Ouvrage La Déa, also known as the Petit Ouvrage de la baisse de la Déa, is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of two entry blocks and one observation block facing Italy at an altitude of 1,777 metres (5,830 ft), armed with one observation cloche and one machine gun embrasure. The ouvrage was manned by 81 soldiers in 1940, and commanded by sous-lieutenant Guillemin.[1] The position was sited to control the Maglia valley. A fourth block with three machine gun positions was not built.[2]
| Ouvrage La Dea | |
|---|---|
| Part of Maginot Line, Alpine Line | |
| Southeast France | |
  Ouvrage La Dea | |
| Coordinates | 43°57′06″N 7°27′22″E / 43.95156°N 7.45618°E |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | France |
| Site history | |
| Built by | CORF/MOM |
| In use | Abandoned |
| Materials | Concrete, steel, rock excavation |
| Battles/wars | Italian invasion of France, Operation Dragoon |
| Ouvrage La Déa | |
|---|---|
| Type of work: | Large artillery work (Gros ouvrage) |
| sector └─sub-sector | Fortified Sector of the Maritime Alps └─Authion, Quartier Cabanes-Vielles |
| Regiment: | 75th and 85th BAF |
| Number of blocks: | 3 |
| Strength: | 2 officers, 79 men |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Puelinckx, Jean; Aublet, Jean-Louis; Mainguin, Sylvie (2010). "Déa (po de la baisse de la)". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 27 January 2010.
- ^ Mary, Tome 5, p. 54
Bibliography
edit- Allcorn, William. The Maginot Line 1928-45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84176-646-1
- 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., Jancovič-Potočnik, 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 & Collections, 2001. ISBN 2-908182-88-2 (in French)
- Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 4 - La fortification alpine. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009. ISBN 978-2-915239-46-1 (in French)
- Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009. ISBN 978-2-35250-127-5 (in French)
External links
edit- La Déa (petit ouvrage) at fortiff.be (in French)
- ouvrage d'infanterie de la Déa, map , photos and informations at wikimaginot.eu(in French)
- Base Mérimée: Ouvrage La Déa, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)