Ouvrage Coume

Ouvrage Coume 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 was located between petits ouvrages Coume Annexe Nord and Coume Annexe Sud, facing Germany.

Design and construction
The site was surveyed by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency; Coume was approved for construction in early 1931. It was completed at a cost of 7 million francs by the contractor Duval-Weyrich of Nancy. The petit ouvrage was originally planned as a gros ouvrage with twelve combat blocks, mounting artillery. The project was progressively scaled back to the point that the two infantry blocks that were actually built were not even connected by an underground gallery. A second phase was planned to link the two, never carried out.

Description
Coume comprises two unconnected infantry blocks. A subterranean connection was planned for Phase 2, and was started but not completed before the outbreak of war:
 * Block 1: infantry/entry block with two automatic rifle cloches (GFM), one twin machine gun embrasure and one machine gun/anti-tank gun embrasure (JM/AC47).
 * Block 2: Infantry block with two GFM cloches, one retractable twin machine gun turret, one twin machine gun embrasure and one JM/AC47 embrasure.

The original gros ouvrage was to include two casemate blocks, each with three 75mm guns, a block with a 135mm gun turret, three casemates covering an anti-tank ditch, and a block with an 81mm mortar turret. Separate blocks were planned for the rear for munitions and personnel entry, while the deep underground gallery system was to include barracks and a large "M1" magazine.

Manning
The 1940 manning of the ouvrage under the command of Lieutenant Soubrier comprised 95 men and 2 officers of the 160th Fortress Infantry Regiment. The units were under the umbrella of the 3rd Army, Army Group 2. The Casernement de Ban Saint-Jean provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Coume and other positions in the area.

History

 * See Fortified Sector of Boulay for a broader discussion of the Boulay sector of the Maginot Line.

Coume played no significant role in either the Battle of France in 1940 or the Lorraine Campaign of 1944.