Ouvrage Saint Gobain
Encyclopedia
Ouvrage Saint-Gobain is a work (gros ouvrage) of the Maginot Line
's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line
. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, one infantry block, one artillery block, one observation block and one combination block. Located in Modane
, France
, it is just across the valley of the Arc from Ouvrage Saint-Antoine and somewhat to the east of Ouvrage Sapey
.
The ouvrage covers the approach to the Fréjus Rail Tunnel
and the N6 road. In 1940 it had a garrison of 154 under Captain Dutrey.It cost 12.2 million francs.
in 1940 only indirectly, when one of its observation blocks spotted the fall of shot from Ouvrage Sapey
in the morning hours of June21 against an Italian observation post.
After the 1940 armistice, Italian forces occupied the Alpine ouvrages and disarmed them. In August 1943, southern France was occupied by the German 19th Army
, which took over many of the Alpine positions that had been occupied by the Italians until Italy's withdrawal from the war in September 1943.
In 1944, Saint-Gobain was recaptured relatively easily on 13 September. The Modane end of the Fréjus Tunnel was blown up by the retreating Germans, leaving a tilted blockhouse by the railway line, now known as the "Tilted House." Saint-Gobain had suffered little damage during the war and by the end of 1944 was partly repaired and placed into service. Immediately after the war, the Maurienne region was regarded as an area of medium priority for restoration and reuse by the military. By the 1950s the positions in the Southeast of France were restored and operational again. However, by 1960, with France's acquisition of nuclear weapons, the cost and effectiveness of the Maginot system was called into question. Between 1964 and 1971 nearly all of the Maginot fortifications were deactivated.
Ouvrage Saint-Gobain is open for public visitation, maintained by the Association du Musée de la Traverse des Alpes..
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,...
's Alpine extension, the 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 ouvrage consists of one entry block, one infantry block, one artillery block, one observation block and one combination block. Located in Modane
Modane
Modane is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia until 1860.-Transportation:...
, 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...
, it is just across the valley of the Arc from Ouvrage Saint-Antoine and somewhat to the east of Ouvrage Sapey
Ouvrage Sapey
Ouvrage Sapey 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 entry block, three artillery blocks and one observation block two kilometers west of Modane. The ouvrage was built beneath the older Fort du Sapey...
.
The ouvrage covers the approach to the Fréjus Rail Tunnel
Fréjus Rail Tunnel
The Fréjus Rail Tunnel is a rail tunnel of length in the European Alps, carrying the Turin–Modane railway through Mount Cenis to an end on connection with the Culoz–Modane railway and linking Modane, France and Bardonecchia, Italy...
and the N6 road. In 1940 it had a garrison of 154 under Captain Dutrey.It cost 12.2 million francs.
Description
- Block 1 (artillery): one machine gun 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...
and one 81mm mortar embrasure. - Block 2 (artillery): one machine gun cloche, cone heavy twin machine gun clocheJM 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...
two81mm mortar embrasures, one heavy twin machine gun embrasure and one heavy twin machine gun/47mm anti-tank gun embrasure. - Block 3 (observation): one machine gun cloche, one machine gun embrasure and one observation embrasure.
- Block 4 (infantry): one machine gun cloche, one heavy twin machine gun embrasure.
- Entry: one machine gun cloche, one heavy twin machine gun/37mm anti-tank gun embrasure.
History
Saint-Gobain participated in artillery fire directed at Italian troops in the Italian invasion of FranceItalian 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 only indirectly, when one of its observation blocks spotted the fall of shot from Ouvrage Sapey
Ouvrage Sapey
Ouvrage Sapey 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 entry block, three artillery blocks and one observation block two kilometers west of Modane. The ouvrage was built beneath the older Fort du Sapey...
in the morning hours of June21 against an Italian observation post.
After the 1940 armistice, Italian forces occupied the Alpine ouvrages and disarmed them. In August 1943, southern France was occupied by the German 19th Army
19th Army (Germany)
The 19th Army was a World War II field army of the German Army .-History:Formed in August 1943 in occupied southern France from Armeegruppe Felber The 19th Army (German: 19. Armee) was a World War II field army of the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer).-History:Formed in August 1943 in occupied southern...
, which took over many of the Alpine positions that had been occupied by the Italians until Italy's withdrawal from the war in September 1943.
In 1944, Saint-Gobain was recaptured relatively easily on 13 September. The Modane end of the Fréjus Tunnel was blown up by the retreating Germans, leaving a tilted blockhouse by the railway line, now known as the "Tilted House." Saint-Gobain had suffered little damage during the war and by the end of 1944 was partly repaired and placed into service. Immediately after the war, the Maurienne region was regarded as an area of medium priority for restoration and reuse by the military. By the 1950s the positions in the Southeast of France were restored and operational again. However, by 1960, with France's acquisition of nuclear weapons, the cost and effectiveness of the Maginot system was called into question. Between 1964 and 1971 nearly all of the Maginot fortifications were deactivated.
Ouvrage Saint-Gobain is open for public visitation, maintained by the Association du Musée de la Traverse des Alpes..
External links
- Saint-Gobain (gros ouvrage du) at fortiff.be