Ouvrage Col des Banquettes
Encyclopedia
Ouvrage Col des Banquettes is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line
's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line
, also called the "Little Maginot Line". The ouvrage consists of two entry blocks and one infantry block facing Italy
at the top of the Col des Banquettes, 2km northwest of Saint-Agnès. The position controlled the pass of the same name and was covered by Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès and the positions at Pic-de-Garuche.
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line
Alpine Line
The Alpine Line or Little Maginot Line was the component of the Maginot Line that defended the southeastern portion of France...
, also called the "Little Maginot Line". The ouvrage consists of two entry blocks and one infantry block facing Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
at the top of the Col des Banquettes, 2km northwest of Saint-Agnès. The position controlled the pass of the same name and was covered by Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès and the positions at Pic-de-Garuche.
Description
The Ouvrage Col des Banquettes was manned in 1940 by 74 soldiers of the 86th Brigade Alpin de Forteresse (DBAF) under Lieutenant Vernet. The underground portion consists of one short gallery connecting all three blocks and a shorter parallel gallery at Block 2.- Block 1 (entry): One machine gun embrasure.
- Block 2 (emergency exit): No armament.
- Block 3 (emergency exit): one machine gun turretGFM clocheThe GFM cloche was one of the most common defensive armaments on the Maginot Line. A cloche was a fixed and non-retractable firing position made of a thick iron casting which shielded its occupant...
and two twin machine gun embrasures.
External links
- Col des Banquettes (petit ouvrage) at fortiff.be