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Ouvrage Janus

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Ouvrage Janus
Part of Maginot Line, Alpine Line
Southeast France
Site information
OwnerMontgenèvre
Controlled byFrance
Open to
the public		Under study
Site history
In usePreserved
MaterialsConcrete, steel
Battles/warsItalian invasion of France
Garrison information
Garrison230
Ouvrage Janus
Type of work:Large artillery work (Gros ouvrage)
sector
└─sub-sector		Fortified Sector of Dauphine
└─Briançon
Number of blocks:8

Ouvrage Janus is a work (gros ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, located to the east of Briançon on near the Col de Montgenèvre. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, two infantry blocks, two artillery blocks, two observation blocks and one combination block at an altitude of 2,540 metres (8,330 ft), the second highest fortification on the Alps in 1940.[1] Built on the site of the old Fort Janus, it retained the old fort's 95mm naval guns and added two 75mm guns [2]

Fort du Janus

The location was known from the end of the 18th century as the Château Jouan, until in 1883 a Séré de Rivières system fortification was begun on the massif, called the Fort du Janus. Work continued until 1889 with a blockhouse in top of the position and a rock-cut battery in the face of the mountain, which housed four 95mm naval guns. In 1891-92 the blockhouse was expanded to two levels for a barracks, and from 1898 to 1906 a subterranean barracks was excavated. The whole was surrounded by a perimeter wall.[1] The fort was armed with six guns on the ramparts in addition to the four naval guns in their unique casemate, which was added between 1898 and 1906. The garrison was 120 men.[3] The perimeter was laid out with re-entrant angles to sweep the walls with fields of fire.[4]

The underground component comprised three large chambers, a cistern with a capacity of 100 cubic meters of water, a kitchen, a small magazine and a connection to the 95mm gun casemate. The gun positions were separated by prominent buttresses to prevent fragments from afffedcing the entire battery, and each gun was provided with an exhaust hood for gun fumes.[4]

Ouvrage du Janus

Given the existing facilities and the site's strategic importance, the site was selected for a Maginot ouvrage in 1926. Work began in 1931, abandoning some of the older work and creating new underground facilities to the Maginot Line standard. A gallery connected the new position to the Séré de Rivières works. Work stopped in July 1935 as a result of the Stresa Front agreement with Italy, but re-started in 1938 as relations with Italy and Germany deteriorated.[1] The cost of the new work amounted to 10.3 million francs (not including armament).[5]

Description

  • Block 1 (entry): one machine gun embrasure and one heavy machine gun/47mm anti-tank gun embrasure.[6]
  • Block 2 (artillery): two heavy twin machine gun cloches and two 81mm mortar embrasures.[7]
  • Block 3 (artillery): two 75mm gun embrasures.[8]
  • Block 4 (observation): one observation cloche and one machine gun embrasure.[9]
  • Block 5 (observation): no armament.[10]
  • Block 6 (infantry): one heavy twin machine gun cloche.[11]
  • Block 7 (infantry): one heavy twin machine gun cloche.[12]
  • Block 8 (infantry): four 95mm naval guns.[13]

History

On 20 June 1940 the ouvrage was fired upon by the 149mm guns of the Italian Fort Chaberton,[2] 600 metres (2,000 ft) higher in altitude. Counter-fire from Janus silenced Chaberton's guns. Janus's commanding officer altered the guns' shields to open a broader line of fire against the Col de Montgenèvre.[1]

The site is presently owned by Montgenèvre and is under study for public access.[1] The above-ground portion of the site is unsecured. Damage from the 1940 Italian bombardment has not been repaired. The Maginot positions are closed to access.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Forteresse du Janus". Patrimoine XXeme (in French). DRAC Alpes-Provence-Cote d'Azur. 2002. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  2. ^ a b Kauffmann, William (2005). Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II. Praeger Publishers. p. 177. ISBN 0-275-98345-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Vauborg, Cédric (2010). "Le fort du Janus" (in French). Fortiff' Séré. Retrieved 4 February2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ a b c Puelinckx, Jean (2010). "Janus(fort du)". Index de la fortification française 1874-1914 (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 4 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ Mary, Jean-Yves (2009). Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 4 - La fortification alpine (in French). Histoire & Collections. p. 29. ISBN 978-2-915239-46-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Puelinckx, Jean (2010). "Janus(go du) Bloc 1". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 3 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Puelinckx, Jean (2010). "Janus(go du) Bloc 2". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 3 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Puelinckx, Jean (2010). "Janus(go du) Bloc 3". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 3 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Puelinckx, Jean (2010). "Janus(go du) Bloc 4". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 3 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Puelinckx, Jean (2010). "Janus(go du) Bloc 5". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 3 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ Puelinckx, Jean (2010). "Janus(go du) Bloc 6". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 3 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ Puelinckx, Jean (2010). "Janus(go du) Bloc 7". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 3 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ Puelinckx, Jean (2010). "Janus(go du) Bloc 8". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 3 February 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

Bibliography

  • Allcorn, William. The Maginot Line 1928-45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84176-646-1
  • Kauffmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W. Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II, 2006. ISBN 0-275-98345-5
  • 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 Template:Fr
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