Ouvrage Monte Grosso

Ouvrage Monte Grosso
Part of Maginot Line, Alpine Line
Southeast France
Ouvrage Monte Grosso
Coordinates 43°54′49″N 7°27′47″E / 43.9136°N 7.46309°E
Site information
Controlled by France
Site history
Built by CORF
In use Abandoned
Materials Concrete, steel, rock excavation
Battles/wars Italian invasion of France, Operation Dragoon
Ouvrage Monte Grosso
Type of work: Large artillery work (Gros ouvrage)
sector
└─sub-sector
Fortified Sector of the Maritime Alps
└─Sospel, Quartier Brouis
Work number: EO 2
Regiment: 85th BAF, 158th RAP
Number of blocks: 7
Strength: 10 officers, 363 men

Ouvrage Monte Grosso is a work (gros ouvrage) of the Maginot Line's Alpine extension, the Alpine Line, also known as the Little Maginot Line. The ouvrage consists of one entry block, four artillery blocks and two observation blocks facing Italy. It was the largest ouvrage in the Alps [1] It is part of the fortifications surrounding Sospel, which protect the approaches to Nice from the north.

Description

Monte Grosso, like L'Agaisen to the southeast, features gun turrets on a commanding height, at 967 meters. Monte Grosso possesses two turrets, one of 75mm and a unique 135mm turret, both retractable. Monte Grosso was built between November 1931 and June 1935, by a contractor named Borie. The cost was 40.4 million francs, of which 4.6 million francs were for the access road.[2]

An additional block near the entrance with a GFM cloche and two 75mm mortars was never built. The galleries extend along the length of the Monte Grosso ridge.[10]

History

On 15 June 1940, as Italian troops advanced into France, Monte Grosso fired on Italian mortar positions. On the 20th, it received fire from Italian 149mm guns, with a hit on its 75mm turret. The gun remained in operation[1]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Kaufmann 2006, p. 17
  2. Mary, Tome 4, p. 29
  3. Puelinckx, Jean; Aublet, Jean-Louis; Mainguin, Sylvie (2010). "Monte Grosso (go du) Bloc 1". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  4. Puelinckx, Jean et al. (2010). "Monte Grosso (go du) Bloc 3". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  5. Puelinckx, Jean et al. (2010). "Monte Grosso (go du) Bloc 4". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  6. Puelinckx, Jean et al. (2010). "Monte Grosso (go du) Bloc 5". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  7. Puelinckx, Jean et al. (2010). "Monte Grosso (go du) Bloc 6". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  8. Puelinckx, Jean et al. (2010). "Monte Grosso (go du) Bloc 7". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  9. Puelinckx, Jean et al. (2010). "Monte Grosso (go du) Bloc 8". Index de la Ligne Maginot (in French). fortiff.be. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  10. Mary, Tome 5, p. 56–57

Bibliography

External links