The ', renamed Group Fortification Lorraine after 1919, is a military installation near

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

. It is part of the second fortified belt of

forts of Metz The forts of Metz are two fortified belts around the city of Metz in Lorraine.Not to be confused with the French works in the List of Maginot Line ouvrages, Région fortifiée de Metz from the later Maginot Line, ligne Maginot. Built according to t ...

and had its baptism of fire in late 1944, when the

Battle of Metz The Battle of Metz was fought during World War II at the French city of Metz, then part of Nazi Germany, from late September 1944 through mid-December as part of the Lorraine Campaign between the U.S. Third Army commanded by Lieutenant General ...

occurred.

Historical context

During the annexation, Metz was a German garrison of between 15,000 and 20,000 men at the beginning of the period and exceeded 25,000 men just before the First World War,Philippe Martin, ''L'Express'', no. 2937, 18–24 October 2007, ''Metz en 1900''. gradually becoming the first stronghold of the

German Reich German ''Reich'' (, from ) was the constitutional name for the German nation state that existed from 1871 to 1945. The ''Reich'' became understood as deriving its authority and sovereignty entirely from a continuing unitary German ''Volk'' ("na ...

. The ' completed the Second fortified belt of Metz composed of Festen

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

(1904–1912),

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

(1899–1905),

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

(1907–1912),

empress The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

(1899–1905), Lorraine (1899–1905), Freiherr von der Goltz (1907–1916), Haeseler (1899–1905),

Prince Regent Luitpold Luitpold Karl Joseph Wilhelm Ludwig, Prince Regent of Bavaria (12 March 1821 – 12 December 1912), was the ''de facto'' ruler of Bavaria from 1886 to 1912, as regent for his nephews, King Ludwig II and King Otto. His regency arose due to his n ...

(1907–1914) and Infantry-Werk Belle-Croix (1908–1914). Built in the early 20th century, the group fortification became part of a wider program of fortifications called "Moselstellung", encompassing fortresses scattered between Thionville and Metz in the

Moselle The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...

valley. The aim of Germany was to protect against a French attack to take back Alsace-Lorraine from the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

. The fortification system was designed to accommodate the growing advances in artillery since the end of 19th century. Based on new defensive concepts, such as dispersal and concealment, the fortified group was to be, in case of attack, an impassable barrier for French forces.

Overall design

The scope of protection of the Group Fortification Lorraine was provided by a set of infantry positions, fortified barracks and artillery batteries scattered over a wide area and concealed by the natural topography. From 1899, the

Schlieffen plan The Schlieffen Plan (, ) is a name given after the First World War to German war plans, due to the influence of Field Marshal Alfred von Schlieffen and his thinking on an invasion of France and Belgium, which began on 4 August 1914. Schlieffe ...

of the German General Staff designed the fortifications of the ''Moselstellung'', between

and

Thionville Thionville (; ; ) is a city in the northeastern French Departments of France, department of Moselle (department), Moselle. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle (river), Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz. History Thionvi ...

, to function like a lock for blocking any advance of French troops in case of conflict.Donnell Clayton, ''The German Fortress of Metz: 1870–1944'', Oxford, Osprey, 2008, p. 24. This concept of a fortified line on the Moselle was a significant innovation compared to Système Séré de Rivières developed by the French. It later inspired the engineers of the

Maginot Line The Maginot Line (; ), named after the Minister of War (France), French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by French Third Republic, France in the 1930s to deter invas ...

Construction and facilities

Group Fortification Lorraine was built on the heights of Saulny. It was to strengthen the northwest edge of the first fortified belt. It controlled the railway axis Metz-Verdun, through

Amanvillers Amanvillers (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 communes of the Moselle department of France ...

and the highway Metz-Briey. Covering an area of 385 ha, the ''Feste Lorraine'' was built from 1899 to 1903. It consists of a main fortification and two support points north and west. It has 6 howitzers 150 mm wide and six long guns 100 mm wide.Donnell Clayton, ''The German Fortress of Metz: 1870–1944'', Oxford, Osprey, 2008, p. 24. It had 14 observation domes and 24 lookout posts. It had two concrete barracks, one for 1,000 men, the other for 400 men. It was designed to accommodate four infantry companies, in addition to the gunners. The ''Feste'' had a phone line and a power plant with 4 diesel engines of 35 hp. and 600 m of tunnels connecting the different positions.Donnell Clayton, ''The German Fortress of Metz: 1870–1944'', Oxford, Osprey, 2008, p. 24.

Successive assignments

In 1890 the garrison relief was guaranteed by the fort troops Corps XVI stationed at Metz and Thionville. At the back of the German lines during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the fort did not have the test of fire. In November 1918, the fort was again occupied by the French army. After the departure of French troops in June 1940, the German army reinvested the fort. After the war, the French army resumed the fortified group. The main building was used until 1985 by GRET 806, then the 1st Company 43rd signals regiment. The main building is from the early 2000s decade, used as a support station for electric and two communication antennas of the army. This building is protected by three walls with barbed wire, fence and wrought iron gates. The third stronghold, the most in the center, was recently installed to prohibit access to communications antennas. The building is equipped with an alarm to prevent intrusion. All other blocks are accessible without having to cross the center stronghold.

Second World War

In early September 1944, the

began. The German command integrated the defensive system set up around Metz. On September 2, 1944, Metz was declared, in effect by the Reich, fortress

Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

. The fortress was required to be defended to the last by German troops, whose leaders were all sworn to the Führer. The next day, September 3, 1944, General Krause, then commander of the fortress of Metz, established his ''High Command'', the main command post in the barracks fort Alvensleben. The same day, the troops of General Krause took position on a line from

Pagny-sur-Moselle Pagny-sur-Moselle (, literally ''Pagny on Moselle'') is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department * Parc naturel régional de Lorraine Lorra ...

Mondelange Mondelange (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 communes of the Moselle department of France ...

, passing to the west of Metz by Chambley,

Mars-la-Tour Mars-la-Tour () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France. History The Battle of Mars-la-Tour was fought on 16 August 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War near the town of Mars-la-Tour. The railway line between L ...

Jarny Jarny () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department of ...

and

Briey Briey (; ) is a former commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Val de Briey.Saint-privat and

, the German lines were based firmly on the forts of the sector, particularly in the Group Fortification Lorraine, or ''Feste Lorraine'', and the fortified positions on the sides of Amanvillers: ''Steinbruch-Stellung, ''Kellermann, and ''Wolfsberg-Stellung'', Richepance and ''Batterie Vemont'' and Canrobert, and ''Horimont-Steelung''. The area of Amanvillers–Saint-Privat was bound to the north by 1010th Sicherungs-Regiment of the Colonel Richter of the 462th Infanterie-Division and to the south by the ''

Fahnenjunker ''Fahnenjunker'' (short Fhj or FJ, ; ) is a military rank of the Bundeswehr and of some former German armed forces. In earlier German armed forces it was also the collective name for many officer aspirant ranks. It was established by the ''Pre ...

'' of the ''Fahnenjunkerschule VI des Heeres, "Metz"'' under the command of Wehrmacht Colonel Siegroth. The sector fortifications, from

Gravelotte Gravelotte (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, 11 km west of Metz. It is part of the functional area (''aire d'attraction'') of Metz. Its population is 827 (2019). From 1871 until the end of ...

Semécourt Semécourt (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 communes of the Moselle department of France France, offi ...

, consisting of a discontinuous concrete wall, three meters high and 10 meters wide, reinforced by four forts, covered on the west by a line of outposts, trenches, barbed wire and machine gun positions, look stunning. On the morning of September 9, 1944, the American artillery rained shells on identified German positions, paving the way for the infantry and the tanks of ''Task force'' McConnell. Arriving in the ''Wood Jaumont'' US troops' ''2nd Infantry regiment'' were taken under fire by Fort Kellermann. The German batteries eliminated, within moments, seven tanks and two freestanding guns, forcing the column to withdraw precipitately.Hugh M. Cole: ''The Lorraine Campaign'', Center of Military History, Washington, 1950, pp. 152–155. Wanting to bypass the fortifications from the north, the Americans were soon under fire from a German counterattack before being stopped by gunfire from Group Fortification Lorraine. The artillery of the US campaign immediately resumed his attacks on the fortifications of the sector, but without great results considering the terrain and vegetation. The 3rd Battalion of the ''Task force'', in charge of the right flank of the attack, fell on the fortified farmhouse of Moscou,At that same place, the French troops of Napoleon III repelled the assault of three German columns, August 18, 1870, at the

Battle of Gravelotte The Battle of Gravelotte (or Battle of Gravelotte–St. Privat) on 18 August 1870 was the largest battle of the Franco-Prussian War. Named after Gravelotte, a village in Lorraine, it was fought about west of Metz, where on the previous day, ha ...

. a veritable redoubt between the German fortifications, before being taken under heavy fire from Gravelotte. The 2nd Battalion ''Task force'', which was heading towards

Vernéville Vernéville (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 communes of the Moselle department of France France, off ...

with relative ease, was finally stopped by gunfire from a sunken road, west of Fort Francis de Guise. The day ended with a failure for Colonel Roffe, who regretted high lossesLosses of ''2nd Infantry regiment'' already amounting to 14 officers and 332 men, including 228 in just the sector of

. for "''twenty odd forts"''. The Colonel of the Roffe ''2nd Infantry regiment'', whose losses already amounted to 14 officers and 332 men on the morning of September 9, required the air support of General Silvester. On September 10, 1944, three squadrons of fighter-bombers dropped their bombs on the eastern sector of

, where the fortifications were grouped. The

P-47 The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter, and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...

s reached their targets, but the 500-pound bombs had little effect on the reinforced concrete fortifications. The infantry attack at 6:00 pm met fierce resistance. Despite the support of tanks, it stopped breathless three hours later. Towards

, in the ''Woods Génivaux'', American troops destroyed the

of Wehrmacht (army) Colonel Siegroth that dominate the field. On the September 10, 1944, the commander of the 7th Armored Division agreed to take position near Roncourt to support a new attack from the ''2nd Infantry regiment''. The September 11, 1944, at 6:30 am, the tanks were headed for

Pierrevillers Pierrevillers (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is part of the urban area of Metz.

, wiping the passage with sporadic gunfire. They finally came across a antitank roadblock, under fire from anti-tank guns camouflaged and difficult to locate. The infantry, however, managed to take a position on the wooded slopes, northwest of the village of

Bronvaux Bronvaux (; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 communes of the Moselle department of France Fr ...

, too far, however, to support the ''2nd Infantry regiment''. Despite several counter attacks by the 462th Infantry Division, American troops arrived to take over the land in the late afternoon, after a rolling artillery barrage targeting fortifications in the sector, and using smoke shells for cover. On September 13, 1944, the US military redeployed its troops on the front line to concentrate its attack on the fortifications. But fatigue and stress disoriented the men of the ''2nd Infantry regiment'' and they were finally relieved of such a ''Hell hole'',"Received warning order that we are to be relieved which is good news, this is sure a hell hole" (Walking Journal of the 3rd Battalion ''2nd Infantry Regiment''of September 14, 1944). September 14, 1944. The 1st Battalion ''Task force'', hard hit by the shelling of the 462th Volks-Grenadier-Division and specific small arms fire, had to withdraw with difficulty behind a screen of smoke rockets, more than five hundred meters from Amanvillers. Around 14:00, an air strike on

did not allow the infantry to advance, the village being too close to the fortifications of the sector to be taken in full. Two regiments, reinforced by the engineering companies ''90th Infantry Division'', took over in the area: the ''357 Infantry Regiment'' of Colonel Barth took position along the woods of Jaumont, East of Saint-Privat, while 359 Infantry Regiment of Colonel Bacon took position east of Gravelotte. On September 15, 1944, an attack was planned on the Canrobert sector of buildings and Kellermann sector to the north and

Fort Jeanne d'Arc Fort Jeanne d'Arc, also called Fortified Group Jeanne d'Arc, is a fortification located to the west of Metz in the Moselle department of France. It was built by Germany to the west of the town of Rozérieulles in the early 20th century as part ...

to the south of the sector. The approach was difficult, German soldiers defend inch by inch. American bazookas were not effective on the concrete bunkers, and tanks followed by armed flamethrower sections pouncing on the first German lines, neither reaching them, nor neutralizing them, nor taking them. General McLain sector concluded that a frontal attack would be doomed to failure and ordered his troops to keep the pressure on the outposts 462th Volks-Grenadier-Division without attacking frontally forts Jeanne-d'Arc and Lorraine.Hugh M. Cole: ''The Lorraine Campaign'', Center of Military History, Washington, 1950, pp. 176–183. On September 16, 1944, in thick fog, the attack on Canrobert started at 10:00. It was stopped two hours later by the

of Colonel Siegroth, who engaged in a man-to-man fight without mercy. The Americans ''357th Infantry Regiment'' withdrew, leaving 72 soldiers in the field. At 5:00 pm, the 1st Battalion of the same regiment was stopped in its tracks by artillery and small arms. In the southern sector, 2 Battalion lost 15 officers and 117 men under heavy fire from mortars and automatic weapons, from the buffer strip. At nightfall, the battalion has advanced only 200 meters. Seeing that the Americans gradually ate away at their lines, the German artillery redoubled its fire, managing to contain the two regiments, and raising fears with General McLain of a new counterattack. Before the pugnacity of the elite troops of the 462th Volks-Grenadier-Division, General McLain, in agreement with the General Walker, decided to suspend the attacks, pending further plans of the General Staff of the ''90th Infantry Division''. While the troops of the Third US Army sat listening to

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

,Hugh M. Cole: ''The Lorraine Campaign'', Center of Military History, Washington, 1950. p. 190. German troops were taking advantage of the lull in fighting to reorganize. Reserve troops of the future ''462th Volks-Grenadier-Division'' reinforced the elite fort troops of Wehrmacht Colonel Siegroth. When hostilities resumed after a rainy month, the soldiers of the ''462th Volks-Grenadier-Division'' still held firmly the forts of Metz, though supplies were more difficult under the artillery and the frequent bombings.Hugh M. Cole: ''The Lorraine Campaign'', Center of Military History, Washington, 1950, p. 256. As a prelude to the assault on Metz, November 9, 1944, the ''Air Force'' sent no less than 1,299 heavy bombers,

B-17 The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...

s and

B-24 The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models desi ...

s, to dump 3,753 tons of bombs, and 1,000 to 2,000 books on fortifications and strategic points in the combat zone of IIIrd army. Most bombers, having dropped bombs without visibility at over 20,000 feet, miss their military objectives. In Metz, the 689 loads of bombs dropped over the seven

, identified as priority targets, merely caused collateral damage, proving once again the inadequacy of the massive bombing of military targets.Hugh M. Cole: ''The Lorraine Campaign'', Center of Military History, Washington, 1950, p. 424. At dawn on November 14, 1944, the 105 mm howitzers from ''359th Field Artillery Battalion'' opened fire on the area located on either side of the

, between the Fort Francis de Guise and the

fort Driant The Battle of Fort Driant was a constituent battle in the 1944 Battle of Metz, during the Lorraine Campaign and the greater Siegfried Line Campaign. The battle was on occupied French territory between the forces of the United States Third Army ...

to pave the way for ''379th Infantry regiment'', whose goal was to reach the Moselle. Further north, on November 15, 1944, the works of the Canrobert line in the wood of Fèves are attacked by the '' 378th Infantry Regiment'' of colonel Samuel L. Metcalfe. In the morning mist after an artillery preparation, the strong northern Canrobert line was the first to fall, at around 11:00 am, US troops arriving in the wood

Woippy Woippy (; , ; ) is a French commune in the Moselle department, Grand Est, located near Metz. Woippy houses the 6th Régiment du matériel (6e RMAT). Woippy-Triage is the largest classification yard in France. Population See also * Commune ...

. During the afternoon, the men of ''1217th Grenadier-Regiment « Richter »'', consisting of ''Security Regiment 1010'' and those of ''1515th Grenadier-Regiment « Stössel »'' of the 462th Volks-Grenadier-Division made several unsuccessful attempts to push the Americans behind the Canrobert line. Under pressure, they ended up dropping out, leaving behind them many casualties.Hugh M. Cole: ''The Lorraine Campaign'', Center of Military History, Washington, 1950, p. 435–436. German grenadiers, who had to withdraw to a line connecting strongpoint Leipzig to the Fort Plappeville, retreated in disorder towards Metz. On November 16, 1944, while the Americans progressed rapidly in Woippy, the Group Fortification Lorraine, considered a strong defensive position behind the Canrobert line, was evacuated without fighting by troops

Kittel 220px, A kittel A ''kittel'' ( ) is a white linen or cotton robe worn by some religious Ashkenazi Jews on holidays, in the synagogue or at home when leading the Passover seder. Grooms sometimes wear kittels. It is also customary for Jews to be ...

. The simultaneous attack of ''377th and 378th Infantry Regiment'' had achieved its objectives.

was the last of the forts of Metz to disarm. Determined German resistance, bad weather and floods, inopportunity, and a general tendency to underestimate the firepower of the fortifications of Metz, helped slow the US offensive, giving the opportunity to the German Army withdraw in good order to the

Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name * Sarr Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist * Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), E ...

.Hugh M. Cole, ''The Lorraine Campaign'', Center of Military History, Washington, 1950, p. 448. The objective of the German staff, which was to stall US troops at Metz for the longest possible time before they could reach the front of the

Siegfried Line The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall (= western bulwark)'', was a German defensive line built during the late 1930s. Started in 1936, opposite the French Maginot Line, it stretched more than from Kleve on the border with the ...

, was largely achieved.

Notes and references

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lorraine, Goup Fortification Fortifications of Metz World War II defensive lines