VOSGES - The Donon - Bunkers and Trenches
- by Pierre Grande Guerre
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- 10 Aug, 2019
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Year of visit: 2011
We return from Wisches to the Col du Donon. In June 2011 we spent two warm days walking two routes at the foot of the Donon mountain to explore the former German defensive lines along the 1871-1918 Franco-German border. This photo impression will show you many traces of German trenches and bunkers hidden in the beautiful woods at the foot of the Donon. In three frames you will find some background information about the strategic importance of these lines, about the “inhabitants” of these dug-outs, and a concise “Bunkerology”-chapter, an introduction to the evolution of German concrete shelter bunkers. Both Donon walks, Route “A” and Route “B”, will be introduced separately in more detail below.
For our orientation let us begin with a view eastward to the Donon mountain. Left is the D 392. Before us and behind the agriculture tank is the path upward to the Donon Nécropole Nationale.
Allthough we will depart for
Route "B" later on this page from Senones, both walks, Route
"A"
and Route "B", start at the Col du
Donon at two different points about 1 km. away from each other.
In less warm weather and with a healthier condition than mine, some of
you might be able to combine these walks into a visit of one day.
Although Route "B", which stays on the same ground level, is
a rather easy walk, on the other hand Route "A" can be
difficult, because it is ascending along a steep western slope of the
Donon to the Col Entre les Deux Donons.
There are more traces of trenches and bunkers than we can show here, or than we were able to locate. We may have missed some interesting locations. This photo impression is not a complete survey of these lines, but - as always - an impression.
Water, suitable shoes, head protection, torches
As the French signs on the start locations tell you, for both routes you will really need torches, as the routes will lead you directly through pitch-dark tunnel systems, sometimes without any other option to pass it outside.
Ceilings in these dark dug-outs can be lower than you expect. Generally speaking from my own experience, for exploring dug-outs I would advise always to wear some head protection. A helmet is perhaps not necessary, as even my felt hat gives a timely warning before there is a nasty collision with a low ceiling.
So, the minimum requirements for these walks are drinking water, suitable shoes, a torch or flashlight and some head protection!
Route “A”
Our Route “A” starts at the
beginning of the D 993, north of the buildings at the Col, where you
will find along the road ample parking space. From there you walk some
150 m. northward to enter the wood west of the road at the location of
the information signs.
Our route continues northward, following roughly the blue line on the trench map detail, and
parallel and sometimes even close to the D 993. During the second half
of our walk we will descend into the valley to enjoy the landscape
around the source of the Plaine river, before we climb the slope,
crossing the D 993, continuing upward and eastward to finish at the Col
Entre les Deux Donons with a view at the summits of both Donons.
Warning: Weekend motor noise!
Because the D 993 and the Col are very popular in the weekends with a majority of German motor bikers, I would advise you not to do this walk then, because of the loud noise, which could disturb your peace in this fine natural setting! So, be warned!
After having parked your car at the Col du Donon, you will easily find these signs.
As the route is running through this dug-out, we turn on our torches. At the end of the tunnel we go left.
For your convenience and to show you better the details of the interior I have exaggerated the lighting.
On the other side of the corridor, we find three smaller, rectangular rooms.
A second tunnel leads us with a turn to the right to the northern exit.
Before we continue our exploration in this splendid wood, I offer you some concise information about the Donon lines.
The strategic importance of the German lines at the foot of the Donon
The Germans introduced concrete in April 1915 to construct their fortifications on the Western Front. This offered their soldiers “bomb-proof” shelters.
As the Donon was still in reach of French artillery fire, the Germans also decided to fortify their positions with concrete constructions along the 1871-1918 border.
After this intermezzo we continue some 25 m., and Bobby the Trench Dog detects another bunker.
These bunkers are connected by trenches, covered now by vegetation.
We follow these trenches north-westward to find this fine example of a low two-room emergency bunker.
Some “Bunkerology” – A concise introduction to German shelter architecture
Everywhere on the 750 km. long Western Front German concrete bunkers and dug-outs come in all sizes, depths and varieties; command posts, dressing stations, observation posts, machine-gun bunkers and of course the majority, shelters. On the Western Front these bunkers were often constructed, while the construction troops were under fire.
The early rectangular "concrete block" bunkers
In the beginning, from April 1915, these simple one- and two-room shelters had a rectangular shape and were constructed with steel H beams, or rails, and masonry of prepared concrete bricks or blocks.
The soldiers seeking cover could close the shelter with a steel door. The one- and two-room bunkers were meant to give cover in emergency situations; against French artillery fire. These small shelters were dug just below the surface and the top construction was some 0.75 - 1.50 m. above the surface. These emergency shelters were hardly bomb proof, but they offered at least cover against light artillery and shrapnel shells.
Masonry of natural rocks
On each side of this type of dug-out you will find two tunnels, one man wide, which lead to a main corridor with three large arched rooms on one side and at the other side of the corridor three smaller rectangular shaped rooms .
Not always, but most often, one or two rooms on the corners were used as sentry rooms or for storage of extra ammunition. The room in the middle was used for the latrines. The function of these smaller rooms can switch location. This is only a basic concept, which could be enlarged by duplicating the ground plan or be adapted in some other way, depending for instance on the geological situation.
During our walks here around the Donon, we will find at least one example of such a reinforced concrete bunker. Elsewhere on this website, you will find many examples of reinforced concrete bunkers of all varieties, also command posts, dressing stations, etc.
The constructors of the Donon sector: Pioniere-Bataillon 15 and the Neuber Brigade
Four companies of Pioniere-Bataillon 15 and infantry soldiers and artillerymen of the Neuber Brigade worked on these constructions in the Donon front sector.
Raw materials via the Netherlands
To finish this concise introduction another remarkable fact: The essential raw materials for the German concrete on the Western Front, sand, basalt and gravel, were mainly supplied from Germany via "neutral" Holland and from Holland itself to occupied territories by Dutch ships and businessmen.
(Sources a.o.: the recommended book of Peter Oldham; "Pill Boxes on the Western Front")
We continue northward.
... I will tell you more about the "inhabitants" of these dug-outs.
Armee-Abteilung Falkenhausen and the Bavarian "Donon Brigade"
The unit, which was almost permanently stationed in this front sector, west of the Donon and here around the Donon itself, was the Bavarian "Donon" Brigade.
The Bavarian "Donon Brigade"
The 84. Landwehr Brigade was deployed in Alsace. The brigade was originally the 'acting' 84. Infantrie Brigade, renamed Brigade Neuber September 1914, and again renamed 84. Landwehr Infantrie Brigade on January 1915 in the Donon (Vosges) sector. Again it was then re-designated Donon Brigade until April 1915, and re-designated Sector Plaine 1915-18. It was last re-designated Sector Mailly from April 1918.
The men in the period photo are Bavarian Landsturm members of the 4th Komp. Landsturm Inf. Batl. Kempten, 84. Landwehr Brigade, photographed on 13 Mai 1915. The event appears to be a commemoration of awards received.
The next accessible dug-out we encounter, is lying on a spot where the slope is steeper.
... and leads us into a rectangular shaped room with a peephole on the west side.
... but this photo shows us better the purpose of this window: to observe the slope below and, if necessary, for throwing some hand grenades down on the enemy.
... a well preserved thick wooden door. Because the door is trapped, it cannot open wider and offer more than this narrow passage.
The 2 rooms behind the door are rather disappointing, so small.
With the ceiling of about 2 m. high, I estimate (based on my memory) a surface of 2 x 3 m. or less.
This time I had the smart idea to photograph also the second entrance or exit of the dug-out.
After our break it is not far to this dug-out, which I approach this time from the northern side.
From this point we go north-eastward, we almost approach the road, and we will continue parallel to it. p you orientate yourself I repeat the satellite view of our walk.
Beware, in this general area, of these man-hole sized ventilation shafts hidden in the ground!
From here we go directly westward into the direction of the source of the Plaine. On our way downward we find this entrance to our last dug-out of this walk on Route "A".
... to find the location of the barely visible source of a small stream, which will grow into the Plaine river.
Caution! The D 993 road is meandering here, and high speed motor bike traffic is possible on any day of the week!
This is a westward view to the Donon made from the road. The Col Entre les Deux Donons, the "Pass Between the Two Donons", is on the left.
On the Col Entre les Deux Donons, hidden behind a parked car, I detected this small Bavarian memorial with a rather puzzling inscription. It is the war-time tomb stone of a fallen French Infantry officer.
A view from the Col upward to the summit of the Petit Donon, or "Der Kleine Donon".
I have no breath left nor the strength to climb this summit. I have to show you a teleview of the summit of the Petit Donon.
My binoculars and my telelens show us the presence at the summit of a German memorial "in memory of the soldiers, fallen during the combats of 1914."
Before we start on Route “B” we depart from the Senones Franco-German War Cemetery of la Poterosse. We used this same route on our first unsuccessful explorations into le Merveux Wood. Although our first explorations of the year before were not successful, we were still rewarded with detecting this particular route, which will offer you a beautiful survey of the nature and landscape!
From La Poterosse we drive via the D 424 north-eastward to La Petite Raon. From there we continue north-eastward via the D 49 to Moussey. From there we follow the paved forest road, the Route Forestière de Praye, through the beautiful valley of the Rabodeau stream following the signs to the Col du Donon. At the end of the road, just before the junction to the Col du Donon, we park our car to start walking our Route “B”. More detailed information on Route “B” follows later on this page.
To be more exact: from the Senones Franco-German War Cemetery of La Poterosse, ...
.... passing this post-war demarcation stone, before we leave the town to la Petite Raon.
After Moussey we follow the Route Forestière de Praye through the valley of the Rabodeau north-eastward.
Surrounded by le Merveux Wood a view from the Route Forestière de Praye to the Donon.
Christine drives at walking pace to offer me the time to spot the presence of German concrete. This second time our stubbornness helped; we are succesful! Now we only have to find a suitable starting point.
... but still along the Route Forestière de Praye, we find on the northern side of the forest road a picnic site to park our car.
The Germans on this period photo are guarding on this spot the road, D 392, to Raon-sur-Plaine. |
Our Route “B” is a rather easy walk, because the route is on the same ground level. You still have to pay attention to man-hole sized ventilation shafts hidden under the vegetation. And you will still need your basic outfit; water, suitable shoes, hat and a torch!
Our route follows roughly the blue line on the trench map detail and it starts following the unpaved Route Forestière du Morveux.
At our most southern point, a damaged bunker on the verge of the road, we go eastward and later northward to look for an interesting “Kaserne” bunker, which also forms the last building we will visit.
After parking you car at the picnic site you cannot miss this sign on the other side of the road.
Period photo examples of "Drahtseilbahn" - stations
To give you an impression of how this building may have looked, I show you two period photographs of other locations of a "Drahtseilbahn" station. The first one, above, is located at a slope of the Petit Ballon, Central Vosges.
The second example, below, was of the "Eberhardt - Drahtseilbahn", located on the Chaume de Lusse, Northern Vosges.
Other fine examples of cableway stations are to be found on the Buchenkopf - Tête de Faux.
These two images here do not mean that the building here at the Col looked exactly the same!
Network of cableways in Vosges front sector
From the Hirtzstein in the south to the Chapelotte in the north the Germans exploited in the Vosges front sector a complete network of cableways for transporting supplies from the relatively safe valleys behind the front line upward to their positions at the Vosges summits.
This means of cableway transport was of course much faster and more efficient than the other widespread means of transport in the Vosges, the use of mules over meandering paths and in winter over icy mountain roads.
On the other side of the forest road, opposite the station, we find this construction.
It is not a bunker. I suppose this construction was in some way connected to the cableway station.
The vegetation on the top construction looks like forest soil. But again, beware of these ventilation shafts!
We continue meandering southward into the direction of the paved road ...
During the Great War many a battle or a siege was lost by sheer lack of water for the troops.
Still going southward we will visit now some bunkers close to the Praye forest road.
Before we go eastward into the wood, we find on the verge of the road the ruins of a heavily damaged bunker.
The damage offers us a view of a fine example of German reinforced concrete.
From its location along the road and its ground surface, this might have been a machine-gun bunker.
... and a short break, we follow for a while the Merveux forest road northward.
After some 350 m. we go left into the wood. Hidden under tall vegetation, below us lies this large construction, which will be also the last we will visit.
The two small rooms on the extremes seem to be meant as latrines.
As the second entrance is blocked, I turn round, and I show you first the most northern arched room.
... from where we have to walk some 100 m. westward, back to our car at the picnic site to finish our Route "B".
Continue to the Central Vosges: "Col du Bonhomme - Col de Mandray"
Inleiding: Franz Von Papen & Werner Horn; schaker en pion
Onlangs stuitte ik in een oud boek (1) van 1919 op een opmerkelijk verhaal over een Duitse Luitenant, die in begin februari 1915 een half geslaagde bomaanslag pleegt op een spoorbrug over een grensrivier tussen de Verenigde Staten en Canada. Ook al staat de bekentenis van de dader, Werner Horn, deels in het boek te lezen, de naam van zijn opdrachtgever zal Horn blijven verzwijgen. Na wat verder zoeken vond ik ook de naam van Horn’s opdrachtgever, Franz von Papen, een van de aangeklaagden van het latere Neurenberg Proces in 1946.
In een Grote Oorlog als de Eerste Wereldoorlog is Horn’s aanslag op de brug uiteraard slechts een bescheiden wapenfeit. Toch vermoed ik dat dit relatief onbekende verhaal, dat de geschiedenis is ingegaan als de “ Vanceboro International Bridge Bombing ”, nog interessante kanten kent. Het is onder andere een spionageverhaal over hoe in een groter plan een sluwe schaker zijn naïeve pion offert.
Beknopte situatieschets Canada en de Verenigde Staten in 1915
This trip we start at the Léomont near Vitrimont and we will with some exceptions concentrate on the Battle of Lorraine of August-September 1914 in the area, called, the “Trouée de Charmes”, the Gap of Charmes.
After the Léomont battlefield we continue our explorations to Friscati hill and its Nécropole Nationale. Next we pay a visit to the battlefield of la Tombe to go on to the Château de Lunéville. There we cross the Vezouze to move on southward to the Bayon Nécropole Nationale. At Bayon we cross the Moselle to pass Charmes for the panorama over the battlefield from the Haut du Mont. North-west of Charmes we will visit the British Military Cemetery containing 1918 war victims. From Charmes we go northward to the battlefield of the First French Victory of the Great War, the Battle of Rozelieures of 25 August 1914. North of Rozelieures we will visit the village of Gerbéviller. From there we make a jump northward to visit the ruins of Fort de Manonviller to finish with an interesting French Dressing Station bunker, west of Domjevin.
During this visit, we try to focus on the day that the momentum of the battle switched from the French side to the advantage of the Bavarian side: the day of 20 August 1914, when the Bavarians rapidly re-conquered the territory around Morhange , being also the day of the start of their rather successful “Schlacht in Lothringen”.
We will visit beautiful landscapes of the "Parc Naturel Régional de Lorraine", memorials, ossuaries, and cemeteries. Sometimes we will divert to other periods of the Great War, honouring Russian and Romanian soldiers, who died in this sector. We start our route at the border village of Manhoué, and via Frémery, Oron, Chicourt, Morhange, Riche, Conthil, Lidrezing, Dieuze, Vergaville, Bidestroff, Cutting, Bisping we will finish in Nomeny and Mailly-sur-Seille, where the Germans halted their advance on 20 August 1914, and where they constructed from 1915 some interesting bunkers.
