Ouvrage Otterbiel forms part of the Maginot Line in the Fortified Sector of Rohrbach, Sub-sector of Bitche, and is located on the "Camp de Bitche" of the French Army. It is located between "gros ouvrage" Schiesseck and "petit ouvrage" Grand Hohekirkel. Part of the Fortified Sector of Rohrbach, the "petit ouvrage" comprises four combat blocks and an entry block. Due to budget restrictions, a planned flanking infantry block was never constructed. Otterbiel saw no significant action in the Battle of France, and limited action during the 1944/45 Lorraine Campaign. It was renovated for use during the Cold War. Otterbiel is used for ammunition storage by the French Army.
Design and construction.
The site was surveyed by Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées (CORF), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency, and was approved for construction in August 1931. The "petit ouvrage" was initially planned as a "gros ouvrage" with additional blocks for an 81mm mortar turret and two 75mm gun casemates, as well as a separate personnel entry.
Description.
Otterbiel is unusual for having an artillery block in a "petit ouvrage", a vestige of its original intention as a "gros ouvrage". It also possesses three infantry blocks and a single entry block.
Casemates and shelters.
A series of detached casemates and infantry shelters are in the vicinity of Otterbiel, including
Manning.
In 1939 the garrison comprised 98 men and 7 officers of the 37th Fortress Infantry Regiment under the command of Captain Le Guanec. The units were under the umbrella of the 5th Army The Casernement de Bitche provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Otterbiel and other positions in the area.
"See Fortified Sector of Rohrbach for a broader discussion of the Rohrbach sector of the Maginot Line."
History.
1940.
Otterbiel saw relatively little action in 1940 compared to its neighbors, and surrendered to the Germans with the rest of the Bitche fortifications on 30 June 1940.
1944 and 1945.
At the end of November 1944 the U.S. Seventh Army under General Alexander Patch had reached the Vosges region. Otterbiel was occupied by elements of the German 25th Panzer Grenadier Division. Otterbiel was to be the next position to be attacked by the U.S. 100th Infantry Division, but the planned operation was disrupted by the Battle of the Bulge. The Seventh Army withdrew to cover areas vacated by the U.S. Third Army, which moved to confront the German offensive.
The 100th returned in March 1945 attacked the area on a broad front. Otterbiel was lightly defended, and the Americans, backed up by heavy artillery, were able to capture Otterbiel and the "Ensemble de Bitche" with few casualties.
Cold War.
Following World War II, interest revived in the use of the Maginot Line to defend against a possible Soviet advance through southern Germany. Funds were allocated for restoration of the "gros ouvrages", but work was limited to restoration of systems and improvements to existing armament, with work completed by 1953. By 1953, Otterbiel had been designated part of the "Mòle de Bitche", a strongpoint in the northeastern defenses against Soviet attack. By the late 1950s interest in fixed fortifications was waning after France developed a nuclear deterrent. The money needed to maintain and upgrade the fortifications was diverted for the nuclear programs. Otterbiel was not manned or maintained after the early 1970s
Present condition.
Otterbiel is on military land and is not accessible to the public. It is reportedly used for ammunition storage.
References.
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