Ouvrage Mauvais-Bois

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Ouvrage Mauvais-Bois
Part of Maginot Line
Northeast France
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Ouvrage Mauvais-Bois
Coordinates 49°27′54″N5°47′45″E / 49.46491°N 5.79596°E / 49.46491; 5.79596
Site information
OwnerPrivate
Controlled byFrance
ConditionAbandoned
Site history
Built byCORF
MaterialsConcrete, steel, deep excavation
Battles/wars Battle of France, Lorraine Campaign
Ouvrage Mauvais-Bois
Type of work:Small infantry work (Petit ouvrage - infantry)
sector
└─sub-sector		 Fortified Sector of the Crusnes
└─Sub-sector of Morfontaine
Work number:A4
Number of blocks:3
Strength:139

Ouvrage Mauvais-Bois is a petit ouvrage of the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes on the Maginot Line. It is located between the gros ouvrage Latiremont and the petit ouvrage Bois-du-Four, facing the Belgium/Luxembourg border. The original plan for the position was for two phases of construction, resulting in a gros ouvrage provided with heavy artillery. The increase in tension between France and Germany in the late 1930s caused resources to be diverted elsewhere, and only the first three combat blocks were built. In 1940 the ouvrage was regularly bombarded, but not directly attacked by German infantry. When the French military divested itself of the majority of the Maginot fortifications, Mauvais-Bois was the second to be sold.

Contents

Design and construction

Mauvais-Bois was approved for construction in October 1931. It was completed at a cost of 11 million francs by the contractor Monod of Paris. [1] The initial phase consisted of three combat blocks linked by deep underground galleries. In a second phase, Mauvais-Bois was to be expanded to function as a gros ouvrage, [nb 1] with two additional blocks mounting artillery, as well as remote entrances for munitions and personnel, and a larger network of deep underground galleries. The rise in tensions between France and Germany in the late 1930s prevented this second phase from being pursued. [4]

Description

Three combat blocks were built at Mauvais-Bois, linked with underground galleries and with an incomplete gallery extending in the direction of the proposed artillery blocks and entrance blocks.

The unbuilt portions of the ouvrage were projected to be:

Casemates and shelters

A series of detached casemates and infantry shelters surround Bois-du-Four, including the:

None of these are connected to the ouvrage or to each other. The Casernement de Morfortaine provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Mauvais-Bois and other positions in the area. [13]

Manning

The 1940 manning of the ouvrage under the command of Lieutenant de Mecquenem comprised 135 men and 2 officers of the 139th Fortress Infantry Regiment. The units were under the umbrella of the 42nd Fortress Corps of the 3rd Army, Army Group 2. [14] de Mecquenem would go on to fight in Tunisia and eventually at Dien Bien Phu, retiring as a brigadier general. [4]

History

See Fortified Sector of the Crusnes for a broader discussion of the events of 1940 in the Crusnes sector of the Maginot Line.

In June 1940, the German 183rd Division considered a plan to penetrate the Maginot Line between Bois-du-Four and Mauvais-Bois, eventually rejecting it in favor of operations farther to the east. [15] Mauvais-Bois saw mostly harassing attacks through June. [16] After the 22 June 1940 armistice brought an end to fighting, the Maginot fortifications to the west of the Moselle did not immediately surrender. [17] They maintained their garrisons through a series of negotiations. Mauvais-Bois, along with Bois-du-Four, Bréhain and Aumetz surrendered on 27 June. [18] The area of Mauvais-Bois saw little action during the Lorraine Campaign of 1944.

During the 1950s and 1960s the Maginot Line was kept in readiness for possible use in the event of an invasion by the Warsaw Pact. After the establishment of the French nuclear strike force, the importance of the Line declined, and in 1970 Mauvais-Bois was lowered in importance, allowing the use of formerly reserved areas around the ouvrage. Mauvais-Bois was the second Maginot ouvrage to be sold to the public. [19]

Current

Mauvais-Bois is privately owned and is not accessible to the public. It is reported to be in poor condition, with all metal components salvaged. [20] The Casemate de Morfortaine may be visited by appointment with the owner, who seeks to restore it. [21]

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 defensives in the form of walls and ditches. [2] 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. [3]

Related Research Articles

Ouvrage Latiremont

Ouvrage Latiremont is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes, sub-sector of Arrancy. It lies between the gros ouvrage Fermont and the petit ouvrage Mauvais Bois, facing Belgium. The village of Doncourt-Cités is nearby. Latiremont was active in 1939-1940, coming under direct attack in late June 1940. It surrendered to German forces on 27 June. After renovations during the Cold War, it was abandoned.

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 Hochwald

Ouvrage Hochwald is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, one of the largest fortifications in the Line. Located on the Hochwald ridge in the Fortified Sector of Haguenau in the community of Drachenbronn-Birlenbach in the Bas-Rhin department of northeastern France, it was designed to protect the northern Vosges region of France. Ouvrage Hochwald is sometimes considered as two ouvrages because of its separation of the western and the eastern portions of the ouvrage. Uniquely, the original plans for the position included an elevated battery to the rear with long-range 145 mm or 155 mm gun turrets of a new kind. Hochwald is used by the French Air Force as an armoured air defense coordination center.

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 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 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 Bambesch

Ouvrage Bambesch is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Faulquemont, the ouvrage consists of three infantry blocks, and is located between petits ouvrages Kerfent and Einseling, facing Germany. Completed in 1932, it is located in the Bois de Bambesch. On 20 June 1940 during the Battle of France, Bambesch was attacked by German forces, whose artillery battered the position, which could not be effectively supported by its neighbors, into surrender. Since 1973, Bambesch has been operated as a museum and is open to the public.

Ouvrage Laudrefang

Ouvrage Laudrefang is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Faulquemont, the ouvrage consists of one infantry block, and is located between petits ouvrages Einseling and Teting, facing Germany. Laudrefang was originally planned as a gros ouvrage. With a heavy armament for a petit ouvrage it successfully defended its neighbors against German attack during the Battle of France. Laudrefang is abandoned and flooded, and was heavily damaged by German bombardment in 1940.

Ouvrage Téting

Ouvrage Téting is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. Located in the Fortified Sector of Faulquemont, the ouvrage consists of one infantry block and two observation blocks, and is located facing Germany between petits ouvrages Laudrefang and the Saar valley, which was to be inundated in times of emergency. With artillery support from its neighbor Laudrefang, Téting held out against German bombardment during the Battle of France in 1940. It is now abandoned.

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 Fermont

Ouvrage Fermont is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, part of the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes in northeastern France, near the community of Montigny-sur-Chiers. It is located near the commune of Montigny-sur-Chiers, between the petit ouvrage Ferme Chappy and the gros ouvrage Latiremont. The position is near the western end of the Line, about four kilometers east of Longuyon, facing Belgium. There was significant combat at Fermont during the last stages of the Battle of France. It was repaired and reactivated during the 1950s and 1960s as a strongpoint in the event of an invasion by Soviet forces. After being abandoned by the military, it has been restored and is maintained as a museum.

Ouvrage Bois-du-Four

Ouvrage Bois-du-Four is a lesser work in the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes of the Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of a single large combat block without an underground gallery system, and is located between petit ouvrage Mauvais-Bois and gros ouvrage Bréhain, facing Luxembourg. A planned expansion, never carried out, was intended to enlarge Bois-du-Four into a fully equipped gros ouvrage. Bois-du-Four saw little action in either the Battle of France in 1940 or the Lorraine Campaign of 1944. It is preserved by the community of Villers-la-Montagne and may be visited.

Ouvrage Bréhain Ouvrage of the Maginot Line

Ouvrage Bréhain is part of the Fortified Sector of the Crusnes of the Maginot Line, located near the community of Bréhain-la-Ville in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of France. Bréhain is flanked by petits ouvrages Mauvais Bois and Aumetz. The gros ouvrage was equipped with long-range artillery, and faced the border with Luxembourg. It saw no major action in either the Battle of France in 1940 or the Lorraine Campaign of 1944. While not open to public visitation, it has been secured and is in relatively good condition when compared to other abandoned Maginot positions. A flanking casemate has been restored and may be visited.

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 Haut-Poirier

Ouvrage Haut-Poirier is a lesser work of the Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry and three infantry blocks, and is located between the Saare valley and petit ouvrage Welschhof, facing Germany. It is the only ouvrage in the Fortified Sector of the Sarre, the remainder of the area being covered by smaller blockhouses and areas of inundation. It was assaulted by German forces during the Battle of France and was captured after a seven-hour bombardment. Haut-Poirier is abandoned, although one of its satellite casemates is maintained as a museum.

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 Simserhof

Ouvrage Simserhof is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the French commune of Siersthal in the Moselle department. It faces the German border and is adjoined by the petit ouvrage Rohrbach and the gros ouvrage Schiesseck. Located 4 km west of Bitche, the ouvrage derived its name from a nearby farm. It was part of the Fortified Sector of Rohrbach. During the Battle of France in 1940, the Simserhof supported its neighboring fortifications with partially successful covering artillery fire. After the surrender of France, it was repurposed by the Germans as a torpedo storage depot, and later resisted the American advances of late 1944. The Americans briefly occupied the fort in the first days of 1945 until the German counter-offensive of Operation Nordwind, which allowed them to take back control of the Simserhof. The fort was finally liberated by the 100th Infantry Division on March 15, 1945. Following the war, it was initially repaired for the French Army and later converted into a Maginot Line museum in the early 1960s. Retained by the Ministry of Defense, Simserhof now functions as a museum, and has the most extensive visitor infrastructure of any of the preserved Maginot fortifications.

Ouvrage Vélosnes

Ouvrage Vélosnes is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of Montmédy between the towns of Othe and Vélosnes, facing Belgium. It possesses four combat blocks and one entrance block. It is located to the east of petit ouvrage Thonnelle. The position was sabotaged and abandoned by French forces that were ordered to retreat from the exposed position in June 1940 during the Battle of France. The ouvrage is abandoned and is administered as a nature preserve.

Ouvrage Chesnois

Ouvrage Chesnois, also known as Ouvrage Chênois, is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of Montmédy, facing Belgium. The ouvrage lies between the towns of Montlibert and Thonne-le-Thil. It possesses six combat blocks. It is located between gros ouvrage Thonnelle and petit ouvrage La Ferté. The position was sabotaged and abandoned by French forces that were ordered to retreat from the exposed position in June 1940 during the Battle of France. The ouvrage is now abandoned and sealed.

References

  1. ↑ Mary, Tome 1, p. 52
  2. ↑ Kaufmann 2006, p. 13
  3. ↑ Kaufmann 2006, p. 20
  4. 1 2 Mary, Tome 3, p. 84
  5. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Mauvais Bois (PO A4 de) Bloc 1 (entrée)". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  6. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Mauvais Bois (PO A4 de) Bloc 2". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  7. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Mauvais Bois (PO A4 de) Bloc 3". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  8. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Mauvais Bois (PO A4 de) Bloc 4". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  9. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Mauvais Bois (PO A4 de) Bloc 5". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  10. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Mauvais Bois (PO A4 de) Entrée hommes". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  11. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Mauvais Bois (PO A4 de) Entrée Munitions". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  12. ↑ Mary, Tome 3, p. 84
  13. ↑ Wahl, J.B. "Festungsabschnitt Crusnes" (in German). darkplaces.org. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  14. ↑ Mary, Tome 3, p. 79
  15. ↑ Kauffmann 2006, p. 168
  16. ↑ Mary, Tome 3, p. 201
  17. ↑ Mary, Tome 3, p. 207
  18. ↑ Mary, Tome 5, p. 228
  19. ↑ Mary, Tome 5, pp. 174-175
  20. ↑ Donnell, Clayton. "Off the Beaten Path". The Maginot Line. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  21. ↑ Kaufmann 2011, p. 215

Bibliography

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