Exploring the Maginot Line

Sep 15, 2017 8:01 PM

eguy10

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Front Entrance

After 3 hours of US Army 155mm Artillery!

Inside looking out through 75mm

French Catholics had a Chapel inside the monumentally large fort

Barracks

Memorabilia

Hall of weapons

12 cylinder gas powered generators. Burned 60 liters per hour. There were 4 in total but only two were used at a time. They are wicked loud!

The tunnels between batteries are so long the soldiers would ride bikes to move quickly between emplacements

Some of the fort's turrets and artillery pieces still work; this one raised and rotated still.

Do you have to go through Belgium to get there?

9 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 0

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

I have a French phrase book issued to soldiers just prior to D-Day according to the publishing date; looks just like the blue book in #8

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I went to go visit the maginot line, but i took a detour in some forest and ended up in Paris instead

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 0

Thanks for sharing, OP. I'd love to tour that some day.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

RPI had a Belgian-made mainframe named Sybil. The students named her successor 'Maginot' because they'll never come through Belgium again!

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

You couldn't push the bunks against the wall so that I don't need to spoon Jacques? Safety be damned.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

I want to know who makes them shitty mannequins that you always see in them places. I mean they're just so bad!

9 years ago | Likes 43 Dislikes 3

Govt funds to preserve these kinds of places must not be that great, because you're right.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

They're good mannequins, Bront!

9 years ago | Likes 6 Dislikes 1

Somebody worked really hard on those. They did their best.

9 years ago | Likes 24 Dislikes 0

They're good mannequins, bront

9 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 4

It is so they do not resemble any person, yet are clearly meant to represent a human being.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Why do the manaqiins all look like they're called Jaques or Pierre?

9 years ago | Likes 114 Dislikes 3

You'd be wrong to think so, I see at least one Marcel.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Jacques*

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Oui

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

They are French after all

9 years ago | Likes 23 Dislikes 0

When you're right, you're right

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

And you you're always right.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Benoit

9 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 0

Balls

9 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 1

Thanks you

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Nailed it.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

Yeah, we're amazing! They never go trough Belgium! Right?! RIGHT?!

9 years ago | Likes 13 Dislikes 1

*Again.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

It was more Luxembourg and a lucky dash through a densely forested region thought impassable. Also a lucky bridge crossing.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

Honestly it was more, "We'll MAKE them go through Belgium (sorry Belgium)." They just weren't prepared for the Germans to do something (1/2)

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

crazy like take their army through the flippin' Ardennes forest. Again. With tanks this time. (2/2)

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 0

Maginot translates to "go around"

9 years ago | Likes 20 Dislikes 6

Funnily enough, that's exactly what ze Germans did!

9 years ago | Likes 7 Dislikes 4

Thats the joke.....

9 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 1

Uhm...nope. it doesn't.

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 10

Ah, I see. This is where I facepalm, right?

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

9 years ago | Likes 10 Dislikes 1

The unreal engine is getting pretty good.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

I love how oddly modern the kitchen looks. Everywhere else is hell and depressing but then the kitchen looks so nice.

9 years ago | Likes 18 Dislikes 0

It's not that it looks modern, it's that kitchens of that calibre have changed little over time. Many appliances still look alike now...

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

The French take food rather seriously.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

That the French for you

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

All the equipment in the kitchen was original and it is all electrical powered to keep dangerous gasses out.

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 0

So well built, just a little short.

9 years ago | Likes 46 Dislikes 0

Belgium did have its own defensive line

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-W_Line To be finished by 1940.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

A lot short, considering the result

9 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 3

I'm guessing that guns stayed on the wall at this French fort ever since it's construction.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 2

So much effort and engineering wasted. Not just because it was futile in war, but because war is tragically wasteful.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

1.7 Billion Euros in today's money

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

*Selling defensive fortifications, barely used*

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

@eguy10 to which fort did you go?

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Hackenberg

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

I was in Schoenbourg.....though Hackenberg and Mutzig are still on the list^^

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Of course there's an accordion.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Awesome pics. Where in France is this

9 years ago | Likes 12 Dislikes 4

The former German part - to the east!

9 years ago | Likes 3 Dislikes 1

The border of France and Germany, the horn if you will.

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

Brilliant ,except they went around it ..

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 1

"If you should be captured, these are your rights". Man, we don't do civilized war anymore...

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

Earlier in the waiting line for this tour: v

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 1

OP why were the US shelling the line? Target practice? My understanding was that it never saw actual combat due to invasion of Belgium.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

1) The 10th Armor came in after the battle of Metz and the Nazi Reg was using this as a fort/ammo dump/factory. As the Americans progressed

9 years ago | Likes 2 Dislikes 0

2) from Metz the Nazis fired from the fort. USA didn't like that. So they set up outside the Field of View and just went to town.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Been there while stationed in Germany, very interesting but also very very heavy feeling inside.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

Excuse my ignorance, why did American artillery bomb them? Because they were held by the traitorous Vichy French army?

9 years ago | Likes 4 Dislikes 2

Thank you everyone for helping me learn something today.

9 years ago | Likes 1 Dislikes 0

The Germans occupied it during WWII. That's why there is a buncha German memorabilia in one of the pics.

9 years ago | Likes 11 Dislikes 0

Thank you I was wondering this same thing! Vive le just walk around

9 years ago | Likes 5 Dislikes 1