title: Ouvrage Col des Banquettes
text: # Ouvrage Col des Banquettes
  
  Ouvrage Col des Banquettes is a lesser work (petit ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also called the "Little Maginot Line". The ouvrage consists of two entry blocks and one infantry block facing Italy at the top of the Col des Banquettes, 2 km northwest of Saint-Agnès. The position controlled the pass of the same name and was covered by Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès and the positions at Pic-de-Garuche.
  
  ## Description
  
  The Ouvrage Col des Banquettes was manned in 1940 by 74 soldiers of the 86th Brigade Alpin de Forteresse (DBAF) under Lieutenant Vernet. The underground portion consists of one short gallery connecting all three blocks and a shorter parallel gallery at Block 2.
  
  * Block 1 (entry): One machine gun embrasure.
  * Block 2 (emergency exit): No armament.
  * Block 3 (emergency exit): one machine gun turret and two twin machine gun embrasures.
  