Ouvrage Granges Communes

Ouvrage Granges Communes is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line. The ouvrage consists of one infantry block facing Italy. Additional blocks were planned but not built. Granges Communes is located about four kilometers northeast of Ouvrage Restefond on the Col de Raspaillon (or the Col de Granges Communes) at an altitude of 2525 m.

The position was placed to control the Col de Raspaillon road descending from the Camp des Fourches toward Bousiéyas. Construction began in 1931 and proceeded slowly due to design changes. By 1940 the entrance block remained uncompleted. The entrance block that presently exists was built in 1956 as part of a NATO policy of upgrading certain fortifications to block an advance by Warsaw Pact forces through northern Italy.

Description

 * See Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné for a broader discussion of the Dauphiné sector of the Alpine Line.


 * Block 1 (entry): one machine gun port, planned block largely unbuilt.
 * Block 2 (infantry block): two machine gun cloches, two heavy twin machine gun cloches and two machine gun embrasures.

Additional blocks were planned but not built. The underground portions of the ouvrage consist of two parallel galleries containing the garrison's living quarters, magazine and supporting utilities. The fortifications are presently abandoned and open to the elements.