Ouvrage Billig
| Ouvrage Billig | |
|---|---|
| Part of Maginot Line | |
| Northeast France | |
Block 5 casemates
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 Ouvrage Billig
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| Coordinates | 49°21′00″N 6°19′00″E / 49.35°N 6.31667°E |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | France |
| Site history | |
| Built by | CORF |
| In use | Abandoned |
| Materials | Concrete, steel, deep excavation |
| Battles/wars | Battle of France, Lorraine Campaign |
| Ouvrage Billig | |
|---|---|
| Type of work: | Large artillery work (Gros ouvrage) |
|
sector └─sub-sector |
Fortified Sector of Thionville └─Sub-sector of Elzange |
| Work number: | A18 |
| Regiment: | 167th Fortress Infantry Regiment (RIF) - 151st Position Artillery Regiment(RAP) |
| Number of blocks: | 8 |
| Strength: | 521 enlisted + 16 officers |
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. It saw relatively little action during World War II and after a period of reserve duty in the 1950s, was abandoned in the 1970s.
Billig was approved for construction by CORF (Commission d'Organisation des Régions Fortifiées), the Maginot Line's design and construction agency, in June 1930 and became operational by 1935, at a cost of 65 million francs. The contractor was Ossude of Paris.
This gros ouvrage is unusual in having one entrance for both ammunition and personnel. It lacks the large "M1" magazine of other gros ouvrages. The dogleg-shaped layout is relatively short for a gros ouvrage, with less than 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) of underground gallery at an average depth of 30 metres (98 ft) from the entrance to the farthest combat block. Like all gros ouvrages, Billig was provided with a 60 cm railway running through the gallery system to provide materiel. The railway continued out the single entrance and connected to the railway system paralleling the front in the rear zones.
Several small blockhouses with machine guns and anti-tank guns were located around Billig. The Casernement d'Elzange provided peacetime above-ground barracks and support services to Billig and other ouvrages in the area.
The manning of the ouvrage in 1940 comprised 521 men and 16 officers of the 167th Fortress Infantry Regiment and the 151st Position Artillery Regiment. The units were under the umbrella of the 42nd Fortress Corps of the 3rd Army, Army Group 2.
Billig was not subjected to significant attack by the Wehrmacht in 1940, although an aerial bomb penetrated the 81mm mortar turret in Block 6 on 15 June, killing two. The area around Billig did not become active until late June 1940, but German infiltration persisted until the June 25 armistice. Billig fired 2030 75mm shots in support of Hackenberg on the 24th. After the armistice Billig was used for explosive effects testing by the Germans. Blocks 1 and 2 and the magazine of Block 5 were subjected to projectile penetration tests and gas explosions. Block 2's turret was blasted into the air, falling back into its opening.
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