Solid mass of Authion
See also: Authion (homonymy)
The massive of Authion is a whole of tops close to the south of the the Alps, associated with the Préalpes of Nice, located in the department of the the Alpes-Maritimes not far from the Col of Tightens (Franco-Italian border).
It dominates the close relations valleys of Caïros and Bévéra and is located in edge of the National park of Mercantour, in the North-East of the collar of Turini.
This solid mass, which culminates with 2080 m with the Point of the Three Communes, was regarded as a strategic position by its aspect of natural fortress, because controlling the valleys of the Vésubie and the Roya, the latter being borrowed by the road connecting Nice to the Piedmont (towards Turin).
History
The solid mass of Authion was the place of engagements of the countryside of Italy of 1793 and 1794; the French Armies of Masséna tried to conquer it to invade the Piedmont during the war against the austro-Sardinians. After a bloody failure, an operation of skirting carried out by French obliged the austro-Sardinians to evacuate their defensive positions to avoid surrounding.
At the end of the Second world war, spring 1945, the solid mass is the refuge of German troops of mountain cut off in a network from fortifications from a series from hillocks: the extremely of Forced (2078 m), fears it of the Three communes (2080 m), the extremely of the Plan Caval (1932 m) and the extremely of Thousand Forks (2042 m).
April 10th, 1945, the French units of the 1 {{free Re}} French division (DFL), of the battalion of marines of the Pacific (BIMP), the mechanized elements of the 1st regiment of Royal marines, supported by artillery and aviation, launches the attack on the German positions by the south.
Àprès of the difficult combat, the fort of Thousand Forks falls on April 11th, 1945, follow-up of the fort of Forca, the fort of the Caval Plan, then finally of fears, whose defenders will go in the evening of April 12th, 1945. The whole of the unfavourable face will crumble on April 24th, 1945.
Several hundreds of soldiers of the two camps (273 killed, 644 wounded) left their life in this battle, one of the last on the French territory, which made it possible to open the way of the Italian peaks, in order to make it possible the French troops to continue towards Piedmont in accordance with the orders of the general De Gaulle, eager to occupy of the territories in order to obtain frontier modifications during the future peace negotiations. This French attitude will lead to tensions and fixings with the American allies eager to prevent the cutting-up of the Italian territories by winners revanchists.
See too
Related article
- Release of France
External bonds
- Chart of the solid mass of Authion
- Ways of memory: Fears of the Three communes
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