Ouvrage Plan Caval
Encyclopedia
Ouvrage Plan Caval is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line
's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line
, also known as the Little Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks and one observation block facing Italy
. The ouvrage is located on the heights of L'Authion, surrounded by older fortifications. Three additional blocks were planned to make it a gros ouvrage but were not built. Cost for the full ensemble was estimated at 23 million francs.
The ouvrage consists of three blocks facing Italy
at an altitude of 1870 metres (6,135.2 ft). The ouvrage was manned by 287 soldiers in 1940, under the command of Captain Philipp. Plan-Caval was located to control the Maglia and Cayros valleys, as well as providing flanking cover the La Béole
and Saint-Véran. An extensive set of underground barracks and magazines near the uncompleted entrances was never started, so that the ouvrage as constructed consists mostly of a single narrow gallery connecting the combat blocks.
Plan Caval is also associated with a nearby casemate with one machine gun embrasure and one advance post bunker. The advanced post is a small blockhouse with three machine gun embrasures.
Other, older fortifications exist in the same neighborhood. The Batterie du Plan Caval and its associated barracks are immediately to the west of the ouvrage.
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 known as the Little Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks and one observation 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...
. The ouvrage is located on the heights of L'Authion, surrounded by older fortifications. Three additional blocks were planned to make it a gros ouvrage but were not built. Cost for the full ensemble was estimated at 23 million francs.
The ouvrage consists of three blocks 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 an altitude of 1870 metres (6,135.2 ft). The ouvrage was manned by 287 soldiers in 1940, under the command of Captain Philipp. Plan-Caval was located to control the Maglia and Cayros valleys, as well as providing flanking cover the La Béole
Ouvrage La Beole
Ouvrage La Béole is a lesser work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block and two observation blocks at an altitude of . The ouvrage consists of two entry blocks and one observation block facing Italy. The ouvrage was manned by 94 soldiers...
and Saint-Véran. An extensive set of underground barracks and magazines near the uncompleted entrances was never started, so that the ouvrage as constructed consists mostly of a single narrow gallery connecting the combat blocks.
Description
- Block 1 (unbuilt entry block): planned to have one observation/machine gun clocheGFM 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 one twin heavy machine gun embrasure. - Block 2 (unbuilt artillery block): planned to have one 75mm/31cal gun embrasure.
- Block 3 (partially built artillery block): planned to have one observation/machine gun cloche and one 81mm mortar turret. Neither was installed and the block is blocked off from the gallery below.
- Block 4 (infantry block): one heavy twin machine gun clocheJM clocheThe JM cloche is an element of the Maginot Line. It is a non-retractable non-rotating cupola of steel alloy like GFM cloches, but are armed with twin heavy machine guns, as opposed to the lighter automatic rifles associated with the GFM. There are 179 JM cloches on the Maginot Line.JM is an acronym...
and one twin machine gun embrasure. - Block 5 (infantry block): one observation/machine gun clocheGFM 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...
. - Block 6 (infantry block): two heavy twin machine gun embrasures.
Plan Caval is also associated with a nearby casemate with one machine gun embrasure and one advance post bunker. The advanced post is a small blockhouse with three machine gun embrasures.
Other, older fortifications exist in the same neighborhood. The Batterie du Plan Caval and its associated barracks are immediately to the west of the ouvrage.
External links
- La Déa (petit ouvrage) at fortiff.be