Farms on Gravelotte-St. Privat Battlefield, FPW 1870

[mollinary]

If you have a look on the www.military-photos.com    site just below the little piece on St Hubert is one on Point de Jour. it contains a detailed little map which describes Point du Jour as a "ferme" and shows a number of buildings at the point where the old and new Metz-Verdun roads diverge.   One of the accounts of the fighting talks of the "maisons" of the Point de Jour so it would appear to have more than one house. Not seen any photos of this one, the Prussians seem to have been stopped about 100-200 metres short of it.  From a defensive point of view it would seem to have benefited from the turn of the new main road to the south, which meant the ditches on either side provided ready made trenches.   The reason many of the farms are considerably different today (or non existent as in this case) is actually the heavy fighting here in 1944.

Mollinary

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great site, thank you.

There are also some VERY impressive German bunkers on the track up to the Moscou farm!
Hotly fought over would be an understatement in these parts...

[Oat]

Hey everyone,
Excellent discussion. I just wanted to share with you this amazing flikr account that I found. Whoever this person is, is well tops in my book. They have so many rare photos of 1870 and of the farms and battles around gravelotte st Privat.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bmmetz/albums/72157643399744963

The quality is outstanding, the images are huge and detailed. For example you can make out clear as day all the loop holes in this photo that's taken from the read of Saint Hubert by the looks of it!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bmmetz/13621421835/in/album-72157643399744963/


If you can't tell, I'm excited about this find
-Oat

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Brilliant find Oat!

[Leman]

Will have to return to these as they are taking a monumental length of time to load.

[mollinary]

Excellent collection!   It even includes the Moscou ferme photo that I referred to in an earlier post.

Mollinary

[Steve J]

Wow, some amazing photos there!

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Just shows how much the Mainz ravine has become overgrown.

[Leman]

Just looked at the photos taken around Metz, and found the one showing the entrance to the Engineers HQ. Here is the photo of it which I took in 2006.

[Oat]

That flikr find was totally by accident, I searched for Ferme Saint Hubert 1870 or so and there it was!

Leman, I'm jealous that you got to see that. Gorgeous monument

-Pat

[Leman]

It is the entrance of the French engineers HQ, shown in the 1870 photo, and is still the entrance today.

[cameronian]

Very nice, I stayed in the old arsenal - now a hotel - in 2005 when I was on tour with Richard Holmes, happy days.

[Leman]

That sunshine reminds me that we ate all our evening meals outside.

[cameronian]

Were you on the 2005 tour also ?

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

I went twice, with the Timecast boys. First time was for the beer and cheese, walked Vob Bredlow's death ride and the march of the Guard on Saint Privat...
Been hooked ever since!

Be nice to get back on the table this week.