Ouvrage Billig, a gros ouvrage or large fortification of the Maginot Line, was located in the Fortified Sector of Thionville, Moselle in northern France. It is located between the gros ouvrages Metrich and Hackenberg, facing Germany.
Description
This gros ouvrage is unusual in having one entrance for
both vehicles and personnel.
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Mixed entry: Inclined ramp, two automatic
rifle/anti-tank gun embrasures (JM/AC47).
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Block 1: Infantry block with one JM/AC47 embrasure, one
machine gun embrasure (JM) and two automatic rifle cloches
(GFM).
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Block 2: Infantry block with one machine gun turret and
one GFM cloche.
-
Block 3: Infantry block with one JM/AC37 embrasure, one
JM embrasure and two GFM cloches.
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Block 4: Artillery block with two 75mm gun embrasures,
one 75mm gun turret, one grenade launcher cloche (LG) and one GFM
cloche.
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Block 5: Artillery block with two 75mm gun embrasures
and one GFM cloche.
-
Block 6: Artillery block with 81mm mortar turret and one
GFM cloche.
-
Block 7: Observatory block with one GFM cloche, one
grenade launcher cloche and one periscope cloche (VDP).
History
Billig was not subjected to significant attack by the Wehrmacht
in 1940. After World War II it was used for ordnance testing by the
U.S. Army and German Army. The ouvrage was then abandoned by
the French Army.
See also
- Siegfried Line
- Atlantic Wall
- Czechoslovak border fortifications
Notes
References
Bibliography
- Allcorn, William. The Maginot Line 1928-45. Oxford:
Osprey Publishing, 2003. ISBN 1-84176-646-1
- Kauffmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W. Fortress France: The
Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II, 2006. ISBN
0-275-98345-5
- Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et
Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 3. Paris, Histoire &
Collections, 2003. ISBN 2-913903-88-6 (French)
- Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. Hommes et
Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5. Paris, Histoire &
Collections, 2009. ISBN 978-2-35250-127-5 (French)
External
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