Ouvrage Chatelard

Ouvrage Chatelard
Part of Maginot Line, Alpine Line
Southeast France
Ouvrage Chatelard
Coordinates 45°37′40″N 6°46′59″E / 45.62781°N 6.78318°E / 45.62781; 6.78318
Site information
Controlled by France
Site history
Built 1938
Built by CORF
In use Converted to other use
Materials Concrete, steel, rock excavation
Battles/wars Italian invasion of France
Ouvrage Chatelard
Type of work: Small artillery work (Petit ouvrage)
sector
└─sub-sector
Fortified Sector of Savoy
└─Tarentaise
Regiment: 70th Batailllon Alpin de Fortresse
Number of blocks: 1
Strength: 1 non-commissioned officer, 18 men

Ouvrage Chatelard is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also known as the Little Maginot Line. Begun in 1938, the ouvrage consists of one infantry block about one kilometer northeast of Bourg St. Maurice, in the village of Le Chatelard. A short gallery with cross galleries extends into the rock, with an emergency exit and ventilation shaft halfway back.The ouvrage was incomplete in 1940, under the command of Sub-Lieutenant Bochaton.[1][2]

Chatelard, along with Ouvrage Cave-à-Canon and several pre-1914 forts on the heights around Bourg-Saint-Maurice, were placed to block an advance over the Little St Bernard Pass toward Albertville.[2]

Description

An additional block was planned with a machine gun turret, not completed.

The position presently serves as a dog shelter.

Blockhaus de Versoyen

The Blockhaus de Versoyen is just to the east of Chatelard, positioned to block a bridge and RN90. It was provided with an anti-tank ditch. The position was held by 13 men and was armed with one heavy twin machine gun/47mm anti-tank gun combination covering the road, and one heavy machine gun/25mm anti-tank gun combination covering the valley.[2]

On 23 June 1940 an Italian patrol approached the Versoyen blockhouse and was fired upon by Chatelard. On 25 June another patrol approached and opened fire. The blockhouse returned fire, killing or wounding three Italians.[3]

The Tarentaise region was liberated by Allied forces in March and April 1945.[4]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Puelinckx, Jean; Aublet, Jean-Louis; Mainguin, Sylvie (2010). "Chatelard (po de)". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 Mary, Tome 5, pp. 9–12
  3. Mary, Tome 5, pp. 94-95
  4. Mary, Tome 5, p.145

Bibliography

External links

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