 Veuillez patienter... Veckring, ouvrage du Hackenberg (57)
The ouvrage of Hackenberg is the largest series of fortifications on the Maginot Line in Northeast France. Located at the western end of the Boulay fortified sector, it straddles the wooded ridge of the Hackenberg, the highest point of the area from which it gets its name.
The active parts of the superstructure can be divided up as follows:
- Two access blocks, the munitions entrance (EM) and the men's entrance (EH)
- The Eastern ouvrage is made up of six combat blocks numbered B1 - B6
- The Western ouvrage has four combat blocks, numbered B7 - B10
- The observation posts B11 and B12 on either side of the Hackenberg chapel
- The frontage of the ouvrage is protected by a section of flanked ditch extended by a steep blockwork slope, with the whole area covered by fire from five special blocks (B21 - B25).
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|  | | Hackenberg Fort. Photo ECPAd |
| The 17 combat blocks housed the weapons, in particular the 18 artillery embrasures, including 10 mounted in 5 retracting armoured turrets. These blocks were connected by galleries 30 metres underground equipped with an electric railway. The entirety of the main gallery, from the munitions entrance to the furthest block stretched 1,884 metres.
The galleries were also used to access various useful locations close to the entrances:
- A major ammunition magazine, M1, with a capacity of 400 tonnes of various projectiles.
- A traditional barracks with kitchens, sanitation-blocks, infirmary, etc
- An electrical power station with four 375-horsepower generators.
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|  | | Operations Room Hackenberg Ouvrage Museum. Photo Michel Mansuy |
| The sole objective of the entire underground organisation was to house the crew of around a thousand men in complete safety and reasonable comfort - by the standards of the time -, enabling them to withstand attack for long periods.
The major works at Hackenberg were awarded in April 1929 and finished in 1933. Commissioned in 1935, the works were only finished for good with the armistice in 1940. The total cost was around 200 million francs at the time, or the equivalent of the funds approved for the battleship Dunkerque, launched in 1935.
On the declaration of war in 1939, the units were already in place and ready for battle thanks to advance mobilisation. There then followed the "phoney war" during which the lack of fighting was put to good use in improving the defences. The German offensive through Belgium began on 10th May 1940 but it wasn't until June that the German army had its first, tentative contact with Hackenberg, which withstood - along with its neighbours - the enemy assault. Following the armistice, Hackenberg shared the fate of the unconquered Maginot line: the handing over, intact, of the ouvrage to the Germans and the departure of its crew as prisoners.
During its annexation, the ouvrage was converted into an underground factory by the Todt organisation, safe from bombardment, on behalf of Klöckner Humboltz Deutz. In November 1944, a handful of German soldiers using the canons in block 8 held out for 4 days against the American Army of General Patton. Before falling back to the Sarre, they carried out many acts of destruction and sabotage.
After the war, Hackenberg was saved from dismantling thanks to the formation of NATO in 1949. Whilst awaiting modernisation as part of any future conflict, it was repaired and maintained until 1968 before being finally abandoned in 1970.
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|  | | Hackenberg Fort, bearing the scars of battle and time... Photo ECPAd |
| In 1975, the AMIFORT Association from Veckring was granted temporary permission by the Defence Ministry to occupy the Hackenberg military area, which was opened to the public at the same time; it proved an immediate success.
Later, a pedestrian route running along the top was also authorised. In this way, thanks to the enthusiasm of a determined team of volunteers, a large part of our military heritage has been preserved and the authentic equipment - in full working order - astonishes visitors from both France and further afield.
The association will shortly begin a new campaign of work on the ouvrage, concentrating on restoring and making safe the electricity supply and goods lifts in combat blocks 8 and 9 as well as the railway equipment.
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| Useful information:Ouvrage du Hackenberg
Route du Hackenberg
57920 Veckring
Opening hours and tour times:
The ouvrage is open to the public from Saturday 3rd April to Sunday 31st October 2004.
14th June-10th September: daily guided tours leave at 3pm
3rd April-13th June and 11th September-31st October 2004: tours on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays commencing at 2pm and 3.30pm.
Groups are welcome all year round by appointment.
2004 Prices:
Adults : €6
Children: (under-16) : €3
Contacts:
AMIFORT
61, bis Grand'rue
57920 VECKRING
Tel : +33 3 82 82 30 08 (Tuesday 5pm-7.30pm and Friday 2pm-3.30pm)
Fax : +33 3 82 82 32 77 / 24/7
email :r-c.varoqui@wanadoo.fr |
| | Source: Association AMIFORT |
Les lieux à découvrir sur le sujetLes personnages associésLes liens à découvrir sur le sujet
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Description and organisation of an artillery fort on the Maginot Line |
| The French term 'gros ouvrage' (artillery fort) does not appear in the vocabulary of the period. It is nowadays used to refer to a 'branched' structure manned by teams of between 500 and 1000 men with 2 entrances (one of the men, one for munitions) and 6 to 17 blockhouses. |
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Maginot Line website |
| A site dedicated exclusively to the Maginot Line in northern Alsace: its conception, construction, structure, arms and facilities. |
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