Fortress Dailly

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Georeferencing Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap
Dailly Fortress to the right above the rock face
Locations of the batteries in Dailly from 1894 to 1990

The fortress Dailly (army name "Savatan" A 200, "Dailly" A 250) is located in the municipality of Lavey-Morcles in the district of Aigle , canton of Vaud and on the right side of the Rhone Valley opposite Saint-Maurice VS in Switzerland. The complex of Savatan-Dailly-Aiguille was one of the largest artillery works of the Swiss Army and is unique due to its underground expansion with corridors of almost 25 km in total, which connect accommodations, command posts and dozens of artillery in towers and casemates. The fortress Cindey and Fort du Scex on the opposite side of the valley formed the flanking work to Dailly and Savatan.

The fortress construction began in 1892 and encompasses the entire period of modern Swiss fortress construction and fortress weapon construction; the last modernization took place in 1990. It was abandoned as an artillery plant in 1995, used as a training place and closed in 2003.

history

The fortress area of ​​Saint-Maurice is located at the north portal of the transalpine route with a direct connection between France ( Franche-Comté ) and Italy ( Piedmont ). The throat of Saint-Maurice was fortified in the 15th century ( Saint-Maurice Castle ). Later, fortifications that were staggered higher and higher were added, which in the 20th century reached from Lake Geneva to the Great Saint Bernard and the Simplon Pass and consisted of several hundred fortresses and bunkers.

On the opposite side of the valley from Saint-Maurice, the Dailly and Savatan artillery works were expanded between 1892 and 1910 to form a fortress with 34 tubes (caliber 5.3 to 15 cm) and over 15 underground barracks. A continuous fortress building program was carried out until 1990, which resulted in the most diverse arsenal of fortress weapons in Switzerland.

On May 28, 1946, a large part of Fort Dailly was destroyed by the explosion of three ammunition magazines with 449 tons of ammunition and had to be almost completely rebuilt from 1948 onwards. The 286 soldiers present in the fortress accidentally stayed outside and were unharmed, while ten workers who were busy with repair work that night were mostly killed by gas poisoning. Among other things, the 500 meter long, at 1400  m above sea level was affected . M. located in the rock ridge of the Aiguille gallery with the 10.5 cm cannons: four cannons front north (batterie des Buits), four front south (batterie Plex) and two front east (batterie Rosseline).

In 2007, Kommando 35, the first infrastructure / headquarters and fortress artillery recruiting school started in Dailly under the name Infra / HQ S 35 and CCIDD (Center de Compétence Infrastructure Défense Dailly). It was integrated into the training association for tanks and artillery (LVb Pz / Art). In 2010 it was decided to dissolve the CCIDD and unite it with the mechanized artillery in beers. However, the training no longer took place. In 2011 the last shot of the last remaining fortress artillery division was fired (Fest Art Abt 13). Since 2010, only the infrastructure / headquarters recruit school with its own NCO and officer school and tactical training course (TLG) have taken place in Dailly. In 2012 the Infra / HQ officers 'school was integrated into the tank / artillery officers' school in Thun and the non-commissioned officers 'school into the recruits' school (training system "4–4–1").

Since the end of 2017, the Dailly arsenal has been closed and the army moved out.

Works

The fortress consists of the three artillery works Savatan (A 200), Dailly (A 250) and Dailly-Aiguille and is the largest unit of the fortress area of ​​Saint-Maurice .

Location and mission

The works are located on the southwest side of L`Aiguille ( 1488  m above sea level. M. ). The Savatan artillery plant is located on the first terrace of the ledge at around 650–750 meters. The Dailly and L'Aiguille artillery works are located on the terrace above at around 1250–1400 meters. Savatan's job was to be a fortress. The elevated positions of Dailly and L'Aiguille had to protect Savatan, give fire support and command all positions on this side of the valley. So that these could not be dominated by elevated positions on the mountain ridge or the Dent de Morcles ( 2969  m above sea level ), a height defense with protective fortifications was set up there.

Expansion stages

At the end of 1894, the completed fortresses Savatan and Dailly were handed over to the troops:

In Savatan concrete positions for four 12-cm howitzers and 8.4-cm Kaponierenkanonen and machine guns equipped Flankiergalerien on the northeast front, including shooting offices, ammunition magazines and accommodations were created. For external defense by the infantry, there were four mobile 5.3 cm rapid-fire cannons , observation posts, underground telephone lines and trenches and nests as well as shelters on all fronts.

In Dailly there were six 12 cm cannons on Saint-Chamond disappearance carts model 1882 (range 9-10.5 km) on rails in a trench with gun shelters and ammunition magazines (batteries E1, E2, E3 in the Righi sector). The battery de Morcles flanking gallery flanked the southern front of Dailly with two 8.4 cm casemate cannons. For external defense, there were infantry lines, rifle galleries, entrenchments, steep trench walls and two 5.3 cm rapid-fire cannons on rails or transport vehicles, including observation posts, underground telephone connections, streets, paths and water supply.

Between 1895 and 1903 positions for two 12 cm position guns (self-propelled howitzer model 1891, battery O6 in Dailly, range 5.9–7 km 360 °) as well as underground barracks, command and observation posts (fire control and external defense) were built in Dailly and Savatan. , Shelters for the position guns, food stores and bakeries, baths and drying chambers.

15 cm position mortar

In Dailly-Aiguille, Switzerland's only 15 cm position gun, Mod. 1877 (battery M15, range 3 km 360 °), as well as two 10.5 cm cannons of the position artillery (battery Rossignol) including buildings for ammunition and men were installed. There were also two 15 cm breech loading mortars Mod. 1881 in a small tower.

Savatan received a fifth 12 cm self-propelled howitzer and the Dailly-Aiguille front was merged in the Forêt des Buis.

Between 1904 and 1910, open gun positions were converted into covered weapon positions, and concrete and armored casemates (Battery Golèze, Aiguille): From 1904, electrical, alcohol-powered control centers were installed in the forts in order to be independent of the civil network in an emergency. For the first time, spotlights were used for battlefield lighting.

In the fourth construction period between 1911 and 1920 improvements and reinforcements were made (1920: 65 guns in the fortress Saint-Maurice). The entire mountain range (from Croix-de-Javernaz to Dent-de-Morcles), which Dailly ruled, was fortified (7.5 cm cannon in position on the Dent-de-Morcles) for defense at heights. Dailly received four battery positions for 10.5 cm field howitzers (Batteries Observatoire, Righi, Plan, Rossignol), Evionnaz one battery position for mobile 5.3 cm armored towers, and the Scex plant was expanded (infirmary, cable car).

After the First World War, old guns (10.5 cm cannons from Dailly or 15 cm mortars from Aiguille) were removed without replacement. In 1928, only four 12 cm self-propelled howitzers on Savatan and one 12 cm self-propelled howitzer (Battery O6) in Dailly were fit for combat. In the mid-1930s, a second model 1891 self-propelled howitzer (battery O5) was purchased to replace the 15 cm mortar. The six 12 cm cannons were exposed to fire from artillery and airmen.

During the Second World War, numerous blocking points were set up and two 10.5 cm tank turret cannons were installed in Savatan and Dailly. In 1946, Savatan and Dailly were connected by an underground funicular railway.

During the Cold War, the two (T1 and T2, originally six were planned) only built 15 cm L / 42 armored turret cannons in 1958 (range 24 km) and an underground funicular from the Dailly plant to the T1 turret were installed on Dailly. There were also 12 cm fortress mine throwers and turrets of Staghound armored vehicles with machine gun 11 for close defense and two 15 cm training guns for training purposes. In Savatan an underground barracks with NBC protection was built for 300, in Dailly for 650 men (replacement of the barracks on the Aiguille ridge).

After the end of the Cold War, all heavy artillery (excluding fortress mine throwers , which are now considered to be infantry weapons) was retired and replaced by a bison battery and the 12 cm fortress mine thrower Rosseline.

Armament

Savatan had positional artillery with four 12 cm guns, five 12 cm howitzers 1891 Schumann type in armored turrets, 8.4 cm guns in flanking galleries and 5.3 cm rapid-fire cannons for external defense in the foreground.

Dailly initially had six 12 cm cannons 1893 Krupp on a St-Chamond disappearing carriage (batteries E1, E2, E3). In 1940 the artillery was reinforced with two 10.5 cm turret cannons model 1939 L / 52 (Battery Planaux, range 20–24 km 360 °) and ten 10.5 cm field cannons in rock casemates (Dailly Nord). During the reconstruction in 1948 after the ammunition explosion, the latter were replaced by four 10.5 cm cannons (batteries Dailly Nord left and right) and two automatic 15 cm turret cannons were built (T1, T2). The department fire control center was located in the fort.

Caliber cm Guns 1894-2011 number model from to battery Range km direction sector replaced Attachment
15th Krupp fretté "Le gros Fritz" 1 1877 1894 1930 C15 8.5 North South Aiguillekrete open
8.4 Cannons 2 1879 1894 Morcles 7th Morcles Righi casemate
15th Mortar breech-loader 2 1881 1894 1925 M15 3 360 ° west summit Camouflage cover
10.5 Fornerod-Krupp cannons 2-4 1881 1894 1930 C10, Aiguille 10 North South Aiguillekrete open
12 St. Chamond cannon 4-6 1882 1894 1923 E1 E2 E3 9-10.5 360 ° Righi C10 Disappearance Platform
12 L / 25 cannons 6-8 1882 1894 1923 Observatoire, Rossignol, Plan, Righi 8th North South Righi, plan open
5.3 Fahrpanzer / rapid fire cannons 1887 1894 1940 3 garage
12 Howitzer L / 13 2 1891 1894 1940 Hb6 6-7 360 ° east summit Camouflage cover
12 howitzer 2 1891 1935 1940 Hb5 6-7 360 ° west summit 1 M15 mortar Camouflage cover
7.5 Cannons 2 1903 1907 1940 Aiguille 9 Javerne Aiguillekrete casemate
7.5 Cannons 2 1903 1909 1940 Golèze 9 Demècre Aiguillekrete open
12 Field howitzers 6-8 1912 1923 1930 Observatoire, Rossignol, Plan, Righi 6.6 North South Righi, plan Model 1882 open
8.1 Mortar (mortar) 4th 1933
10.5 Bofors cannons 10 1935 1946 1946 Plex Buits, Plex, Rosseline 18th North South Aiguillekrete all open casemate
10.5 Fortress cannons L / 42 4th 1935 1950 2003 Dailly north left and right 18th North Aiguillekrete casemate
7.5 Cannons 2 1939 1940 1980 Golèze Demècre Aiguillekrete Model 1903 under rock
10.5 Turret cannons 2 1942 1940 1994 Planaux 20-24 360 ° Planaux under rock
9 Anti-tank gun L57 1 1950
8.1 Fortress mine thrower 4th 1956 1957 1994 Mw 3,4,5,6 4.5 360 ° Righi, summit Hb5, Hb6 under rock
12 Fortress mine thrower 1 1959 1960 1994 12 cm Mw3 8.5 360 ° west summit under rock
15th Tower cannons L42 2 1958 1962 1994 T1 T2 30th 360 ° Righi, Planaux under rock

Fortress weapons and mobile weapons in Fort Dailly (as of 1995):

  • 2 turret cannons 15 cm L / 42 1958 (T1 and T2, Eidgenössische Konstruktionswerkstätte Thun)
  • 2 turret cannons 10.5 cm L / 52 1939 (Battery Planaux)
  • 4 cannons 10.5 cm L / 42 1939 (Gallery "Rossignol" with the two batteries "Dailly Nord")
  • 4 fortress Minenwerfer 8.1 cm 1956/60 A 0250 (Mw3, 4, 5, 6) Swiss coordinates 568399  /  117500
  • 1 fortress mine launcher 12 cm 1959/83 (12 cm Mw3)
  • 1 anti-tank gun 9 cm 1950/57
  • 17 fortress machine guns 1951/80
  • 4 mortars (8.1 cm) 1933
  • 4 machine guns 1951

Fortress weapons and mobile weapons in the Savatan inférieur (as of 1995):

Military ropeways

The 560 m long underground funicular Z102 with a siding, opened in 1946, connects the Savatan supérieur valley station 868  m above sea level. M. ( five hundred sixty-eight thousand one hundred and one  /  117605 ) with the top station Fort Dailly 1256  m above sea level. M. ( 568 396  /  117497 ) with driving in the mountain station. It is the steepest funicular with a siding and has a gradient of 45.57 degrees (102%). Since 2008, the declassified former military railway may only be used to check the installations and the tunnel. Through the funicular tunnel, Fort Savatan supplies Fort Dailly with electricity and telephone connections, and Savatan receives its water from Dailly.

The 66 m long funicular (inclined elevator, winch lift with drive in the mountain station), opened in 1962, connected the Fort Dailly artillery plant at an altitude of 1256  m. M. with the mountain station Fort Dailly Tourelle du canon 15cm T1 1306  m above sea level. M. This enabled the fortress personnel to drive up from the fortress to the 15 cm tank turret (T1). The facility was released from secrecy in 1995 and was used as a ventilation point for the fortress until it was closed in 2012.

Allocated troops (as of 1995, troop order 95)

The fortress was part of the operational area ( Lower Valais ) of the Valais Mountain Brigade 10 (from 1952 Fortress Brigade 10):

  • Type B fortress detachment (29 officers, 101 NCOs, 485 soldiers) as continued garrison
  • Staff (6 officers) as forward command
  • Fortress infantry company (9 officers, 42 NCOs, 203 soldiers) for external defense
  • Fortress artillery company (7 officers, 25 NCOs, 125 soldiers) as fortress artillery
  • Fortress service company (7 officers, 34 NCOs, 157 soldiers) as a factory company (factory operations, logistics)

Police Academy Savatan

Since 2005, the Police Academy Savatan has been operated jointly by the cantons of Vaud and Valais and the Swiss Army on the St. Maurice-Lavey (VD / VS) arsenal in Savatan . The partnership was extended to the end of 2019 in 2014. The school is bilingual (French / German).

Fort Dailly Museum

Fort Dailly, along with other works of the fortress Saint-Maurice, has been classified as a military historical asset of national importance. Since April 2014, guided tours have been carried out for the public according to the museum's website. Two areas connected to the lift can be visited:

  • Area 1 entrance: 15 & -cm tower cannon 1958 L / 42, ammunition magazine, battery fire control center, mountain station of the Savatan - Dailly funicular.
  • Area 2 Galerie Rossignol : two batteries from Dailly Nord , 10.5 cm cannon 1939 L / 42, ammunition magazine, battery fire control center, photo exhibition on the explosion of May 28, 1946, historical museum

literature

  • Jean-Jacques Rapin: L'Esprit des Fortifications. Association St-Maurice d'Etudes Militaires (ASMEM) 2003
  • Jean-Jacques Rapin: De la Garrison de St-Maurice à la brigade de forteresse 10. (1892-2003), Association St-Maurice d'Etudes Militaires ASMEM, St-Maurice, 2004.
  • Dominique Andrey: Le Fort de Dailly . Bulletin Servir , ASMEM, St-Maurice 2006.
  • Pierre Rochat: Genèse de Dailly. Bulletin Servir , ASMEM, St-Maurice 2007.
  • Maurice Lovisa, André Bamat: Dailly, nos tourelles 1952–2012. Bulletin Servir , ASMEM, St-Maurice 2011.
  • Pascal Bruchez: Dailly, une batterie d'exception les Tourelles de 15 cm (1952-2012) . Association Saint-Maurice d'Etudes Militaires, Saint-Maurice 2012, ISBN 978-3-908544-69-2
  • Julius Rebold: Building history of the federal fortifications 1831-1860 and 1885-1921 . Association St-Maurice d'Etudes militaires, Saint-Maurice 2017, ISBN 978-3-906812-02-1

Web links

Commons : Fortress Dailly  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Dailly Nord battery remained in operation without a crew until the end of 1999
  2. ↑ The probable cause was the decomposition and spontaneous combustion of the nitrocellulose powder
  3. ↑ VBS: Project Infra / HQ S 35 and CCIDD ( Memento from July 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ Fortress Oberland of March 31, 2018: How can Dailly be saved?
  5. ↑ Fortress Saint-Maurice: History of Fort Dailly
  6. ^ Message from the Federal Council of 1899: Baths, showers, etc. for Dailly
  7. ^ Fortress Saint-Maurice: 15 cm tank turret gun L / 42 1958
  8. ↑ Army Museum: Staghound armored car tower ( Memento from July 5, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  9. ↑ A250 Artillery position and works Dailly-Savatan-Aiguille
  10. ↑ Fortress Saint-Maurice: Description of the 15 cm tower cannon L / 42 1958
  11. ↑ 1892.01 Fort Savatan supérieur - Fort Dailly artillery factory
  12. ↑ funiculars Switzerland: 1892.02 Fort Dailly artillery factory - Fort Dailly Tourelle du canon 15cm T1
  13. ↑ VBS: Police Academy Savatan ( Memento from July 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  14. ↑ ASMEM: Bulletins

Coordinates: 46 ° 12 '24.9 "  N , 7 ° 1' 43.3"  E ; CH1903:  568.36 thousand  /  117357