Fort Stöckli

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Fort Stöckli

The Fort Stöckli was part of the Gotthard fortifications in space Andermatt and belonged to the once important works of Swiss national defense . The highest fortress in Europe at the time is located at 2400 m above sea level. M. , below the 2479 m above sea level. M. high floor, a mountain north of Andermatt in the canton of Uri . The fort, built in 1894, was used as a combat facility in 1947.

history

When the construction of the Fort Hospiz (1893/1894), Forte Airolo (1887–1890) and Motto Bartola (1888–1890) works in the Airolo area neared the end, the fortification commission began to deal with the defense concept in the Andermatt area. The “Citadel” of Andermatt was to form the core of an “entrenched camp” in order to block the Furka Pass , the Oberalp Pass and the Gotthard Pass as external positions and to keep them open only to Swiss troop movements.

In 1893, based on a Federal Council resolution, the construction of an artillery fort on the Stöckli began. To develop the position, the first step was to build a road from Nätschen in the direction of Gütsch and to build a barrack camp on the Grossboden. The driveway and the accommodation facilities created the required conditions for a mobile defense. In a later construction phase, additional positions were built on the large floor to reinforce the artillery.

The fort was constantly adapted to the state of the art and at the outbreak of the First World War (first border occupation in 1914) the works around the Gütsch and the Stöckli were added. The plant was active during the Second World War without any major expansion , but no longer played an important role, as a new tower artillery plant was built on the Gütsch and the crossing at the Oberalp Pass was secured with four bunkers.

In 1947, the outdated and not bomb-proof facility was abandoned as an artillery plant and disarmed because it was very exposed, its effect was limited and maintenance work was constant due to the harsh weather. The buildings were still used as troop accommodation, later cannibalized and have been left to decay since then.

During the First World War the factory was operated by the fortress artillery company II / 9, and during the Second World War by the Fest Art Kp V / 12.

plant

The granite plant initially comprised a Kehlkaserne and a shelter. It was surrounded with stone slabs, which at the same time formed a wall with loopholes, and in 1898 new obstacle ditches with flanking casemates and a barracks extension as well as a shelter for a mobile searchlight were added. In 1915 the Stöckli was supplemented, on the immediately adjacent floor with a 200-meter-long covered rifle gallery with machine gun casemates on the flanks and with permanent positions for position batteries (large floor and front skin). A closed infantry work and a position for a half-battery of two 12 cm cannons with firing direction Reuss and Unteralptal were built on the upstream Gütsch . Makeshift artillery positions with fire direction Tavetsch were built near Platten .

In 1905, a test station with 50-meter-high masts for a wireless telegraphy system (Telefunken radio system) was set up on the Gütsch, which was overtaken within a few years by technical developments (fire extinguishing system, mobile radio stations).

Fortress entrance
Throat barracks
Caponier
Rifle gallery
Accommodation Grossboden
Radio station (center) and Gütsch infantry factory (left)

Mission and armament

The purpose of the facility was primarily to secure the transition from the Oberalp Pass and the access to the Gütsch. The factory originally had two 12 cm self-propelled howitzers, Model 1891. In 1898 a tank observation bell , an observation casemate and a 5.3 cm tank stand were added, and in 1903 a second tank stand. The 12 cm self-propelled howitzers were able to reach the Oberalp Pass with their fire and dominate the Oberalpstrasse. The two armored vehicles and the rifle positions for the defending infantry were used for close defense.

12 cm self-propelled howitzers
Gun emplacement 5.3 cm armored vehicle
Gun gallery floor
Gun gallery Gütsch
Armored observation bell Stöckli with Oberalpsee

Lock point Oberalppass

On the Oberalppass, two plants block the axis directly at the beginning of the Oberalpsee, two more have been built about halfway through the Oberalpsee. The infantry plant A 8691 was cleared in July 2016.