Ouvrage Coucou

Last updated
Ouvrage Coucou
Part of Maginot Line
Northeast France
France location map-Regions and departements-2016.svg
Red pog.svg
Ouvrage Coucou
Coordinates 49°20′00″N6°23′35″E / 49.33333°N 6.39306°E / 49.33333; 6.39306
Site information
OwnerPrivate
Controlled byFrance
Open to
the public
No
Site history
MaterialsConcrete, steel, deep excavation
Battles/wars Battle of France, Lorraine Campaign
Ouvrage Coucou
Type of work:Small artillery work (Petit ouvrage)
sector
└─sub-sector
Fortified Sector of Boulay
└─Hombourg-Budange
Work number:A20
Regiment:164th Fortress Infantry Regiment (RIF)
Number of blocks:2
Strength:3 officers, 113 men in June 1940

Ouvrage Coucou is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay. The ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks, and is located between the gros ouvrages of Hackenberg and Mont des Welches, facing Germany, just north of Kemplich.

Contents

Design and construction

Coucou was approved for construction by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency, in June 1930 and became operational by 1935, [1] at a cost of 12 million francs. [2] The contractor was Enterprise de Travaille de Fortification. [3]

Description

Coucou is a petit ouvrage [nb 1] with two combat blocks, overlooking the village of Kemplich. The blocks are linked by an underground gallery with barracks and a utility area (usine). [6] The galleries are excavated at an average depth of up to 30 metres (98 ft). [7]

In addition, the ouvrage was linked to the Abri du Coucou [nb 2] by an 80-metre (260 ft) underground gallery. The above-ground infantry shelter was armed with two GFM cloches and five automatic rifle embrasures. It possessed its own generating plant. [6] [11] Other nearby posts include:

An observation block was planned for a second phase, never executed, directly over the caserne. [6]

Manning

In June 1940 the garrison comprised 113 men and 3 officers of the 164th Fortress Infantry Regiment (RIF). The commanding officer was Chef d'Escadron Ebrard until 13 June 1940, succeeded by Captain Roques. [6]

The Casernement de Veckring provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Coucou and other positions in the area. [6] [12]

History

See Fortified Sector of Boulay for a broader discussion of the Boulay sector of the Maginot Line.

Coucou played no significant role in either the Battle of France in 1940 or the Lorraine Campaign of 1944. After the Second World War it became part of the Mòle de Boulay, a strongpoint in the northeastern defenses against Soviet attack. [13] Coucou remained under Army control until after 1971, when it was declassified and sold. [14]

Current

The property is privately owned. [15]

See also

Notes

  1. English-language sources use the French term ouvrage as the preferred term for the Maginot positions, in preference to "fort", a term usually reserved for older fortifications with passive defenses in the form of walls and ditches. [4] The literal translation of ouvrage in the sense of a fortification in English is "work." A gros ouvrage is a large fortification with a significant artillery component, while a petit ouvrage is smaller, with lighter arms. [5]
  2. An abri is an infantry shelter, sometimes underground or under earth cover. An abri in the main Maginot Line often closely resembles a casemate, but is more lightly armed and can hold more occupants. [10]

Related Research Articles

Ouvrage Kobenbusch

Ouvrage du Kobenbusch is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of Thionville in the Cattenom Forest. It possesses seven combat blocks and two entrance blocks, one for ammunition and the other for men. It is located between petit ouvrage Bois-Karre and petit ouvrage Oberheid, and was named for the surrounding Kobenbusch Forest.

Ouvrage Hackenberg

Ouvrage Hackenberg, one of the largest of the Maginot Line fortifications, is part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay. It is situated twenty kilometres east of Thionville, in the Moselle département, near the village of Veckring, on the Hackenberg. It is located between gros ouvrage Billig and petit ouvrage Coucou, facing Germany. The fort occupies the wooded Hackenberg ridge. Before World War II it was considered a showpiece of French fortification technology, and was visited by British King George VI.

Ouvrage Mont des Welches

Ouvrage Mont des Welches, a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line fortifications, is part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay. It comprises two entrance blocks, one infantry block, one artillery block, one observation block and two combination blocks. It is located between petit ouvrage Coucou and gros ouvrage Michelsberg, facing Germany. Relatively small for a gros ouvrage, Mont des Welches saw a brief period of sharp action in June 1940, when German forces moving along the rear of the Maginot Line engaged the position without success. After modest renovations in the 1950s, Mont des Welches was abandoned in the 1970s.

Ouvrage Michelsberg

Ouvrage Michelsberg, one of the Maginot Line fortifications, formed part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay as well as the fortified region of Metz. The ouvrage is located in Moselle (département) between the towns of Dalstein and d'Ebersviller, about 23 km from Thionville. It is located between gros ouvrage Mont des Welches and petit ouvrage Hobling, facing Germany. Michelsberg did not see significant action in the Battle of France until June 1940, when it was attacked from the rear by German forces that had bypassed the Maginot Line. It successfully resisted these attacks, but was compelled to surrender in accordance with the 25 June 1940 armistice. After the Second World War it was renovated as a Cold War fortification against a potential Soviet invasion, then abandoned. It is now operated as a museum, and may be visited.

Ouvrage Anzeling

Ouvrage Anzeling is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay. It is located between petit ouvrage Bousse and petit ouvrage Berenbach, facing Germany just to the east of Bockange. With one of the longest main galleries of any Maginot position, it consists of two entrance blocks, three infantry blocks and four artillery blocks. A second phase of construction was planned to add nine more combat blocks and an anti-tank ditch, but was never executed. Anzeling saw limited action in World War II, and was rehabilitated for use during the cold war. It was de-activated in the 1970s and sold for private use.

Ouvrage Hobling Lesser work of the Maginot Line

Ouvrage Hobling is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks and two observation blocks, and is located between gros ouvrage Michelsberg and petit ouvrage Bousse, facing Germany. It has been stripped of metals and abandoned.

Ouvrage Bousse

Ouvrage Bousse, also known as Ouvrage Bois de Bousse, is a lesser work of the Maginot Line in the Fortified Sector of Boulay. The ouvrage is located between petit ouvrage Hobling and gros ouvrage Anzeling, near Hestroff in the Bois du Bousse, facing Germany. A small position, it was manned primarily by reservists. It is noted for the events of 15 June 1940, when it received orders to prepare for an evacuation as German forces advanced along the Line in the Battle of France. As the garrison prepared to abandon the position, sabotaging equipment, they destroyed their telephone connection, leaving them unable to receive the order countermanding the evacuation. The garrison was captured three days after leaving Bousse. Bousse is now managed as a museum and is open to public visitation.

Ouvrage Berenbach

Ouvrage Berenbach, also known as Ouvrage Behrenbach, is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage is located between gros ouvrage Anzeling and petit ouvrage Bovenberg, facing Germany. The ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks and one observation block. Uniquely, the blocks are not connected by subterranean galleries, as is the case in virtually all other Maginot fortifications.

Ouvrage Bovenberg

Ouvrage Bovenberg is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage is located between petits ouvrages Berenbach and Denting, facing Germany. It consists of two infantry blocks and two artillery blocks.

Ouvrage Denting

Ouvrage Denting is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of three infantry blocks, and is located between petits ouvrages Bovenberg and Village Coume, near the village of Denting in Moselle département, facing Germany. The position saw little action in World War II.

Ouvrage Village Coume

Ouvrage Village Coume is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of three infantry blocks, and is located between petits ouvrages Bovenberg and Coume Annexe Nord, facing Germany. The position saw little action in World War II. It was sold in the 1970s and stripped by salvagers.

Ouvrage Coume Annexe Sud

Ouvrage Coume Annexe Sud is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks, one artillery block and one observation block, and is located between petits ouvrages Coume and Mottemberg, facing Germany.

Ouvrage Mottenberg

Ouvrage Mottenberg is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of one entrance block and two infantry blocks, and is located between petits ouvrages Coume Annexe Sud and Kerfent, facing Germany.

Ouvrage Métrich Ouvrage of the Maginot Line

Ouvrage Métrich located in the village of Kœnigsmacker in Moselle, comprises part of the Elzange portion of the Fortified Sector of Thionville of the Maginot Line. A gros ouvrage, it is the third largest of the Line, after Hackenberg and Hochwald. It lies between petit ouvrage Sentzich and gros ouvrage Billig, facing Germany. Located to the east of the Moselle, it cooperated with Ouvrage Galgenberg to control the river valley.

Ouvrage Aumetz

Ouvrage Aumetz is a small work, or petit ouvrage of the Maginot Line. It is part of the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes and is located near the community of Aumetz in the Moselle département of France. The petit ouvrage flanked by the gros ouvrages Bréhain and Rochonvillers, all facing the France-Luxembourg border. Aumetz was initially planned as a gros ouvrage of six combat blocks, but only three infantry blocks were built. Aumetz saw limited action during the Battle of France. In the 1970s it was the first Maginot position to be offered for sale to the public.

Ouvrage Immerhof

Ouvrage Immerhof, also known as Ouvrage Ferme-Immerhof, is one of the largest petit ouvrages of the Maginot Line of north-east, 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 blockhouses constructed during the Phoney War.

Ouvrage Soetrich

Ouvrage Soetrich is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line in north-eastern 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. Compared with other gros ouvrages, Soetrich is compact in arrangement, with the entries and underground ammunition magazines and barracks in close proximity to the combat blocks, accessed through underground galleries at an average depth of 30 metres (98 ft). Its primary purpose was to cover the main road to Luxembourg, just to the west. Along with its neighbours, Ouvrage Rochonvillers and Ouvrage Molvange, Soetrich was used during the Cold War as a secure command centre for NATO forces.

Ouvrage Otterbiel

Ouvrage Otterbiel forms part of the Maginot Line in the Fortified Sector of Rohrbach, Sub-sector of Bitche, and is located on the Camp de Bitche of the French Army. It is located between gros ouvrage Schiesseck and petit ouvrage Grand Hohekirkel. Part of the Fortified Sector of Rohrbach, the petit ouvrage comprises four combat blocks and an entry block. Due to budget restrictions, a planned flanking infantry block was never constructed. Otterbiel saw no significant action in the Battle of France, and limited action during the 1944/45 Lorraine Campaign. It was renovated for use during the Cold War. Otterbiel is used for ammunition storage by the French Army.

Ouvrage Schiesseck

Ouvrage Schiesseck is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located near Bitche in the French département of Moselle. Schiesseck is adjoined by gros ouvrage Simserhof and petit ouvrage Otterbiel, all part of the Fortified Sector of Rohrbach, and faces the German frontier. Schiesseck saw comparatively little activity during the Battle of France, surrendering with other positions in its sector on 30 June 1940. During the Lorraine Campaign of 1944 Schiesseck was occupied by German forces and presented a point of resistance to American advances, requiring heavy bombardment and infantry assaults by engineer units to capture. The area was abandoned during the Battle of the Bulge, but was recaptured in March 1945. In the 1950s Schiesseck was repaired as part of a program to re-arm the Maginot Line against a potential advance by Warsaw Pact forces. It was abandoned in the early 1970s. Schiesseck is on military land and is not visitable by the public.

Ouvrage Grand-Hohékirkel

Ouvrage Grand-Hohékirkel is a petit ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located near Bitche in the French département of Moselle. Grand-Hohékirkel is adjoined by gros ouvrage Otterbiel to the west and petit ouvrage Lembach at some distance to the east, and faces the German frontier. It was part of the Fortified Sector of the Vosges.

References

  1. Kaufmann 2006, p. 25
  2. Wahl, J.B. "Infanteriewerk (P.O.) Coucou — A20" (in German). darkplaces.org. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  3. Mary, Tome 1, p. 52
  4. Kaufmann 2006, p.13
  5. Kaufmann 2006, p. 20
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mary, Tome 3, p. 102
  7. Mary, Tome 2, p. 117
  8. Puelinckx, Jean; Aublet, Jean-Louis; Mainguin, Sylvie (2010). "Coucou (po A20 du) Bloc 1". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  9. Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Coucou (po A20 du) Bloc 2". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  10. Kaufmann 2006, p. 14
  11. Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Coucou (abri du)". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  12. Wahl, J.B. "Festungsabschnitt Boulay" (in German). darkplaces.org. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  13. Mary, Tome 5, p.171
  14. Mary, Tome 5, p. 175
  15. Donnell, Clayton. "Off the Beaten Path". The Maginot Line. Retrieved 19 May 2010.

Bibliography