The Fortified Sector of the Crusnes (Secteur Fortifiée de la Crusnes) was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line extending eastwards approximately from Longuyon. The sector roughly follows the valley of the Crusnes river. Crucially, the trace of the Maginot Line in the Crusnes sector is about behind the industrial city of Longwy which sits directly against the French borders with Belgium and Luxembourg. The Crusnes sector was one of the strongest Maginot Line sectors. It was attacked in 1940 by German forces in the Battle of France. Despite the withdrawal of the mobile forces that supported the fixed fortifications, the sector successfully fended off German assaults before the Second Armistice at Compiègne. The positions and their garrisons finally surrendered on 27 June 1940. Following the war many positions were reactivated for use during the Cold War. Three locations are now preserved and open to the public, with a fourth position under restoration.
Concept and organization
The sector was originally planned to protect Longwy, with a pronounced bow to the north comprising seven ouvrages replacing all but Bréhain. In order from west to east, these were to be the Ouvrage du Bois de Piepe, Ouvrage de Villers-la-Chévre, Ouvrage de Soxey, Ouvrage de la Rédoute, Ouvrage de Longwy, Ouvrage de Ratentout and the Ouvrage de Verbusch. This line was proposed on 24 June 1930, but was replaced by the more southerly line on 2 August 1930. The main line of fortifications would have been within one or two kilometres of the frontier, much farther forward than any other place on the Line, and in contradiction to the Maginot Line's concept of defense in depth. Construction began in most places in 1930, and was largely complete by 1935. Several locations had additional phases planned. Petit ouvrages Aumetz, Bois-du-Four and Mauvais-Bois were all planned to be expanded into gros ouvrages after completion of the initial plan.Mary, Tome 1, pp. 28-29 Other planned but unconstructed ouvrages included the Ouvrage de Bouillon and the Ouvrage de la Cote 143 (Hill 143), casualties of realignment.Mary, Tome 1, p. 38 The Ouvrage de Rafour was planned to anchor the west end of the line behind Longuyon, but was canceled and replaced by a series of blockhouses as a cost-saving measure.
The Crusnes sector was part of the larger Fortified Region of Metz, a strongly defended area between the Ardennes to the west and the Sarre valley to the east. The Metz region was more important during the planning and construction phase of the Maginot Line than it was in the operational phase of the Line, when the sectors assumed prominence.Mary, Tome 1, p. 15 The Fortified Region of Metz was dissolved as a military organization on 18 March 1940.Mary, Tome 3, p. 79 The SF (Secteur Fortifiée) Crusnes was itself dissolved in 1940, becoming the 42nd Fortress Corps (42e Corps d'Armee de Forteresse (CAF)).Mary, Tome 3, pp. 80-86
Command
The Crusnes sector was under the overall command of the French 3rd Army, headquartered at Fort Jeanne d'Arc at Metz, under the command of General Charles Condé, which was in turn part of Army Group 2 under General André-Gaston Prételat. The 42nd CAF was commanded by General de division Désiré Sivot from August 21, 1939, then General Gaston Renondeau from 27 May 1940. As the SF Crusnes, it was commanded by Colonel Miserey from 15 September 1939. The command post was at Briey. The interval troops, the army formations that were to provide the mobile defense for the sector, to support and be supported by the fixed defenses, were under the command of the 24th Corps (24e Corps d'Armee), General Fougère, commander. The 24th Corps was in turn made up of the 20th, 51st and 58th Infantry Divisions.Mary, Tome 3, p. 61 Artillery support for the sector was provided by the 152nd Position Artillery Regiment (Régiment d'Artillerie de Position (RAP)), which controlled both fixed and mobile artillery, commanded by Lt. Colonel Jacob. The 20th Infantry Division was made up of Class A reservists, while the 51st and 58th IDs were Class B reserve formations, not considered suitable for significant combat.
Description The sector includes, in order from west to east, the following major fortified positions, together with the most significant casemates and infantry shelters in each sub-sector:
Subsector of Arrancy 149th Fortress Infantry Regiment (149e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)), Lt. Colonel Beaupuis, command post at Calvaire d'Arrancy Ouvrage Ferme Chappy, petit ouvrage A1 of two combat blocks Ouvrage Fermont, gros ouvrage A2 of seven combat blocks and two entry blocks Ouvrage Latiremont, gros ouvrage A3 of six combat blocks and two entry blocks
Casemate de Puxieux, C1 Observatoire de Puxieux, O2 Casemate du Bois-de-Beuveille, C2 Observatiore de l'Haut-de-l'Anguille, O4 Casemate du Haut-de-l'Anguille Ouest, C3 Casemate du Haut-de-l'Anguille Est, C4 Casemate du Bois-de-Tappe Ouest, C5 Casemate du Bois-de-Tappe Est, C6 Casemate de l'Ermitage Saint-Quentin, C7 Casemate de Pracourt, C8 Casemate de Jalaumont Ouest, C9
Peacetime barracks and support, in addition to a caserne at Longwy: Caserne Lamy (Longuyon) Casernement de Doncourt
Sub-sector of Morfortaine 139th Fortress Infantry Regiment (139e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)), Colonel Ritter, command post at Ville-au-Montois Ouvrage Mauvais-Bois, petit ouvrage A4 of three combat blocks Ouvrage Bois-du-Four, petit ouvrage A5 with a single combat block and no underground passages
Casemate de Jalaumont Est, C10 Observatiore de Haut-de-la-Vigne, O7 Casemate de Chénières Ouest, C11 Casemate de Chénières Est, C12 Casemate de Laix, C13 Casemate de Morfontaine, C14 Casemate de Villiers-la-Montagne Ouest, C15 Observatiore de Villiers-la-Montagne Centre, C16 Casemate de Villiers-la-Montagne Est, C17 Casemate de Verbusch Ouest, C18 Casemate de Verbusch Est, C19 Observatoire de la Ferme du Bois-du-Four, O 10 Casemate de la Ferme Thiéry, C20 Casemate de Bourène Ouest, C21 Casemate de Bourène Est, C22
Peacetime barracks and support: Casernement de Morfortaine
Sub-sector of Aumetz 128th Fortress Infantry Regiment (128e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)), Colonel Roulin, command post at Serrouville Ouvrage Bréhain, gros ouvrage A6 of eight combat blocks and two entry blocks Ouvrage Aumetz, petit ouvrage A7 of three combat blocks
Casemate de l'Ouest de Bréhain, C2, planned to be linked to Bréhain as Block 10 Casemate de la Ravin-de-Crusnes, C23 Casemate de Crusnes Ouest, C24 Casemate de Crusnes Est, C25 Casemate de Nouveau-Crusnes Ouest, C26 Casemate de Nouveau-Crusnes Est, C27 Casemate du Réservoir, C28 Casemate de la Route d'Ottange Ouest, C29 Casemate de la Route d'Ottange Centre, C30 Casemate de la Route d'Ottange Ouest, C31 Observatiore du Réservoir, O1 Casemate de Tressange, C32 Casemate de Bure, C33 Casemate de la Fond-d'Havange, C34 Casemate du Gros-Bois, C35 Abri du Gros-Bois, X1
Peacetime barracks and support: Casernement d'Errouville Casernement de Ludelange
Other units On 10 May 1940, under the command of General de division Désiré Sivot, with his headquarters at Briey, the 42nd Fortress Army Corps comprised the following: 128th Line Infantry Regiment (3 machine-gun battalions) 139th Line Infantry Regiment (3 machine-gun battalions) 142nd Engineer Regiment (1st and 2nd Companies, Bridging Company 142/16) 46th Artillery Regiment 42nd Artillery Parc (repair and ammunition depot) Groupe Aérien d'Observation 506 (G.A.O. 506) And all support services (telegraph company, radio company, motor transport company, medical unit, meat supply company, supply unit, etc.).
Attached units on that day included the 20th Infantry Division (France); 58th Infantry Division (France); the 179e Bataillon du Génie (179th Engineer Battalion); 143rd Artillery Regiment (France) (143e RA); and I Battalion, 374th Artillery Regiment (I/374e RA).
History
Battle of France
In February 1940 General Condé decided to protect the exposed city of Longwy, forming the Position Avancée de Longwy (PAL), using a combination of hastily built blockhouses and field units. A series of anti-tank obstacles were built between Longwy and the border, defended by elements of the 58th and 51st Infantry Divisions. Artillery cover was provided by the 75mm gun turret of Ouvrage Fermont, which could cover all of the area except Longwy itself. Two 75mm gun casemates were built between Mexy and Haucourt to cover this gap.Mary, Tome 3, p. 44
Troops of the German 17th Infantry Division attacked the Longwy position beginning 11 May 1940. The Germans quickly surrounded the city, with German forces in view of the main Maginot Line. The situation declined over the next two days, the reserve divisions performing poorly, and on the 13th General Condé ordered the evacuation of the PAL.Kaufmann 2006, p. 165 The French 3rd Light Cavalry Division (3e Division Légère de Cavalerie (DLC)) advanced into Luxembourg in an attempt to spoil the attack before it was ordered back to French territory. The division, composed of one motorized regiment and two of horse, attempted to disrupt the German advance into the Longwy salient, but did not attack in sufficient concentration to accomplish much. Condé was content to reorganize behind the Maginot Line. His passivity has been criticized; the abandonment of Longwy presented a missed opportunity for a counterattack by French forces.Mary, Tome 3, pp. 156-157Romanych, p. 31
By June, faced with the progressive collapse of the French First Army to the west, the interval troops began to pull back to avoid being encircled behind the Maginot Line. Measure A, issued by 3rd Army headquarters, called for the withdrawal of the interval troops on 15 June, protected by the casemates and ouvrages. Measure B was the withdrawal of artillery forces from the intervals late that day and into the 16th, protected by the ouvrages. Measure C was the withdrawal of all but skeleton forces from the fortifications. The forces left behind were to withdraw themselves by the 18th after sabotaging all equipment and weapons.Kauffmann 2006, pp. 166-169Mary, Tome 3, p. 189 As the withdrawal was developing, the Germans planned to pierce the Line between Mauvais-Bois and Bois-du-Four on the 14th, but called off the operation. At the same time, the garrisons of the Fortified Sector of Montmédy evacuated ahead of schedule, leaving the Crusnes sector's western flank exposed.Romanych, p. 52