| Ouvrage Roquebrune | |
|---|---|
| Part ofMaginot Line,Alpine Line | |
| Roquebrune | |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | France |
| Open to the public | No |
| Location | |
  Ouvrage Roquebrune | |
| Coordinates | 43°46′08″N7°27′58″E / 43.76885°N 7.46624°E /43.76885; 7.46624 |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1931 (1931) |
| Built by | CORF |
| In use | Municipal maintenance facility |
| Materials | Concrete, steel, rock excavation |
| Battles/wars | Italian invasion of France,Operation Dragoon |
| Ouvrage Roquebrune | |
|---|---|
| Type of work: | Large artillery work (Gros ouvrage) |
| sector └─sub-sector | Fortified Sector of the Maritime Alps └─Corniches, Quartier Menton |
| Work number: | EO 13 |
| Regiment: | 58th DBAF, 157th RAP |
| Number of blocks: | 4 |
| Strength: | 9 officers, 284 men |
Ouvrage Roquebrune is a work (gros ouvrage) of theMaginot Line's Alpine extension, theAlpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, two artillery blocks and one observation block facingItaly. The fortification is located on the heights behindRoquebrune at an elevation of 321 meters overlookingCap Martin and the bays of Roquebrune andMenton. Theouvrage was manned by 293 men of the 58th Demi-Brigade Alpin de Forteresse (DBAF), supported by the 157th Régiment d'Artillerie de Position (RAP), under the command of Captain Gayot.[1]
Theouvrage was built between November 1931 and July 1933 by Thorrand et Cie., at a cost of 20.3 million francs.[2]
Block D was unbuilt, planned for four 81mm mortars, and Block E, also unbuilt, was planned as an infantry block. The subterranean connecting galleries, ammunition magazines,usine and barracks are arranged in a branching pattern. Four observation posts are associated with Roquebrune, including the Abri Est de Mont-Gros and the Observatoire Croix-de-Muratoire.[7]
Block 3 is essentially the same as the large artillery casemates built by CORF for the main Maginot line in northeastern France, with 75mm guns on the upper level and 81mm mortars firing upwards out of the pit in front of the guns. The block is sunk into the ground, compared to the more typical batteries in the Alps, which were usually built into the side of a cliff or rock wall.[8] Block 2 fired 599 rounds of 75mm shells and 770 81mm mortar rounds in June 1940.[4]
Roquebrune retains its peacetime barracks overlooking the Mediterranean. The barracks have recently been restored.[9] Theouvrage is occupied by the maintenance department of the local parks and recreation authority. The interior is not accessible but is in good condition, while the exteriors of the blocks are easily accessible.[1][4][5]
The observatory Mont-Gros de Roquebrune43°45′58″N7°26′35″E / 43.76611°N 7.44306°E /43.76611; 7.44306 is an observation block intended to spot the fall of shot forOuvrage Mont Agel, and is more closely associated with that fortification.[10]