Ouvrage Denting

Ouvrage Denting is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line. Part of the Fortified Sector of Boulay, the ouvrage consists of three infantry blocks, and is located between petits ouvrages Bovenberg and Village Coume, near the village of Denting in Moselle département, facing Germany. The position saw little action in World War II.

Ouvrage Denting
Part of Maginot Line
Northeast France
Ouvrage Denting
Coordinates49.20222°N 6.54278°E / 49.20222; 6.54278
Site information
Controlled byFrance
Site history
In useAbandoned
MaterialsConcrete, steel, deep excavation
Battles/warsBattle of France
Ouvrage Denting
Type of work:Small artillery work (Petit ouvrage)
sector
└─sub-sector		Fortified Sector of Boulay
└─Tromborn
Work number:A28
Regiment:161st Fortress Infantry Regiment (RIF)
Strength:2 officers, 127 men

Design and construction

The site was surveyed by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Denting was approved for construction in May 1931. It was completed at a cost of 11 million francs by the contractor Duval-Weyrich of Nancy.[1] The petit ouvrage[nb 1] was planned for construction in two phases. The second phase was to provide a separate entrance block a short distance to the rear. Heavy water infiltration required the provision of more extensive drainage work than originally planned.[4]

Description

Denting comprises three infantry blocks.[4] The blocks are linked by deep underground galleries, which also provide space for barracks, utilities and ammunition storage. The galleries are excavated at an average depth of up to 30 metres (98 ft). [5]

Casemates and shelters

In addition to the combat blocks, a detached casemate is near Denting:

  • Casemate d'artillerie d'Ottonville: Artillery casemate mounting two 75mm guns in casemates with a GFM cloche.[4]

Manning

The 1940 manning of the ouvrage under the command of Captain Coste comprised 127 men and 2 officers of the 161st Fortress Infantry Regiment.[4] The units were under the umbrella of the 3rd Army, Army Group 2.[9] The Casernement de Boulay provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Denting and other positions in the area.[4][10]

History
See Fortified Sector of Boulay for a broader discussion of the Boulay sector of the Maginot Line.

Denting played no significant role in either the Battle of France in 1940 or the Lorraine Campaign of 1944. After the Second World War it became part of the Mòle de Boulay, a strongpoint in the northeastern defenses against Soviet attack.[11] Denting remained under Army control until after 1971, when it was declassified and sold.[12]

Current condition

Denting is privately owned, and is in relatively good condition.[13]

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See also

Notes
  1. English-language sources use the French term ouvrage as the preferred term for the Maginot positions, in preference to "fort", a term usually reserved for older fortifications with passive defenses in the form of walls and ditches.[2] The literal translation of ouvrage in the sense of a fortification in English is "work." A gros ouvrage is a large fortification with a significant artillery component, while a petit ouvrage is smaller, with lighter arms. [3]

References
  1. Mary, Tome 1, p. 52
  2. Kaufmann 2006, p. 13
  3. Kaufmann 2006, p. 20
  4. Mary, Tome 3, p. 108
  5. Mary, Tome 2, p. 117
  6. Puelinckx, Jean; Aublet, Jean-Louis; Mainguin, Sylvie (2010). "Denting (po de) Bloc 1". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  7. Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Denting (po de) Bloc 2". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  8. Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Denting (po de) Bloc 3". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  9. Mary, Tome 3, p. 99
  10. Wahl, J.B. "Festungsabschnitt Boulay" (in German). darkplaces.org. Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2010.
  11. Mary, Tome 5, p. 171
  12. Mary, Tome 5, p. 175
  13. Puelinckx, Jean; et al. (2010). "Denting (petit ouvrage A28 du)". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 27 May 2010.

Bibliography
  • Allcorn, William. The Maginot Line 1928-45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84176-646-1
  • Kaufmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W. Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II, Stackpole Books, 2006. ISBN 0-275-98345-5
  • Kaufmann, J.E., Kaufmann, H.W., Jancovič-Potočnik, A. and Lang, P. The Maginot Line: History and Guide, Pen and Sword, 2011. ISBN 978-1-84884-068-3
  • Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 1. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2001. ISBN 2-908182-88-2 (in French)
  • Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 2. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. ISBN 2-908182-97-1 (in French)
  • Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 3. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. ISBN 2-913903-88-6 (in French)
  • Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009. ISBN 978-2-35250-127-5 (in French)
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