=On February 21st 1916=, at 7.15 a.m., the enemy opened fire on the
two banks of the Meuse, over a front of 40 kilometres. Simultaneously
Verdun was systematically bombarded, the last residents being
evacuated by the military authority at midday on the 25th.
For nine hours, all the enemy guns and trench mortars kept up a
running fire without intermission. In all the woods adjoining
the front it was a regular fire-work display. A feature of this
overwhelming bombardment was the enormous proportion of heavy calibre
shells, 150's and 210's coming over like hailstones.
Under this deluge of projectiles all trenches were levelled, the
woods became a twisted mass of trunks and branches, and villages
collapsed and were blotted out.
The infantry attack was launched at 4.15 p.m. just before dusk, from
the Haumont-Ornes wood.
Three army corps, the 7th, 18th and 3rd advanced. They thought that
they had only to march, with their rifles slung, over ground like a
ploughed field.
The 51st (Boulengé) and 72nd Divisions (Bapst) of the 30th Corps
(Chrétien) sustained the first shock and for three days covered the
arrival of French reinforcements.
A heroic combat followed the most formidable artillery preparation
hitherto known. The chasseurs of Colonel Driant resisted the attack,
inch by inch, in the wood of Caures. By nightfall the advance of the
enemy was insignificant compared with their losses. They succeeded,
however, in capturing the wood of Haumont.
=On the 22nd=, with snow falling, the bombardment was resumed with,
if possible, greater intensity. Colonel Driant in the wood of
Caures was outflanked on both sides and died fighting, after first
evacuating his chasseurs to Beaumont.
Meanwhile the sectors of Woëvre and the left bank of the Meuse were
subjected to violent bombardment.
The fighting =on the 23rd= was even more furious. Brabant fell
into the hands of the enemy after a fierce resistance by the 351st
Infantry Regiment, which clung desperately to the ruins of Samogneux
until nightfall. Further east the battle raged fiercely. The French
counter-attacked unsuccessfully at Caures Wood and were attacked at
Herbebois. The 51st Infantry Division, fell back, making the enemy
pay dearly for his progress towards Fosses Wood. In the evening, the
front extended along the Samogneux-Beaumont-Ornes line. Samogneux
was captured by the enemy during the night. The situation was very
critical.
=On the 24th=, the enemy brought up fresh storm troops and, although
harassed by the French artillery on the left bank of the Meuse, they
succeeded in taking Hill 344 to the East of Samogneux, Fosses Wood
and the village of Ornes. But on the same day French reinforcements
arrived, namely the 37th Infantry Division of the 7th Corps, the 31st
and 306th Brigades of the 20th Corps under General Balfourier who
provisionally took charge from the Meuse to the Woëvre. At the same
time also General Pétain took over the command of the army of Verdun
from General de Castelnau.
=On the 25th=, the 37th Infantry Division, with orders to defend
Talou Hill and Louvemont village, resisted for a long time against
incredibly furious attacks, but on their right the enemy succeeded in
capturing Vauche Wood and, advancing towards Douaumont, carried the
fort by surprise (_see page 88_). However, their efforts to take the
village failed before the heroic tenacity of the 31st Brigade, while
the 94th Infantry Division, covered itself with glory. The enemy
advance from this side had the effect of compelling the 31st Infantry
Division to abandon Talou Hill.
During this time, in Woëvre, the front which was a dangerous salient
and only very lightly held, was withdrawn to the foot of the Meuse
Hills. This falling back was carefully cloaked and under cover of a
rearguard action a new front was organised.
Taking over the command on the night of the 25th, General Pétain at
once divided the battle-line into four sectors, officered as follows:
General Bazelaire, on the left bank, from Avocourt to the river;
General Guillaumat, from the Meuse to Douaumont; General Balfourier,
from this point to the Woëvre; General Duchesne, on the Meuse Heights.
There were no trenches, but he ordered that the forts should at least
be connected by a continuous line of entrenchments to be made while
the battle was at its height and which the "poilus", in their disdain
for the shovel and pick, called the "Panic Line". The entire 59th
Division was told off to build the earthworks on the second and third
lines. Thirteen battalions kept in repair the road from Bar-le-Duc to
Verdun, via Souilly (the =Sacred Way=), which became the main artery
for re-victualling the place in men and munitions, and along which
1,700 motor lorries passed each way daily. Lastly, General Pétain
managed to imbue all ranks with his energy and faith, and the enemy's
drive was stopped.
Indeed, during =the day of the 26th=, the 39th Division (Nourisson),
which had relieved the 37th, repulsed all attacks on Poivre Hill,
while the 31st Brigade continued to hold Douaumont until relieved in
the evening by the 2nd Division (Guignabaudet).
On the following days the fighting continued about and in the streets
of Douaumont, which the enemy finally captured on March 4th. The
Germans now began to show signs of weakening. Their effort on the
right bank had failed. Checked at Douaumont, they were taken in the
rear by the French positions on the left bank, and were obliged to
modify their plans. From that time they operated simultaneously or
successively on both banks.
[Illustration: GENERAL PÉTAIN AMONG THE SOLDIERS.]
[Illustration: IN CAURES WOOD A COMPANY OF CHASSEURS MANNING A
TRENCH.--COLONEL DRIANT.]
[Illustration: WEST OF DOUAUMONT, STARTING OUT ON A COUNTER-ATTACK
(MARCH 1916).]
[Illustration: THE CROWN PRINCE REVIEWING HIS MEN AT CHARLEVILLE.]
[Illustration: ON THE "SACRED WAY" (MARCH 1916).]
[Illustration: REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVING ON THE "SACRED WAY" (MARCH
1916).]
[Illustration: SECOND STAGE.--THE GERMAN ATTACK ON THE TWO FLANKS
(MARCH-APRIL 1916).
_The central attack which was to capture Verdun and force back the
French wings failed before it came to a head. The Germans, caught
on the flank by the French artillery on the left bank of the Meuse
attacked all at once, then alternately on both banks._]
2.--=The battle on the flanks= (_March-April 1916_).
The German offensive was unable on the right bank of the Meuse to
yield the expected results. The enemy intended to combine operations
on both banks.
=On March 6th=, two German divisions attacked from Bethincourt to
Forges, where the French front was held by the 67th Division (Aimé)
and succeeded in taking Forges and Regnéville, but were checked by
the positions on Oie Hill.
Continuing their advance, =on the 7th=, they succeeded in capturing
these positions, as well as Corbeaux Wood. The village of Cumières
was the scene of terrible fighting, but remained in the hands of the
French, while further to the west the enemy's attacks broke down at
Mort-Homme (_See page 112_).
=On March 8th=, while on the left bank French troops retook Corbeaux,
on the right bank the Germans brought into line units of five army
corps and began a general attack, which failed with very heavy
losses, their only gain being the capture of part of Vaux village.
=On the 9th=, they succeeded in getting a footing on the slopes of
Mort-Homme, but at the other end of the battle-line their attack on
Vaux Fort failed. Their radiograms announcing the capture of the fort
were untrue (_See page 68_).
=On the 10th=, Corbeaux Wood was taken by the Germans and the French
withdrew to the line Bethincourt-Mort-Homme, south of the Corbeaux
and Cumières Woods. The battle continued in the village and in front
of Vaux Fort, strongly held by the French. The enemy temporarily
ceased his massed attacks. In reality his offensive had failed.
=On March 10th=, Joffre was able to say to the soldiers of Verdun:
_"For three weeks you have withstood the most formidable attack
which the enemy has yet made. Germany counted on the success of this
effort, which she believed would prove irresistible, and for which
she used her best troops and most powerful artillery. She hoped by
the capture of Verdun to strengthen the courage of her Allies and
convince neutrals of German superiority. But she reckoned without
you! The eyes of the country are on you. You belong to those of whom
it will be said: "They barred the road to Verdun!"_
=From March 11th to April 9th= the aspect of the battle changed. Wide
front attacks gave place to local actions, short, violent and limited
in scope. On March 14th the enemy captured, from the 75th Brigade,
Hill 265 forming the Western portion of Mort-Homme, but they failed
to take the Eastern portion. On the 20th, Avocourt and Malancourt
Woods fell into the hands of the Bavarians, and after a fierce
struggle the village of Malancourt was lost, and then Bethincourt on
April 8th. On the right bank, after powerful attacks near Vaux, the
enemy reached Caillette Wood and the Vaux-Fleury railway, only to be
driven back by the 5th Division (Mangin).
A furious attack was made along both banks by the Germans at noon =on
April 9th=; on the left bank, five divisions were engaged, failing
everywhere except at the Mort-Homme, where, despite the heroic
resistance of the 42nd Division (Deville), they gained a footing on
the N. E. slopes; on the right bank, Poivre Hill was attacked but
remained in French hands.
On the following day in his order of the day, General Pétain
promulgated his famous message "_Courage ... we shall beat them!_"
(_Reproduction page 30_).
=On April 30th=, General Nivelle superseded in supreme command of the
Verdun forces General Pétain who had been appointed to the command
of the central army group.
"_April 9th was a glorious day for our armies_", General
Pétain declared in his order of the day dated the 10th, "_the
furious attacks of the soldiers of the Crown Prince broke down
everywhere. The infantry, artillery, sappers and aviators of the
2nd Army vied with one another in valour._
"_Honour to all._
"_No doubt the Germans will attack again. Let all work and
watch, that yesterday's success be continued._
"_Courage! We shall beat them!_"