Fortified area of ​​Saint-Maurice

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The loops of the Ermitage gun battery, Fort du Scex
St. Maurice Castle with Dufour Tower in the background

The fortress area of ​​Saint-Maurice , together with the fortresses of Sargans and St. Gotthard, was one of the three large fortress areas of the Swiss Army in the Reduit defense system of the Second World War and during the Cold War . It belonged to the 1st Army Corps and, with Army 61, to Fortress Brigade 10 and Mountain Army Corps 3 . Geographically, it covers the area from Lake Geneva to the Great Saint Bernard . The Saint-Maurice lock is a military-historical monument of national importance.

prehistory

Crossing of the Great St. Bernhard during the Longobard campaign

Before the Gotthard Pass was opened up at the end of the 12th century, the Bündner Passes in the east ( Lukmanier Pass etc.) and the Great Saint Bernard Pass (also Mont-Joux Pass) near Martigny in the west were the preferred Alpine crossings between Italy , France (Gaul) and Germany ( Germania). In 773 the uncle of Charlemagne moved over the Great St. Bernhard during the Longobard campaign . In May 1800 Napoleon crossed the pass.

The narrow area of ​​Saint-Maurice at the entrance to the upper Rhone Valley was used by the Romans as a military post and customs post to collect taxes on the trade route over the Great St. Bernard. From 1476 - during the Burgundian Wars - the Saint-Maurice castle was built at the entrance to the bottleneck.

In view of the risk of a European conflict after the July Revolution of 1830 , construction of the Fortification Arzillier at St. Maurice Castle, based on the concept of Guillaume-Henri Dufour, began in 1831 in order to block the passage to the Great St. Bernard and Simplon Pass .

Tower of the Dufour Fortress

Strategic location and military threats

The pass state of Switzerland has the central part of the Alpine arc, which is favorable in terms of traffic, with the transitions from Central and Western Europe to Southern Europe. Together with the connections between the areas of the upper Danube and the Rhone, it forms a central European hub.

In the Paris Act of the Congress of Vienna of 1815, Switzerland's role as guardian of the Alpine passes was established. The Swiss fortifications had to secure the main entrances of the Alpine transversal routes as part of the territorial protection.

Military-historical experience has shown that if there were conflicts of interest among the major European powers or a power striving for hegemony, there was a risk of war. If interests were militarily defended in the Danube region and in northern Italy, the Swiss Alpine transversal routes became of strategic importance. With its armed neutrality, Switzerland had to ensure that it did not fall into the hands of foreign powers.

Saint-Maurice as the north portal of the Alpine transversal on the direct European traffic axis between France ( Franche-Comté ) and Italy ( Piedmont ) was with its narrowness a militarily preferred point for fortifications.

19th century and First World War

When the shells began to be filled with melinite explosives around 1880, the Dufour fortifications built in St. Maurice in 1831 proved to be out of date and had to be replaced. In 1892 the forts Savatan and Dailly began to be built on the right bank of the Rhone . To protect the two forts, guns were initially placed on the Ermitage ob Vérossaz terrace and in 1911 the construction of the Galerie du Scex (four 7.5 cm cannons) began.

The fortresses Dailly and Savatan were built in three construction stages between 1892 and 1910. They had fifteen underground barracks, protective walls and observation posts that were connected to one another by telephone. The armament consisted of over 34 cannons of caliber 5.3 to 15 cm (Savatan: five 12 cm self-propelled howitzers 1891 Schumann type, Dailly: six 12 cm cannons 1893 Krupp).

Second World War

Away you Cindey

The Cindey fortress was built during the Second World War between 1941 and 1946 as an extension of the connected fortress complex St. Maurice (previous forts Dailly, Savatan and Scex ). It took over the earlier security tasks of the St. Maurice Castle and the Dufour fortifications.

In the Chablais , in addition to smaller works and blocking points, the large artillery works Chillon, Champillon and at Martigny those of Follatères, Champex and Commeire.

After the capitulation of Italy on September 12, 1943, the southern front was mobilized again because of the danger of German troops marching through from Italy.

Cold War

With the Troop Order 47 (TO 47), special troops were to be assigned to the fortresses in the Reduit. For this purpose the Reduit Brigades 21 (Bernese Oberland), 22 (Ob- and Nidwalden, Oberhasli), and 24 (Central Switzerland) were created. They each had a fortress artillery regiment.

The obstacles and field fortifications from the Second World War were dismantled, the remaining permanent systems were expanded to increase combat value and the weapons were modernized: The 4.7 cm infantry cannons were replaced by 9 cm anti-tank cannons and the Mg 11 machine gun with the Mg 51 . Various artillery works were only completed after the war and continuously improved, and armament and equipment were modernized. Instead of the 7.5 cm cannons, there were the 12 cm fortress mine throwers. There were also modern shelters and protected command posts.

The 1951 troop order (TO 51) created Fortress Brigades 10 (St-Maurice), 13 (Sargans) and the previous Reduit Brigade 23 was renamed Fortress Brigade 23 (Gotthard). The fortress troops of the border brigades were responsible for the fortifications near the border.

Up until 1997, and especially with Troop Order 61 (Army 61), numerous projects for maintenance, increased combat strength and NBC protection followed . In fortress construction, there was a paradigm shift from large rock works to small monoblock systems with little crew and compact construction.

With the 1993 armaments program, eight BISON gun bunkers were distributed to the fortress areas of St. Maurice, Gotthard and Sargans. Each battery had two monoblock bunkers each with two 15.5 cm fortress cannons 89 L52 BISON . The bison batteries, thanks to their firepower and self-targeting grenades, more than made up for the loss of the defeated fortresses.

Fortress Brigade 10

The Fortress Brigade 10 (Fixed Br 10 "Saint-Maurice") was one of three fortress brigades of the fortress troops of the Swiss army , which were created 1947th With Army 61 , the three fortress brigades and three Reduit Brigades were subordinated to the newly created Mountain Army Corps 3 . Fortress Brigade 10 had no fortress artillery since the end of 1994.

With Army XXI , the Mountain Army Corps , all other army units and the Reduit and Fortress Brigades were abolished at the end of 2003. The installations of the fortress brigade 10 were taken over by the mountain infantry brigade 10 (Br inf mont 10, reserve brigade since 2009).

assignment

Fortress brigade 10 had to prevent any enemy advance into the Rhone plain and in the direction of Reduitbrigade 21 «Bernese Oberland» and to hold the fortified area of ​​Saint-Maurice between Chiètres and Follatères.

Fortress Brigade 10 units (1994)

The forts were operated by the works companies 55, 56, 57, 58 and 59.

The fortress regiment 19 (Saint-Maurice - Grosser Sankt Bernhard) comprised divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 22:

  • Fortress Division 1 (Saint-Maurice): Fortress Company I / 1 and Infantry Fortress Company II / 1 (Savatan), Fortress Artillery Company III / 1 (Scex), Fortress Company IV / 1 (Cindey), Fortress Howitzer Company V / 1 (mobile 10.5 cm Hb)
  • Fortress Department 2 (Type B, Dailly): Fortress Infantry Company I / 2, Fortress Artillery Company II / 2, Fortress Service Company III / 2 (Dailly)
  • Fortress Department 3 (Martigny): Fortress Company I / 3 (Follatères), Fortress Howitzer Company II / 3 (mobile 10.5 cm Hb)
  • Fortress Department 4: Fortress Company I / 4 (Champillon / Chillon)
  • Fortress Department 22: Fortress Company I / 22 (Champex / Commeire), Fortress Company II / 22 (12 cm fortress mine thrower)

Operational area and plants (geographical)

Fortress area Saint-Maurice of Fortress Brigade 10 (as of 1992)

The operational area of ​​the fortress brigade 10, the fortress region of Lower Valais, runs along the axis of the Great St. Bernard, one of the major Alpine transversals. It reached from Lake Geneva to the Great Saint Bernard. It had 350 military installations, 150 of which were fortresses with 13 large artillery or infantry units. The space can be divided into the following sectors:

Swiss Chablais
  • North: Chablais (Chillon Artillery Works, Champillon)
  • Central: Saint-Maurice (Cindey, Scex, Savatan, Dailly artillery works)
  • West: Val de Trient (locks Finhaut, Litroz, Châtelard, Forclaz)
  • South: Great Saint Bernard or Dranse (south of Saint-Maurice) with 56 works (artillery works Les Follatères, Champex, Commeire)

Artillery works (upriver)

  • Chillon A 390: at the lock and Chillon Castle, handed over to the troops in 1942.
  • Champillon A 365: at the Corbeyrier barrier , ready to fire in 1942, two 10.5 cm bunker cannons.
  • Cindey A 155 fortress : rock face west of St. Maurice, anti-tank fort with infantry and artillery, built 1941-1946, operational until 1995, two 10.5 cm anti-tank guns 46, four 9 cm anti-tank guns 50/57, fortress company IV / 1 with 258 men for Cindey and Scex, open to visitors since 2002.
  • Fort du Scex - Ermitage A 160: construction started in 1911, rock face west of St. Maurice, flanking works for Savatan and Dailly, four 7.5 cm cannons 1903, 1938 with battery Ermitage enlarged with four 7.5 cm cannons, bedroom for 120 men. Connected to Fort Cindey by the natural cave Grotte aux Fées .
  • Toveyres A 140: slope east of St. Maurice, Aigle district, axis Bex to Chiètres, two 7.5 cm cannons, counterwork for Cindey and Scex.
  • Petit-Mont A 130: north of Toveyres, river Le Courset, axis Bex to Chiètres, two 7.5 cm cannons
  • Savatan - Dailly / Aiguille A 200/250: (foot of the Dent de Morcles , Lavey-Morcles ), east of St. Maurice, four construction periods 1892–1894, 1895–1903, 1904–1910, 1911–1920, three related complexes
  • Vernayaz A 68/69: rock face on the southern outskirts of Vernayaz, Saint-Maurice district, anti-tank fortress.
  • Follatères A 66: Rhone bend north of Martigny, 50 notches, cable car access, four 7.5 cm and two 10.5 cm cannons 39.
  • Crêtadon A 67: following the Follatères fortress as its counterpart
  • Commeire A 27: Entremont district, four 7.5 cm cannons, counterwork to Champex.
  • Champex A 46: "Fortress Grosser St. Bernhard", built 1940–1943, 4 casemates, 600 m tunnels, 300 men crew, eight 10.5 cm and two 7.5 cm cannons, six flab cannons
  • Command post fortress brigade 10 (command system)

Blocking points in the cantons of Vaud and Valais (upstream of the Rhone)

(Of national ** and regional * importance)

Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut district (Canton of Vaud)

District of Aigle (Canton of Vaud)

Monthey district

Saint-Maurice district

Martigny district

Entremont district

Armed with 10.5 and 15 cm cannons and 12 and 8.1 cm fortress mine launchers

  • Champex: two 10.5 cm howitzers L42 (1942)
  • Corbeyrier: two 10.5 cm cannons 39, L42 SL (1944)
  • St. Maurice: two 10.5 cm cannons 39/46 L52 (1946)
  • Dailly: two 10.5 cm tower cannons 39, L52, two 10.5 cm fortress cannons 35/39, L42, four 10.5 cm cannons L52 39/46 (1952), two 10.5 cm howitzers 46, L22, two 15 cm tower cannons 58, L42, two 15 cm cannons 42, L42 HL (1944), two 8.1 cm fortress mine throwers
  • Martigny: two 10.5 cm howitzers (1942)
  • Savatan: two 10.5 cm howitzers 42/84, L22, two 12 cm fortress mine launchers, one 8.1 cm fortress mine launcher

Commanders of the fortress / garrison and the fortress brigade 10 (since 1952)

  • 1894 David Perret
  • 1895–1898 Sigismond Couteau
  • 1899–1902 Rudolf Geilinger
  • 1903 Louis Perrier
  • 1904-1918 Adolphe Fama
  • 1919–1923 Ernst Grosselin
  • 1924-1929 Roger de Crousaz
  • 1935–1936 Jakob Huber
  • 1937 Julius Schwarz
  • 1940-1946 Louis Mamin
  • 1947-1951 Pierre Matile
  • 1952–1956 Walter Nicola
  • 1957–1962 Pierre Matile
  • 1963-1970 Jean Milloud
  • 1971–1974 Jean-Pierre Gehri
  • 1975–1979 Robert Lavanchy
  • 1980–1982 Pierre-André Pfefferlé
  • 1983–1988 Jean Langenberger
  • 1989–1993 Philippe Pot
  • 1994–1999 Gotthold Gehrig
  • 2000-2003 Marius Robyr

Army 95

The Army Reform 95 , which came into force on January 1, 1995 , brought about the most profound changes for the fortress troops throughout Switzerland. All border and redoubt brigades were disbanded and the fortress brigades were restructured with a reduced number of troops.

Army XXI

The Army Reform XXI meant the final end of the fortress St. Maurice and the fortress brigade 10 in 2003. In June 2011, the fortress artillery department 13, which was responsible for all bison and fortress mine throwers, was dissolved by a Federal Council resolution.

Usage today

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 Dailly facility is now the location of Infrastructure / Headquarters School 35.

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 held for the public according to the museum's website.

Fortress museums and associations in Lower Valais

  • Forteresse historique de Saint-Maurice Foundation: Fort Cindey, Scex and Dailly museums
  • Association des amis des forts de St-Maurice: Association of Friends of the Saint-Maurice Fortress
  • Association Saint-Maurice d'Etudes Militaires ASMEM
  • Association pour la Promotion et le Soutien de la Forteresse Helvétique APSF, Saint-Maurice, founded in 1992
  • Association Pro Forteresse, Champex-Lac. Founded in 1992 with the aim of preserving the ensemble of 56 works in the Dranse / Entremont region for the public and future generations. The infantry works Château-Roc, Manoday, Prayon, Nid d'Aigle, Evionnaz and the artillery plant Commeire can be visited on request.
  • Association Fort de Litroz looks after plants at Col de la Forclaz, southwest of Martigny
  • Fort de Chillon: visit on request
  • Fort Champex A 46: Museum in Champex in its original state including 4 cannons
  • Fort Champillon Corbeyrier: Pyromin Museum - first European museum for explosives and fireworks

literature

Web links

Commons : Saint-Maurice fortified area  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Lock point Saint-Maurice In: Silvio Keller, Maurice Lovisa: Military monuments in the canton of Valais , Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport, Bern 2002, pages 18-19
  2. ↑ DDPS: History of the fortresses in St. Maurice ( Memento from July 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ DDPS Armasuisse, Armaments Programs 1990–2003. 1993: 16 15.5 cm fortress cannons 89 bison with ammunition ( memento from August 19, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Defense Threat Information Group DTIG: Bison ( Memento from April 14, 2010 in the Internet Archive ).
  5. ^ Fortress Oberland: Festungsbrigade 10 ( Memento from August 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  6. ↑ club Fort Litroz
  7. ^ Association Pro Forteresse
  8. ↑ Fort Champillon: Website of the former commandant ( memento of December 17, 2014 in the Internet Archive ).
  9. ↑ Fortress World: Toveyres .
  10. ↑ Fortress World: Vernayaz .
  11. ↑ Follatères fortress world .
  12. ↑ Fort de Chillon 1941–1942 .
  13. ↑ World of Teeone: Barrage de Vuargny (Col des Mosses)
  14. ^ A b Association Fort de Litroz .
  15. ↑ Fortress Oberland: Bourg-St. Bernard
  16. ^ The commanders of the fortress / garrison Saint-Maurice and the fortress brigade 10 ( Memento of January 22, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  17. ^ "Swiss Soldier" from September 2011: Heinz Nüssle: The Swiss Fortress - An era is coming to an end
  18. ↑ VBS: Police Academy Savatan ( Memento from July 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  19. ↑ VBS: Infra / HQ S 35 ( Memento from September 26, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  20. ↑ Visit the historic Fort Dailly .
  21. ^ Association of Friends of the Saint-Maurice Fortress .
  22. ^ Association Saint-Maurice d'Etudes Militaires ASMEM Association for Military Studies Saint-Maurice .
  23. ↑ APSF .
  24. ^ Pro Forteresse, Champex-Lac
  25. ↑ Fort de Chillon .
  26. ↑ Fort d'artillerie de Champex-Lac accessed on February 4, 2019
  27. ↑ Pyromin Museum ( Memento of 17 September 2017 Internet Archive ).
  28. ↑ Moret: The fortifications of the Great Saint Bernard
  29. ↑ ViaStoria 2006/2: Road construction and military in Switzerland 1750-1850

Coordinates: 46 ° 13 ′ 15 "  N , 7 ° 0 ′ 11"  E ; CH1903:  five hundred and sixty-six thousand three hundred eighty-five  /  one hundred and eighteen thousand nine hundred and thirteen