Ouvrage Métrich located in the village of Kœnigsmacker in Moselle, comprises part of the Elzange potion of the Fortified Sector of Thionville of the Maginot Line. It is the third largest ouvrage of the Line, after Hackenberg and Hochwald. It lies between petit ouvrage Sentzich and gros ouvrage Billig, facing Germany.
Description
Ouvrage Métrich comprises two entries and ten combat
blocks:
-
Ammunition entry: at-grade, one machine gun/37mm
anti-tank gun embrasure (JM/AC37), one machine gun embrasure (JM),
and two automatic rifle cloches (GFM).
-
Personnel entry: ggently descending from the entry, one
JM/AC37 embrasure, one JM embrasure, and two GFM cloches.
-
Block 1: Artillery block flanking to the northwith three
75mm gun embrasures and two GFM cloches.
-
Block 3: Infantry block flanking to the north with one
machine gun turret, one JM/AC37 embrasure, one JM embrasure and one
GFM cloche
-
Block 4: Infantry block with one machine gun turret
-
Block 5: Artillery block with on 81mm mortar turret and
two GFM cloches
-
Block 7: Observation block with one GFM cloche and one
VDP periscope cloche.
-
Block 8: Mixed block with one 75mm gun turret, one
JM/AC37 embrasure, one JM embrasure and two GFM cloches
-
Block 10: Artillery block with one 75mm gun terret and
one grenade launcher turret (LG).
-
Block 11: Artillery block with one 135mm gun turret, one
grenade launcher turret and one GFM cloche.
-
Block 14: Observation block with two GFM cloches and one
periscope cloche (VDP).
-
Block 15: Artillery block with two 81mm mortar
embrasures and two GFM cloches.
Manning
The ouvrage was manned by 795 men and 26 officers under
the command of Commandant Lauga.
History
The principal mission of the ouvrage was to cover the
Moselle valley. The during the Occupation support areas of the
ouvrage were transformed by German occupiers into offices
and manufacturing facilities.
Current
condition
The ouvrage is in a state of advanced dilapidation,
primarily because the soil is composed of gypsum, causing the
destruction of the floors and walls of the galleries. Magazine M1
was used for the cultivation of mushrooms in 1986-87. The entries
and blocks with embrasures have been covered with rubble by the
Army.
