Fort de Chillon
Encyclopedia
The Fort de Chillon is a twentieth-century fortification directly adjacent to the medieval Château de Chillon on the edge of Lac Léman in Switzerland
. The fort secures the road and rail lines that pass along the lakeshore running east from Lausanne
to the mountainous interior of Switzerland. The position is an advanced work protecting the approaches to Fortress Saint-Maurice
, part of the Swiss National Redoubt
. Deactivated as a military post in 1995, it is privately owned and is being converted to a wine cellar.
above the rail line. The location is spanned by the Viaduc de Chillon
. Built at the opening of the Second World War, it was armed with a mixture of 75mm guns and 90mm anti-tank guns. Initial work was completed in 1942. The fort was designated A390 in the Swiss fortification nomenclature. The ensemble included permanent and rapidly deployable anti-tank obstacles, designed to stall or trap an enemy while the fort's weapons fired on them.
The fort was initially armed with two 75mm anti-tank guns for direct fire, replaced with 90mm guns in 1962. Two other 75mm guns were retained until 1978. Two additional 90mm guns and five machine guns completed the offensive armament. Defensive arms included two machine guns each at the Rocher de Veytaux and Montagnette, with three at Champ-Babaud, along with two 81mm mortars. Infantry bunkers command the road and rail lines adjacent to the castle, linked to the main fort by underground galleries.
The Fort de Chillon was manned by units of Mountain Brigade 10. The garrison comprised 131 men. Nine detached bunkers were provided for infantry forces defending the surface of the installation.
This position was covered from the direction of Saint-Maurice by the Fort de Champillon
, an artillery fort .The Chablais plain to the south was covered by additional fortifications. The Chablais and Chillon ensembles were not considered part of Fortress Saint-Maurice
proper, but were important advance works to delay and weaken an attacker before they reached the Saint-Maurice stopping line, or fort d'arrêt. The entire region is fortified with anti-tank barriers, permanent minefields and other barriers, while tunnels, bridges and retaining walls are mined or prepared for demolition.
in 1998 and was briefly opened for public tours, with the intention of making it into a museum. However, the transaction fell through. The town of Chillon
waived its rights in 2004, followed by the neighboring town of Veytaux. In 2010 the property was purchased by investors who plan to make the site a wine storage facility and tasting facility. Tours may be instituted in the future.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. The fort secures the road and rail lines that pass along the lakeshore running east from Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
to the mountainous interior of Switzerland. The position is an advanced work protecting the approaches to Fortress Saint-Maurice
Fortress Saint-Maurice
Fortress Saint-Maurice is one of the three fortification complexes comprising the Swiss National Redoubt. The westernmost of the three, Fortress Saint-Maurice complements Fortress Saint Gotthard and Fortress Sargans to secure the central alpine region of Switzerland against an invading force...
, part of the Swiss National Redoubt
National Redoubt (Switzerland)
The Swiss National Redoubt was a defensive plan developed by the Swiss government beginning in the 1880s to respond to foreign invasion. In the opening years of World War II the plan was expanded and refined to deal with a potential German invasion. The German plan, Operation Tannenbaum, was real,...
. Deactivated as a military post in 1995, it is privately owned and is being converted to a wine cellar.
Description
The Fort de Chillon lies directly adjacent to the Château de Chillon, a major tourist attraction. The site has been fortified since at least the 12th century. The Fort de Chillon is a mixed infantry-artillery fort, located almost entirely underground in the steep slope rising to VeytauxVeytaux
Veytaux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.The Chateau of Chillon provides a marvelous view of the entire Lake of Geneva located in Avenue de Chillon.-Geography:...
above the rail line. The location is spanned by the Viaduc de Chillon
Viaduc de Chillon
The Viaduc de Chillon is a viaduct in Switzerland located in Veytaux to the southeast of Montreux. Built by the Consortium des Viaducs de Chillon between 1966 and 1969, it takes its name from the Château de Chillon which lies downhill on the shores of Lac Léman...
. Built at the opening of the Second World War, it was armed with a mixture of 75mm guns and 90mm anti-tank guns. Initial work was completed in 1942. The fort was designated A390 in the Swiss fortification nomenclature. The ensemble included permanent and rapidly deployable anti-tank obstacles, designed to stall or trap an enemy while the fort's weapons fired on them.
The fort was initially armed with two 75mm anti-tank guns for direct fire, replaced with 90mm guns in 1962. Two other 75mm guns were retained until 1978. Two additional 90mm guns and five machine guns completed the offensive armament. Defensive arms included two machine guns each at the Rocher de Veytaux and Montagnette, with three at Champ-Babaud, along with two 81mm mortars. Infantry bunkers command the road and rail lines adjacent to the castle, linked to the main fort by underground galleries.
The Fort de Chillon was manned by units of Mountain Brigade 10. The garrison comprised 131 men. Nine detached bunkers were provided for infantry forces defending the surface of the installation.
This position was covered from the direction of Saint-Maurice by the Fort de Champillon
Fort de Champillon
The Fort de Champillon is a twentieth-century Swiss fortification located in the heights overlooking the Rhône valley from the north between Montreux and Monthey. Completed in 1944, the fort secures the road and rail lines running east from Lausanne to the mountainous interior of Switzerland...
, an artillery fort .The Chablais plain to the south was covered by additional fortifications. The Chablais and Chillon ensembles were not considered part of Fortress Saint-Maurice
Fortress Saint-Maurice
Fortress Saint-Maurice is one of the three fortification complexes comprising the Swiss National Redoubt. The westernmost of the three, Fortress Saint-Maurice complements Fortress Saint Gotthard and Fortress Sargans to secure the central alpine region of Switzerland against an invading force...
proper, but were important advance works to delay and weaken an attacker before they reached the Saint-Maurice stopping line, or fort d'arrêt. The entire region is fortified with anti-tank barriers, permanent minefields and other barriers, while tunnels, bridges and retaining walls are mined or prepared for demolition.
Present status
As a result of the reorganization of Swiss fortifications under the Army 95 program, the fort was deactivated and declared surplus. Chillon was considered for purchase by the Canton of VaudVaud
Vaud is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland and is located in Romandy, the French-speaking southwestern part of the country. The capital is Lausanne. The name of the Canton in Switzerland's other languages are Vaud in Italian , Waadt in German , and Vad in Romansh.-History:Along the lakes,...
in 1998 and was briefly opened for public tours, with the intention of making it into a museum. However, the transaction fell through. The town of Chillon
Chillón
Chillón is a municipality in Ciudad Real, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. It has a population of 2,271....
waived its rights in 2004, followed by the neighboring town of Veytaux. In 2010 the property was purchased by investors who plan to make the site a wine storage facility and tasting facility. Tours may be instituted in the future.
External links
- Article on the Fort de Chillon with diagrams
- Fort de Chillon at Association Fort de Litroz
- Visite humoristique du fort de Chillon at APSF