Ouvrage Michelsberg, one of the Maginot Line fortifications, formed part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay as well as the fortified region of

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

. The ''ouvrage'' is located in Moselle (''département'') between the towns of Dalstein and d'Ebersviller, about 23 km from

Thionville Thionville (; ; german: Diedenhofen ) is a city in the northeastern French department of Moselle. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz. History Thionville was settled as early as the time of th ...

. It is located between ''gros ouvrage'' Mont des Welches and ''petit ouvrage'' Hobling, facing

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. Michelsberg did not see significant action in the Battle of France until June 1940, when it was attacked from the rear by German forces that had bypassed the Maginot Line. It successfully resisted these attacks, but was compelled to surrender in accordance with the 25 June 1940 armistice. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

it was renovated as a Cold War fortification against a potential Soviet invasion, then abandoned. It is now operated as a museum, and may be visited.

Design and construction

Michelsberg was approved for construction by the Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées (CORF), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency, in April 1930 and became operational by 1935,Kaufmann 2006, p. 25 at a cost of 56 million francs. The contractor was Gianotti of Nice.Mary, Tome 1, p. 52 Unlike virtually all other Maginot positions, the ''ouvrage'' does not have a drinking water well inside the position: the intended well was dry, forcing the ''ouvrage'' to rely on a well outside.Kaufmann 2011, p. 228

Description

Michelsberg is a ''gros ouvrage'', arranged in a linear fashion along a central underground gallery connecting the single combined personnel/ammunition entry block to the rear with the combat blocks about to the east. It lacks a central "M1" ammunition magazine.Mary, Tome 3, p. 102 It does possess an electrified 60 cm internal rail network, used to move supplies and munitions within the ''ouvrage''.Mary, Tome 2, p. 53 The galleries are excavated at an average depth of up to . *Mixed entry: inclined plan, one automatic rifle cloche (GFM), three automatic rifle embrasures and one machine gun/ 47mm anti-tank gun embrasure (JM/AC47). *Block 1: Infantry block with one retractable machine gun turret, one GFM cloche and one machine gun cloche (JM). *Block 2: Infantry block with one machine gun/anti-tank gun embrasure (JM/AC47), machine gun embrasure (JM) and two GFM cloches. *Block 3: Artillery block with one retractable 81mm mortar turret and two GFM cloches. *Block 4 (unbuilt): Planned artillery block with an 81mm mortar turret. *Block 5: Artillery block with one 75mm gun turret and one GFM cloche. *Block 6: Artillery block with one 135mm gun turret, one GFM cloche, one grenade launcher cloche (LG), one

JM cloche The JM cloche is an element of the Maginot Line. It is a non-retractable non-rotating cupola of steel alloy like GFM cloches, but are armed with twin heavy machine guns, as opposed to the lighter automatic rifles associated with the GFM. There are ...

and one emergency exit cloche (unique in the Line). Apart from the emergency egress cloche, Michelsberg also features a false turret.

Casemates and shelters

In addition to the connected combat blocks, a series of detached casemates and infantry shelters surround Michelsberg, including * Abri de Bilmette: Surface infantry shelter (''abri'') with two GFM cloches. * Casemate de Huberbusch Nord: SIngle block with one JM/AC37 embrasure, one JM embrasure and one GFM cloche. * Casemate de Huberbusch Sud: SIngle block with one JM/AC37 embrasure, one JM embrasure and two GFM cloches.

Manning

The manning of the ''ouvrage'' in June 1940 comprised 472 men and 19 officers of the 164th Fortress Infantry Regiment and the 153rd Position Artillery Regiment, commanded by Commandant Pelletier. The units were under the umbrella of the 42nd Fortress Corps of the 3rd Army, Army Group 2. The Casernement de Férange provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Michelsberg and other positions in the area.

History

:''See Fortified Sector of Boulay for a broader discussion of the Boulay sector of the Maginot Line.''

1940

On 15 June the German 1st Army broke through the Line at the

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and pushed west and east along the Line, enveloping the French armies, meeting forces of the German 16th Army that had gone around the Line in the west in May. On 15 June Michelsberg fired 753 75mm rounds against the Germans. Troops of the German 95th Infantry Division moved behind Michelsberg on 21 June, taking fire from blocks 3 and 6. The ''ouvrage'' repulsed a full German attack on 22 June 1940, with help from Mont des Welches and Hackenberg. German artillery hit Block 3's cloches and the façade of Block 2. Block 6 destroyed a German battery with artillery fire. Following the

Second Armistice at Compiègne The Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed at 18:36 near Compiègne, France, by officials of Nazi Germany and the Third French Republic. It did not come into effect until after midnight on 25 June. Signatories for Germany included Wilhelm Keitel, ...

on 25 June, the Boulay sector's garrisons surrendered on 4 July 1940. In the following years under German occupation, Michelsberg was used as a bombproof factory.Mary, Tome 5, p. 139

1944

During the Lorraine Campaign only Hackenberg was occupied by the Germans; Michelsberg played no role in that campaign. German forces did attempt to blow up the position when they evacuated, detonating explosives in the main gallery.Kaufmann 2011, p. 230

Cold War

Following World War II, interest revived in the use of the Maginot Line to defend against a possible Soviet advance through southern Germany. Funds were allocated for restoration of the ''gros ouvrages'' Work was limited to restoration of systems and improvements to existing armament. The renovations did not include the command post or the barracks. By 1956, Michelsberg had been designated part of the ''Mòle de Boulay'', a strongpoint in the northeastern defenses against Soviet attack. By the late 1950s interest in fixed fortifications was waning after France developed a nuclear deterrent. The money needed to maintain and upgrade the fortifications was diverted for the nuclear programs. Michelsberg was maintained for use by the Army until 1971 when it was placed in second-class reserve. After being abandoned, the ''ouvrage'' was used between 1978 and 1988 for the cultivation of

mushrooms A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is ...

. The ''ouvrage'' was damaged and vandalized during this time. Renovations and repairs started in 1992 and are ongoing. Since 1993 it has been protected by a charitable organization that allows visits on Sundays between April and September, inclusive. The volunteers are also restoring the nearby Abri de Bilmette.Kaufmann 2011, p. 231

Notes

References

Bibliography

*Allcorn, William. ''The Maginot Line 1928-45.'' Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. *Degon, André; Zylberyng, Didier, ''La Ligne Maginot: Guide des Forts à Visiter,'' Editions Ouest-France, 2014. *Kaufmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W. ''Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II'', Stackpole Books, 2006. *Kaufmann, J.E., Kaufmann, H.W., Jancovič-Potočnik, A. and Lang, P. ''The Maginot Line: History and Guide'', Pen and Sword, 2011. *Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 1.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2001. *Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 2.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. *Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 3.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. *Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009.