Ouvrage Col de Garde explained

Ouvrage Col de Garde
Partof:	Maginot Line, Alpine Line
Location:	near Saint-Agnès
Map Type:	France
Map Size:	300
Coordinates:	43.7566°N 7.4801°W
Builder:	CORF
Materials:	Concrete, steel, rock excavation
Condition:	Abandoned
Open To Public:	No
Controlledby:	France
Battles:	Italian invasion of France, Operation Dragoon

Ouvrage Col de Garde is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also called the Little Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of two entry blocks, one infantry block and one observation block, slightly more than 1 km south of Sainte-Agnès.

The ouvrage comprises four combat blocks at an altitude of 231m (758feet), and was manned in 1940 by 115 men under the command of Lieutenant Juffet.^[1]

Col de Garde was sited to control the Col de Garde road between Saint-Agnès and Menton, as well as protecting the southern flank of the Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès. The ouvrage is closed and locked and in a good state of repair, although covered by vegetation.^[1] The position overlooks Autoroute A8 at the Col de Garde tunnel.

Description

Col de Garde is a compact site with two entries and a short set of rock-cut galleries with short branches for ammunition magazines, barracks and the usine.

• Block 1 (south entry): One machine gun port.^[2]
• Block 2 (north entry): One machine gun port.^[3]
• Block 3 (observation block): one machine gun turret.^[4]
• Block 4 (infantry block): one37mm anti-tank gun port and one twin machine gun port.^[5]

See also

• List of Alpine Line ouvrages

Bibliography

• Allcorn, William. The Maginot Line 1928-45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003.
• 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 4 - La fortification alpine. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009.
• Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009.

External links

• Col de Garde (petit ouvrage) at fortiff.be
• Col de Garde (petit ouvrage) at wikimaginot.eu

Notes and References

1. Web site: Col de Garde (PO EO10 du). Puelinckx. Jean. Aublet . Jean-Louis . Mainguin . Sylvie. 2010. Index de la Ligne Maginot. fortiff.be. fr. 25 January 2010.
2. Web site: Col de Garde (po du) Bloc 1. Puelinckx. Jean. 2010. Index de la Ligne Maginot. fortiff.be. fr. 25 January 2010. etal.
3. Web site: Col de Garde (po du) Bloc 2. Puelinckx. Jean. 2010. Index de la Ligne Maginot. fortiff.be. fr. 25 January 2010. etal.
4. Web site: Col de Garde (po du) Bloc 3. Puelinckx. Jean. 2010. Index de la Ligne Maginot. fortiff.be. fr. 25 January 2010. etal.
5. Web site: Col de Garde (po du) Bloc 4. Puelinckx. Jean. 2010. Index de la Ligne Maginot. fortiff.be. fr. 25 January 2010. etal.