Fermont        Hackenberg        Immerhof

Introduction

With the exception of the Great Wall of China, the Maginot Line was the greatest system of permanent fortification ever built, and probably the last. In spite of this, it has remained relatively unknown as far as its technical construction and history are concerned. What is known about it is its unenviable reputation for being the greatest White Elephant of all times.

Many writers, trying to justify a point of military futility, have seized upon the Maginot Line as being the classic example, which is to ignore the fact that the defence's fulfilled the purpose for which they were constructed- to stop a German invasion of Alsace and Lorraine. The fact that they decided to invade elsewhere is another matter. The Line has even been blamed for the fall of France in 1940. The latter, however, was caused by a mixture of moral and political degeneration and the blindness of the military authorities to the development of warfare after 1918.

The reality of the Maginot Line remains as a monument to man’s technical ingenuity, and, as an inanimate object, cannot be held responsible for the blindness of its creators. There were, however, two lines: the real one and the propaganda one. It is the latter which represents the myth.

I use the term ‘Maginot Line’ throughout this page as this is the name popularly associated with the pre-1940 French frontier defence's. The title, however, was a figment of media imagination, coined in the 1930’s to simplify complex military terminology.

André Maginot was a politician who, among other things, secured the necessary funds from an unwilling Chamber of Deputies to build the defence's. It is one of the injustices of history that his name has been unfairly coupled with something for which he was not technically responsible and which was mainly built after his death.

The many excellent studies of the Battle of France in 1940 all mention the Maginot Line, but only in passing and without going into any detail. Informed literature in English is non-existent. Anything written before the war was largely inspired by propaganda motives or based on ‘official’ handouts. Only during the last few years have a number of books, limited-circulation treatises and articles in military journals appeared on the Continent.

It is only fairly recently that public interest in the subject has been awakened. Several of the forts have been restored and can be visited, A few of those are shown here. French official circles, however, remain silent, and the Maginot line is still a military secret at least in theory.

The Fortress of Fermont

One of the three major fortresses of the La Crusnes Fortified Sector, Fermont fortress (A2) stands in the Chiers valley betweenLonguyon and Longwy. It is by the D174, a few kilometers south of the village of Fermont. 

The La Crusnes Fortified Sector was responsible for the frontier from Marville, eighteen kilometers west of Longuyon, to Dudelange, about twenty kilometers north of Thionville. The fifty kilometers of front were protected by three major fortresses, four minor fortresses and thirty-six case-mates, stretching from the minor fortress of Ferme Chappy (Al), to the west; to another minor fortress, Aumetz (A7), to the east. There were also one shelter and five observatories. The major fortress of Fermont was the second on the left of the La Crusnes sector.

Fermont had seven battle blocks and the usual two entrance blocks:

Block 1: one 75mm turret, one GFM cupola and one LG cupola.

Block 2: one MI turret and one GFM cupola. Block 3: one GFM cupola, two JM cupolas and one observation   cupola.

Block 4: three 75mm embrasures, one GFM cupola and one JM cupola.

Block 5: one 81mm turret and one GFM cupola.

Block 6: one MI turret and two GFM cupolas.

Block 7: one 47mm AT/Reibel JM embra­sure, one Reibel JM embrasure, one GFM cupola and one LG cupola.  

Its entrances were of the shaft kind. Protecting the munitions and supplies entrance was a 47mm AT/Reibel JM embra­sure, two GFM cupolas and one LG cupola. A 47mm AT/Reibel JM embrasure and two GFM cupolas protected the personnel entrance. The battle crew consisted of 19 officers and 553 men of the l49ème RIF and l52ème RAP. When the fortress came under attack in June 1940 it was under the command of Captain Daniel Aubert, who had taken charge on May 16th In January 1940.

Solder Florian Piton was killed when a 37mm anti-tank shell hit the slit of the GFM cupola (right) in which he was on watch at the personnel entrance. Florian Piton was buried on June 22 in a grave dug out of the wall of the main thoroughfare.

 

    

The Main Corridor

The Telephone Exchange for 

passing fire control orders between

the observers the command post and

the artillery blocks

The small 600vdc electric 

trains used in the fort

One of the bunk rooms
 

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Click here for a Map

Fermont

Fermont Official Website

 

 

The Fortress of Hackenberg

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Click Here for a Map

 

One of the four major fortresses of the Boulay Fortified Sector, the Hackenberg fortress       (A 19) stands in the Forêt des Quatre Seigneurs, about fifteen kilometers east of Thionville, a few hundred meters above the village of Veckring on the D60.

The Boulay Fortified Sector was responsible for the frontier from Launstroff, about ten kilometers east of Sierek to Coume, about five kilometers northeast of Boulay. The sector was protected by four major fortresses, eleven minor fortresses and seventeen casemates, from the major for­tress of Hackenberg, to the west, to the minor fortress of Mottenberg (A33), to the east. There were also fourteen shelters and two observatories. Hackenberg was the first fortress on the left wing of the Boulay sector. The largest fortress of the Maginot Line, Hackenberg had seventeen battle blocks and the usual two entrance blocks. The battle blocks were in fact organised in two groups, linked by a large ditch: Blocks 1 to 6 constituted the eastern group, Blocks 7 to 10 the western, while Blocks 21 to 25 covered the ditch with their fire. Blocks 11 and 12 were observation blocks at an altitude of 343 meters.

The Munitions Entrance in 1998

An Original Plan of the Ouvrage

Block 1: one Ml turret.

Block 2: one 75mm turret and two GEM cupolas.

Block 3: one 81mm turret and one GFM cupola.

Block 4: one Reibel JM embrasure, one 37mm AT/Riesel JM embrasure. One MI turret and two GFM cupolas.

Block 5: three 75mm howitzer embrasures, two GFM cupolas and one LG cupola.

Block 6: one 135mm turret and one GFM cupola.

Block 7: one Reibel JM embrasure, one 37mm AT/Riesel JM embrasure, one MI turret and two GFM cupolas.

Block 8: three 75mm howitzer embrasures and two GFM cupolas.

Block 9: one 135mm embrasure, one 135mm turret and two GEM cupolas.

Block 10: one 81mm turret and two GFM cupolas.

Block 11: one GFM cupola and one observation cupola.

Block 12: one GFM cupola and one observation cupola.

Block 21: two Reibel JM embrasures, one 50mm mortar embrasure and one GFM cupola.

Block 22: one Reibel JM embrasure, one GFM cupola and one JM cupola.

Block 23: two GFM cupolas and one LG cupola.

Block 24: two Reibel JM embrasures, one 50mm mortar embrasure and two GFM cupolas.

Block 25: one 75mm howitzer embrasure, one Reibel JM embrasure, one 50mm mortar embrasure and one GFM cupola.

 

 

The entrance blocks led directly into the fortress. That for munitions and supplies was protected by a 47mm AT/Reibel JM embra­sure and two GFM cupolas, and that for personnel by a 47mm AT/Reibel JM embra­sure, two GFM cupolas and one LG cupola. Manning the fortress were 42 officers and 1040 men of the 164ème RIF and 153ème RAP. In June 1940 the fortress commander was Commandant Henri Ebrard. In May 1940 the VI ème Corps d’Armée assumed tactical control within the sector. The 51st (Highland) Division of the British Expeditionary Force held the part of the line in front of the Hackenberg fortress until May 22 when it was relieved and assembled near Etain.

          

One of the Forts Electric trains, now used to carry 

passengers down to the Combat blocks.

          

 The Main tunnel looking back to the main entrance  

  One of the Fort's Generator's

The Power house, from here power was distributed to

other parts of the Fort and to the Forts own electric 

trains at 600VDC.

The Main Kitchen, Here the food was prepared for 

the forts 1100 Officer's and Men. The food was

collected and taken to the combat blocks to be eaten.

The fort had its own wine cellar and walk in freezer.

 

A view down the main corridor looking 

towards the combat blocks the door is 

damaged at the bottom, it was damaged 

when the Germans blew up the main 

magazine before leaving the fortress. the door bent 

because the Germans had previously cut 

the lower portion of the frame away to 

allow large machine to be brought in. 

one of Hackenberg's 135mm guns this one is in 

block nine you can also see the empty cartridge chute,

 to expel empty cases down to a lower level,

 and the monorail system used to bring ammunition up

 from the block's ready use magazine in folding containers.

   

Here we can see one of the famous retracting turrets for a 135mm lance Bomb (Mortar), the turret in its entirety with mechanism, Armour and its counter weight weighs nearly 270 tons. the dome has 35cm of Armour plate weighing 30 tons alone. it contains two 75mm guns 1933 model's which could be completely retracted or raised 70cm to fire in any direction. It had a maximum range of 11km at 20 rounds per minute, with a 30 round per minute maximum rate of fire for short periods. 

                     

This is an observation cupola on the highest point 

above the fort with the Chapel in the background 

the original chapel was destroyed during the war 

this new one was built after the war.  

 

 

 

 

 

Ouvrage Immerhof  

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Location Map Click Here

Immerhof has its own web site click here

  

   

 

One of the four minor fortresses of the Thionville Fortified Sector, Immerhof for­tress (A10) stands just north of the D15, between Kanfen, to the north-west, and Soetrich, to the east, about ten kilometers north of Thionville. The Thionville Fortified Sector was re­sponsible for the frontier from Dudelange, twenty kilometers north of Thionville, to Launstroff, about ten kilometers east of Sierck. With the Moselle valley running through its center, the sector was highly vulnerable and it had been well protected with seven major fortresses, four minor fortresses and seventeen casemates. The fortifications stretched from the major for­tress of Rochonvillers (A8), to the west, to another major fortress, Billig (A18), to the east. There were also eighteen infantry shelters and four observatories. Immerhof was the third fortress from the left of the Thionville sector.

The Immerhof fortress had three battle blocks and one entrance block:

Block 1: one Ml turret and two GFM cupola

 

 

Block 2: one MI turret and two GFM cupolas.

Block 3: one SImm turret, one GFM cupola and one Reibel JM embrasure.

A 47mm AT/Reibel .JM embrasure, two GFM cupolas and one LG cupola protected the entrance block. In 1940 the Immerhof fortress was under the command of Captain Pierre Requiston; it had an establishment of 5 officers and 193 men of the 168ème RIF and 151ème RAP.