The Fortified Sector of Boulay (Secteur Fortifiée de Boulay) was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Maginot Line to the north and east of Metz in northeastern France. 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.
Concept and organization 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.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 Boulay sector was of two natures. The left, or western wing, was as strong as any place in the Line, with Hackenberg, one of the two largest Maginot ouvrages. The right, eastern wing received a lower priority and less funding. Many of the petit ouvrages that were built were to be augmented in the second cycle of construction that was to start in 1940, receiving remote entrances, underground barracks, or links between isolated positions in addition to additional combat blocks.Mary, Tome 3, p. 99
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.Mary, Tome 3, pp. 99-110
At the midpoint of the Battle of France on 1 June 1940, the fortress troops of the SF Boulay amounted to three fortress infantry regiments in eight battalions, comprising 565 officers and 16,800 men.Mary, Tome 3, p. 189 During the general retreat from the French frontier in mid-June the sector's mobile forces were designated the division de marche BesseMary, Tome 3, p. 191 These units were attached to the 6th Army Corps.Mary, Tome 3, p. 201
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: In addition to the unconstructed ouvrage at Hill 237, a similar position was proposed but not built at Hill 224/Guirlange.Mary, Tome 1, p. 38
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 Ouvrage de la Cote 237/Edling, petit ouvrage never built, replaced by Hobling
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 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 X1
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. The sector was transferred from the SF Faulquemont on 25 September 1939. 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
History The construction of the left wing of the SF Boulay took place between 1929 and 1935. During the Phoney War, the sector was used for public relations visits by celebrities and heads of state. Hackenberg, for instance, was visited by King George VI on 9 December 1939.Mary, Tome 3, p. 50
Battle of France
During the early part of the Battle of France in May, 1940, the SF Boulay was relatively quiet, with no serious engagement between French and German forces. However, by late May, the entire French army contemplated extreme measures to avoid being surrounded and defeated by the rapid German advance. In early June in the face of the German assault, and with the collapse of the left wing of the French armies in Flanders, all fortress units attached to the Third Army were ordered to prepare for withdrawal to the south and west between 14 and 17 June The interval personnel of the SF Boulay were to be consolidated into a division de marche entitled the DM Besse, consisting of the 160th, 161st, 162nd and 164th RIFs, together with the 153rd RAP and miscellaneous artillery units. On 13 June the troops of the field army in the intervals between fortifications began to withdraw towards the south, followed the next day by the fortress units designated for withdrawal. The withdrawal left the ouvrage garrisons in their positions to cover the withdrawal of the interval troops and the fortress infantry assigned to the divisions de marche. The DM Besse was assigned to the 6th Corps.Mary, Tome 3, pp. 191, 201
Amongst the units left behind to cover the retreat and to continue to man the fortifications, the garrisons had orders to sabotage their positions and to retreat in turn on the 17th. The garrisons in the Boulay and Falquemont sectors were ordered to prepare for withdrawal to avoid their isolation by German units operating behind the lines. As it became clear that retreat was impractical, the orders were countermanded. A poorly understood telephone call from Ouvrage Anzeling on the 15th caused the reservists manning Bousse to evacuate the position between 1600 and 2100 hours. Before departing they sabotaged their equipment, including their telephone switchboard, preventing them from receiving the counter-order to remain in place. After three days' march, the garrison was captured at Pange near Metz on the 18th.Kaufmann 2006, p. 170Mary, Tome 3, p. 209
Little attempt was made by the Germans to directly attack the central portion of the Maginot Line, the Germans preferring to go around the west end of the Line and take the Line from the rear. Hackenberg provided covering fire to other ouvrages in the area through June as the Germans advanced eastwards behind French lines. On 15 June the German 1st Army broke through the Line at the Saar and pushed west and east along the Line, enveloping the French armies in the northeast, meeting forces of the German 16th Army that had gone around the Line in the west in May.Mary, Tome 3, pp. 203, 209
From the night of 15 June there was heavy German patrol activity in the area. Positions in the Boulay sector received notice that they may be required to evacuate their positions, and began to sabotage equipment. The following day remained quiet, while the evacuation notice was reversed. German patrols increased on the 17th. Anzeling fired on German forces on the surface of ouvrage Bousse, causing some damage to the installation.Mary, Tome 5, p. 154 During the night of 17–18 June, German troops appeared on the surface of Anzeling blocks 1 and 3 and to the rear of the ouvrage. The next day infiltrators were spotted between Anzeling and Berenbach. On 19–20 June Anzeling came under 105 mm and 155 mm artillery fire. Anzeling provided covering fire to Denting and Bovenberg. Anzeling provided covering fire for Mont des Welches. Intermittent firing continued on the 23rd from both sides.Mary, Tome 3, p. 234