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21.04.2010 16:40:50
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WWII;
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Re: Линия "Марет"
>Может кто подсказать что из себя представляла линия "Марет" в мае-июне 1940?
The fortified region was divided into an eastern and western sector. Two lines about 1.5 kilometers apart were planned for the Mareth Line: the main line of resistance and a stop line behind it. An SD was added in the rock-strewn Dahar Plateau, across the Matmata. The plateau later became part of an SD extending across the Matmata to Kebili, on the edge of the Chott Djerid. Wadi Akarit drained Chott Djerid and Chott El Fedjaj, forming a continuous line across Tunisia. Despite this major obstacle, the French failed to fortify heavily the Abkarit Wadi, instead concentrating their efforts on
the Mareth Line about 50 kilometers to the south because it protected Gabes.
The Mareth Line consisted of Points d'appui (support positions) in the main line and the stop line to provide fire support and serve as strongpoints. The strong points in the main line included flanking machinegun casemates and AT gun positions, whereas in the stop line the artillery positions were sited to cover the intervals between strongpoints in the main line. A few of the flanking casemates for machine guns covering the
intervals had connecting galleries. The strongpoints on the plain and hillsides included AT positions. Barbed wire obstacles encircled the strongpoint; these were laid out for allaround defense. These obstacles were doubled in front and on the sides of the strongpoints.
In addition, a line of AT obstacles, vertical rails like those used on the Maginot Line, ran across the entire front. The sides of the wadi itself were cut to make them
steeper.
In the Matmata, Ksar el Hallouf covered an AT ditch that created a continuous obstacle since the main line ended on the foothills of these mountains. This main line of
resistance included twelve strongpoints. Eleven more were built behind it on the stop line of the eastern sector. The western sector had eleven strongpoints in the main line, backed by seven more in the stop line. An infantry position was dug into the rock of the Matmata heights at Ksar-el-Hallouf. Beyond it, in the Dahar, stood the strongpoint of Bir Soltane, which included two 75-mm gun turrets removed from one of the ten Char 2C tanks built in 1918.{ German documents confirm the existence of two turrets for 75-mm guns and mentioned four smaller turrets (Das Franzoische ubergangsheer im
Fruhjaha, 1942, map of Tunisia). The advanced position of Ben Gardane formed a square redoubt surrounded by an AT ditch with flanking casemates and concrete abris for the troops. There, small triangular positions at each corner of the redoubt that served as strongpoints were surrounded by AT rails that continued around the entire
position. Another advanced position located on the Matmata heights consisted of two groups of casemates cut into the terrain. A line of avant-postes was set up about ten kilometers south of the main line, on the heights of Aram early in the war (Dailler, Terre
d'Affrontements, pp. 44-47, 66).
Since Tunisia was low on the priority list for weapons as well, its fortifications were armed with older 75-mm naval guns that served as AT weapons. Some casemates and
open positions mounted older 47-mm naval guns or the new 25-mm guns for AT use. Most positions relied on machine guns and automatic rifles. About eight artillery casemates for 75-mm guns and most of the blockhouses and casemates had embrasures for light automatic weapons. The command posts represented some of the largest structures built on the Mareth Line. In 1938, so much work was done on the Mareth Line that construction on the coastal defenses in Tunisia had to be halted (Moullins, Bizerte, p. 56).
The curators of the present-day museum at Mareth claim that there were eight artillery casemates, forty casemates or blockhouses for infantry, and fifteen command posts. In 1939, colonial divisions and some native units took up position in the Mareth Line.
>Насколько она была хорошо укреплена и насколько дорого было её создание.
Менее 20 млн. франков.
>Кроме того интересует такой вопрос - какие планы были у Италии в июне 40-го насчёт Туниса? Планировалась ли атака Туниса, подобная итальянскому наступлению в Альпах?
Не планировалась, т.к. итальянцы считали, что в Тунисе находятся 7 французских дивизий.
С уважением, Пауль.