LE_MAQUIS_DE_LA_MONTAGNE_NOIRE - 1944

By Jean OdolI 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 Loubatière, 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 Régine, 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 Loubatière, 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

HENRI Sevenet ROGER MOMPEZAT RICHARDSONTHE FORMATION OF THE MAQUIS

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, Liberation-South.

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 Rietgé, 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 Rietgé Camp Galaube

Stele of the bush-camp May Plo del

Stele of camp Galaube

credit photo Batigne JBOMBING 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 Riedgé 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 Riedgé, 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. Ferréol 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, Glières, 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 ...

Stele of the bush camp - Arfons Credit: Jacques Batigne

The body of Frank Black Mountain

(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

Louis Fourcade A great proof of Revélois into

oblivion1945 to 2005.

by Jacques BatigneI 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."

PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG REBEL

This very young fighter was born on 1 February 1923 in Carcassonne, in a family of Laure-Minervois.

A brilliant student, he was integrated into the prestigious military school of Saint-Cyr (near Versailles). Shortly after the declaration of war from 1939 to 1940 and the French defeat, he became an assistant in the yards of youth (*). In the mid-1943 he was one of the first founders of Trassanel scrub, a small village in the Aude, near Villeneuve-Minervois and Sallèles Cabardès.

I existed in these places the caves which were equipped to receive these young people (twenty years), for the most resistant to the youth camps and STO (Compulsory Work Service) in Germany.

Lucien Maury, in his book "The resistance Aude" says: "... I was involved particularly in the life of the new underground, aided by

Edmond Agnel, Lt. Burnett, and Louis Wilson Tessoneau Fourcade, who despite his young age, displayed a very strong personality

which will be confirmed later ...Waiting for the drops, we had to wait all these young people ...

after three months, he had considered moving the maquis. Cave Trassanel was difficult to access by a small path beside a stream

near the village and Villeneuve. After consultation it was decided to develop the abandoned farm of Montreon, above the hamlet of

Series, west of the Eagle of the rock, hidden in the woods ...

At that time, Louis Fourcade, who had contacted the Corps Franc maquis de la Montagne Noire (CFMN, established in April 1944), much larger and better organized, decided to join with two or three other young people. I deeply regret. The letter he wrote February 16, 1944 when he left, I kept as a relic ... "

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 Manquéné 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 ...

FIRST MANIFESTATION OF FORCES DEPLOYED TO REVEL

The German command has banned the circulation to all vehicles of the Wehrmacht on the axis-Mazamet Carcassonne.

The Germans installed in all municipalities that surround the massive small garrisons living in the country and are fairly mobile. At the end June 1944, this important maquis (CFMN) is now highly structured, these numbers are very large about 900 men on five camps: May Plo del which is held on PC (Command Post), the Galaube The Riedgé, 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.

Revel - 14 July 1944 - 400 men of CFMN are entering the city

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.

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 Ferréol, 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.

Arrest of Louis Fourcade and other resistant

Lucien Allaux in his book: "The second world war in the Aude" wrote: "... Lieutenant Louis Fourcade had visited Aug. 3 at the farm of mulch near Pradelles-Cabardes, along with Sergeant Nordman Manquéné captain and doctor to attend a meeting of the squadron commanders and officers of the General Staff of CFMN, to be held the next day.

They will be back on Saturday morning August 5 at the latest. That day, at night, they did not return .... "

An information has certainly put an end to their actions in battle. "... On August 4 at 6 am, the Germans invaded the farm, seize the three men. They grow in the yard with the tenants caught in their sleep, they did not have time to dress.

Placed facing the wall, they are put into play, but it is only intimidation. Following an examination to know where the maquis of the Black Mountain and its leaders. Since they do not speak, they are bound and kept well in the days of August 4 and 5. Finally, on 6, the farm is entirely plundered, slaughtered cattle, fields vandalized ... ".

The doctor is Manquéné in civilian clothes and has false identification papers and denied any claims to know nothing of the maquis. Fourcade and Lieutenant Sergeant Nordman are in uniform and armed, are only evasive answers or false always remaining tied. Then the three men embarked on a van by the Germans passing through Mas Cabardès Saissac, St Ironwood, and finally arrive at Revel, where they are conducted in a house converted into a prison. The following days, further questioning some very "muscular".

Guards are of different nationalities and different moods, who grumbled because they hypocritically, Fourcade responds dryly: "... you do your duty as we do ours ...." August 10, at 13 hours, Lieutenant Fourcade is brought into another room, while his fellow soldiers to a van containing some civilians. Before mounting on the vehicle, the prisoners are lined up in the courtyard of the building, Lieutenant Fourcade who need a pretext to meet, past a guard with them. By returning, he whispered: "... if you die, try to do it in French".

Local resistance: THE RESISTANCE REVELOISthe Corps Francs de la Montagne Noire a place to

discover www.lemilitarial.com / CFMN / cfmn.htm