Ouvrage Immerhof
Encyclopedia
Ouvrage Immerhof, also known as Ouvrage Ferme-Immerhof, is one of the largest petit ouvrages of the Maginot Line
of northeast France
. Located near the community of Hettange-Grande
, it is 7 km north of Thionville
between the gros ouvrages of Molvange
and Soetrich
, the closest ouvrage to the Luxembourg
frontier. It was part of the Fortified Sector of Thionville
, in the Fortified Region of Metz
, the strongest portion of the Line. Apart from its function as a communication post between the neighbouring gros ouvrages, Immerhof also controlled the road and railway routes from Luxembourg, which pass in the immediate vicinity. In addition, Immerhof protected other Maginot works in the vicinity: the casemates of Kanfen, the infantry shelter of Stressling, the observation point and shelter of Hettange-Grande, and a number of nearby blockhouse
s constructed during the Phoney War.
Built between 1930 and 1935, Immerhof saw little action. After a renovation for continued use after World War II, the position was sold to the nearby community of Hettange-Grande in 1974 for use as a museum.
Immerhof was the only ouvrage to be built using entirely cut-and-cover techniques, with no tunnelling, due to poor soil conditions. A high water table meant that the drinking water well was only 28 metres (91.9 ft) deep; no deep drain could be constructed under the galleries due to the shallow water table. The position was constructed entirely in reinforced concrete, as opposed to unreinforced mass concrete, causing a significant cost increase. It was named after a nearby farm.
Several other casemates, observatories and infantry shelters are located around Soetrich, including
None of these are connected to the ouvrage or to each other. All were built by CORF. The Casernement de Hettange-Grande provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Immerhof and other ouvrages in the area.
Immerhof saw little action during 1940, at most seeing harassing fire, resulting in the death of corporal Andé Rabu on 14 June.. German forces bypassed the area in the days leading up to the Second Armistice at Compiègne. The Immerhof garrison, under the command of Captain Réquiston, surrendered to the German occupiers on 30 June, 1940, after rendering the fort's armament inoperable, the only Maginot position to sabotage its weapons prior to surrender.
In the 1950s the French government became concerned about a possible invasion by the Warsaw Pact
through Germany. Immerhof and many of the larger positions were renovated for further use. By 1953, Immerhof had become a part of the fortified môle de Rochonvillers along with Molvange, Rochonvillers
and Bréhain
. After France's withdrawal from the NATO integrated command structure the ouvrage was abandoned. In 1974 the position was sold to Hettange-Grande as a museum.
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,...
of northeast France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Located near the community of Hettange-Grande
Hettange-Grande
Hettange-Grande is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-Geography:Hettange-Grande is located close to the borders between France, Germany, and Luxembourg.-History:...
, it is 7 km north of Thionville
Thionville
Thionville , is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.-Demographics:...
between the gros ouvrages of Molvange
Ouvrage Molvange
Ouvrage Molvange is a large work, or gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line. The fortification complex faces the France-Luxembourg border from a height near Entrange in the Moselle département. The complex, armed and occupied in 1935, is located on the heights of Entrange, at an altitude of about...
and Soetrich
Ouvrage Soetrich
Ouvrage Soetrich is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line in northeastern France. Soetrich is located between petits ouvrages Immerhof and Bois Karre, facing the France-Luxembourg border near the town of Hettange-Grande, part of the Fortified Sector of Thionville...
, the closest ouvrage to the Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
frontier. It was part of the Fortified Sector of Thionville
Fortified Sector of Thionville
The Fortified Sector of Thionville was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line immediately to the north of Thionville. The sector describes an arc of about , about halfway between the French border with Luxembourg and Thionville. The Thionville...
, in the Fortified Region of Metz
Fortified Region of Metz
The Fortified Region of Metz comprised the central and most heavily-fortified portion of the Maginot Line. The region was established in 1926 as a military organization for the French fortifications along the frontier with Luxembourg and Germany to the east of Longuyon in northeastern France,...
, the strongest portion of the Line. Apart from its function as a communication post between the neighbouring gros ouvrages, Immerhof also controlled the road and railway routes from Luxembourg, which pass in the immediate vicinity. In addition, Immerhof protected other Maginot works in the vicinity: the casemates of Kanfen, the infantry shelter of Stressling, the observation point and shelter of Hettange-Grande, and a number of nearby blockhouse
Blockhouse
In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...
s constructed during the Phoney War.
Built between 1930 and 1935, Immerhof saw little action. After a renovation for continued use after World War II, the position was sold to the nearby community of Hettange-Grande in 1974 for use as a museum.
Design and construction
The Immerhof farm site was surveyed by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency, in 1930. Work by the contractor Duval of Nancy began in 1931, and the position became operational in 1935, at a cost of 31 million francs.Immerhof was the only ouvrage to be built using entirely cut-and-cover techniques, with no tunnelling, due to poor soil conditions. A high water table meant that the drinking water well was only 28 metres (91.9 ft) deep; no deep drain could be constructed under the galleries due to the shallow water table. The position was constructed entirely in reinforced concrete, as opposed to unreinforced mass concrete, causing a significant cost increase. It was named after a nearby farm.
Description
The ouvrage consists of four closely grouped combat blocks. The underground barracks is arranged in a unique two-level configuration.- Block 1: Infantry block with two GFM clocheGFM 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...
s and one machine gun turret. - Block 2: Infantry block with two GFM clocheGFM 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...
s and one machine gun turret, mirroring Block 1. - Block 3: Infantry block with one GFM cloche, one 81mm mortar turret, four machine gun embrasures and one machine gun/47 mm anti-tank gunAC 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....
embrasure (JM/AC47), with an emergency exit. - Block 4: Entry block with two GFM cloches, one grenade launcher clocheLG clocheThe LG cloche was a defensive element common to many Maginot Line ouvrages. The fixed cupola was deeply embedded into the concrete on top of a combat block, with only the top surface visible. The opening permitted the ejection of grenades from the interior of the cloche, providing a means of...
, four machine gun embrasures and one JM/AC47 embrasure.
Casemates, observation points and shelters
The Observatoire de la Route du Luxembourg is located to the east, very close to Soetrich, in a position to watch the main road to Luxembourg. It was equipped with an observation cloche and a GFM cloche. Just to the south is the Abri de la Route du Luxembourg, which sheltered a section of infantry that supported the observatory and the flank of the ouvrage. While in close proximity to Soetrich, these fortifications actually reported to Immerhof.Several other casemates, observatories and infantry shelters are located around Soetrich, including
- Observatoire de Hettange-Grande: One observation cloche and one GFM cloche.
- Abri d'Hettange-Grande: Surface shelter for two infantry sections and a command post, with two GFM cloches.
- Abri du Stressling: Surface shelter for one infantry section, two GFM cloches.
- Abri de l'Helmreich: Sub-surface shelter for two infantry sections and the quarter command post, two GFM cloches.
None of these are connected to the ouvrage or to each other. All were built by CORF. The Casernement de Hettange-Grande provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Immerhof and other ouvrages in the area.
History
- See Fortified Sector of ThionvilleFortified Sector of ThionvilleThe Fortified Sector of Thionville was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line immediately to the north of Thionville. The sector describes an arc of about , about halfway between the French border with Luxembourg and Thionville. The Thionville...
for a broader discussion of the events of 1940 in the Thionville sector of the Maginot Line.
Immerhof saw little action during 1940, at most seeing harassing fire, resulting in the death of corporal Andé Rabu on 14 June.. German forces bypassed the area in the days leading up to the Second Armistice at Compiègne. The Immerhof garrison, under the command of Captain Réquiston, surrendered to the German occupiers on 30 June, 1940, after rendering the fort's armament inoperable, the only Maginot position to sabotage its weapons prior to surrender.
In the 1950s the French government became concerned about a possible invasion by the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
through Germany. Immerhof and many of the larger positions were renovated for further use. By 1953, Immerhof had become a part of the fortified môle de Rochonvillers along with Molvange, Rochonvillers
Ouvrage Rochonvillers
Ouvrage Rochonvillers is one of the largest of the Maginot Line fortifications. Located above the town of Rochonvillers in the French region of Lorraine, the gros ouvrage or large work was fully equipped and occupied in 1935 as part of the Fortified Sector of Thionville in the Moselle...
and Bréhain
Ouvrage Brehain
Ouvrage Bréhain is part of the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes of the Maginot Line, located near the community of Bréhain-la-Ville in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département of France. Bréhain is flanked by petits ouvrages Mauvais Bois and Aumetz. The gros ouvrage was equipped with long-range...
. After France's withdrawal from the NATO integrated command structure the ouvrage was abandoned. In 1974 the position was sold to Hettange-Grande as a museum.
Current status
The ouvrage is maintained as a museum. It remains in a good state of preservation, a condition attributed to the unusual attention given to drainage of groundwater while the site was open to the sky for construction, something not possible in tunneled positions.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
- Official site, association "Le Tiburce"
- Immerhof {petit ouvrage A10 d') at fortiff.be
- Immerhof at darkplaces.org