12th April 1945

L’Authion falls. At 1330 hours, the Fort of La Forca, attacked from Les Mille Fourches is taken with no losses. At 1900 hours the surrounded Fort of Plan Caval surrendered.La Redoute de la Pointe des Trois Communes remains to be taken: “Barely had the order been given to attack when a tank of naval fusiliers breaks ranks with the others and heads alone and with no infantry towards La Redoute... on its own initiative”. It “slowly climbed up along the hairpin bends. It stopped in front of the drawbridge. A white flag emerged from an arrow slit”.At 2030 hours, “the conquest of thus came to an end with the bizarre sight of a tank driven by naval fusiliers taking a stronghold at the top of a mountain at 2000m altitude!” (General Y. Gras).In the Escarène cemetery, a mausoleum was built in memory of the soldiers who fell during the conquest of the fortress of L'Authion.