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Discovery

The Pré-Giroud fort, in the Vallorbe region (Vaud canton – Switzerland) is an ISOLATED ARTILLERY FORT consisting of:
66 blockhouses to a bunker, linked between two ammunition stores, a machine room and a barracks, all in the rock.
3 independent structures, small forts and double row of barbed wire.

Bunkers 
C1 & C3 1 x 7.5 cm cannon per bunker, model 1939, semi-automatic
 C2 1 identical cannon.
1 x 4.7 cm special antitank cannon, semi-automatic
1 observation post (firing point).
M1 and M4 1 x 7.5 mm submachine gun per bunker, model 1911, water cooled.
1 observation post per bunker1 emergency door per bunker.
M2 and M3 2 x 7.5 mm submachine gun per bunker, model 1911, water cooled.
1 emergency door.
MM1 and MM2 Ammunition stores.



Small forts

East, west, south (from 1941) to strengthen the external defense, six 7.5 mm submachine guns, 1911 model, water cooled.
All items, cannons and submachine guns, are of the "fortress" type, i.e. minimum doorway, panorama and special watch.


Infantry

(From 1943 for external defense).
1 x 24 mm anti-tank arquebuse.
2 x 8.1 cm lance-mines.
1 x 4.7 cm anti-tank cannon.
4 x 7.5 mm automatic rifles.
8 x 9 mm submachine guns.


Engine room

2 diesel-electric generators, heating, ventilation, filtering, workshop.


Barracks

Barracks protected by forced-air and airlock, containing the command post, the office, the officers’ mess, telephone center, cooking with outbuildings, two mess rooms for 40 and 60 men, three rooms for officers and senior NCOs, three dormitories for 103, an infirmary with an operating room.


Staff in 1945 Commander Officers Non-commissioned
senior officers
Salaried non-
commissioned officers
Soldiers Total
Gunners 1 1 2 8 38 51
Machine gunners       8 16 24
Riflemen   1   1 14 16
Services
(mechanical, batteries,
phone, ammunition,
cooking, health)
      2 9 11
Doctors   1       1
Small forts       3 24 27
Total 1 4 2 22 101 130