Ouvrage Kerfent, Military fortification in Faulquemont, France
Ouvrage Kerfent is a Maginot Line fortification featuring four combat blocks equipped with machine gun positions and observation posts. The site includes underground galleries for ammunition storage and power generation, though these remain inaccessible to visitors today.
Built between 1932 and 1933, this fortification fell to German forces on June 21, 1940, when its garrison of 125 soldiers surrendered. The site marked the collapse of this section of the French defensive line during the invasion.
This fortification represents 1930s French military engineering, showing how builders of that era designed defensive works using cutting-edge techniques for their time. The underground rooms and arrangement of combat blocks reflect the knowledge and methods available to engineers during that period.
The site is located near Zimming and remains closed to visitors because underground galleries are flooded and require significant maintenance work. Those interested in learning about this fortification can consult local museums or guides that provide information on Maginot Line sites.
After the war, the Royal Canadian Air Force used this fortification from 1958 to 1961 as a microwave communications relay station. The site was repurposed for Cold War strategic communications, far from its original defensive role.
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