Border Brigade 2
Map with all coordinates: 
The Grenzbrigade 2 (Gz Br 2) ( French brigade frontière 2 ) was one of eleven border brigades of the Swiss Army . It was subordinate to the 1st Army Corps (since 1961 Field Army Corps 1 , FAK 1) and existed from 1938 to 1994 ( Army 95 ).
history
The border troops were reorganized in accordance with the Hague Agreement with the 1938 Troop Order (TO 38) and 11 border brigades (Gz Br) were created. In addition to the border fusilier battalions, they had a company of cyclists, motorized mitrailleurs and infantry gunners .
The practical implementation of military neutrality took place in the 19th and 20th centuries through the so-called "border occupation" in military conflicts near Swiss territory. During the First World War (border occupation 1914-1918), the Murten fortification in the area of Border Brigade 2 was the most important army position against the west.
In order for the border defense (border occupation) to remain credible despite the rapid development of war technology, the Federal Council decided to strengthen the line of defense with permanent, deeply staggered border fortifications . In 1935, the federal authorities had the office for fortifications (BBB) revived and from 1937 the border fortifications (fortress Sargans etc.) were rebuilt.
The area of the border brigade (1938–1994) was limited by the area from Col des Etroits ( Sainte-Croix ) ⊙ to Biaufond ( Les Bois JU) ⊙ and in depth to Lake Neuchâtel near Vaumarcus ⊙ and Lake Biel near Erlach ⊙ . The area of operations of Border Brigade 2 comprised the canton of Neuchâtel , the Saint-Imier area , small areas of the canton of Vaud and had a front width of around 85 km against France.
Border Brigade 2 was assigned to the 1st Army Corps for training and deployment preparation. The subordination during the mission was determined by the respective operation plan. In all units of the border troops, militiamen residing in the operational area were assigned because the border troops were the first to be mobilized in the event of mobilization and had to be ready for immediate action so that the mobilization of the majority of the army could not be disrupted.
On August 28, 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II , the Border Brigade 2 was mobilized. By September 6, 1939, 7,075 officers, NCOs and soldiers with 264 light machine guns, 99 machine guns 11, 16 8.1 cm 33 mine launchers and 34 4.7 cm 35 infantry cannons had been engaged for active service. The brigade's command post was set up in the Hôtel du Soleil in Neuchâtel and later in the Klinik du Chanet .
The troops began to build their fortresses and tank barriers with great effort. The Valangin fortress was largely built by the troops in 1939. From September 1939 to June 1940 the brigade was reinforced and commanded by the 2nd Division. The 2nd Light Brigade occupied the Freiberg Mountains , the 13th Infantry Regiment occupied the Les Brenets- Sommartel front. Reconnaissance Group 2 patrolled the Vallée des Ponts, the 8th Infantry Regiment installed itself between the Vue des Alpes and La Tourne and the 1st Infantry Regiment between the Creux du Van and Vaumarcus .
In mid-June 1940, when the German Wehrmacht reached the border in the Jura, the 2nd Division was in the area of Border Brigade 3. The fusilier battalion 18 was hastily relocated to Saignelégier and the fusilier battalion 19 to Les Verrières .
From June 16 to 22, 1940, Grenzbrigade 2 was partially involved in the internment of the 45th Corps of the French-Polish Army, which crossed the border mainly at Clos-du-Doubs , while English and Belgian detachments at Col des Roches entered the Switzerland were pushed aside. From July 1940 the 2nd Division withdrew into the Reduit, leaving only the 8th regiment behind to hold Neuchâtel and build barricades and bunkers there.
During the active service, the brigade was reinforced by Territorial Battalions 166 and 167 as an ad hoc regiment in the Basse Areuse and in Neuchâtel. With the arrival of the Armée de Lattre in Franche-Comté in August 1944, field divisions were relocated to the border again until November.
During active service, the brigade was assigned to the Voluntary Border Guard Company II (from April 1942: Fortress Guard Corps FWK) and subordinated to the Territorial Battalions 135, 166, 167, 169 (up to Troop Order 51). In addition, a destruction department was set up (up to troop order 61) and a carrier pigeon detachment was assigned (with troop order 61 as a border transmission company).
In 1952, Regiment 43 left Border Brigade 2 and was subordinated to Border Brigade 3.
The brigade had the task of closing the main axes to Neuchâtel and Biel with the Murten area from the border, to carry out the wear and tear from the border and to ensure the neutrality protection service (NSD). The national border is here closest to the federal capital of Bern.
Units (as of 1938)
- Border regiments 43 (battalions 221, 222, 223), 44 (bat 224, 225) 45 (bat 226, 227)
- Motorized Infantry Cannon Company (Mot Ik Kp) 22,
- Motorized Mitrailleur Company (Mot Mitr Kp) 2
- Cyclist Company (Rdf Kp) 22
Units (as of 1994)
The Border Brigade 2 comprised:
- Infantry Regiments 44, 45
- Genius Department 42
- four grenadier companies
- Fusilier Battalion 302
- Fortress Company 102 (12 cm fortress mine thrower)
- Works companies 4, 5
Command post and blocking points
The works and blocking points of Border Brigade 2 are in the canton of Vaud. In 1947, the 43 Border Regiment was newly subordinated to Border Brigade 3, which is why several blocking points of the original Border Brigade 2 are now with Border Brigade 3:
- Command post (KP): KP Border Brigade 2
- Blocking points (blocking points of national importance with *): Belleroche, Boinod, Bregot, Brot Dessous, Buttes, Chambrelien, Chanélaz, Chaumont, Corps de Garde, Col des Roches, Combe aux Fies, Combe Biosse, Cortaillod, Cucheroud, Erlach-Jolimont * , Gampelen *, Grand Suvagnier, Haut de la Tour *, La Baume, La Clusette *, La Chaux-de-Fonds, La Combe-Léonard, La Côte aux-Fées, L'Engolieu, La Molta, La Sauge, Le Coeufier , Le Furcil, Les Brenetets, Les Bugnenets, Les Convers, Les Eroges, Mauvaise-Combe, Neuchâtel, Noiraigue, Pertuis, Pont de la Roche, Quarteron Provence, Valangin *, Vue des Alpes *
Commanders of the Border Brigade 2
- Louis Carbonnier, Colonel, * 1886, architect in Neuchâtel (during the period 1936/38 - 1945).
- Marcel Krügel, Colonel, * 1893, manufacturer of watch jewels in Travers.
- Jean Grize, Colonel, * 1895, director of the business school in Neuchâtel.
- Georges Marti, Colonel, * 1903, pharmacist in Cernier.
- Pierre Glasson, Colonel, * 1907, President of the Association of Cigarette Manufacturers in Freiburg.
- Léo du Pasquier, Brigadier, * 1910, General Manager of Ebauches SA in Neuchâtel.
- Ernest Grandjean, Brigadier, * 1916, Deputy Chief of Arms of the Mechanized and Light Troops in Thun.
- Gilles Chavaillaz, Brigadier, * 1922, instruction officer for the mechanized and light troops in Posieux
Museum, visits
The Pro Fortins Neuchâtel association organizes tours of the Valagin fortifications (Verrou de Valagin, 2 works) and the fortified structure of the Val-de-Travers (10 works).
literature
- Canton of Vaud - Department of Education, Youth and Culture: Border occupation (1939–1945). Life in the bunker on May 10, 1940
- Silvio Keller, Maurice Lovisa: Military monuments in the cantons of Neuchâtel and Jura, VBS 1998
- Silvio Keller, Barbara Vogt Siegrist: Military Monuments in the Cantons of Bern and Freiburg, DDPS 2006
- Christian Schwager: Wrong chalets . 134 color pictures, Edition Patrick Frey c / o Scalo, Zurich 2004, ISBN 3-905509-49-0
- Leo Fabrizio: Bunkers . 75 color pictures, Infolio éditions, Gollion 2004, ISBN 2-88474-008-2
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Agreement on the Rights and Duties of Neutral Powers and Persons in the Event of Land War, concluded in The Hague on October 18, 1907.
- ↑ Silvio Keller, Maurice Lovisa: Military Monuments in the Cantons of Neuchâtel and Jura, VBS 1998
- ↑ Fortress Oberland: Grenzbrigade 2 ( Memento of the original from July 4, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Pro Fortins: Museum of the Border Brigade 2 ( Memento of the original from December 13, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
