Ouvrage des Granges Communes – Jausiers, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France

This Petit Ouvrage (PO) of the French Alpine Line, also known as the Little Maginot, is located at the Col de Granges Communes at an altitude of 2,525 meters. The work consists of an entrance block and an infantry block with artillery observation.

Ouvrage des Granges Communes had to control the road along the Col de Raspaillon from Camp des Fourches towards the French village of Bousiéyas. It also covered the flank of nearby Ouvrage Col de Restefond and served as artillery support for Ouvrage Restefond.

Construction

The original plans of the Defense Commission in 1929 include three infantry blocks and an entrance block, but this is eventually reduced to an entrance block and an infantry casemate. Although the construction of the work starts in 1931, only the infantry block is cast just in time for the Invasion of France in June 1940. The excavations for the B1 entrance block are started in 1939, but it never comes to the actual construction. The delays are mostly caused by the bad weather conditions and when tensions with fascist Italy rise in the 1930s, the priority lies with the construction of Gros Ouvrage (GO) Restefond.

At the outbreak of World War Two the civil engineering of the generator room was still in progress and so had to be halted. This means the work had no electrical installation in June 1940.

The entrance blockhouse was built over the shaft of the initially planned block after the war between 1956 and 1960, when the work was renovated as part of a NATO upgrading program during the Cold War.

Italian Invasion of France

PO des Granges Communes is manned by 30 men and 2 officers of the 73rd Alpine Fortress Battalion (BAF) during the Italian Invasion of France, a.k.a. the First Battle of the Alps, in June 1940.

The work doesn’t have any known part in the events between 16 and 25 June 1940.

Block 1 – Entrance

Block 1 is the entrance block of PO des Granges Communes. Originally the entrance block was to have two 81mm mortars, one JM and two FM machine gun embrasures and two cloches. But at the start of the Invasion of France in June 1940 this block was still unfinished. The structure you see today dates from between 1956 and 1960 and is built over the shaft of the initially planned block. The block has an FM machine gun embrasure for close quarters defense.

A deposit of armor containing elements which probably were meant for the construction for Block 1 is situated at the Barracks of Restefond.

Block 2 – Infantry casemate

This infantry block with armored cloches is built in a boomerang shape. This way the position can cover the Granges Communes mountain pass, the access road along the Fourches Barracks and control the Tinée Valley. Two of the cloches are for Reibel MAC 31 machine guns in a twin setup and two are GFM Type A for MG and 50mm mortar. Of the latter the O20 designated cloche, which was equipped with a J2 periscope, was tactically attached to Ouvrage Restefond.

A large FM machine gun embrasure on the West side of the structure protects the flank of the works at Restefond. This position also has a diamond ditch with an emergency exit at the bottom and a grenade chute to keep enemies clear.

Underground structure

The structure includes an underground barracks located 8-10 meters below the entrance level composed of the garrison’s barracks, sanitary facilities, a kitchen and various storage and technical rooms including an generator room.

Construction site

Because PO des Granges Communes was largely unfinished at the beginning of WW2 and hastily taken into use, you can find a lot of remains from the construction. Some photo’s of the remains.

Visit

You can find Ouvrage des Grange Communes in the curve of the D64 road along the Col des Grange Communes/Cold de Raspaillon, Jausiers, France.