Ouvrage Roquebrune

Ouvrage Roquebrune
Part of Maginot Line, Alpine Line
Roquebrune
Ouvrage Roquebrune
Coordinates 43°46′08″N 7°27′58″E / 43.76885°N 7.46624°E / 43.76885; 7.46624
Site information
Controlled by France
Open to
the public		 No
Site history
Built 1931 (1931)
Built by CORF
In use Municipal maintenance facility
Materials Concrete, steel, rock excavation
Battles/wars Italian invasion of France, Operation Dragoon
Ouvrage Roquebrune
Type of work: Large artillery work (Gros ouvrage)
sector
└─sub-sector		 Fortified Sector of the Maritime Alps
└─Corniches, Quartier Menton
Work number: EO 13
Regiment: 58th DBAF, 157th RAP
Number of blocks: 4
Strength: 9 officers, 284 men

Ouvrage Roquebrune is a work (gros ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, two artillery blocks and one observation block facing Italy. The fortification is located on the heights behind Roquebrune at an elevation of 321 meters overlooking Cap Martin and the bays of Roquebrune and Menton. The ouvrage was manned by 293 men of the 58th Demi-Brigade Alpin de Forteresse (DBAF), supported by the 157th Régiment d'Artillerie de Position (RAP), under the command of Captain Gayot.[1]

Description

The ouvrage was built between November 1931 and July 1933 by Thorrand et Cie., at a cost of 20.3 million francs.[2]

Block D was unbuilt, planned for four 81mm mortars, and Block E, also unbuilt, was planned as an infantry block. The subterranean connecting galleries, ammunition magazines, usine and barracks are arranged in a branching pattern. Four observation posts are associated with Roquebrune, including the Abri Est de Mont-Gros and the Observatoire Croix-de-Muratoire.[6]

Block 3 is essentially the same as the large artillery casemates built by CORF for the main Maginot line in northeastern France, with 75mm guns on the upper level and 81mm mortars firing upwards out of the pit in front of the guns. The block is sunk into the ground, compared to the more typical batteries in the Alps, which were usually built into the side of a cliff or rock wall.[7] Block 2 fired 599 rounds of 75mm shells and 770 81mm mortar rounds in June 1940.[3]

Roquebrune retains its peacetime barracks overlooking the Mediterranean. The barracks have recently been restored.[8] The ouvrage is occupied by the maintenance department of the local parks and recreation authority. The interior is not accessible but is in good condition, while the exteriors of the blocks are easily accessible.[1][3][4]

The observatory Mont-Gros de Roquebrune 43°45′58″N 7°26′35″E / 43.76611°N 7.44306°E / 43.76611; 7.44306 is an observation block intended to spot the fall of shot for Ouvrage Mont Agel, and is more closely associated with that fortification.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Puelinckx, Jean; Aublet, Jean-Louis; Mainguin, Sylvie (2010). "Roquebrune (gros ouvrage de)". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  2. ↑ Mary, Tome 4, p. 29
  3. 1 2 3 Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Roquebrune (go de) Bloc 2". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  4. 1 2 Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Roquebrune (go de) Bloc 3". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  5. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Roquebrune (go de) Bloc 4". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  6. ↑ Mary, Tome 5, p. 71
  7. ↑ Mary, Tome 4, p. 67
  8. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Roquebrune (go de) Casernement". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  9. ↑ Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Mont Gros de Roquebrune (observatiore due)". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 25 January 2010.

Bibliography

External links

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