• Source: Ouvrage Coucou

Ouvrage Coucou is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line, located in the Fortified Sector of Boulay. The ouvrage consists of two infantry blocks, and is located between the gros ouvrages of Hackenberg and Mont des Welches, facing Germany, just north of Kemplich.




Design and construction


Coucou was approved for construction by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency, in June 1930 and became operational by 1935, at a cost of 12 million francs. The contractor was Enterprise de Travaille de Fortification.




Description


Coucou is a petit ouvrage with two combat blocks, overlooking the village of Kemplich. The blocks are linked by an underground gallery with barracks and a utility area (usine). The galleries are excavated at an average depth of up to 30 metres (98 ft).

Block 1: infantry/entry block with one automatic rifle cloche (GFM), three automatic rifle embrasures and one 37mm anti-tank gun (JM/AC37) embrasure.
Block 2: infantry block with two GFM cloches, one retractable machine gun turret, two machine gun embrasures and one 47mm anti-tank gun (JM/AC47) embrasure.
In addition, the ouvrage was linked to the Abri du Coucou by an 80-metre (260 ft) underground gallery. The above-ground infantry shelter was armed with two GFM cloches and five automatic rifle embrasures. It possessed its own generating plant. Other nearby posts include:

Abri des Chênes-Brûlés: Subterranean infantry shelter (abri-caverne) with two GFM cloches.
Observatoire des Chênes-Brûlés: Observation post with one VP observation cloche and one GFM cloche, reporting to Mont-des-Welches.
An observation block was planned for a second phase, never executed, directly over the caserne.




Manning


In June 1940 the garrison comprised 113 men and 3 officers of the 164th Fortress Infantry Regiment (RIF). The commanding officer was Chef d'Escadron Ebrard until 13 June 1940, succeeded by Captain Roques.
The Casernement de Veckring provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Coucou and other positions in the area.




History


See Fortified Sector of Boulay for a broader discussion of the Boulay sector of the Maginot Line.
Coucou played no significant role in either the Battle of France in 1940 or the Lorraine Campaign of 1944. After the Second World War it became part of the Mòle de Boulay, a strongpoint in the northeastern defenses against Soviet attack.
Coucou remained under Army control until after 1971, when it was declassified and sold.




Current


The property is privately owned.




See also


List of all works on Maginot Line
Siegfried Line
Atlantic Wall
Czechoslovak border fortifications




Notes






References






Bibliography


Allcorn, William. The Maginot Line 1928-45. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84176-646-1
Kaufmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W. Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II, Stackpole Books, 2006. ISBN 0-275-98345-5
Kaufmann, J.E., Kaufmann, H.W., Jancovič-Potočnik, A. and Lang, P. The Maginot Line: History and Guide, Pen and Sword, 2011. ISBN 978-1-84884-068-3
Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 1. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2001. ISBN 2-908182-88-2 (in French)
Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 2. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. ISBN 2-908182-97-1 (in French)
Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 3. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. ISBN 2-913903-88-6 (in French)
Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5. Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009. ISBN 978-2-35250-127-5 (in French)




External links


L'ouvrage du Coucou at alsacemaginot.com (in French)
Coucou (petit ouvrage A20 du) at fortiff.be (in French)
Petit ouvrage du Coucou at lignemaginot.com (in French)

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Ouvrage Coucou
• Ouvrage Hackenberg
• Ouvrage Mont des Welches
• List of Maginot Line ouvrages
• Ouvrage Hochwald
• Ouvrage Schoenenbourg
• Ouvrage Métrich
• List of forts
• Maginot Line
• Diederik cuckoo