User:Acroterion/SF Marville

The Defensive Sector of Marville (Secteur Défensif de Marville) was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line extending southeastwards approximately 28 km from the vicinity of Thionville. The left (western) wing of the Boulay sector was among the earliest and strongest portions of the Maginot Line. The right wing, started after 1931, was progressively scaled back in order to save money during the Great Depression. 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.

The Boulay 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. The Fortified Region of Metz was dissolved as a military organization on 18 March 1940.

Command
The Boulay 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 SF Boulay was commanded by General Besse until late June 1940, then Colonel Cochinard. The command post moved several times. In may 1940 it was located at the Château Marivaux at Hayes. 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 6th Corps (6e Corps d'Armee), General Loizeau, commander. The 6th Corps was in turn made up of the 42nd and 26th Infantry Divisions, as well as the British 51st (Highland) Infantry Division, a detached part of the British Expeditionary Force. Artillery support for the sector was provided by the 153rd Position Artillery Regiment (Régiment d'Artillerie de Position (RAP)), which controlled both fixed and mobile artillery, commanded by Chef d'Escadron Charly. The 42nd ID was made up of active-service troops, while the 26th ID was a Class A reserve formation.

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:

Sub-sector of Hombourg-Budange
164th Fortress Infantry Regiment (164e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)), Lt. Colonel Priquet, followed by Commandant Orgebin in June 1940, command post at the Château de Hombourg-Budange
 * Ouvrage Hackenberg, gros ouvrage A19 of nineteen combat blocks
 * Ouvrage Coucou, petit ouvrage A20 of two combat blocks
 * Ouvrage Mont des Welches, gros ouvrage A21 of seven combat blocks and two entry blocks
 * Ouvrage Michelsberg, gros ouvrage A22 of six combat blocks and one entry block
 * Ouvrage Hobling, petit ouvrage A23 of four combat blocks
 * Casemate de Veckring Nord, C55
 * Casemate de Veckring Sud, C56
 * Abri de Veckring, X21
 * Abri du Coucou, X22
 * Observatiore des Chênes-Brûlés, O4
 * Abri des Chênes-Brûlés, X23
 * Abri de Klang, X24
 * Abri du Mont-des-Welches, X25
 * Casemate de Menskirch, C57
 * Abri de Bilmette, X26
 * Casemate de Huberbusch Nord, C58
 * Casemate de Huberbusch Sud, C59
 * Abri de Férange, X27
 * Abri d'Ising, X28

Peacetime barracks and support:
 * Casernement de Veckring
 * Casernement de Férange (Ising)

Sub-sector of Burtoncourt
132nd Fortress Infantry Regiment (162e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)), Lt. Colonel Sohier, command post at Huhnerbusch in the Bois de Villers
 * Ouvrage Bousse, petit ouvrage A24 of three combat blocks and an entry block
 * Ouvrage Anzeling, gros ouvrage A25 of nine combat blocks and two entry blocks
 * Ouvrage Berenbach, petit ouvrage A26 of three combat blocks
 * Casemate d'Edling Nord, C60
 * Casemate d'Edling Sud, C61
 * Abri d'Hestroff, X29
 * Observatiore d'Hestroff, O10
 * Abri de Rotherberg, X30
 * Abri de Bockange, X31
 * Abri de Gornelange, X32
 * Abri de Colming, X33

Peacetime barracks and support:
 * Casernement de Bockange

Sub-sector of Tromborn
161st Fortress Infantry Regiment (161e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)), Lt. Colonel Viret, command post at Boulay X1
 * Ouvrage Bovenberg, petit ouvrage A27 of six combat blocks
 * Ouvrage Denting, petit ouvrage A28 of three combat blocks
 * Ouvrage Village Coume, petit ouvrage A29 of three combat blocks
 * Ouvrage Coume Annexe Nord, petit ouvrage A30 of one combat block
 * Casemate d'Éblange, C62
 * Casemate de Bovenberg, BCa2
 * Casemate de Langhep Nord, C63
 * Casemate de Langhep Sud, C64
 * Casemate d'Ottonville, BCa1

Peacetime barracks and support:
 * Casernement de Boulay

Sub-sector of Narbéfontaine
160th Fortress Infantry Regiment (160e Régiment d'Infanterie de Forteresse (RIF)), Lt. Colonel Bouet, command post at Gros-Bois, Narbéfontaine
 * Ouvrage Coume, petit ouvrage A31 of two combat blocks
 * Ouvrage Coume Annexe Sud, petit ouvrage A32 of four combat blocks
 * Ouvrage Mottenberg, petit ouvrage A33 of three combat blocks
 * Casemate de Bisterberg Nord I, C65
 * Casemate de Bisterberg Nord II, C66
 * Casemate de Bisterberg Sud III, C67
 * Casemate de Bisterberg Sud IV, C68
 * Casemate Sud de Mottenberg, C69

Peacetime barracks and support:
 * Casernement de Ban-Saint-Jean

Môle de Boulay
Following World War II, the French military reclaimed the Maginot Line with the aim of renovating and improving it against a possible attack by Warsaw Pact forces. The strongest positions, Hackenberg, Mont des Welches, Michelsberg, and Anzeling were designated the môle de Crusnes ("breakwater") in 1951 and were placed back into service after a period of rehabilitation. The petits ouvrages from Coucou to Denting were repaired and incorporated into the breakwater as well. After the establishment of the French nuclear strike force, the importance of the Line declined, and maintenance ceased in the 1970s, with most of the casemates and petit ouvrages sold to the public.

Present status
Hackenberg, Michelsberg and Bousse are operated as museums and are open to the public. The remainder are either privately owned or are military property, abandoned and sealed.