Dangerous encounters in the Western Alps. : Articles : SummitPost

Dangerous encounters in the Western Alps.

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Alpi Cozie, in the footsteps of History.

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In search of our roots :"Historical Pictures".

Dangerous encounters in the Western Alps.

Dangerous encounters in the Western Alps.

Page Type: Article

Page By: chaberton

Created/Edited: Dec 8, 2011 / Dec 14, 2011

Object ID: 764689

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Page Score: 90.07% - 47 Votes

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Table of Contents

Preamble.

Historical Introduction.

Dangerous encounters in the Western Alps.

The Pinnacle.

Images

Preamble.

I decided to write this article, to acquaint hikers of the Western Alps about an insidious danger, often overlooked, but still, at a distance of more than sixty years, present on our beautiful mountains. This is not the danger of landslides, avalanches or snakes and wolves, but the far more dangerous explosive remnants of World War II.
By this I do not mean that the Western Alps are like a minefield, they are discoveries made (in a narrow range of the Alps) during more than thirty years of excursions, more often outside of marked trails. But it seemed to me good and proper to refer you to the threat posed by explosive remnants of war and how to behave.

This one, is really deadly.

Historical Introduction.

In the years between 1940 and 1945, the high Valley of Susa and Chisone, were the scene of fierce fighting.
In June 1940, the brief but fierce battle between France and Italy, disseminated the mountains of shells of every kind and power. Suffice it to say that on the night of June 24, the French artillery gave the bottom of all their reserves of artillery, sparking a fire of hell all over the Western Front.
The bomb squad had a lot to do in the months ahead to clear the whole area.
Up to 8 September 1943, the situation remained calm. After the armistice with the allies and the disintegration of the Italian army, the situation changed again. Germans and fascists occupied the valleys and consequently were formed the first guerrilla bands.
During the next two years of war was a succession of large and small fights between the two parties. Most of the weapons and ammunition were found by the partisans in stores and bunkers abandoned by the Italian army.
The partisan occupied almost the entire dorsal of Assietta, located between the Valley of Susa and Chisone. Their weapons included heavy and light weapons, including mortars, anti-air machine guns and even a gun of 149/35. There were other battles (as the Allies climbed the Alps) on the boundary line between the French forces of liberation and the Nazi-Fascists.
Should also be noted the Allied planes crashed in the Susa Valley, one in Thuras Valley, one above Bardonecchia. Moreover in some cases the bombers, returning from their missions, to be sure their cargo unloaded bombs on the mountains, as in the case of the 250 pounds bomb of Rocher Charniers. These were aircraft in distress, who had strayed off course in the mountains, or even been damaged by the contra-air.

Janus 1940.

Chenaillet 1940.

It was flying over the Alps for 11 Km.

Dangerous encounters in the Western Alps.

This article serves to warn you from the objects that you find during your excursions, are often buried seeds but in some cases in full view. What you need to do is very simple, stay away!
If you feel take a shot with the telephoto lens, mark the point on the map and go to denounce the presence of to the Carabinieri (Italy) or the Gendarmerie (France).
Do not do more.
It is always best not to scream there's a bomb! I am telling you from experience, as most people stay away, but there is always the wiseguy on duty, who stops to pick up a souvenir, perhaps with the idea to expose it at home or even worse, empty a bullet to get a vintage pencil holder. Even the smallest objects are capable of disintegrating a man, leaving to posterity (if he took) only the piercing.
The explosives contained in these weapons have not lost their effectiveness over the years, and indeed are more volatile, as they say in the jargon more vivid.
Just recently has been been discovered, in the lower valley of Susa, an artillery shell filled with mustard gas ( Italian -dating from 40). The Geneva Convention prohibiting it absolutely use, but obviously the Fascist regime did not care beautifully (see War of Eritrea).
Also during my research at an archive in Rome, I found a document dated May 1940, in which for the attack to the France, were taken into account all means of offense, literally carry the phrase: "No one excluded, including gas asphyxiating".

From the series when a Maramaldo
(the name given by Galeazzo Ciano to Mussolini, foreign minister of Fascist government, when he learned that he intended to attack France) is about to make a cowardly, makes it completely.

So you see that touch the abandoned weapons is never a good idea.

The most dangerous are the fuses for artillery shells striking, especially if they still have the cartridge primer of TNT. It is based on mercury fulminate, it seems a small cylindrical object the color of aluminum, very unstable, it can fall apart one hand and fill the eyes with splinters.

The whole bullets, even without the spool, they are not curious doorstop or worse of ....vessels, even those small caliber 100 (charge of TNT between 5 and 10 kg), are able to crumble a house.

The German hand grenades like "mashed potatoes" (Stielgranate) are terrifying, their system is based on a trigger mechanism to flint. The pretty wooden ball coming out of the handle is connected to a wire directly to the explosive charge, not they are security mechanism!

The mortar shells, without fuze, still contain the charge of initiation, are able to tear apart a man with a range of 15 meters.

These lovely squares that you will find around, it's better not to put them in your pocket. They are pieces of nitrocellulose (ballistics), they were filled with bags of canvas and used as a launch loaded with artillery. Even if you do not explode, make a blaze crazy releasing a lot of great energy.

Not to mention the plane bomb was found at the base of the Rochers Charniers, when the French bomb squad made to shine, they shook the windows of the whole valley.

A big consolation I have, is that it is almost always heavy objects, so if is not the survival instinct to avoid, it is the free and deadly trouble.

To end, still a board (the last one I swear), when you go to report the discovery of a bomb, take your map.
The last time I went to the Gendarmerie, i did mark the point on a map 1:50000. With my finger I covered the whole mountain.

For a moment I thought I was being taken for a ride!

The Pinnacle.

Peak Sueur (Susa Valley), in one of that beautiful rock pinnacle, there is an old WW2 position for machine-gun, completely carved into the rock.
Lie on the wooden dock gunner, you can take some beautiful photos of Valle Stretta. It is a perfect panoramic window!
Just be careful with the shells (they are all empty, harmless).

The Pinnacles

The Window.

Images

			$Don\'t touch this!$

[ View Gallery - 4 More Images ]

Comments

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ozarkmac

interesting article

Hasn't voted

thanks for posting.

Posted Dec 10, 2011 8:49 am


	chaberton	Re: interesting article
	Hasn't voted	Thank you very much, i'm really glad that you like it. Have a nice weekend. Cheers. Roberto.
		Posted Dec 10, 2011 9:59 am

Interesting

Voted 10/10

I think it was a good idea to post this article. I never would have thought about old things from war days lying around the mountains before. That sort of thing wouldn't be found in every country but for those of us not from where it is it's good to keep in mind in case of travel. Nice research.

Posted Dec 11, 2011 8:23 am


	chaberton	Re: Interesting
	Hasn't voted	it is only a simple message for the friends, :"eye to your step and look but not touch". :O) Ciao and thank you very much for the visit and nice comment. Roberto.
		Posted Dec 11, 2011 12:05 pm

sealevelmick

wild

Voted 10/10

cool article. i've heard of artillery being found in joshua tree from patton's training camp nearby, and in my scrambles always had it in the back of my mind, that i might find one- never did. but anyway good read.

Posted Dec 11, 2011 12:00 pm


	chaberton	Re: wild
	Hasn't voted	Thank you for the visit. I wish you, with all my heart, not to find anything! Whenever it happen to me, it come an icy shiver down my spine. Have a really nice Sunday. Cheers from Turin. Roberto.
		Posted Dec 11, 2011 12:09 pm

EricChu

Excellent article and very valuable information!

Voted 10/10

Thanks for posting this, Roberto!

Posted Dec 11, 2011 2:31 pm


	chaberton	:O)
	Hasn't voted	Thank you very much Eric, i'm really glad that you like it. Have you ever seen nothing of theese in your escursions?. My best compliments for your beautiful P.O.T.D., you know!, i love very much evening colors in the sky. Buona settimana. Roberto.
		Posted Dec 12, 2011 4:27 am


	EricChu	Re: :O)
	Voted 10/10	Thanks Roberto, that's very kind of you! :-) No, so far, I have never met up with any of these devices, not even when I was actually in the Bardonecchia area (Jafferau - Cima della Vallonetta - Colle Sommeiller). What I did see, though, were the remainders of World War I, in the mountains surrounding Rifugio Pizzini in the Ortles-Cevedale group. I'll never forget that glacial island close to Rifugio Casati with the three cannons still there...
		Posted Dec 12, 2011 11:16 am

Mountain_girl

Wow

Voted 10/10

Very interesting and very useful. Thanks for all the info!

Posted Dec 11, 2011 11:09 pm


	chaberton	:O)
	Hasn't voted	Thank you! is exactly what I wanted, to write something useful. HAve a really nice day. Cheers. Roberto.
		Posted Dec 12, 2011 4:29 am

justahiker

Great article!

Voted 10/10

I like it a lot.
Unfortunately, the remaining of human stupidity can be found anywhere. As you wrote, even in the Alps!
Unfortunately, in Bosnia, where I live, the minefields in many areas are still things that people have to leave with it. Even in some high mountains were not spared by these deadly and very sneaky devices.
However, we have to be aware of their existence.

Posted Dec 12, 2011 9:37 am


	chaberton	Wow, your country,
	Hasn't voted	it's true, i beg your pardon, other than my few explosive remnants of sixty years ago. And maybe some of those mines was built in Italy. What a shame! Thank you very much for your visit and comment. Ciao. Roberto.
		Posted Dec 12, 2011 10:37 am

rankinesoccer

Something I had never thought about...

Voted 10/10

I had only been concerned with landmines in some Eastern European countries like Serbia and Kosovo, now I will be sure to watch out. I have heard that on Grauspitz, there are tons of mortar shells scattered across the mountain, but I had never thought about live explosives. Thank you!

Posted Dec 12, 2011 10:12 am


	chaberton	You're right,
	Hasn't voted	you have used the more appropriate term: " Live Explosives". They are alive and evil. Thank you very much. Cheers. Roberto.
		Posted Dec 12, 2011 10:39 am

edomar2611

Bellissimo

Voted 10/10

Splendido articolo, molto utile per chi come me cammina spesso nelle zone citate.
Grazie mille aper averlo scritto.

Posted Dec 13, 2011 11:09 am


	chaberton	Grazie infinite,
	Hasn't voted	sono veramente contento che ti piaccia. Buona serata. Roberto.
		Posted Dec 13, 2011 11:23 am

McCannster

Mortar shells in CH/FL

Voted 10/10

Regarding rankinesoccer's comment on mortar shells found on the Grauspitz, I've seen them up there. I've also seen a bunch in the Alpstein.

Posted Dec 14, 2011 12:53 am


	chaberton	Re: Mortar shells in CH/FL
	Hasn't voted	Thank you, but I can not find it, can you please show me the link? Have a really nice day. Roberto.
		Posted Dec 14, 2011 3:48 am


	McCannster	Re: Mortar shells in CH/FL
	Voted 10/10	http://www.summitpost.org/look-out-for-ordnance/9451/c-151118
		Posted Dec 14, 2011 6:02 pm

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