Austrian fortifications on the border with Italy

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Line of fortifications on the border with Italy. Red: the Austrian front line withdrawn from the imperial border, green: the Italian front line

Most of the south of the Danube monarchy situated Austrian fortifications are located (if still available) at the 1914 applicable state border to Italy . After the loss of large areas in the 19th century ( Tuscany , Veneto and Lombardy ), the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was forced to secure this border, and thus also the remaining Italian-speaking area, by means of a chain of barriers, as they were part of the Triple Alliance -Partner Italy did not trust. Although the Austrian military administration was known for its frugality, a large number of defensive structures were built over the years, which in retrospect proved to be an extremely sensible measure. Most of the works were already out of date in 1914 and left a lot to be desired in terms of fighting power. Due to the hesitant approach of the Italian Chief of Staff Luigi Cadorna (they wanted to wait for full operational readiness first), they still fulfilled their purpose.

There were several construction periods, starting in 1838/1840 with the Nauders and Franzensfeste plants, to the Valmorbia plant , which was not yet completed when the war began in 1915.

In Austria-Hungary, separated defensive structures were usually referred to as works, barriers or road blocks, but not as fort . This also applied if they were placed in a fortress ring ( Trient , Riva ), but not connected by so-called communication trenches, covered paths , posternes and not created for mutual cover by gunfire .

The construction periods

The fortress structures built in the south of the Danube Monarchy can be divided into several periods with different political framework conditions and different construction designs.

The fortifications of the 1830s and 1840s

With the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Lombardy and Veneto came to the Habsburg Empire , so that the fortifications near the border were built in these regions. South Tyrol and Trentino had no borders with Italy, but the fortress Franzensfeste was built from 1833 to 1838 to secure the central area around Brixen , the Doss Trento in Trento was fortified from 1848 to 1859 and the Reschenpass was secured by the Nauders roadblock from 1838 to 1840.

The construction period from 1860 to 1862/64

After the loss of Lombardy in 1859 by the Sardinian War , the most important passes were fortified with barriers on the new border between Lake Garda and the Swiss border in 1860-62 , as well as Riva del Garda and the road leading from there to Trento just before Trento. These fortifications mostly consisted of a mighty block of natural stone masonry rising up several floors, in which the guns stood behind wall notches. In view of the introduction of the rifled guns and their greater destructive power, this design was actually already out of date, but offered the possibility of sheltering the guns, which was recommended in the mountains. It was also assumed that the enemy could hardly position heavy artillery in the mountains.

The construction periods 1870 to 1873 and 1878 to 1884

Fort Hensel after Italian fire

Only a few years later, after the war against Prussia and Italy in 1866 , Austria-Hungary also had to cede Veneto to Italy, whereby South Tyrol and Trentino also became border regions in the east and the border with Italy, which was valid until 1918/20, was created. From 1870 to 1873 the group of works Civezzano was built in the east of Trento to block the route from the Brenta Valley , from 1878 to 1883 Trento was expanded to become a belt fortress in the so-called Trientiner style, which meant a relatively light and economical construction method, the guns were mostly in place open batteries . Most recently, a Gruson tank turret for a pair of minimal charter cannons was built at the San Rocco plant. Two structurally identical armored towers and four armored casemates were also installed in the Fort Hensel fortress , which was built between 1881 and 1890 and which blocked the Canal Valley near Malborgeth on the southern border of Carinthia. Just like the Flitscher Klause located a little further east in present-day Slovenia , these buildings already point towards the next fortification period.

The "Vogl" construction period from 1884 to 1900

From 1884 onwards, numerous new fortifications were built according to a relatively uniform scheme, although the individual works were individually adapted to the terrain. This construction period is often referred to as the " Vogl Period " after its planner, Field Marshal Julius Ritter von Vogl (1831 to 1895) . In particular, the Dolomites passports and the Brenta were fixed for the first time with many of that unit works, and also the Predilpass in today's Slovenia. In addition, the older group of works, Lardaro, was reinforced by the Corno plant , the Trento fortress in the south by the Romagnano and Mattarello plants, and the Riva fortress mainly by the central battery. The works were designed as compact unit works that combined armament and accommodation in one block. They were mainly built in concrete , with the front mostly clad with granite blocks. The armament consisted of mostly three or four 12-cm minimum chart cannons head behind bullet rallied stood, and two to four 15-cm-tank pestle to crush in armored rotating domes on the roof. The works were surrounded by a ditch that could be swept by several suitcases . For close defense, 11 mm mitrailleuses were initially installed, then machine guns from 1893 at the latest . Due to the front cannon loops and the multi-storey structure, the works had a high elevator .

The last construction period 1905 to 1915

In the years before the First World War , the Riva fortress was strengthened with the Garda and Tombio works and the Ladaro work group with the Carriola work, the Tonale pass , which was previously fortified with only one old work, was expanded into one work group with five works of different sizes and in particular the plateau of Folgaria and Lavarone were re-paved with seven works, which clearly show the characteristics of this last construction period.

The increase in the caliber and penetration of the artillery forced a different conception of the fortifications after 1900. Above all, however, the factories' casemate and battery blocks were increasingly separated and pulled apart and largely sunk. As a uniform armament, 10 cm howitzers were now used in rotating armored domes, which replaced both the minimalchart cannons and the anti-tank mortars. Furthermore, numerous machine guns in armored domes were used for close defense. Most recently, the construction of cavernous (underground) works began.

structure

In Austro-Hungarian military jargon, the individual districts in the defense bar on the border with Italy were also referred to as rayons . Otherwise, the term rayon was only understood to mean the area in front of fortresses and fortifications.

Basically there were only two rayons, which were divided into individual subrayons or sections. In the course of the war , however, more and more people started to replace the latter two terms with rayons .

The subdivision of the rayons / sections was: border section / border sub-section / combat section.

Tyrol region

The Tyrolean Rayon was subordinate to the State Defense Command of Tyrol and consisted of:

  • I. Subrayon
Border section 1 - Ortler with the Gomagoi and Nauders roadblocks
  • II. Subrayon
Border section 2 - Tonale with the Tonale pass barriers
  • III. Subrayon
Border section 3 - Judiciary with the Riva fortress
Border section 4 - Etschtalsperre with the Trento fortress
Border section 5 - Folgaria / Lavarone with the fortifications on the seven municipalities
Border section 6 - Suganertal ( Valsugana ) with the external works of Trento on Lake Caldonazzo
Dosaccio factory during the war
  • IV. Subrayon
Border section 7 - Kreuzspitz to Lusiapass ( Fleimstal )
Border section 8 - Lusia Pass to Monte Mesola with the Moena, Dosaccio and Albuso plants
  • V. Subrayon
Border section 9 - Monte Mesola to Gottrestal ( Pustertal )
Border section 10 - Gottrestal to the Carinthian border with the Haideck and Mitterberg plants

Carinthia Rayon

In the Carinthia Rayon, the subrayons were called sections . In 1915 he was under the command of General of the Cavalry Franz Rohr von Denta

  • I. section
Kreuzberg - Plöckenpass - Straningerspitze
  • Section II
Straningerspitze - Naßfeld - Schinour
  • III. section
Schinour - Predil - Rombon
  • IV. Section
Rombon - Krn

The stretch from Krn to the Mediterranean Sea was not considered paved and was therefore not included in this scheme.

Tyrol region

Lock Stilfserjoch

The blocking belt begins in the west with the Gomagoi road block (built between 1860 and 1862) to protect the road from the Stilfserjoch to the Vinschgau and the Reschenpass . (Subrayon I.)

Secondly, there is the Nauders roadblock (1838 to 1840) - although it is already behind the Reschen and thus already in North Tyrol, the Nauders plant, which is almost invulnerable due to its geographical location, blocks the Inn Valley to the north and the road to Landeck and Vorarlberg .

Lock Tonale

In the south of the Ortler group , east of the Tonale Pass, are the plants Strino (1860 to 1862), Tonale (1907-10), Presanella (1910-12) Pejo (1908 to 1910) and the intermediate plant Mero (1905 to 1910/12) in Subrayon II The task of the works was the closure of the Tonale pass road and the associated protection of the Sulztal ( Val di Sole ) and the Adige valley. If there had been a breakthrough, the fortress of Trento would have had to be grasped in the back.

Lardaro lock

In Judicaria , south of the Adamello-Presanella group , the Lardaro barrier in Subrayon III with the works Larino (1860 to 1861), Danzolino (1860 to 1862), Corno (1890 to 1894) and Revegler (1860 to 1862) was located directly at the Lardaro village - south of it, near Pieve di Bono with the modern Carriola plant (1911 to 1915). The Lardaro lock secured the Valli Giudicarie (Judicaria) to the north and the confluence of the Val Daone to the east. This covered the back of the Riva fortress and the flank of Trento.

Riva fortress

Located in Subrayon III, the works of the Riva fortress served to secure the roads through the Ampolatal and Ledro Valley (Valle di Ledro) to Trento and the Adige Valley . Riva had the following structures:

of the blocking group Ponale consisting of:

Advance works:

Trento fortress

The fortress of Trento was in Subrayon III.

After the loss of the Lombard and Venetian fortresses Mantua , Legnano , Verona and Peschiera  - the so-called fortress square  - in the 19th century, there was no longer any protection against a breakthrough through the Adige Valley to the north. For this reason Trento had to be expanded. A belt fortress was built  - the location of the works made all-round defense possible - which was also intended to serve as a fortified camp with a crew of up to 20,000 men of all branches.

From a geographical point of view, the main threat was in the south by the Adige Valley and in the southeast by the Suganertal. These two sections were more secure.

The most important works

  • Buco di Vela road block (1860 to 1862)
  • Battery Doss di Sponde (1860 to 1862)
  • Mattarello plant (1897 to 1900)
  • Candrai (1879 to 1882)
  • Mandolin
  • Casara (1880 to 1881)
  • Martignano (1878 to 1880)
  • System Civezzano (1870 to 1873)
  • Celva (1915)
  • Cimirlo (1881 to 1882)
  • Roncogno (1880 to 1882)
  • San Rocco (1880 to 1884, 1902)
  • Brussa ferro (1881 to 1882)
  • Doss Fornas (1882 to 1883)

External works at Caldonazzo and Levico in Val Sugana

In addition there are dozens of smaller intermediate works, armored machine-gun stands and concrete infantry bases.

Lock Val di Non

It consisted of the large road block Rocchetta (1860-64) and secured north of Mezzolombardo (Welschmetz) in the Non Valley  - occasionally also called Non Valley - (Val di Non) against the Val di Sole (if a breakthrough over the Tonale Pass would have succeeded here ). It was also in Subrayon III.

Adige-Arsa lock

It consisted only of the unfinished Valmorbia plant (1912 to 1915, also referred to as "ex Forte Pozzacchio" on Italian maps) in the Arsatal ( Vallarsa ), which was involved in the fighting to a not inconsiderable extent. Further projects (Mattassone / Coni Zugna / Pasubio / Cornale and Vignola plants) did not get beyond the planning phase. Subrayon III.

Work groups Lavarone / Folgaria

The works of the Sperrgruppe Lavarone / Folgaria

The works (forts) of the Lavarone / Folgaria barrier group were built between 1907 and 1913 and thus only a few years before the First World War and were among the most modern fortresses in Austria-Hungary. Regardless of its actual location, this bar was designated by the Austro-Hungarian military administration as a blocking group on the plateau of the Seven Municipalities and had the task of carrying out attacks within Subrayon III over the plateau of the Seven Municipalities , Lusern and through the Asticotal, against Trento , Rovereto and fend off the upper Suganertal ( Val Sugana ) with the Caldonazzo lake . They were in front of the line of the older works (Tenna, Colle delle benne, Mattarello and Romagnano) from the "Vogl construction period". The bar consisted of seven works of a more modern design and was divided into the two groups Folgaria and Lavarone . It stretches from the northeast (Vezzena post) to the southwest (Serrada plant) and is located around 20 km southeast of Trento on the border with the province of Vicenza .

Lavarone Group (Lafraun)

"Gschwendt" work. Recorded in May 1916

Folgaria Group (Vielgereuth)

Role pass lock

The Paneveggio barrier with the works Dossaccio (1889 to 1892, 1912) and Albuso (1889 to 1892, 1912) is located in Rayon IV and blocked the Rolle Pass , the Travognolo Valley and the transition from Fassa to the Fiemme Valley . Further back in the Pellegrino valley was the Moena lock (1897 to 1899), but it was too far back and was not fought. Subrayon IV.

Buchensteintal lock

The Buchensteintal barrier was in Rayon V and consisted only of the old la Corte plant (1897 to 1900) and the Ruaz road barrier (1897 to 1900). They blocked the way from Alleghe to Canazei and the Passo Pordoi , as well as into the Corvara valley over the Passo Campolongo . Located below (southwest) the Col di Lana . Subrayon V.

Lock Valparola Pass

The Tre Sassi barrage (actually Tra i Sassi, 1897 to 1900) blocked access to the Valle di St. Cassian and the Abteital . It is located in the subrayon V north of the Sasso di Stria ( witch's stone ), below the Little Lagazuoi (Piccolo Lagazuoi).

Lock group Ampezzo

The Ampezzo restricted group in Subrayon V consisted of the Plätzwiese plant (1889 to 1894) on the Strudelkopfsattel below the Strudelkopfe (2308 m) to secure the Stollatal and, over the Strudelkopfe, the Landrotal - as well as the Landro plant (1884 to 1892) in the Landrotal , which had to take over the security of the road from the (abandoned by the Austrians) town of Cortina d'Ampezzo to Toblach and into the Pustertal . Subrayon V.

Lock Sexten

The two old plants Haideck (1884 to 1889) and Mitterberg (1884 to 1889) secured Sexten and against the Kreuzbergsattel. Subrayon V.

Carinthia Rayon

Lock Malborgeth

The "lock Malborgeth" consisted only of Fort Hensel "A" (1881 to 1884) and "B" (1881 to 1890) near the village of Malborgeth in the Canal Valley . They blocked the Canal Valley with the road from Pontafel to Tarvis and Villach in Carinthia . Subrayon I.

For once, “Fort Hensel” is not referred to as a work, but as a fort because it is named after a personality and not, as usual, after a location. The name stands for Captain Friedrich Hensel , who fell here in 1809 in the battle against Napoleon.

Lock Predil saddle

Attachment to the Predil

In the Seebachtal , the Predil / Battery Predilsattel (1897 to 1899) and Raibl (1885 to 1887, also called Seewerk Raibl, Raiblsee or Seebachtalsperre bei Raibl ) works blocked access through the Seebachtal and the Predilpass to Carinthia.

Shortly after the plant directly on the Predilpass, there was also the Oberbreth / Predil depot (1850) on the Krainer side .

Fort Hermann complex (1897 to 1900) / Flitscher Klause (1880 to 1882)

Twin works above Flitsch prevented the breakthrough from the Isonzo valley via the Koritnica valley towards the Predilpass to Carinthia and Carniola .

Likewise, "Fort Hermann" is not referred to as a work, but as a fort. The name stands for the captain Johann Hermann von Hermannsdorf , who fell here in 1809 in the fight against Napoleon.

Both plants are now on the territory of Slovenia.

Franzensfeste

The Franzensfeste was a large two-part fortress in the Eisack Valley (municipality of Franzensfeste / Fortezza); it closed the Brennerstrasse to the north and was never involved in combat operations.

The Franzensfeste was not part of the actual blocking belt.

literature

  • Rudi Rolf: Fortifications of the monarchy. The kk and kuk fortifications from Napoleon to Petit Trianon, a typological study . PRAK, Middelburg 2011, ISBN 978-90-817095-1-4 .
  • Erwin A. Grestenberger: KuK fortifications in Tyrol and Carinthia 1860–1918 . Mittler & Sohn, Vienna 2000, ISBN 3-8132-0747-1 .
  • Kurt Mörz de Paula: The Austro-Hungarian fortifications 1820–1914 . Stöhr, Vienna 1997.
  • Eduard von Steinitz, Theodor Brosch von Aarenau: The empire fortification of Austria-Hungary at the time of Conrad von Hötzendorf . In: Militärwissenschaftliche Mitteilungen , 67, 1936, pp. 759–775, 845–867 u. 923-939, et al. 68, 1937, pp. 1-21; also reprinted as Austria-Hungary's last war , supplement 10, Vienna 1937.
  • Wilhelm Nussstein: Military history travel guide. Dolomites . Mittler & Sohn, Hamburg 1997, ISBN 3-8132-0496-0 .
  • Heinz von Liechem: War in the Alps . Athesia Verlag, Bozen; Weltbild, Augsburg 1992, ISBN 3-89350-545-8 .
  • Johannes Christoph Allmayer-Beck, Erich Lessing: The KuK Army 1848-1914 . Bertelsmann, Munich 1989, ISBN 3-570-07287-8 .
  • Ulrike Weiss: Malborgeth 1881–1916 . Special print PALLASCH, magazine for military history; Austrian Militia Publishing House

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Rest-Ortner-Illmig "The Emperor's Rock in the First World War" p. 12

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