Fortifications of Metz

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The Fortifications of Metz, a city in northeastern France, are extensive, due to its strategic position near the border of France and Germany. Below is a list of the fortifications that exist around the area of Metz.

Because they switched hands quite often, the French given names are listed as well as any applicable German ones. In parenthesis is the construction period.

Contents

[edit] Forts of the first belt

  • Fort de Saint-Privat (1870) / Fort Prinz August von Württemberg (1872 - 1875)
  • Fort de Queuleu (1867 - 1870) / Fort Goeben (1871 - 1890)
  • Fort des Bordes (1870) / Fort Zatrow (1874 - 1875)
  • Fort de Saint-Julien (1867 - 1870) / Fort Manteuffel (1871-1891)
  • Fort Gambetta / Fort Hindersin (1879 - 1881)
  • Fort Déroulède / Fort Kameke (1876 - 1879)
  • Fort Decaen / Fort Schwerin (1878 - 1880)
  • Fort de Plappeville (1867 - 1870) / Fort Alvenslebenn (1871 - 1891)
  • Groupe fortifié du Mont Saint-Quentin (1867 - 1870) / Feste Prinz Friedrich-Karl (1872 - 1892)
    • Fort Diou (1867 - 1870) / Ostfort (1872 - 1892)
    • Fort Girardin / Fort Mannstein (1872 - 1892)

[edit] Forts of the second belt

  • Groupe fortifié de l’Aisne / Feste Wagner (1904-1912)
  • Groupe fortifié Driant / Feste Kronprinz (1899 - 1905)
  • Groupe fortifié François de Guise / Feste Leipzig (1907-1912)
  • Groupe fortifié Jeanne d’Arc / Feste Kaiserin (1899-1905)
  • Groupe fortifié Lorraine / Feste Lothringen (1899-1905)
  • Groupe fortifié La Marne / Feste GeneralFeldMarshall Freiherr von der Goltz (1907-1916)
  • Groupe fortifié Verdun / Feste Haeseler (1899-1905), sometimes referred to as Feste Graf Haeseler
  • Groupe fortifié l’Yser / Feste PrinzRegent Luitpold (1907-1914)

[edit] "Les sept nains" (The seven dwarves)

These are a series of small defensive emplacements built between 1912 and 1916 in a line between Driant and Jeanne d'Arc. The name of them was created by the Americans of the U.S. Third Army during the Battle for Metz in the second world war. They are sometimes (mistakenly) referred to as forts, and their name alludes to their weak defensive strength. From south to north and with an English translation, they are:

  • l’ouvrage d’infanterie de Marival: Marival bunker
  • le point d’appui de Vaux Sud: Vaux Southern point of support
  • le point d’appui de Vaux Nord: Vaux Northern point of support
  • l’ouvrage d’infanterie de Bois-la-Dame: Bois-la-Dame† bunker
  • le point d’appui de Jussy Sud: Jussy Southern point of support
  • le point d’appui de Jussy Nord: Jussy Northern point of support
  • le point d’appui de Saint Hubert: Saint Hubert point of support

† - Lady of the Woods

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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