Visiting the Ligne Maginot (Part 1): The Fort Immerhof

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Last year we visited the Immerhof fort, part of the Ligne Maginot,
located at Hettange-Grande, next to Thionville.

It's official denomination was "A10".

Located within the stronghold area of Metz, it's main function was firecontrol
liaison with the two neighbour forts of Molvange and Soetrich; and the
securing of the Hettange-Grande road as well and the railway
Thionville-Luxembourg.

It also protected the other Maginot forts located within shooting range of its
guns: Kanfen, Stressling, and the observatory of Hettange-Grande.

The major difference with any other forts is that the Immerhof has been built
on the ground level and covered when work was finished.

The Immerhof was built from 1930 to 1935.

Additional information can be found on the fort's website
www.immerhof.fr.st where this information has been gathered.

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Fort Immerhof

The fort consists of four blocks:

- the entrance block
- a block with 81mm mortar turret
- two blocks of turret of machine-guns


THE ENTRANCE BLOCK:
The Immerhof fort is one of the rare forts to have an entrance block.
This block is armed with a 47mm anti-tank gun interchangeable with a
twin "Reibel" 7.5mm machine-gun.
A second machine gun part is located on the right side of the entrance.

The entrance is barred successively by a grid, an armoured door, and a metal door.

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Fort Immerhof

Entrance block

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Fort Immerhof

Entrance block details

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Fort Immerhof

Entrance block details 1

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Fort Immerhof

Entrance Block - access door

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Fort Immerhof

Entrance Block - right side machine gunner (unfortunately a bit blurry)

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Fort Immerhof

Entrance Block - access to observation turret

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Fort Immerhof

Entrance Block - access to observation turret continued

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Fort Immerhof

Entrance Block - interchangeable MG / anti-tank gun (blurry too)

The anti tank gun was suspended to the rail fixed on the roof and
could easily and fast replace the MG.

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Fort Immerhof

Reenactor

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Fort Immerhof

Inside the fort: tunnels

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Fort Immerhof

and tunnels

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Fort Immerhof

Entrance block: top

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Fort Immerhof

Block 3: 81mm MORTAR TURRET

It is in fact a mixed block, since it is composed of an infantry part
(Casemate of machine-guns) and of an artillery part (81mm mortar turret).

Because of the presence of the turret, it was built with grade 4 protection
meaning the reinforced concrete cover is 3.50m thick.

There are three floor levels in this block:

the low level (setting the turret in "Battery" or "Eclipse" turret)
the intermediate level (rotating the turret),
the mortar level at the top of the turret