UKC

Hi all.

Last year when I was skiing in Chamonix, a friend of mine mentioned about a battle which took place on the Vallee Blanche during WWII. He didn't know a lot of the details, so I took it upon myself to research into it. With the help of UKC, I managed to source a small but vital bit of information via this thread: http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=379949

I have researched a bit more into it and have written an article with my own twist but trying not to blindly copy the article from High Mountain magazine.

I hope it proves an interesting read and any criticism is welcome.

http://chriscowdreyclimbing.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/impeding-hitlers-endeavo...

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:
Great article on a little known episode, thanks for this. I'm pretty sure I have another article on this somewhere, I'll have a rummage in the war room (no fighting in here gentlemen, this is the war room!) to see if I can unearth it.

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:
Just found it, the system works!.

After the Battle issue 97 from 1997. The Battle of the Alps, a 28 page article by Jean Paul Pallud, with loads of great pictures.

It is available to buy for £5.00 from the After the Battle website.

Also just found edition 105 which has a brilliant article about the resistance in the Vercors.

In reply to DerwentDiluted:

I think i might have to spend some pocket money then

Cheers

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:
Excellent article, thank you.

Some ruined machine gun emplacements can still be seen opposite Montenvers.
The Balcon Mer-de- Glacé path passes close by them.

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Very enjoyable reading. Thank you. I wish I had taken the opportunity to buy the CD I saw in the Dolomites on a similar theme but more to do with WW1. The Dolomites have loads of historical locations some of which are presented as reconstructed montages as well as a museum near Canazei. It was interesting to note that the highest cause of deaths in that areas was from avalanches.

Al

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Excellent stuff, chase those film rights, with a cameo part of course.

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Fascinating. Also look at the depth of the ice on the Mer de Glace - quite a contrast to today

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Brilliant story. The suggested tours must be just about the highest 'history' tours in europe if not the world?

In reply to Fredt:

I'll have to keep an eye out for these next time!

In reply to GridNorth:

I'm pretty keen to do some war time tours in the Dolomites. I'm not very familiar with the history though but that's where the research comes into play I've sone the Vallee Blanche multiple times but after I found out all this information it made the experience a whole lot more interesting and meaningful.

In reply to summo:

I'll see if James Cameron or Spilberg are free at some point to discuss i can cast you as a role too if you fancy it

In reply to pneame:

I thought this too! I was amazed even looking at the plaques walking back up the steps to Montenvers but to actually see pictures is something else.

In reply to Dave Perry:

There might be a niche here for a few guides to add to their itineraries

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Fascinating stuff, thank you so much for researching this. Incredible.

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:


I know someone who has led several guided walks along 'escape lines' over the Pyrenees, so there was or is interest in mountains and war.

In reply to summo:

I'm pretty sure that there are enough war time tours which could be combined with walking/mountaineering/skiing. Maybe one day if I ever become a guide I could offer these services

Time to pull my finger out I think!

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

An eml would cover you for a fair few initially.

Or organise the tour, then hire the guide in, you don't get the income, but develop your name and get time shadowing as an aspirant.

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Thanks for that. Really interesting read. Mountain warfare is hard, and your description of the Germans being caught out under the guns of the Resistance in the middle of a glacier with no cover was particularly poignant. I can imagine the sense of helpless panic they must have felt as leaderless they tried to ski to safety under fire and with their skins still attached......

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Enjoyable read

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Great article--I have climbed and skied in all those places many times, but I had no idea about this history. Thanks! I am going to share this with some of my friends and partners.

Bruno

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Excellent, well done. Can you explain to me why you think there's been confusion over the Pyramide du Tacul and the Triangle du Tacul?

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

I would have thought with all that shelling, and a direct hit to the Abri Simond, that there would be evidence of shell damage all around that area. I've not seen any, but I'm not exactly sure what I'd be looking for. Any idea if there is any?

Great read, thanks for putting it all together.

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Do you know what the British officers were doing there ? special services helping the resistance or something else ? - I doubt they were on holiday.

In reply to jon:

I initially didn't think anything of it but after studying the picture of the soldiers at the base of the NE ridge it didn't quite fit what I was looking at on the map and from what I remember when being there. There appears to be a steep slope beside one of the soldiers which to me looks like the slope leading down off Pointe Lachenal going round to the climbs of Modica Noury and the climbs round the back of Pointe Lachenal.

And when going through the guide book to the area, i couldn't find any reference to a NE ridge (unless it is called something different) and again, the only ridge line which appears to be NE facing is the one leading up onto P.Lachenal.

And if they had infact actually gone to the Pyramid du Tacul, it didn't make sense to me that they would have headed back up the Vallee to climb up onto the NE ridge.

Plus the report was the British soldiers saw German soldiers near the Gros Rognon. But I could be very wrong and they did infact go to the Pyramid and not the Triangle du Tacul like I state.

In reply to NottsRich:

I have no idea. Last time I was there I didn't venture over to the hut to have a look. I wouldn't be entirely sure what to look for either. Like wise with the Torino hut. I guess years of referbishment and weathering would have rid the scars and damage.

In reply to Doug:

Nope, no idea. I have spoken to Sue Clarke (now Sue Harper) who wrote the original article in High Mountain Sports (and from which I have used for research and inspiration) and she couldn't find out who they were or why they were there either.

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:
No idea on the identity of the British officers, but I'll guess they were SOE types, but the commander of the German attack was one Hauptmann Karl Siegle, killed in the ambush you describe his body was never recovered and his grave is recorded as the Vallee Blanche Glacier. I hope he rests in peace.

The Battle was apparently recreated just after the war for a film by Marcel Ichac, I've done a very brief search but can't immediately see it anywhere.

The shelling would probably have been absorbed by the Snow, if you say that 2m fell during the battle then it's very likely that shells falling in snow buried themselves and exploded several metres down. The artillery used would have been light mountain guns, not heavy calibre stuff. The German mountain gun was 75mm and the French one may well have been the 65mm. These shells were not much bigger than a 500ml beer can and they won't have left much impression on Chamonix granite. The article in ATB has a good picture of one of the German guns above Entreves, and I should mention it is not dedicated solely to this action but to the many skirmishes that took place at that time in the alps. Glacier shrinkage might well reveal many secrets in the coming years, not least a lot of scrap iron.

Another interesting Vignette is that one of the French officers was Lt. Col. Alain le Ray who was the first man to successfully escape from Colditz in 1941.

In reply to Mr-Cowdrey:

Thanks for that - a fine interesting read

In reply to jon:

To be honest, the more I look the more I'm doubting myself. I would say that it is probably true they did reach the Pyramid du Tacul and not the Triangle du Tacul which i suggest but i would put money on the NE ridge being that on Pointe Lachenal after looking back through some of my pictures.

The mystery of history!