active in 1939-1940,...
. Once the area was occupied, Chappy's machine gun turret was removed by the Germans, along with all of the interior fittings. The position saw no fighting in the 1944 Lorraine Campaign
Lorraine Campaign
Lorraine Campaign is a term used by U.S. Army historians to describe operations of the U.S. Third Army in Lorraine during World War II from September 1 through December 18, 1944. Official U.S. Army campaign names for this period and location are Northern France and Rhineland. The term was...
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 LineSiegfried LineThe original Siegfried line was a line of defensive forts and tank defences built by Germany as a section of the Hindenburg Line 1916–1917 in northern France during World War I...
- Atlantic WallAtlantic WallThe Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
- Czechoslovak border fortificationsCzechoslovak border fortificationsThe Czechoslovak government built a system of border fortifications from 1935 to 1938 as a defensive countermeasure against the rising threat of Nazi Germany that later materialized in the German offensive plan called Fall Grün...
External links
- Ferme Chappy at darkplaces.org