Ouvrage Castillon
Encyclopedia
Ouvrage Castillon is a work (gros ouvrage) of the Maginot Line
's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line
, also called the Little Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, two infantry blocks and two artillery blocks in a narrow ridge just to the west of Castillon, Alpes-Maritimes
. It was built on the original site of Castillon, destroyed by an earthquake in 1887. It is the next gros ouvrage in the line to the north of Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès, and is within firing range of the Mediterranean coastline.
Ouvrage Castillon was built by a contractor named Borie from November 1931 to October 1934 at a cost of 15.6 million francs. Castillon was manned in 1940 by 344 men under the command of Captain Finton.
Five observation posts were attached to Castillon, including Mont-Ours-Sud, Baisse-du-Loup and Croix-de-Fossa.
toward Castillon beginning on 22 June 1940 as part of an advance on Sospel
, but was unable to advance before the armistice
of 25 June. Italian troops attacked the avants-postes at Pierre-Pontue and Scuvion, but were discouraged by fire from Castillon itself on the 22nd. Further action took place the next day around the avants-postes, which were supported by fire from Ouvrage Barbonnet
and Ouvrage Mont Agel
as well as Castillon.
In 1944 Castillon was a center of German resistance to Operation Dragoon
. On 10 September 1944 Castillon was attacked by American troops, supported by land and naval artillery, largely destroying the entry block, which faced toward the guns, and heavily damaging the combat blocks. The French battleship Lorraine
participated in the bombardment. Castillon was abandoned by the Germans on 25 October 1944.
Castillon's war damage was repaired in the 1950s as part of a program to restore many of the gros ouvrages to military usefulness against an advance through Italy by the Warsaw Pact
. However, by the 1970s nearly all ouvrages were decommissioned and sold. Castillon had already been decommissioned in 1964. The ouvrage is owned by the commune of Castillon, but is presently abandoned.
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line
Alpine Line
The Alpine Line or Little Maginot Line was the component of the Maginot Line that defended the southeastern portion of France...
, also called the Little Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, two infantry blocks and two artillery blocks in a narrow ridge just to the west of Castillon, Alpes-Maritimes
Castillon, Alpes-Maritimes
Castillon is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-References:*...
. It was built on the original site of Castillon, destroyed by an earthquake in 1887. It is the next gros ouvrage in the line to the north of Ouvrage Sainte-Agnès, and is within firing range of the Mediterranean coastline.
Ouvrage Castillon was built by a contractor named Borie from November 1931 to October 1934 at a cost of 15.6 million francs. Castillon was manned in 1940 by 344 men under the command of Captain Finton.
Description
Castillon was arranged on multiple levels, with the combat blocks significantly higher than the entry block, which is directly off paved road. However, because of the vulnerability of its supply line, Castillon was provided with two levels of utility, supply and magazine space, capable of holding four times the usual quantities of supplies and munitions.- Block 1 (entry): three machine gun embrasures.
- Block 2 (ventilation), unoccupied.
- Block 3 (artillery block): one machine gun clocheGFM clocheThe GFM cloche was one of the most common defensive armaments on the Maginot Line. A cloche was a fixed and non-retractable firing position made of a thick iron casting which shielded its occupant...
, one grenade launcher clocheLG clocheThe LG cloche was a defensive element common to many Maginot Line ouvrages. The fixed cupola was deeply embedded into the concrete on top of a combat block, with only the top surface visible. The opening permitted the ejection of grenades from the interior of the cloche, providing a means of...
, two 75mm/1929 guns and two 81mm mortars. - Block 4 (infantry block): one machine gun cloche , one grenade launcher cloche, one twin machine gun clocheJM clocheThe JM cloche is an element of the Maginot Line. It is a non-retractable non-rotating cupola of steel alloy like GFM cloches, but are armed with twin heavy machine guns, as opposed to the lighter automatic rifles associated with the GFM. There are 179 JM cloches on the Maginot Line.JM is an acronym...
and one twin machine gun embrasure. - Block 5 (combat block): one machine gun cloche and one grenade launcher cloche one twin machine gun embrasure.
- Block 6 (infantry block): one machine gun cloche and two 81mm mortars.
Advanced posts
Castillon was associated with two avants-postes located about halfway between the ouvrage and the Italian frontier. These posts were built by MOM (Main d’Œuvre Militaire) in 1930 to a lesser standard than the CORF (Commission d'organisation des régions fortifiées)-built main line ouvrage. The avant-poste Baisse-de-Scuvion 43°51′01.9"N 07°28′24.18"E at an altitude of 1018 metres (3,339.9 ft) controlled Mont-Mulcier and the Col de Cuore, with 32 men assigned. The post consistend of one entry block, one observation block with an observation cloche, and one block with a machine gun port, connected by a gallery with limited accommodations. The avant-poste Pierre-Pontue 43°50′34.33"N 07°28′52.82"E to the south at an altitude of 1122 metres (3,681.1 ft) was larger, although it too was assigned 32 men. Pierre-Pontue comprised two entry blocks, one observation block with an observation cloche, and two casemates with machine gun ports. A modest set of galleries connected the blocks.Five observation posts were attached to Castillon, including Mont-Ours-Sud, Baisse-du-Loup and Croix-de-Fossa.
History
The Italian Modena Division attackedItalian invasion of France
The Italian invasion of France in June 1940 was a small-scale invasion that started near the end of the Battle of France during World War II. The goal of the Italian offensive was to take control of the Alps mountain range and the region around Nice, and to win the colonies in North Africa...
toward Castillon beginning on 22 June 1940 as part of an advance on Sospel
Sospel
Sospel is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France near the Italian border and not far from Monte Carlo.-History:...
, but was unable to advance before the armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
of 25 June. Italian troops attacked the avants-postes at Pierre-Pontue and Scuvion, but were discouraged by fire from Castillon itself on the 22nd. Further action took place the next day around the avants-postes, which were supported by fire from Ouvrage Barbonnet
Ouvrage Barbonnet
Ouvrage Barbonnet is a work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also called the Little Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block and one infantry block facing Italy...
and Ouvrage Mont Agel
Ouvrage Mont Agel
Ouvrage Mont Agel is a work of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also called the Little Maginot Line. The 1930s ouvrage was built in and around the earlier mountaintop Fortress of Mont Agel. The ouvrage forms a backup to the main curtain of Alpine Line forts, and was not...
as well as Castillon.
In 1944 Castillon was a center of German resistance to Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
. On 10 September 1944 Castillon was attacked by American troops, supported by land and naval artillery, largely destroying the entry block, which faced toward the guns, and heavily damaging the combat blocks. The French battleship Lorraine
French battleship Lorraine
The Lorraine was a French Navy battleship of the Bretagne class named in honour of the region of Lorraine in France.- Construction :...
participated in the bombardment. Castillon was abandoned by the Germans on 25 October 1944.
Castillon's war damage was repaired in the 1950s as part of a program to restore many of the gros ouvrages to military usefulness against an advance through Italy by the Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
. However, by the 1970s nearly all ouvrages were decommissioned and sold. Castillon had already been decommissioned in 1964. The ouvrage is owned by the commune of Castillon, but is presently abandoned.
External links
- Castillon (gros ouvrage) at fortiff.be