page_title: Fortified Sector of Savoy
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Fortified Sector of Savoy / History
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Vue générale du bloc 1 de l'ouvrage du Pas du Roc
context_page_description: The Fortified Section of Savoy was the French military organization that in 1940 controlled the section of the Alpine Line portion of the Maginot Line facing Italy in the Savoy region. The sector constituted part of the Alpine Line portion of the Maginot Line, between the Defensive Sector of the Rhône to the north, and the Fortified Sector of the Dauphiné to the south. The works combined a number of pre-1914 fortifications with Maginot-style ouvrages, with many forward-positioned cavern-style frontier stations or avant-postes that proved effective in holding invading forces near the order.
  The sector formed a discontinuous line about 100 kilometres long along France's frontier with Italy, from the Aiguille des Glaciers on the Mont Blanc massif, through Bourg-Saint-Maurice to the Moulinière peak on the Massif des Cerces, to Valloire. The sector's fortifications barred the valleys and passes crossing the Alps, particularly the routes over the Little St Bernard Pass via the Tarentaise Valley and the Mont Cenis pass via the Maurienne valley.
context_section_description: Italy declared war on France on 10 June 1940. Late snows in the area slowed down the Italian attack, which did not start until 20 June. In Savoy, the Italian Alpine Corps attacked over the Col de la Seigne and the Little St Bernard Pass in Operation Bernardo., with the Italian 1st Corps attacking over the Mont Cenis Pass. About 5500 French troops were deployed against 50,000 Italian soldiers. . The Italian  Taurinense Alpine division moved over the Col de la Seigne, stopped by sustained fire from the avant-poste of Seloges. The Trieste motorized division crossed the Little St. Bernard Pass after bombarding he Redoute-Ruinée post for eight hours. The initial Italian assault was stopped at the walls of the fort. Attacks continued over the next two days, then stopped until the armistice, but the avant-poste was isolated and bypassed, Italian troops moving close to Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Sainte-Foye. Redoute-Ruinėe was finally evacuated by French forces on 2 July. Total casualties in the area amounted to 9 French dead, and 72 Italian dead with more than 700 Italian wounded.
  In the Maurienne valley, 13,000 French troops faced 40,000 Italian troops. Italian forces advanced on the Mont Cenis road and moved across the high plateau along the frontier. The Italian attack was supported by forts in the Italian Alpine Wall positions. The French La Turra outpost on the Mont Cenis road was bombarded by the Italian Fort Paradiso, but the Cagliari Division could not advance past La Turra. Other elements of the Cagliari Division tried to advance on the Little Mont Cenis Pass and entered the valley of the Arc river, but were held there by the line of avant-postes. Nearer Modane, the Superga Division crossed the Col du Fréjus and came under fire from ouvrages Arrondaz, Pas du Roc and Le Lavoir, backed up by covering artillery in  the valley at Sapey, Saint-Antoine and Saint-Gobain. Arrondaz and Pas-du-Roc fired on Italian troops on each others' superstructures and drove them off. Italian forces made little progress against the mutually-supporting fire until the cease-fire of 25 June. Casualties were 4 French dead and 108 Italians, with 1,000 Italians wounded.
  The armistice of 24 June 1940 ended fighting, and the fortifications were occupied by Italian troops. The Fortified Sector of Savoy was dissolved by French forces in 15 July 1940.
caption: Ouvrage Pas du Roc
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