Show france italy plan sky forts where hannibal crossed alps 77 wa N A V european news reveals possible defense astren strengthening chenin td 12 prepared d by national geographic c so society acety washington as h i agton D C se service r vic e france has her maginot line germany her limes or siegfried line will italy too have a great chain of fortifications where her western border meets france and will still another line of french fortifications spring up to face those of italy according to dispatches from europe the chances are in favor of such construction as german experts in the italian alps inspect already erected fortifications in what is interpreted as a move to extend the siegfried line south from switzerland all the way to the mediterranean As the crow or the aviator flies the trip from the southwest tip of switzerland to the sea is about miles long following the torturous route of the actual border however as it curves and twists along french and italian alps the distance is roughly miles this stretch is the only spot in europe where french and italian frontiers meet soldiers fly through the air on both sides of the line men with forts pillboxes pill boxes and barbed wire already guard their borders alpine troops including the french Chass eurs and the italian bersaglieri are trained and equi equipped ap pp ed for the peculiar and exacting duty of mountain operations skilled skiers they learn the tricks of the trade how to meet constant danger from nature in a land of glaciers hidden crevices and avalanches how to conceal themselves from the enemy and how to shoot to the best advantage in their special field of action they learn to balance themselves on skis while carrying arms and heavy packs by const constant ant practice these mountain soldiers become adept at jumps and racing performing C stunts on the ice ice and snow as spectacular as the flyers tricks in the air during the world war when ski fighters were first used on a large scale the italian forces saw considerable alpine service in the east then france was italis ally today as italy arms her frontier on the western ranges of the great mountain chain that rings about her entire northern border it may m ay be recalled that it was from the west somewhere in this region that hannibal marched against rome years before christ A dramatic military feat historians disagree about the exact pass over which the carthaginian general transported his men and elephants in a military feat all the more remarkable because it was performed late in the year against the menace of increased snow and here high on the rugged alpine border are pictured french troops staging an imaginary raid on the 9 enemy this picture atvas taken on the site of the possible extension of the maginot siegfried bleg fried lines ice the pass of the little st bernard however leading from france south of her towering mont blanc has many points in its favor as the most logical route of the carthaginian invasion some 2000 years later napoleon also also marched over the western alps into italy this time by way of the great st bernard pass at the southwest corner of switzerland in modern times railways and good motor roads cross the western alps at various points on the way from the giant ice capped peaks of the swiss border to the sunny riviera of the mediterranean one of the earliest alpine tunnels mount cenis nis pierces solid rock for eight aniles miles in the route between modane in in france and bardonecchia Bardon ecchia in italy since hannibal made his precarious way over natures rugged path eo la IV 4 a 1 11 41 CD ra 1 04 AIS SITE OF NEW fortifications 4 4 the map above shows the exact location of the proposed italian french fortifications if carried out the he I 1 move will amount to an extension t e aslon of the maginot line south from switzerland erland all the way to the mediterranean men have built many strategic highways in and across the western alps napoleon constructed fa four ur great military roads and planned others reports indicate that today strategic road building in this part of the world is going on at an accelerated rate on both sides of the french italian border |