Ouvrage Monte Grosso | |
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Part of Maginot Line, Alpine Line | |
Southeast France | |
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 | |
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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.
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]
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]