Ouvrage Hobling, Military fortification in Chémery-les-Deux, France

Ouvrage Hobling is an underground military installation in Chémery-les-Deux with four combat blocks connected by galleries that extend down to 30 meters below the surface. The structure contained barracks, utility rooms, and was equipped with generators to provide power.

The installation was built in 1931 as part of the French Maginot Line and was one of several underground fortifications constructed along the eastern border. This defensive system reflected the military strategies France developed after World War I.

The fortification shows French engineering methods from the period between the two world wars, with specialized features like machine gun turrets and observation posts. These elements reflect how military planners thought about defense during the 1930s.

The ouvrage is closed and cannot be entered; it stands on the eastern slope of Cote 242 above the Anzeling valley, between the Huberbusch Sud and Edling Nord interval casemates. It is reached from Chémery-les-Deux, and the exterior can be seen from the surrounding ground. Look for the entrance door and grille on the front of the entry block.

Hobling was the last Maginot ouvrage to be stripped by salvagers. One of its diesel generator engines was recovered for the Bois-Karre association, which is restoring it to working order and keeps it in that ouvrage.