| Bayonet attack to Mount Chenaillet. Article |
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| Bayonet attack to Mount Chenaillet.    | 
| Page Type: Article | Page By: chaberton Created/Edited: Oct 3, 2011 / Oct 20, 2011 Object ID: 750933 Hits: 1093 Loading... Page Score: 88.97% - 24 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
The land.The Chenaillet is a mountain 2634 meters high in the shape of Trinacria(equilateral triangle), from its top three thin rock branch outcrops: Replatte of the northern, western one that goes to the Gondran positions and finally the east that extends towards the boundary in the
direction of Monte Gimont and the Green Hill. Its location, central and dominant on the hills, is a wonderful observation deck of the boundary line. In the bowels of the rock the French, had built two long tunnels that led to two machine-gun pillboxes.There were several locations outdoors and open space for mortars and automatic weapons, all the summit was surrounded by a thick barbed-wire fence.
The Chenaillet in 1940 was the most advanced position of French defensive line of bunkers, in collaboration with Les Aittes bunkers, was able to inhibit attacks from the Central Hills with the fire of his weapons. Could play a useful observation for the work of many field artillery, which, thanks to reporting, could strike the attackers.
The Antefact.In June 1940, the Chenaillet positions were manned by 19 men of 72° Battalion Infanterie Forteresse, commanded by the Chief Beraud, assisted by Sergeant Philip, all elements taken from the local recruitment and strongly motivated. Beraud had been received the order to keep possession and only withdraw the outpost by order of the command. The French were well aware that if they had fallen into the Italians hands the Chenaillet, they would have in turn used as an effective line of observatory Gondrans-Aittes.
Also it would be a dangerous gateway for Italian columns inside the middle of the defensive line. Inexplicably, the position was feebly fortified almost ignored by the French high command, unlike what was done to fortify the Janus. Maybe it was relied too much on the harshness of the cliffs that surround the mountain, was a serious error that led to the conquest of the summit and the capture of its garrison. During the Battle of the Alps in the area of Montgenevre, the results obtained from the Italian infantry divisions Assietta and Sforzesca were close to zero. The poor foot soldiers were sent to the fray impenetrable defense system against the French, which actually consisted of a thin line of Chasseur des Alpes, positioned on the line of outposts, but powerfully supported by Maginot bunkers of Janus, Gondran and Les Aittes, and several batteries of guns of every caliber. The activity of the Chasseur were their fightness, but especially the careful observation and reporting of coordinates for artillery. Opposite Sides.The Battle.Taken from
30 ° Regg. Infantry "ASSIETTA"
Gold Medal
Print in autumn 1940.
At the 6.30am. the III/30 company crosses the border and began the attack in the direction of Lac Rouseau. The reaction opponent, already alert to the fighting of the previous days, is seen immediately lively and departments are subjected to heavy artillery fire coming from Gondran,
Sommet des Anges, Janus, Rebanc and shots of mortars and machine guns coming from Chenaillet; by Crete de la Replatte du Gondran and crete du Serre Blanc, insufficiently neutralized by our artillery, because of poor visibility, which prevents the observation of shot.
The advanced so goes rather slowly, so that the advanced departments, which have already suffered some losses, at 11am. is hardly attested to the Rio Grand Sagne, having traveled only a couple of Km. In view of this, and pending the holding of the action on Chenaillet, the colonel ordered to temporarily stop of III/30 °company at the positions reached and to put on the accompany weapons to facilitate the attack of the btg; by recover as soon as the fire of our artillery concentrated on Chenaillet, had
moved on the Gondran and on the Sommet des Anges.
At 11 o'clock the fire began, artillery preparation on the Chenaillet, adjusted and violent and almost simultaneously a violent storm
Snow strikes on positions, thus aggravating the difficulties of the company and making it extremely painful movements.
At 11.15, with an advance of 15 minutes (very early most appropriate for the path that the right-hand column and had to make due to the initiative
Lt. Savarino) the right column starts from Collette Vert and advancing under the arch of trajectories, arrive in the region Soureau.
At 11.25 hours the column of the left attack Mount Gimont, once made a sign to the enemy machine guns stationed on the reaction of some
rocks of q. 2632, Lt. Erbetta is wounded in the hand and the command of the column is taken from S.Ten.Gerbi.
At 11.30 hours the artillery fire on the fort Gondran stretch, the two columns contain the advance from the group backed by artillery 100/17 of 25 °. The infantry of 30° are wonderful for decision and impetus. And not for nothing come in this time the words of Colonel s Di Lorenzo : "Give your soul to the infantry, give wings to their feet, but the Chenaillet be conquered. It is half of your and my reputation, but also half goes to the honor of the Regiment ".
The adhesion between the fire of artillery and infantry movement is so perfect as to constitute a serious danger to the safety of the boarders and a few shots so close that falls short of the rain stones and shards of it ends up on the first line, fortunately without doing damage. In view of the alert and rocky slope that forces the foot to move the hands and feet like so many deer on scree and rocks of the position, S. Lt. Tiezzi ordered momentarily abandoning lighten mortars and bombs cassettes. On the white sheet of snow covering the impervius foot tower, among the rocks shaken by flashes of gunfire, they stand out shapes of the men in the mighty effort to reach the goal.
The French artillery fires a bit disorderly and almost all his fire is directed against the third btg. What has also taken him the advance and his attack is launched on the Crete du Serre Blanc. Even the French mortars fall silent posted on the wrong side of the west Chenaillet and machine guns in the cleft of the summit. So the soldiers go back to the top panting, eager to surprise and flush out the enemy. The approach did in record time, hard less than an hour, at approximately 12 Colonel Di Lorenzo, which follows with father's heart his infantry, feels, the accompanying thought, that they are going to fly over the summit and telegraphy five times "Turin", and soon also the group to 100/17, still focused his shot on the Chenaillet, stretches the fire on the reverse of the position. The right column, which was received more near the top, take the assault. Lt. Savarino and S. Ten. Tiezzi divide the tasks: the first turns to the side of the strong positions previously identified, the second turns decisively the top followed by the most daring and physically strong.
The enemy had been silent so far in illusory conviction of the elusiveness of the position, fired their guns on our guns work, but it is too late: S. Ten. Tiezzi is already on the summit and orders made accompanying his words with the launch of some hand grenades against the loopholes. The Presidio give up work. The same happens to Lt. Savarino reduced on the adjacent even here the French garrison surrendered. It had a rich haul of weapons and ammunition. Meanwhile reach the top of the Chenaillet, the left column under the command of S. Ten. Gerbi remained fairly lingered, as we have seen, by the need to silence the machine gun nest on the rocks of q. 2632.
Conquered the position and sent back the prisoners, Lt. Savarino, which more senior in rank, orders for the first preparing a defense. Shortly after, reaching the position from Mount Gimont also the company machine gunners and mortars, promptly sent by the commander of the regiment, thus completing the defense of the position against any counter-offensive back of the opponent. Captain Ramella, commander of the company machine gunners, assumes command of the position itself. In less than an hour one of the most powerful bastions of the Briancon entrenched camp, had fallen into our hands. Neither Mother Nature nor power going war had managed to save the strong and fortified position, the eagles of the 30 °had seized the prey before the Chasseurs des Alpes could recover from his surprise, insomuch that they did not even time to feel the forts behind and to ask the fire of artillery, which continued to rage on btg III. Launched in the conquest of Crete du Serre Blanc.
"It was like the wing that does not leave fingerprints
The first cry had already taken the mountain "
In the afternoon until late night the enemy concentrated the fire of fury all its artillery on Chenaillet and on the Crete du Serre Blanc (was given the order to return on the Chenaillet with a counterattack, then judged too expensive), perhaps hoping to render untenable the occupation of lost important positions, but the soldiers do not surrender, remain in place, clinging to the ground conquered, as the Eagles grabbed the prey after a long and agonizing wait.
In fact it was not until few hours later in the afternoon, they realized that the French failure and focused on Chenaillet fire suppression; unusual shot of violence that lasted until late at night. The fire repression is resumed the next day, a shot falls in the middle of a reduite, killing 7 soldiers and wounding 11.
The operations of the 23 days ending with the conquest of the Chenaillet and Crete du Serre Blanc, positions needed to open the road to Briancon, for Route du Lac Noir. The conquest of Chenaillet it need only be the momentum of the infantry, which has allowed the most complete adhesion between artillery and infantry movements, so that allow this to reach the positions in time much less than expected, so seizing surprise the garrison of the work.
The same enemy, in the person of the commander and military governor of Briancon, fully recognizes the value of our infantry and releases, admired, a written statement to the division commander, ran into some
days after the armistice line:
"A M. The Général Girlando, world of adversity hier, à respectueux Amical et en souvenirs
Temoignage de mon admiration pour les troupes de sa beautiful Division "
Les Aittes, the 04/07/1940. The Colonel Brasset Gouverneur de Briancon
Conclusions.As part of the whole disappointing Italian attack at the Col du Montgenèvre, the action on Chenaillet is a true masterpiece, the synchronism between artillery fire and infantry movement was perfect.
Two companyes in prohibitive weather conditions, climbed the rugged
and snow-covered crags of the mountain, catching by surprise the French defenders, holed up in their underground stations and stunned by the bombing. And this is the proof that an effective fire and powerful artillery on the French armed defensive positions, would be transformed into mousetraps, the useless waste of far inadequate artillery shots, which do not scratch even the strong works of the Maginot positions :"Janus, the Sommet des Anges and Les Aittes". The action was
conducted so well that the Italian side complained about losses only to the raging fire French repression, thanks to a brightening, the observers of Janus initially saw sixty men on the summit, which soon became more than two hundred. It was obvious that the Italians the Italians had seized guns on the Chenaillet; so the gun 95 mm. of the block B8 (Maginot Janus), sparked a retaliatory fire from hell.
The French intercepted an italian radio message that claimed that the shots passed over the long Chenaillet, once corrections were made of fire and fell on top of each stroke, when says: "Silence the enemy is listening." Seventeen of the French prisoners of Chenaillet with two injured serious, were initially brought to Bousson, under the command of the division and then to Pinerolo, where the assistant chief Beraud was even questioned by Prince Umberto II, who was anxious to find out where they shot the guns that had destroyed the Chaberton.
The author of this article has traveled several times on trips to Chenaillet, the two paths that lead to the summit is challenging but not impossible, during one of these visits, the author has climbed path from the steep slope from the right column of attack, the pace in many features requested
the use of hands and feet almost as much as rock climbing, and all this was done in good season, no snow and explosions of grenades. Reached the summit, with distorted by fatigue, the thought is inevitably went to those soldiers shivering and exhausted by three days of attacks, which could
enterprise. The military governor of Briancon, Colonel Brasset at the end of hostilities expressed his admiration for the courage shown by the infantry division Assietta. A beautiful gesture of a senior officer and gentleman in spite of the French: "Strike Dagger Back in ", he recognized the value shown on your enemies in battle. Images
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Mountains of the Moon. > Bayonet attack to Mount Chenaillet.
