Ouvrage Col des Banquettes explained

Ouvrage Col des Banquettes
Partof:	Maginot Line, Alpine Line
Location:	Southeast France
Coordinates:	43.816°N 7.4462°W
Map Type:	France
Map Size:	300
Builder:	CORF
Materials:	Concrete, steel, rock excavation
Used:	Abandoned
Condition:	Unsecured
Controlledby:	France
Battles:	Italian invasion of France, Operation Dragoon

Type:	PO
Sector:	Fortified Sector of the Maritime Alps
Sub-Sector:	Corniches, Quartier Sainte-Agnès
Number:	EO 7
Regiment:	86th BAF
Blocks:	3
Strength:	1 officer, 74 men

Ouvrage Col des Banquettes 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 and one infantry block facing Italy at the top of the Col des Banquettes, 2 km northwest of Saint-Agnès. The position controlled the pass of the same name and was covered by Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès and the positions at Pic-de-Garuche.

Description

The Ouvrage Col des Banquettes was manned in 1940 by 74 soldiers of the 86th Brigade Alpin de Forteresse (DBAF) under Lieutenant Vernet.^[1] The underground portion consists of one short gallery connecting all three blocks and a shorter parallel gallery at Block 2.^[2]

• Block 1 (entry): One machine gun embrasure.^[3]
• Block 2 (emergency exit): No armament.^[4]
• Block 3 (emergency exit): one machine gun turret and two twin machine gun embrasures.^[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 des Banquettes (petit ouvrage) at fortiff.be

Notes and References

1. Web site: Col des Banquettes (po de). Puelinckx. Jean. Aublet . Jean-Louis . Mainguin . Sylvie. 2010. Index de la Ligne Maginot. fortiff.be. fr. 26 January 2010.
2. Mary, Tome 5, p. 67
3. Web site: Col des Banquettes (po de) Bloc 1. Puelinckx. Jean. 2010. Index de la Ligne Maginot. fortiff.be. fr. 26 January 2010. etal.
4. Web site: Col des Banquettes (po de) Bloc 2. Puelinckx. Jean. 2010. Index de la Ligne Maginot. fortiff.be. fr. 26 January 2010. etal.
5. Web site: Col des Banquettes (po de) Bloc 3. Puelinckx. Jean. 2010. Index de la Ligne Maginot. fortiff.be. fr. 26 January 2010. etal.