History
The Italian Modena Division attacked toward Castillon beginning on 22 June 1940 as part of an advance on Sospel, but was unable to advance before the armistice of 25 June. Italian troops attacked the avants-postes at Pierre-Pontue and Scuvion, but were discouraged by fire from Castillon itself on the 22nd. Further action took place the next day around the avants-postes, which were supported by fire from Ouvrage Barbonnet and Ouvrage Mont Agel as well as Castillon.
In 1944 Castillon was a center of German resistance to Operation Dragoon. On 10 September 1944 Castillon was attacked by American troops, supported by land and naval artillery, largely destroying the entry block, which faced toward the guns, and heavily damaging the combat blocks. The French battleship Lorraine participated in the bombardment. Castillon was abandoned by the Germans on 25 October 1944.
Castillon's war damage was repaired in the 1950s as part of a program to restore many of the gros ouvrages to military usefulness against an advance through Italy by the Warsaw Pact. However, by the 1970s nearly all ouvrages were decommissioned and sold. Castillon had already been decommissioned in 1964. The ouvrage is owned by the commune of Castillon, but is presently abandoned.
Read more about this topic: Ouvrage Castillon
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