Ouvrage Four-à-Chaux is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line, located in the community of Lembach, France, in the Bas-Rhin département. Four à Chaux was adjoined by petit ouvrageLembach and gros ouvrageHochwald, and faced the German frontier as part of the Fortified Sector of the Vosges. A "four à chaux" is a lime kiln in French, and the ouvrage was located in the area of a limestone quarry and kiln, which operated until 1939. Four-à-Chaux was bombarded by the invading Germans in late June 1940 during the Battle of France with both aerial attacks and artillery bombardments. Four-à-Chaux survived to surrender at the end of the month. Block 1 was destroyed by the Germans before retreating in the face of American advances in 1945. During the 1950s Four-à-Chaux was renovated and reoccupied against a perceived threat from the Soviet Union. It fell out of use in the 1970s, and is now operated as a museum.
The site was surveyed by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Lembach was approved for construction in July 1931. The gros ouvrage[nb 1] was intended to receive a second 75mm gun turret in a second phase of construction, never pursued.[3] Due to its compact arrangement, Four-à-Chaux did not receive an electrified internal rail system; the garrison pushed carts on the rails between the blocks. The fort also features an artesian well.[4]
Descriptionedit
The incline of the fortress, used to carry the ammunition and material to the upper gallery. This is an exception of the Maginot Line, as usually classical elevators were used.
Four-à-Chaux is a position of medium importance on the Line, covering an area of 26 hectares, 4.5 km of subterranean galleries and six combat blocks. The ouvrage comprises eight blocks, with six combat blocks and two entries. The significant change in level between the combat blocks and the ammunition entrance required an inclined gallery immediately after the ammunition entrance. There is a 24-meter elevation difference between the ammunition entrance and the higher personnel entrance. In contrast to most gros ouvrages in northeastern France, Four-à-Chaux's internal railway system was not electrified. A drainage gallery was built to function as an emergency exit from the area of the caserne.[3]
Block 1: Artillery block with two automatic rifle cloches (GFM) and one 135mm retractable twin gun turret. The interior of the block was destroyed by the Germans during explosives effects testing.[5]
Block 5: Infantry block with one GFM cloche and one retractable twin machine gun turret.[9]
Block 6: Infantry block with one GFM cloche, one VDP cloche, one JM cloche, one twin machine gun embrasure and one machine gun (JM)/47mm anti-tank gun embrasure (JM/AC47). The block was extensively renovated in the 1950s.[10]
Personnel entrance: one machine gun embrasure (JM) and one GFM cloche, as well as a false GFM cloche.[11]
Ammunition entrance: one JM/AC 47 anti-tank gun embrasure and two GFM cloches.[12]
Casemate de Schmelzbach Ouest: Single block with one JM/AC47 embrasure, one twin machine gun embrasure and a GFM cloche.[3]
Manningedit
The 1940 manning of the ouvrage under the command of Commandant Exbrayat comprised 491 men and 19 officers of the 165th Fortress Infantry Regiment.[3] The units were under the umbrella of the 5th Army.[13] The nearby Casernement de Lembach provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Four-à-Chaux and other positions in the area.[14][15]
On 19 June 1940, the German 215th Infantry Division attacked in the area immediately to the west of Lembach, between the river Schwartzbach and Lembach.[16] Later in the day, Four-à-Chaux and other ouvrages were bombed by Stukas with no significant effect. Four-à-Chaux's 135mm and 75mm gun turrets fired on the Germans throughout the day. The next day an attack was repelled with artillery support from Hochwald.[17] Four-à-Chaux was heavily bombarded from the air and from German artillery during the period. The German advance continued into the Vosges region, but did not directly attack Four-à-Chaux with infantry. Four-à-Chaux formally surrendered on 1 July 1940.[18]
1944–1945edit
What still can be seen of Block 1 after German testings. The block never was rebuilt, in contrary to the rest of the fortress.
Four-à-Chaux saw little action during the Lorraine Campaign, where most action took place around Hochwald and Schoenenbourg. Block 1 was destroyed using explosives by the Germans before the surrender in 1945.[19]
Cold Waredit
In the 1950s interest in the Maginot Line was renewed. In 1951, Lembach, Four-à-Chaux, Hochwald and Schoenenbourg were designated the Môle de Haguenau, a point of resistance against a potential invasion by forces of the Warsaw Pact. Four-à-Chaux was repaired and put in a state of readiness in 1951–52, with the exception of the destroyed Block 1.[19] By the late 1950s interest in fixed fortifications was waning after France developed a nuclear deterrent. The money needed to maintain and upgrade the fortifications was diverted for the nuclear programs. Four-à-Chaux was not manned or maintained after the early 1970s.[20]
Current conditionedit
View on the village Lembach from block 5 of the fortress.
Today, Four-à-Chaux is open to the public under the guidance of the SILE (Syndicat d'Initiative de Lembach et Environs) association. The guided visit includes Block 2, the barracks, principal gallery, usine and the museum. The ouvrage may be visited throughout the year.[21] The surface of the ouvrage is not accessible due to the presence of unexploded ordnance.[4]
^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.[1] 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.[2]
^. Syndicat d'Initiative de Lembach et Environs. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
Bibliographyedit
Allcorn, William. The Maginot Line 1928–45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN1-84176-646-1
Degon, André; Zylberyng, Didier, La Ligne Maginot: Guide des Forts à Visiter, Editions Ouest-France, 2014. ISBN978-2-7373-6080-0(in French)
Kaufmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W. Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II, Stackpole Books, 2006. ISBN0-275-98345-5
Kaufmann, J.E., Kaufmann, H.W., Jancovič-Potočnik, A. and Lang, P. The Maginot Line: History and Guide, Pen and Sword, 2011. ISBN978-1-84884-068-3
Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 1. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2001. ISBN2-908182-88-2(in French)
Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 2. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. ISBN2-908182-97-1(in French)
Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 3. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. ISBN2-913903-88-6(in French)
Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009. ISBN978-2-35250-127-5(in French)
External linksedit
L'ouvrage du Four-à-Chaux at alsacemaginot.com (in French)
Ouvrage du Four à Chaux at lignemaginot.com (in French)
Four à Chaux (gros ouvrage du) at fortiff.be (in French)
Video of the interior of Four à Chaux (in French)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ouvrage du Four à Chaux (Lembach).
December 15, 2023
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Ouvrage Four a Chaux is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line located in the community of Lembach France in the Bas Rhin departement Four a Chaux was adjoined by petit ouvrage Lembach and gros ouvrage Hochwald and faced the German frontier as part of the Fortified Sector of the Vosges A four a chaux is a lime kiln in French and the ouvrage was located in the area of a limestone quarry and kiln which operated until 1939 Four a Chaux was bombarded by the invading Germans in late June 1940 during the Battle of France with both aerial attacks and artillery bombardments Four a Chaux survived to surrender at the end of the month Block 1 was destroyed by the Germans before retreating in the face of American advances in 1945 During the 1950s Four a Chaux was renovated and reoccupied against a perceived threat from the Soviet Union It fell out of use in the 1970s and is now operated as a museum Ouvrage Four a ChauxPart of Maginot LineNortheast FranceBlock 6 and the array of anti tank railsOuvrage Four a ChauxCoordinates48 59 49 N 7 47 49 E 48 99694 N 7 797 E 48 99694 7 797Site informationControlled byFranceOpen tothe publicYesConditionPreservedSite historyMaterialsConcrete steel deep excavationBattles warsBattle of France Lorraine CampaignOuvrage Four a ChauxType of work Large artillery work Gros ouvrage sector sub sectorFortified Sector of the Vosges LangensoultzbachWork number O 600 Ouvrage EConstructed 1930 1938Regiment 165th Fortress Infantry Regiment RIF Number of blocks 8Strength 19 officers 491 enlisted Contents 1 Design and construction 2 Description 2 1 Casemates and shelters 3 Manning 4 History 4 1 1940 4 2 1944 1945 4 3 Cold War 5 Current condition 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 Bibliography 10 External linksDesign and construction editThe site was surveyed by CORF Commission d Organisation des Regions Fortifiees the Maginot Line s design and construction agency Lembach was approved for construction in July 1931 The gros ouvrage nb 1 was intended to receive a second 75mm gun turret in a second phase of construction never pursued 3 Due to its compact arrangement Four a Chaux did not receive an electrified internal rail system the garrison pushed carts on the rails between the blocks The fort also features an artesian well 4 Description edit nbsp The incline of the fortress used to carry the ammunition and material to the upper gallery This is an exception of the Maginot Line as usually classical elevators were used Four a Chaux is a position of medium importance on the Line covering an area of 26 hectares 4 5 km of subterranean galleries and six combat blocks The ouvrage comprises eight blocks with six combat blocks and two entries The significant change in level between the combat blocks and the ammunition entrance required an inclined gallery immediately after the ammunition entrance There is a 24 meter elevation difference between the ammunition entrance and the higher personnel entrance In contrast to most gros ouvrages in northeastern France Four a Chaux s internal railway system was not electrified A drainage gallery was built to function as an emergency exit from the area of the caserne 3 Block 1 Artillery block with two automatic rifle cloches GFM and one 135mm retractable twin gun turret The interior of the block was destroyed by the Germans during explosives effects testing 5 Block 2 Artillery block with one GFM cloche one twin machine gun cloche JM and one 75mm retractable twin gun turret 6 Block 3 Artillery block with one GFM cloche one grenade launcher cloche LG and one 81mm retractable twin mortar turret 7 Block 4 Observation block with one GFM cloche two JM cloches and one observation cloche VDP 8 Block 5 Infantry block with one GFM cloche and one retractable twin machine gun turret 9 Block 6 Infantry block with one GFM cloche one VDP cloche one JM cloche one twin machine gun embrasure and one machine gun JM 47mm anti tank gun embrasure JM AC47 The block was extensively renovated in the 1950s 10 Personnel entrance one machine gun embrasure JM and one GFM cloche as well as a false GFM cloche 11 Ammunition entrance one JM AC 47 anti tank gun embrasure and two GFM cloches 12 Casemates and shelters edit A detached casemate is nearby Casemate de Schmelzbach Ouest Single block with one JM AC47 embrasure one twin machine gun embrasure and a GFM cloche 3 Manning editThe 1940 manning of the ouvrage under the command of Commandant Exbrayat comprised 491 men and 19 officers of the 165th Fortress Infantry Regiment 3 The units were under the umbrella of the 5th Army 13 The nearby Casernement de Lembach provided peacetime above ground barracks and support services to Four a Chaux and other positions in the area 14 15 History editSee Fortified Sector of the Vosges for a broader discussion of the Vosges sector of the Maginot Line 1940 edit On 19 June 1940 the German 215th Infantry Division attacked in the area immediately to the west of Lembach between the river Schwartzbach and Lembach 16 Later in the day Four a Chaux and other ouvrages were bombed by Stukas with no significant effect Four a Chaux s 135mm and 75mm gun turrets fired on the Germans throughout the day The next day an attack was repelled with artillery support from Hochwald 17 Four a Chaux was heavily bombarded from the air and from German artillery during the period The German advance continued into the Vosges region but did not directly attack Four a Chaux with infantry Four a Chaux formally surrendered on 1 July 1940 18 1944 1945 edit nbsp What still can be seen of Block 1 after German testings The block never was rebuilt in contrary to the rest of the fortress Four a Chaux saw little action during the Lorraine Campaign where most action took place around Hochwald and Schoenenbourg Block 1 was destroyed using explosives by the Germans before the surrender in 1945 19 Cold War edit In the 1950s interest in the Maginot Line was renewed In 1951 Lembach Four a Chaux Hochwald and Schoenenbourg were designated the Mole de Haguenau a point of resistance against a potential invasion by forces of the Warsaw Pact Four a Chaux was repaired and put in a state of readiness in 1951 52 with the exception of the destroyed Block 1 19 By the late 1950s interest in fixed fortifications was waning after France developed a nuclear deterrent The money needed to maintain and upgrade the fortifications was diverted for the nuclear programs Four a Chaux was not manned or maintained after the early 1970s 20 Current condition edit nbsp View on the village Lembach from block 5 of the fortress Today Four a Chaux is open to the public under the guidance of the SILE Syndicat d Initiative de Lembach et Environs association The guided visit includes Block 2 the barracks principal gallery usine and the museum The ouvrage may be visited throughout the year 21 The surface of the ouvrage is not accessible due to the presence of unexploded ordnance 4 See also editList of all works on Maginot Line Siegfried Line Atlantic Wall Czechoslovak border fortificationsNotes edit 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 1 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 2 References edit Kaufmann 2006 p 13 Kaufmann 2006 p 20 a b c d Mary Tome 3 p 133 a b Kaufmann 2011 p 246 Puelinckx Jean et al 2010 Four a Chaux go du Bloc 1 Index de la Ligne Maginot in French fortiff be Retrieved 10 June 2010 Puelinckx Jean et al 2010 Four a Chaux go du Bloc 2 Index de la Ligne Maginot in French fortiff be Retrieved 10 June 2010 Puelinckx Jean et al 2010 Four a Chaux go du Bloc 3 Index de la Ligne Maginot in French fortiff be Retrieved 10 June 2010 Puelinckx Jean et al 2010 Four a Chaux go du Bloc 4 Index de la Ligne Maginot in French fortiff be Retrieved 10 June 2010 Puelinckx Jean et al 2010 Four a Chaux go du Bloc 5 Index de la Ligne Maginot in French fortiff be Retrieved 10 June 2010 Puelinckx Jean et al 2010 Four a Chaux go du Bloc 6 Index de la Ligne Maginot in French fortiff be Retrieved 10 June 2010 Puelinckx Jean et al 2010 Four a Chaux go du Entree hommes Index de la Ligne Maginot in French fortiff be Retrieved 10 June 2010 Puelinckx Jean et al 2010 Four a Chaux go du Entree munitions Index de la Ligne Maginot in French fortiff be Retrieved 10 June 2010 Mary Tome 3 p 122 Mary Tome 3 p 129 Wahl J B Festungsabschnitt Vogesen in German darkplaces org Retrieved 10 June 2010 Mary Tome 3 p 219 Kaufmann 2006 p 172 173 Mary Tome 3 p 233 a b Mary Tome 5 pp 161 162 Mary Tome 5 p 173 Ouvrage du Four a Chaux Lembach 67 Syndicat d Initiative de Lembach et Environs Archived from the original on 21 July 2011 Retrieved 5 July 2011 Bibliography editAllcorn William The Maginot Line 1928 45 Oxford Osprey Publishing 2003 ISBN 1 84176 646 1 Degon Andre Zylberyng Didier La Ligne Maginot Guide des Forts a Visiter Editions Ouest France 2014 ISBN 978 2 7373 6080 0 in French Kaufmann J E and Kaufmann H W Fortress France The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II Stackpole Books 2006 ISBN 0 275 98345 5 Kaufmann J E Kaufmann H W Jancovic Potocnik A and Lang P The Maginot Line History and Guide Pen and Sword 2011 ISBN 978 1 84884 068 3 Mary Jean Yves Hohnadel Alain Sicard Jacques Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot Tome 1 Paris Histoire amp Collections 2001 ISBN 2 908182 88 2 in French Mary Jean Yves Hohnadel Alain Sicard Jacques Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot Tome 2 Paris Histoire amp Collections 2003 ISBN 2 908182 97 1 in French Mary Jean Yves Hohnadel Alain Sicard Jacques Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot Tome 3 Paris Histoire amp Collections 2003 ISBN 2 913903 88 6 in French Mary Jean Yves Hohnadel Alain Sicard Jacques Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot Tome 5 Paris Histoire amp Collections 2009 ISBN 978 2 35250 127 5 in French External links editFour a Chaux website L ouvrage du Four a Chaux at alsacemaginot com in French Ouvrage du Four a Chaux at lignemaginot com in French Four a Chaux gros ouvrage du at fortiff be in French Video of the interior of Four a Chaux in French nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ouvrage du Four a Chaux Lembach Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ouvrage Four a Chaux amp oldid 1156852447, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
