General information on Fermont

Fortification with artillery.

The “SF Crusnes” became the “42eCAF” in 1940

Fermont is first fortification CORF, with artillery, of the left wing of the Strengthened Area of Metz. It was to also be equipped with a turret of 135, deferred, which would have reinforced its action on the town of Longuyon.

As of on May 12th it enters in action against some elements advanced on its left. May 16th it receives its first shells. June 15th, 1940 of the Germans try to benefit from the failure of the French Armies (and especially of the fold of the troops of interval leaving the fortifications without external protection) to take with reverse Fermont. This attempt is pushed back by the shootings of Fermont and artillery under casemate of Latiremont (on its line). June 21st the Germans withdraw themselves.

Caption plan. H: men; B: crenel under concrete; C: bell; T: turret; Infanterie_: armament of infantry; Artillerie_: artillery armament; Observatoires_: armoured observatories

In top: the coordinates are in geographical system WGS84

Photographers

Roger Azambre

Click: photograph of Gerald Goeltl

Click: photograph of Luc Shirt

Large a thank you with the photographers!

Entry of the men

Entry of the men

It is surmounted by 2 bells GFM.

Entry of the men (detail)

Two crenels defend the esplanades: a JM, close to the main door, and a JM/AC47 (anti-tank).

Entry of the ammunition in 1975

Entry of the ammunition

With, exposed on its esplanade, a gun which does not have anything “Maginot”.

Block 1. Turret of 75/33

Turret with eclipse armed with two guns of 75mm. Here the turret is out of battery.

Block 5. Observatory

Block 3 with, in the foreground, its bell of observation for the artillery (bell VDP).

In the 2nd plan one observes a bell JM (twinning of machine-guns).

Block 4

Large block armed with three 75/32.

Block 4. Crenels

Photograph on which one sees pointing the guns.

Crenels of 75/32 (detail)

As the guns of 75 have a long flight, first 75 (model 29) installed in the LM exceeded of their crenel. They were thus vulnerable to the enemy blows. The 75 installed thereafter take more place in the casemate but do not exceed theirs crenel and have two armor-plated shutters of protection, closed when they are not in action. On this photograph the shutters, open, are quite visible.

Casemate of 75/32

The gun of 75 is completely inside its casemate. Its size is imposing and its service requires that the men are perched on a platform (low photograph).

Canon of 75/32

The two large tubes which one sees at the top of the photograph are the hydraulic brakes of the gun.

Block 5. T81

Block with turret of 81mm. As the 81mm draw with vertical angle from 45°, the turret perhaps, even out of battery, completely below level of the ground. This is why one hardly guesses it on the right of this photograph.

Block 5. T81 - GFM

The tops of the turret are protected by a bell GFM (2nd plan).