The Wanganui Chronicle. MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1939. THE MAGINOT LINE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 244, 16 October 1939, Page 6

The Wanganui Chronicle. MONDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1939. THE MAGINOT LINE

there is reason for believing- that the German Armies will not essay a major offensive against the Drench during the wet weather, it is to be expected that, even for the sake of prestige, an effort will be made to drive the French back to their own territory, particularly in the Saar sector. When this effort will be made cannot be predicted. The raiding activity of the. German troops and the efforts made 1o photograph the French lines point to an offensive movement in the near future, but while that movement may be developed as far as opportunity occurs, the major drive can be expected when the ground begins to mend during next year. Then the Maginot Line may be tested. The Maginot Line, what is it? It is the effort made by the l-Tcnch people to establish an impregnable frontier, basing the work on the experience gained during the last war and spurred ou thereto by the memory of the great slaughter which occurred among the defenders of Verdun. In the year 1937 the Maginot Line was estimated to have cost a total of 9,448,300,000 francs, or approximately t'li.'!,()00,()00 at the lowest computation of exchange. The old I’reneli fortified frontier comprised a series of detached forts with large areas of open ground between them. The Maginot Line is a long trench system of the 1914-1918 war type, with all the machine-gun nests, battery positiffls, and observatories in concrete ami steel instead of earth and wood, plus an elaborate system of concrete dug-outs and communication tunnels, with gas-proof chambers, kitchens, living quarters, supply ami ammunition chambers anil dressing stations for the wounded. ‘'Thanks to electric signalling and telephones.” says the Electrical Times, ‘‘no incident can occur on any point of the Maginot Line without the whole frontier ami Sadquarters being instantly made aware of it. Troops and material can be rapidly concentrated by underground electric tube at any threatened section. The elements of surprise ami time-lag are no longer what they were in the Great War. The Line is self-con-j lained and has its own underground generating stations. They are believed to be impervious to the heaviest bombs Likely to be dropped upon them from aeroplanes or to shell-fire from artillery. Allowance has been made for three successive bombs or shells all striking exactly in the same place. How deep down are these generating plants? ”We see thai the telephone exchanges i 25,000 individual telephones, and the ammunition stores lie 150 feet below the ground. All hoisting add handling of shell and training of guns is electrical; electrical fans ventilate the gun-chambers; electric motor-pumps circulate water through the machine-guns' cooling systems. Electric fans are used Io raise air-pressure in the hermetically sealed chambers and tunnels so that poison gas is excluded. The cooking for the troops is all-electric, so is refrigeration. The cables are buried 16 feet deep and covered with thick concrete slabs: all essential mains are in duplicate along duplicate routes. Electric motor-pumps supply water, electric motor-compressors and fans pump air. Electrically.driven refrigeration and air-conditioning preserve food stored for 250,006 men lor twelve months: electric lifts and waiters serve the meals. And these are only a few of the electrical features; Hie catalogue seems endless. In fact the Maginot Line is perhaps the most densely and completely electrified work that man has ever created. We believe that a few leading English experts in powerhouse design have been allowed Io see some of the underground generating stations. ” The officers ami many of the troops needed to garrison this line arc. part of a new special frontier corps permanently quartered alongside their defence sector. The reservists necessary tor war strength are the inhabitants of the neighbouring villages. This corps was brought into existence to prevent the danger of the line being broken through, before the fortifications could be | manned, by a surprise attack of a mechanised and motorised force supported by aviation. Surprise can now be left out of account, for the Line is fully manned, while the advances of the French troops have provided an immunity from artillery bombardment at. the moment. In a battle designed to break the Maginot Line it is clear that ihe preparations that have been made would enable the Line garrison to offer the most effective resistance that it is conceivable to put up. There appears to be sufficient margin of safety to maintain food supplies, proteclion against bombing and gas and the care of the wounded, while concent ration at any one point would be easily achieved. Against, this the attackers would be required to establish their own defences. It can be assumed, too. that the French would be as tenacious in their holding on to the Maginot Line as they were in defending \ erdun. in which case it would be a dearly won victory for the Germans to pierce it—unless there is a hidden factor which shall upset the whole of the calculations of the designers of Hie