Ouvrage Billig, a ''gros ouvrage'' or large fortification of the

Maginot Line The Maginot Line (; ), named after the Minister of War (France), French Minister of War André Maginot, is a line of concrete fortifications, obstacles and weapon installations built by French Third Republic, France in the 1930s to deter invas ...

, was located in the Fortified Sector of Thionville,

Moselle The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...

in northern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It is located between the ''gros ouvrages'' Metrich and Hackenberg, facing

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. It saw relatively little action during World War II and after a period of reserve duty in the 1950s, was abandoned in the 1970s.

Design and construction

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,Kaufmann 2006, p. 25 at a cost of 65 million francs. The contractor was Ossude of Paris.Mary, Tome 1, p. 52

Description

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 of underground gallery at an average depth of 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 material. The railway continued out of the single entrance and connected to the railway system, paralleling the front in the rear zones.Mary, Tome 3, p. 98Mary, Tome 2, p. 53 *Mixed entry: Inclined ramp, two automatic rifle/anti-tank gun embrasures (JM/AC47). The mixed entry combines ammunition and personnel access, which is usually separated in a ''gros ouvrage''. *Block 1: Infantry block with one JM/ AC47 embrasure, one machine gun embrasure (JM) and two automatic rifle cloches (GFM). *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. *Block 4: Artillery block with two 75 mm gun embrasures, one 75 mm gun turret, one grenade launcher cloche (LG) and one GFM cloche. *Block 5: Artillery block with two 75 mm gun embrasures and one GFM cloche. *Block 6: Artillery block with 81 mm mortar turret and one GFM cloche. *Block 7: Observatory block with one GFM cloche, one grenade launcher cloche and one periscope cloche (VDP).

Casemates and shelters

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.

Manning

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.

History

:''See Fortified Sector of Thionville for a broader discussion of the events of 1940 in the Thionville sector of the Maginot Line.'' Billig was not subjected to significant attacks by the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

in 1940, although an aerial bomb penetrated the 81 mm mortar turret in Block 6 on 15 June, killing two.Mary, Tome 5, p. 208 The area around Billig did not become active until late June 1940, but German infiltration persisted until the June 25 armistice. Billig fired 2030 75 mm shots in support of Hackenberg on the 24th. After the armistice, Billig was used by the Germans for explosive effects testing. 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.Mary, Tome 5, pp. 139, 159 Billig was assaulted by the U.S. 90th Infantry Division in September 1944 and captured after two days of fighting, using close-assault tactics. Following its capture, Billig was used for ordnance testing by the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

. Following the war, the Maginot Line was viewed as a means of slowing an advance by

Warsaw Pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...

forces and most of the northeastern positions were renovated and rearmed. Replacement of 75 mm guns with 105 mm guns was proposed for Billig. However, the program was abandoned, and after a period of routine maintenance, Billig's status was lowered to inactive reserve, and finally abandoned.Mary, Tome 5, p. 175 Billig is abandoned and vandalised, with openings closed off to prevent access. The above-ground installations remain visible. GO Billig - EM - 30-10-04 - 21

Notes

References

Bibliography

*Allcorn, William. ''The Maginot Line 1928-45.'' Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. *Kaufmann, J.E. and Kaufmann, H.W. ''Fortress France: The Maginot Line and French Defenses in World War II'', Stackpole Books, 2006. *Kaufmann, J.E., Kaufmann, H.W., Jancovič-Potočnik, A. and Lang, P. ''The Maginot Line: History and Guide'', Pen and Sword, 2011. *Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 1.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2001. *Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 2.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. *Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 3.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2003. *Mary, Jean-Yves; Hohnadel, Alain; Sicard, Jacques. ''Hommes et Ouvrages de la Ligne Maginot, Tome 5.'' Paris, Histoire & Collections, 2009.

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Maginot Line Môle de Thionville