Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
By Jean Odol
I am in the forest of Ramondens, alone, listening to the silence and trying to talk about these old trees that saw German bombers pass by July 44, at 200 meters I slip to the north, between land of Aude, Revel, Mazamet and Saissac on the 203 county, forests and Ramondens The Loubatire, trays planted with conifers and beech huge forest roads framed many channels through which runs an ice water and, despite the sun, the air is high. After being impregnated by the dim light and dark of the woods I discovered suddenly, springing like a flash, a flame of white stone: the memorial of the Free Corps of the Black Mountain to Fonbruno (1). Isolated in the heart of the immense forest, challenging the sky above a crypt in which, in the dark, stone coffins with names, crosses Catholics, a Jewish symbol, a growing Muslim, Strange atmosphere, a silence of marble, cold. LIFE IS REBORN WITH THE SUN ... Then out of nowhere, or perhaps the sky, strange noises, powerful, guerrillas who sing "the song of the bush", machine gun fire, bombs bursting dropped by Junkers 88. We are in July-August 1944 ... For the next few lines, I want to pay tribute to Montpezat, officers, kids 20 years, all combatants of the shadow that stood up against Nazi barbarism. I give the floor to the common head of the bush, using his "log on". THE GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING Southern part of the Massif Central, the Black Mountain overlooking several hundred meters on the plains and basins that enclose, the central area rises gradually from west to east: Revel is 220 meters, to Cammazes 600 m, 650 Rgine, the Pic de Nore 1211 m. The rivers have cut deeply incised valleys, gorges real as those of Sor, Lampy, the Alzeau on the Mediterranean side. The climate is very humid with lots of fog winter allowing the development of powerful and immense forests of oak, beech, pine. The most famous are the forests of Ramondens, the Aguille, the Loubatire, of Black Mountain. The geographical scope of the maquis is that of a fortress wooded dominant, but a weak point: easy to circle, if one has many troops, what the Germans July 25, 1944. RESISTANCE IN THE TOULOUSE REGION In 1940, the French army was crushed in less than a month
by the German armored divisions supported by a much higher aviation. Hitler was preparing for war in 1935 (Restoration of compulsory military service), with a new material to this date (aircraft and tanks) and tested in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), conflict in which Nazi aviation Legion Kondor played a decisive role in the victory of Franco. Marshal Petain took power and installed a government that quickly, a policy of collaboration with Germany, with economic support, sending labor (STO). A French general, however, continues to fight on the side of English: de Gaulle, with a handful of soldiers. He launched his famous call of June 18, "France has lost a battle but not war." It will be very little follow-up until November 1942, when the Americans and the British landed in Morocco and Algeria. A tiny minority of French refuses to kneel before the Nazis and spontaneously organize the Resistance, by setting up networks of information transmitted by radio to London, sabotage and, from 1942, the armed underground in mountainous areas (Pyrenees, Massif Central, Alps). In Lauragais (2), the open area does not lend itself to the establishment of maquis, except in the Black Mountain. Thus the resistance is limited to low lauragaise scrub Nailloux led by Manuel Palos, revealed a resistance group creates a branch of the Liberation Movement. A scrub FTPF formed in 1942 in the region of Arfons under the direction of Jacques d'Andurina, others underground in the trap in 1944 to Salles sur l'Hers. The company is the largest is known as "Body franc of the Black Mountain" we tell the story only partially
RICHARDSON
LE_MAQUIS_DE_LA_MONTAGNE_NOIRE is primarily the work of a man with exceptional character, Roger Monpezat, with a handful of strong, courageous and dynamic captain Kervenoael, Sevenet Henry, the abbot of Villeneuve, the Englishman Richardson (Head radio links with the
Resistance into in August 1940. It adheres to different networks Alliance, Pat O'Lary, Buckmaster, LiberationSouth. In 1944, he participated in the creation of the County Council of Resistance of Haute Garonne, it disappears in 1958. It is above all an organizer who has thought of everything before installing the guerrillas. He wanted 500 fighters, or they will close in July 1000 is too much. For refueling, the bread had Arfons, Revel, meat Mazamet; clothing is able to "borrow" the required Chantiers de Jeunesse, Toulouse, in broad daylight by moving with a truck. Motorcycles, various vehicles, including trucks were requisitioned for the weapons, caches Saverdun, allow a first device, then several drops on the lawn of the Pic de Nore. Here is the story of one such operation in which the guns fell from the sky, first the message "the hermits are not lonely," two times. On the great plateau of the Pic de Nore covered with pink heather, ideal terrain for both the equipment drops as staff, men, arranged in a circle against the wind waiting for the arrival of the aircraft in Algiers. At half past midnight, a plane passes through the neighbourhood this is a French, a German? We will not know because the plane disappears into the night, half an hour later, a huge breath is heard in the sky. Fires are lit and soaring again without discretion, the roar grew and the plane is visible at 300 meters high. Richardson did not stop the "dot-dash-two points." The plane comes and goes, losing each of its height to 200 m it is also "a dot-dash-two points" and at the same time, drops his containers in a vacuum. The wind carries the parachute across the top of the wood. The inventory consists of many machine guns, explosives, grenades, a few heavy machine guns, a lot of ammunition, but no mortar. The men are arranged in several camps: Plo Del May, Fonbruno, The Rietg, David Co, The Galaube (see drawing). The composition of the maquis is an extraordinary diversity, alongside a majority of young people from the Aude, Tarn, Revel, we run into Alsace-Lorraine German army deserters, the North Africans came from the mines Salsigne (150), the Spanish Republicans, some Italians, Belgians, Poles, one Croatian, one American (Pagels, pilot of a U.S. plane shot down), an Englishman, the Israelites formed a band independently.
Camp Rietg
Camp Galaube
Stele of the bush-camp May Plo del Stele of camp Galaube credit photo Batigne J BOMBING AND FIGHTING OF JULY 20
Faced with the danger posed by the maquis to many fighters, the German army reacted with force. Here's the story, for Montpezat, of the German attack. "July 20, 6:45, it's just days, people rub their eyes before standing up. Noise grew up in the sky, becomes enormous. Eight aircraft, six and two Junkers 88 flew over the cookies Galaube in the narrow valleys of the Black Mountain, the roar of the engines is formidable proportions. The planes are just 200 meters from the camp Galaube is particularly concerned, the first bomb is dropped, the phone is switched off, the commander Henri Sevenet is killed (decapitated by shrapnel). The bombs are falling thick, six bombers are attacking the camp measuring just a few hundred meters from the side, the missiles are large torpedoes with fins of more than 300 kilos, were dropped after opening, leak many small bombs a few dozen kilos only. Having dropped their bombs, aircraft engaged in a veritable fantasia above the camp and strafed the barracks at close range, the noise is terrible, the earth trembles, smokes and burns ... The machine guns are installed in a position to DCA, one to the other Riedg Plo Del May, flying very low, the bombers are shot, one of them clearly acknowledges the sudden popping and speed away reduced, a second suddenly stop its engines and left by shedding a thick black smoke. At 8:00 the planes return, they are only four, the bombs are for Riedg, strafing to Plo Del May, a third bomber was hit. At the same time, the cannon roars Galaube and musketry fire broke out, the infantry attack began. A third bombing took place around 9:30 am on May Plo Del. The camps are destroyed, four men were killed. "
DISPERSION The German tanks and infantry surrounded the camps and move inexorably despite the heroic defense of the guerrillas. The Germans certainly have posted a large force of tanks, from 12 to 1500 heavily armed infantry (machine gun), the main group seems to come from South Saissac, St Denis, Lacombe. Other columns rise from Revel and Mazamet, the garrisons of Castres and Carcassonne each have 4,000 soldiers ... With these means, the Nazis occupied the Galaube, tanks are Plo Del May, before this dramatic situation, to 16 hours, dropping orders Monpezat general direction of the Pic de Nore, using trucks, passing even though Mazamet always busy. The operation was completely successful. The fighting on 20 July showed the fighting spirit of the bush. French losses are very low: 4 dead, the Germans lost three aircraft, two armored cars, many men (one hundred). If the Germans are masters of the field, the Maquis was not destroyed. The Germans are preparing a second operation by installing a headquarters in St. Ferrol and arrangement of four divisions, they say, because it has no accurate figures of Germanic origin. Before this deadly threat on the order of dispersion is given July 24: maquis groups earn more scrub in the departments of Tarn, Haute Garonne and the Lacaune other Picaussel to scrub in Aude; means of connections between these diverse groups are bad or nonexistent, the Maquis of the Black Mountain has lost its unity and effectiveness. It's August 17 Monpezat that tries to regroup his men, with great difficulty. This date marks the beginning of the Liberation and messy departure of the Germans toward the Rhone valley. Many clashes are growing, in one of them, prisoners were shot in the bush (26) by the enemy at bay. Heavy fighting took place in the Saint Pons. September 44, the men of the Corps Franc, with other groups, form the first battalion of the Aude, others engage in the column that Schneider will be incorporated into the French army first de Lattre de Tassigny, but will take part in the liberation war of Alsace (Colmar pocket) and southern Germany in May 1945. The Corps Franc de la Montagne Noire wrote a short but brilliant page of the French Resistance. Historians point to the fact of having attended too many fighters, then hold camps fixed and immobile, thus incurring an encirclement
by hostile forces always higher, so the Corps Franc knew the plight of large maquis of Vercors, Glires, Mont Mouchet, all crushed and followed by bloody reprisals on civilians, all failures. Yet the enthusiasm of the young French of June 44, Salsigne the Maghreb, or those of Galaube Plo of Del Rey wrote, with their rifles, a poignant page in the history of France. August 18, 2004, on the road to Arfons Galaube in the forest, a doe and her fawn crossing the road ...
The body of Frank Black Mountain Stele of the bush camp - Arfons Credit: Jacques Batigne (1) To get to Fonbruno: from Revel, take the road of Cammazes, Saissac, Saint Denis, Lacombe, the Galaube, Fonbruno. (2) and Paul Michel Goubet Debauge: "History of the Resistance in Haute-Garonne" - Milan 1986 Bibliography: R. Mompezat "The Journal walk from Maquis" M. Goubet, P. Debauge: "History of the Resistance in Haute Garonne" Odol Jean: "The Maquis de Saint Lys" magazine No. R 4 July 1979 Citation: Jean Odol, article in Color Lauragais
HOME
1945 to 2005.
by Jacques Batigne
I l sixty years ago ended the Second World War! The opportunity to remind our young and old readers of Lauragais and the Black Mountains, the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for peace and freedom are finally found. Although not born in Revel, a proof copy has disappeared in this city in early August 1944 and is the lieutenant said Louis Fourcade "Bastia."
BAPTISM OF FIRE
As of June 44, 7 Specifically, after the landing of Allied Forces in Normandy, rush events, both on friends than on the enemy.
Fourcade and Lieutenant Lieutenant Marc are designated as liaison officers and placed respectively to the commanders and Mompezat Sevenet, founders of CFMN This scrub already between 500 and 600 men and this gathering takes place in the region of the Pic de Nore. One of the first operation takes place June 9 at dawn after a night without sleep, two squadrons with a limited number are placed in ambush on the roads of Saissac, St Denis, Montolieu / St Denis and Carcassonne / Mazamet. Captain Kervenoael took command of the first two groups, the commander Mompezat, accompanied by medical Manqun Captain, Lieutenant and Fourcade M ... and the third group chose as the site of the ambush of a place called Escoussols. Lieutenant Fourcade sets up his men. It only remains to wait for the passage of the enemy! ... Is the first time that these young soldiers are shooting at men, is the first time they hear the whistle of bullets in their ears ? They do not mark any emotion, they are gays and joke happily ... about 9 am, from Mazamet, leads northeast corner of a coffee-colored van, which is committed to full speed on the long descent. In accordance with orders, the first men do not shoot. The first salvo, which is also the signal for "open fire", the second group lurking in the middle of the descent. The machine gun is down in the south turn then attacks the van from the front. Under heavy fire, she continues to zigzag road and managed to turn the corner who is out of sight ... It is believed the case failed and the young fighters are disappointed Corps Franc ... M ... The Lieutenant, with some men will do an inspection on the road. Two kilometers later, they found the van overturned in the ditch, riddled with bullets, killed six Germans on board. It was their "baptism of fire" successful. In the days that follow, the CFMN will undertake a number of ambushes against the enemy begins to attack them, they successfully too!. But that will not last ...
which is held on PC (Command Post), the Galaube The Riedg, the GB and David Triby. They receive material: weapons and ammunition, by drops in metal containers, as well as financing and instructions by radio, with coded messages of inter-Allied Staff in London. All this deserved a share of large-scale propaganda, with respect to the local population and occupied most of the enemy.! .. Thus, this Friday, July 14, 1944, our small town of Revel was privileged to attend a memorable parade of over 400 men, including Lieutenant Louis Fourcade at the head of the 5th Squadron, in dark blue uniform and weapons, our "city tour"! Every precaution had been taken by commanders Sevenet Henri, known as "Matthew" and Roger Mompezat to avoid a fight in the city.
Revel - 14 July 1944 - 400 men of CFMN are entering the city The secret of this prestigious operation had been well kept and the Germans must have been very surprised at this display of military forces. But of course, they were quick to react! In the days that followed, to July 16 , Staff sent them home, from the Bordeaux region, where it had to restructure, a military force of great importance. It was deployed in the triangle Toulouse, Albi, Carcassonne with its Staff to Revel-saint Ferrol, it was the 11th Panzer Division of the Wehrmacht.
HEAVY FIGHTING
The armored division, composed of 10 to 12 000 men, heavily armed, was to annihilate the CFMN They will do this in part by using extensive ground and aerial means in the fierce fighting and bombings of July 20 . We deplore the loss of many in the ranks of resistance fighters, including the commander Henri Sevenet (30 years) killed in the early hours of bombing the camps. German forces, staffing and material resources: tanks, armored vehicles, invaded very rapidly, virtually all solid wood. As CFMN had received a specific mission of guerrilla war against the enemy, but not the order they stand, the commander ordered the dropping Mompezat general. Trucks outweigh all materials, arms and ammunition in a state and a few hundred men, among the wounded and more tired. Join other squads on foot gathering place referred to Pic de Nore. The Corps Franc is to support the toughest battle of his life. Taking into account the very important ways implemented by the enemy had spies (observation) and bombing, artillery, tanks, tracked vehicles, armored cars and more than 1500 infantry ...
losses of the maquis are of lesser importance. The Pic de Nore, not being a safe haven for a group of about 900 men, must be abandoned before the Germans attacked in force, by circling the mountain. The Corps Franc will disperse to other locations in the bush and other neighboring departments. The group of Lieutenant Fourcade, with some men back to the bush to the side of the Aude Cabardes where it came.
past a guard with them. By returning, he whispered: "... if you die, try to do it in French". Local resistance: THE RESISTANCE REVELOIS the Corps Francs de la Montagne Noire a place to discover www.lemilitarial.com / CFMN / cfmn.htm