Border Brigade 4
Map with all coordinates: 
The Grenzbrigade 4 (Gz Br 4) was one of eleven border brigades of the Swiss Army . It was subordinate to the 2nd Army Corps (since 1961 Field Army Corps 2 ) and existed from 1938 to 1994 ( Army 95 ).
From 1945 she was responsible for the space between Stein (Säckingen) and Klösterli (Kleinlützel) as well as the associated Jura crossings into the Swiss Plateau.
Border brigades
According to the Hague Agreement, the Swiss Army has an obligation to defend its territory from national borders in accordance with the principle of armed neutrality . Therefore, the border brigades could be assigned fixed operational areas for defense.
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 fortification Hauenstein in the area of the border brigade 4 formed the most important army position towards the north.
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.
The border troops were reorganized with the troop order 1938 (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 border brigades were assigned to the army corps for training and preparation. Their subordination during the mission was determined by the respective operation plan. Their main job was to block axles. The high level of preparation practically made them permanent associations.
Throughout the Second World War, the border brigades remained in their home region, but the operational area and the subordination were often adjusted.
Border Brigade 4
On September 1, 1939, the 4 Border Brigade was mobilized. The border regiment (Gz Rgt) 49 was deployed between Gempenplateau and Kleinlützel, the border battalion 249 in the Laufental – Blauen section and the border company V / 248 at the barrier in the Engnis «Lange Brücke» to secure the Passwangstrasse . The Basel city command had a special assignment.
As a result of the arrangements for possible French support ( Maneuver H ) in the event of a German attack, larger positions were built on the Gempen plateau (infantry bunkers, artillery positions), which were little used after the army withdrew into the Reduit.
After the 4th Division was moved to the Reduit in May 1941, the reinforced 4 Border Brigade had to defend the area between the border (Stein near Säckingen and Klösterli near Kleinlützel) and the Mittelland. The Battle Group Passwang-Schelten (Territorial Regiment 73) was responsible for the defense of the Passwang between Büsserach and Balsthal . During the battles off Belfort and in Alsace in 1944/45, the troop strength on the Jura border was increased as the situation developed.
After 1945 funds, orders and the organization of Border Brigade 4 were periodically updated and the infrastructure modernized. The operational area of the Border Brigade 4 was forward from 1945 to 1994 by the line stone Säckingen ⊙ - Klösterli, Kleinlützel ⊙ and rear by the line Mahren, Lostorf ⊙ Emmemündung - ⊙ limited and right at stone-Moravia and left at Klösterli-Emmemündung. With the Jura, the area near the border had strong, favorable terrain for defense.
The task of Border Brigade 4 was primarily the defense from the border against an enemy attacking from the north. The Rhine as a natural obstacle and the three main axes Augst- Unterer Hauenstein- Olten, Augst- Oberer Hauenstein- Balsthal-Oensingen and Basel- Birstal -Delsberg-Moutier-Court as well as a number of secondary axes had to be permanently closed.
The order read:
- holds the prepared border positions with the majority of the border troops
- delays a hostile break-in in your room by all means
- prevents enemy armored forces from breaking into the Aartal via the Jura
- blocks the Jura crossings Unterer and Oberer Hauenstein, Passwang, Schelten and the Klusen von Balsthal.
The brigade's last dispositive (1980s) was designed for an attack from the east along the Swiss border westwards with a possible parallel thrust across Swiss territory.
Units (as of 1994)
- Border Brigade 4 staff, Basilisk staff ad hoc, Border Brigade 4 staff battalion ad hoc
- 47th Infantry Regiment: Fusilier Battalions 243, 245
- 48th Infantry Regiment: Fusilier Battalions 139, 244, 257
- 49th Infantry Regiment: Fusilier Battalions 177, 248, 249, 304
- Anti-tank guided weapons battalion (PAL Bat) 4 ad hoc, Neutrality Protection Battalion (NSD Bat) 4 ad hoc
- Works battalion 4 ad hoc: Works companies 19, 20, 21 and 22
- Genius department 44, fortress department 104 (with 12 cm fortress mine thrower and howitzers)
Command posts, artillery works and blocking points
The works and blocking points of Border Brigade 4 were in the cantons of Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Jura and Solothurn.
- Command post (KP): KP Grenzbrigade 4 («Lobisei» A 3669) with atomic protection shelter (ASU) in Mümliswil ⊙ , KP Infantry Regiment 47 in Farnsburg ⊙ , KP Infantry Regiment 48 in Sichteren in Liestal (ASU).
- Artillery works and positions (Art Stel) :, Artillery cavern Wenslingen A 3535 ( ⊙ ), Artillery positions Gempenplateau *, Bretzwil, Gelterkinden, Gsal , Ormalingen, Reisen-Pulfisei , Spittel-Nünbrunnen
- Blocking points (of national importance with *): Allschwil, Altenberg, Angenstein *, Anwil, Arlesheim, Adlikerrank, Augst, Basel *, Balsthal, Bärschwil, Belchen *, Beuggen, Birch, Birseck, Blattenpass , Bubendorf, Büsserach, Buuseregg, Breitfeld, Challhöchi , Challhollen, Chräiegg, Diepflingen, Dornach, Dornachberg, Dorneck *, Egglisgraben, Eptingen, Farnsburg *, Glashütten, Giebenach, Grellingen, Helfenberg, Hemmiken, Hinteregg, Holderbank, Hülftenschanze *, Huggerwald, Humbelsrain, Im Thalst, Itingen, Itingen Kleinlützel, Kilchberg, Langenbruck, Lange Brücke , Laufen, Läufelfingen, Liestal, Limperg, Limmern, Lützel estuary, Magden, Mümliswil , Mumpf, Neuhüsli , Nunningen-Enge, Oberdorf, Oberer Hauenstein *, Obermumpf, Oltingen, Passwang , Pfeffingen, Pratteln, Pulfisei , Tecknau, Reigoldswil, Riburg, Rickenbach, Roderis, Rothenfluh-Anwil, Röschenz, Rümlingen, Schachen , Schauenberg, Scheltenpass *, Schönenberg, Seewen, Sissach, Spittel, Stüsslingen, St. Wolfgang, Tenniken, Titterten, T rimbach, Unter Hauenstein *, Waldenburg , Wartenberg , Wegenstetten West, Wintersingen, Wolfsschlucht, Zeiningen, Zullwil
Solothurn and Basel Jura fortifications associations
- The Solothurner Jura fortifications association maintains fortifications in the Thal district (Gänsbrunnen-Welschenrohr and Mümliswil-Balsthal-Oensingen area) with the Gänsbrunnen barrier and fortifications in the Olten area (Belchen-Challhöchi, Trimbach area) with the Challhöchi barrier. Every September it organizes “Open Days”.
- The bunker association Waldenburg , founded in 2018, wants to preserve the four community-owned facilities of the former Waldenburg barrier and hold public visiting days.
literature
- Franz Bürgi: A 3669 "Lobisei", ex command post border brigade 4 . Solothurn Jura Fortifications Association
- Werner Häfeli: Border Brigade 4 finish . Kdo Gz Br 4 1994
- Dieter Hohl: 50 years of Grenzbrigade 4 (1939–1989). Kdo Gz Br 4
- Silvio Keller, Maurice Lovisa, Thomas Bitterli: Military-historical monuments in the cantons of Solothurn, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, DDPS 2001
- Walter Lüem: The Border Brigade 4 in World War II, part East + West . GMS travel documentation; GMS Wettingen, 1998/2000.
- Hanspeter Greb et al .: The Baselbiet Infantry Regiments 21 and 47 . Baselland Infantry Foundation, Lüdin AG, Liestal 2003.
- Schwitter, Meier, Howald, Wyser: The Kleinlützel tank barrier and the surrounding fortifications of Gz Br 4 + 3 . Bunker Association Kleinlützel 2006.
- Hans Senn : Basel and the Gempenplateau in World War II . GMS booklet no.16, GMS Zurich, 1996.
- Christian Brückner: The Basel City Command 1939-1989. Review on the occasion of the 50th anniversary . Basel 1989 .
- Hans Ruedi Schaffhauser: Access axes through the Basel area: the terrain reinforcements / anti-tank barriers in the canton of Baselland and in the area of Grenzbrigade 4 since the 1930s. Verlag Infanterie-Stiftung Baselland 2013, ISBN 978-3857921704
- Blocking points Jura, Bern, Neuchâtel
Web links
- Solothurn Jura Fortifications Association
- Little Porcupine: Border Brigade 4
- Swiss fortresses: Diegtertal barriers, between Bubendorf and Meltingen, Passwang, Hauenstein fortification
- GMS-Journal 2010/2: The Border Brigade 4 in the Cold War and the Gempen plateau
- Video command post border brigade 4 Lobisei part 1
- Video command post border brigade 4 Lobisei part 2
Individual evidence
- ^ Commemorative plaques Solothurn 4er Verband: Grenzbrigade 4 (1938–1994) ( Memento of December 18, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ 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.
- ^ Christian Brückner: Das Stadtkommando Basel 1939-1989. Review on the occasion of the 50th anniversary. Basel 1989
- ↑ Solothurner Zeitung of May 27, 2012: Visit to the «Lobisei» command post of the former Border Brigade 4
- ^ Silvio Keller, Maurice Lovisa, Thomas Bitterli: Military-historical monuments in the cantons of Solothurn, Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft, VBS 2001
- ^ Bunker association Kleinlützel: lock Kleinlützel
- ↑ Locking point Magden-Enge
- ^ Fortress Oberland: Grenzbrigade 4. Accessed April 14, 2019 .
- ^ Association fortress works Solothurn Jura: Open Days. Retrieved April 14, 2019 .
- ↑ Bunker Association Waldenburg