Fort de Comboire

Fort de Comboire

The Fort de Comboire (temporarily: Fort Monteynard ) was part of the French defense system Barrière de fer and the last of six forts built to protect the city of Grenoble . It is located in the commune of Claix in the Isère department . The fort's current name comes from the hill on which it was built.

designation

For a few months it was named after Louis François de Monteynard . By presidential decree of January 21, 1887, the War Minister Georges Boulanger implemented that all forts, fortified artillery installations and barracks of the Système Séré de Rivières had to bear the names of former military commanders. On October 13, 1887, this was reversed by Boulanger's successor, Théophile Ferron, and the fort was given its current name.

description

The fort is located at an altitude of 510 meters on a ridge southwest of the city. The front is directed to the southeast.

It monitored the course of the Drac and the spaces between it and the Vercors Mountains. Another task was to support Fort Montavie . The plant is elevated by the mountain plateaus of Peuil, Saint Ange and Saint Nizier. The latter was not included in the defense, there was a gap in the western part of the defense ring.

It was built as a result of the lost war against Germany and the associated border shifts to the west. Construction of the fort, which employed up to 400 workers, began in 1882 and was completed in 1884. The architect was Colonel Mamès Cosseron de Villenoisy. The building is listed in the then customary construction in hewn stone blocks. The architectural style corresponds to the “à cavalier” with guns set up openly on the barracks block, which were only covered by crossbars against lateral fire. The construction costs amounted to approx. 1,200,000 gold francs . The crew consisted of 100 artillerymen in peacetime and 385 men in the case of defense.

Building

The fort is an asymmetrical lunette set in carved limestone. Due to the nature of the terrain, the access is on the left flank and is secured by a gate with a ditch and a bascule bridge. A dry trench is in front of the faces and the flanks. A natural glacis was given by the steep slope to Isère. The guns were set up on the ceiling of the two-story barracks block and covered against side fire by three hollow beams and one solid beam. The throat was only closed by a wall, because behind it there is a steep slope that is difficult to overcome. There are both rifle and artillery slots in this wall. A caponier was used to coat the throat wall , which was attached to the left flank wall as an extension and protruded over the throat wall. The front trench (double caponier) and the two flank trenches (one single caponier each) were also defended with capons. The inner grave walls consisted mostly of a free-standing Escarpenmauer that the grave defense with a covered way and loopholes equipped. The trench, which tapered to the rear, was blocked by a wall. The trench defense from the capons was carried out exclusively by rifle fire, a gun defense was not planned (also due to the design). (From 1913, however, revolver cannons were still installed in the capons.)

Furnishing

• 1 powder magazine with 80 t storage capacity
• 1 propellant magazine
• 1 bakery with an oven with a capacity of 300 bread portions per day. (In the event of a defense, a portable oven from the Lespinasse system with a daily output of 180 portions could also be installed.)
• 1 cistern with a capacity of 510 m³ (the fort did not have a well.)
• Telegraphic connection to the other plants. (No traffic light station)
• 358 beds
• 1 infirmary

Armament

1879

On the ramparts	Trench defenses	Annex battery
4 × Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877 6 × Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878 2 × Mortier lisse de 15 (150 mm) 2 × mortars " Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880 "	no guns	not built yet
Total guns: 14

1890

On the ramparts	Trench defenses	Annex battery
4 × "Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877" 6 × "Canon de 120 long modèle 1878" (120 mm) 2 × Mortier lisse de 15 (150 mm) 2 × mortars "Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880" (220 mm)	no guns	not built yet
Total guns: 14

1913

On the ramparts	Trench defenses	Annex battery
2 × "Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877" 2 × "Canon de 120 long modèle 1878" (120 mm) 2 × Mortier lisse de 15 (150 mm) 2 × mortars 22 "Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880"	6 × Canon revolver de 40 mm modèle 1879	Batt. n ° 1 - 4 × "Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877" Batt. n ° 2 - 4 × "Canon de 120 long modèle 1878" Batt. des Enginères B - 4 × "Canon de 120 long modèle 1878" Batt. des Enginères C - 4 × " Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877 "
Total guns: 30

1914

On the ramparts	Trench defenses	Annex battery
2 × "Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877" 2 × "Canon de 120 long modèle 1878" 2 × Mortier lisse de 15 (150 mm) 2 × mortars 22 "Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880"	6 × 37 mm Hotchkiss cannons	Batt. n ° 1 - 4 × "Canon de 155 mm L modèle 1877" Batt. n ° 2 - 4 × "Canon de 120 long modèle 1878" Batt. des Enginères B - 4 × "Canon de 120 long modèle 1878" Batt. des Enginères C - 4 × "Canon de 90 mm modèle 1877"
Total guns: 30

The fort was not involved in any combat operations and already during the First World War only storage and ammunition depot. Since it is no longer used by the military, it has been left to its own devices. It has been completely preserved, but in a poor structural condition. Entry is not permitted.

See also

• Fort you Mûrier
• Système Séré de Rivières

literature

• Patrimoine et Développement du Grand Grenoble, Comité de Sauvegarde du Vieux Grenoble: Les Fortifications de Grenoble , Patrimoine et Développement du Grand Grenoble.
• Le Petit Larousse de l'histoire de France , Éditions Larousse.
• Alain Hohnadel and Philippe Bestetti: La Bataille des forts . Editions Heimdal, Bayeux, 1995. ISBN 2-8404-8087-5 .

Web links

Commons : Fort de Comboire  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Présentation du fort sur un site consacré aux fortifications Séré de Rivières www.fortiffsere.fr
• Présentation du fort sur le site fortiff

Notes and individual references

1. ^ Claix ... d'un hameau à l'autre , publié par l'association Claix, Patrimoine et histoire
2. ^ Note n ° 5285 of March 25, 1886 from War Minister Boulanger to the General Commanders of the Military Regions; Presidential decree of January 21 on the renaming of forts, fortified artillery installations and barracks, as proposed by M. le général Boulanger, Minister of War.
3. ↑ with the note n ° 14980 from the same date
4. ^ Jean-Claude Michel, Histoire de Claix, édité par la mairie de Claix, ISBN 2-9518529-1-6
5. ↑ firing over bank, d. H. without cover from above

Coordinates: 45 ° 8 ′ 12 "  N , 5 ° 40 ′ 41"  E