A border to defend

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The Quartier des Alpins in Bourg-Saint-Maurice hosted the Diables Bleus of the 7^th Battalion of Alpine Hunters (BCA) until 2012. This memorial site offers an opportunity to discover the Haute Tarentaise valley and the defensive structures built to protect and control communication routes to Italy. It provides a chance to explore the local military history, including its organization, the construction of fortifications, the battles, and the men who gave their lives for our freedom and peace.

« I am Delphin, a customs officer posted to the Petit Saint-Bernard Pass since May 1910. Last winter my colleague Victor, who comes from Briançon, introduced me to a great invention: skis! They consist of two wooden planks that make it easy to slide and move across the snow. With our Italian colleagues, we even have fun racing and jumping.»

Since antiquity, the Petit Saint-Bernard Pass (2188 m) has been an important crossing point. Located on Via Alpis Graia, the Roman road built under the order of Julius Caesar, it connected Milan to Vienne (Isère). At the Petit Saint-Bernard Pass, the border has shifted over time. In 1902, along the route of the time, Pierre Chanoux, rector of the Hospice, erected a statue dedicated to Saint Bernard. In 1947, the Paris Treaty established the watershed line between the Reclus torrent and the Doire du Verney. It now passes through the center of the “cromlech.” This structure, a circle about 75 meters in diameter formed by 46 stones, was likely created during the Neolithic period, though its exact dating remains uncertain. Was it a meeting place for the people of both sides, a ceremonial site, or a funerary enclosure? Despite extensive archaeological excavations, its function remains unknown.

THE EYES OF THE DEFENSIVE SYSTEM

The fort is built on the ruins of a Sardinian redoubt from the 18th century, hence its name. It was constructed between 1892 and 1894 to protect the Petit Saint-Bernard Pass. Composed of 3 barracks buildings that could house 144 men and 6 officers, it is hidden behind the rocky ridge to shield it from enemy fire. Later, a defensive wall, a rock shelter, 3 casemates, and a cable car were added to enhance the defensive system.

JUNE 1940: THE ATTACK ON THE PETIT SAINT-BERNARD PASS

Italy's entry into the war alongside Germany led to the Italian attack on June 21, 1940. The defense relied on the fort of the Redoute Ruinée, occupied by a section of the 70^th BAF (Bataillon Alpin de Forteresse), with the 215^th RI (Infantry Regiment) and the 164^th RAP (Position Artillery Regiment) as outposts. After a bombardment by artillery and aerial strikes, Italian soldiers advanced through the border passes. However, they were halted by the Redoute Ruinée. Several violent attacks were repelled during the days of June 21 and 22. Despite this, the Italians managed to advance towards the Isère valley. The armistice ended military operations, and the undefeated garrison left the Redoute Ruinée on July 2, 1940.

HENRI DESSERTEAUX

Upon leaving Saint-Cyr in 1939, he was appointed second lieutenant in the 70th Alpine Fortress Battalion in Bourg Saint Maurice. In June 1940, he commanded the section responsible for the defense of the Redoute Ruinée. At the beginning of 1945, he was appointed captain in the 13th BCA (Bataillon de Chasseurs Alpins) and participated in the recapture of the Redoute Ruinée in April. He fell gloriously in Indochina in September 1947.

THE BATTLES OF 1944

Following Italy's surrender in September 1943, the elite German mountain units, the “Gebirgsjäger,” occupied the Petit Saint-Bernard Pass. This position was essential for facilitating the withdrawal of their troops in the face of the advancing Allied armies. In the autumn of 1944, the Bulle Battalion and the 3^rd Regiment of Algerian Tirailleurs launched attacks on the right bank of the Reclus stream, but the enemy held the ridges firmly. On March 9, 1945, the 7^th, 13^th, and 27^th BCA (Battalion of Alpine Chasseurs) were tasked with retaking the pass, from the Belleface summit to the Redoute Ruinée. Captain Desserteaux, who had so brilliantly defended it in June 1940, took part in its recapture. After multiple bloody assaults, the occupiers were definitively expelled at the end of April 1945.

Did you know?

CARRIER PIGEONS

They were kept in all the forts to take over the lines of communication in case of bad weather or failure. In June 1940, the telephone line was cut by Italian troops. The Redoute Ruinée fort used these messengers to alert the command post to the Italian attacks on the Petit Saint-Bernard Pass.