Report - Gros Ouvrage Soetrich - France - July 2014

[Saul]

I visited here solo on my 6 day exploring/lead checking/mooching session before I picked my girlfriend up and headed for the Netherlands.

I'd been here early last year but camera battery issues prevented me getting any pictures. Fortunately the access was still there but still a bastard to find. I somehow managed to miss the Usine, both times, which is pretty annoying, however I'm not actually sure it's still there. Anyway...

Ouvrage Soetrich is a gros ouvrage of the Maginot Line in northeastern France. Soetrich is located between petits ouvrages Immerhof and Bois Karre, facing the France-Luxembourg border near the town of Hettange-Grande, part of the Fortified Sector of Thionville. Compared with other gros ouvrages, Soetrich is compact in arrangement, with the entries and underground ammunition magazines and barracks in close proximity to the combat blocks, accessed through underground galleries at an average depth of 30 metres (98 ft).

More history and info here.

Solo underground exploring is not the best idea so I was glad to bump into 2 French/Luxembourg explorers down there.

81 mm Mortar Embrasures.

The "Chappelle".

Thanks for looking.

 

[Camera Shy]

I'd like to have a look down one of these one day, top man for heading in alone and getting some great images.

 

[Punk]

Nicely done, not sure if I'd do this solo. well done

 

[Oxygen Thief]

Didn't know Soetrich was open, it had just been backfilled last time I looked, ages ago. Looks fairly decent. Did you try any others in the Thionville sector?

 

[Saul]

Didn't know Soetrich was open, it had just been backfilled last time I looked, ages ago. Looks fairly decent. Did you try any others in the Thionville sector?

It's been open at least 18 months now but I've not seen anything anywhere though. I didn't do anything else this time, I just wanted to get some pictures from here in case it got sealed again. But the others I have done in the Thionville Sector are Molvange and Billig. Both reports are on here.

 

[Wevsky]

Nicely done mate..another one for that list