Verdun

1916 Front- reserve

German prospects were bright at the end of 1915. They had pushed Russians out of Poland; Serbia was defeated; German subs successful and Hipper's battle-cruisers bombarded British coast. 1915 was the least successful year of the war for the Allies. Britain lost Battle of Loos (lost 50,380 to German 20,000) and French lost battle of Champagne (242,000 to German 141,000), both due to lack of heavy artillery and ammunition.

1915 Dec. 6 - Joffre held historic commanders conference at Chantilly, wanted to go on the attack, but Falkenhayn's plan would determine French strategy.

1915 Dec. - Falkenhayn plan approved by kaiser at imperial conference (after the war Falkenhayn would write his "Christmas Memorandum"). He wanted to bleed France to death by attacking Verdun and Belfort, met the kaiser at Potsdam in mid-Dec. The kaiser's son, the Crown Prince Rupprecht of Bavaria, would lead the attack on Verdun, but the Prince wanted to seize the fortress, while Falkenhayn only wanted to destroy the French army. Falkenhayn was ruthless, had authorized first gas attack at Ypres, unrestricted sub warfare, duelling in the army, had Junker contempt for the masses and the press, ignored casualties. But was indecisive and too cautious in battle. He was a cold fish, "the lonely general" hated by subordinates, had a pathological secretiveness.

Verdun was located at ancient Roman fortified camp of "Virodunum" the three heirs of Charlemagne signed Treaty of Verdun 843 that divided Europe among them and gave birth to German nation. Verdun was part of France, then in 923 to Germany, then in 1552 to France, fortified by Vauban 1600s, was the last French fortress to fall in 1870. After losing in 1870, Serre de Rivieres built two lines of defenses, one from Belfort along Swiss border to Epinal; another from Toul on the Moselle along the Meuse to Verdun. The fulcrum and center of this defense line was Verdun. The oak woods covered steep hills of the Meuse that surrounded Verdun, forming ridges and valleys much different from the flat land of Flanders and Champagne, with forts built on the crest of each ridge, 20 major and 40 minor forts, including most powerful Douaumont at 1200 ft high, the sector had been quiet since Oct. 1914, had reputation as the strongest fortress in the world. Verdun Gate

1916 Jan. 1 - Op Gericht was secret (meant a tribunal or judgement or execution place); plans for Op Black Forest against Belfort were never to be used. German artist Franz Marc painted camoflage nets. Falkenhayn depended on masses of artillery, 1220 guns, including 13 Big Berthas with 17-inch calibre transported in 172 pieces by 20 wagons and assembled in 20 hours, concussion when fired broke windows 2 miles around. Germans put men in concrete undergraound galleries called Stollen, instead of visible advance trenches, but farther away, 1000 yards. For the 1st time, Germans used airplanes in support of ground troops, amassed 168 planes, 14 balloons, 4 zeps to protect ground troops from French aircraft.

Feb 12 - Germans ready to attack with 850 guns facing 270 French; 72 battalions facing 34 French battalions, but bad weather caused postponement until Feb. 21. Verdun was a failure of French intelligence capabilites, and of Herr's Deuxieme Bureau - just before the battle, Germans had broken up the French spy ring of Louis de Bettignies, and 60 agents disappeared, leaving France in the dark about German plans. France did not have anyone at Verdun who could analyze aerial photos, and French did not see any assembly trenches, and identified only 70 gun emplacements.

Feb 20 - at Revigny 30 mi behind Verdun, French 75 shot down German zep on a sharp, clear night with moonlight, but coming weather would be cold, below freezing at night, with snow and freezing rain and heavy mist.

Feb. 21 - The first day of the Battle of Verdun began at 7 am with a German 9-hour barrage, including a Krupp 380mm naval gun firing a shell 20 miles into the Bishop's Palace in Verdun (but missed the vital Meuse bridges); the photos of damaged cathedrals and peasant villages became staples of Allied propaganda. After 1 hr bombardment, telephones to the front had been cut off; after 8 hrs, command structure destroyed, gas shells silenced French gunners. German soldiers unscrewed spikes from helmets to avoid wires and entanglement in woods, put on white brassards for recognition, German officers turned caps around, began ground assault at 4 pm, some singing "Preussens Gloria" song. The infantry were led by stormtroops who advanced in small groups, used terrain (not in waves like British at Somme), cut wires with oxyacetylene torches, used flamethrowers against French cement blockhouses.

Feb. 22 - German minethrowers blasted gaps in French wire 20 yds wide, German overran 1st line of trenches in the Bois d'Haumont and the Bois de Ville thru gaps found in French defense, Driant evacuated his HQ at Bois des Caures that he had held all day and was killed retreating to Beaumont, but he was honored for holding the lines for 1 critical day and slowing the German advance.

Feb. 23 - Germans took Brabant and Beaumont and Samogneux and Hill 344, and French 51st and 72nd Division destroyed.

Feb. 24 - In this critical cay for the French defenders, German artillery bombardment continued, destroyed the African 37th Div and Germans took the French 3rd defense line, and whole French Right Bank lost. French nervous crews blew up own guns, including the great naval 240s at Cumieres and Vaux. German 380s cut the railroad to Paris and many of the roads, slowing ambulances with wounded.

Feb. 25 - German 24th Brandenburg took Fort Douaumont that had concrete ceiling 8 ft thick, like sandwich, with 4-ft layer of sand between concrete layers (unlike Belgian forts), and all covered with earth, so German 420s did little damage, but French infantry did not defend the fort, and German 24th covered 3/4 mile in a very fast 25 mins, a record for WWI. At 3:45 pm Sgt. Kunze found an opening into the moat that was deserted, formed human pyramid to reach gunport, squeezed through and entered the fort. Later other units from the 24th entered the fort and by 4:30 pm was in German hands, without a single shot fired. That night, Verdun was evacuated and the defense line began to be moved to the Left Bank along Belleville Ridge.

Despite the heavy losses of the French, Gen. de Castelnau of GQG still had his fighting spirit, was known as the "Fighting Friar" because he kept with him his private chaplain, a Jesuit priest also his nephew, received permission from Joffre to inspect the front lines after midnight of the 24th, reached Verdun early morning of Feb. 25 and on his own ordered Petain to reform the defense line on the Right Bank, even as the Germans were seizing Fort Douamont at the same time. Petain took command of the Verdun defense eve of Feb. 25 and at midnight ordered the French army to "Hold fast." he came down with pneumonia and confined to bed for next week, but still directed the defense from his sickbed, ordered the artillery to begin firing. The road to Bar-le-Duc had been widened in 1915 to 7 yards to allow two-way traffic, and Petain ordered Major Richard to use the road for supply, assembled 3500 vehicles, became the "Voie Sacree" (term coined by Maurice Barres). When the frozen road thawed Feb. 28, Major Richard covered it with gravel.

Feb. 27- Battle for Douaumont Village began, French sent in regiments to stop the German attack, young Capt. Charles de Gaulle was captured by the Germans when the village fell Mar. 4

Mar. - French 155s became effective and accurate, killed 7000 of Franz Marc's horses in one day. German artillery turned out to have left much of the French artillery and machine gun emplacements untouched. Leadership of German Fifth Army by Crown Prince criticized as too cautious, esp the emph on probes only Feb 21-24, and Falkenhayn critd for only attacking Right Bank when he should have attacked both banks.

Mar. 6 - "Battle of the Wings" began with German attack on the Left Bank, especially le Mort Homme ridges and valleys running at right angles to the river, topped by twin hills; its clear field of vision at 900 ft elevation would allow German to fire of the French guns.

Mar. - Vaux village changed hands 13 times in March; German attack delayed by lack of ammunition.

Mar 14 - another attack on Mort Homme with 6 divisions, but stopped by French guns on Cote 304.

Mar. 20 - French disaster, lost Bois d'Avocourt.

Apr 2 - Nivelle and Mangin renewed French offensive operations; Apr 19 Joffre promoted Niville to lead Second Army

Apr. 9 - German full attack on both banks and the Mort Homme and the Cote 304, but French lines held and French guns stopped Germans.

Apr. 10 - rained for 12 days, then on May 3, new German bombardment began on Mort Homme and Cote 304, for 2 days, then 3 days of graound attack to win Cote 304, the first breach in the "Line of Resistance" created by Petain. By end of May, Germans took Mort Homme.

May 8 - accidental explosion in Fort Douaumont, killing 650 Germans

May 17 - Nivelle began major offensive against Fort Douaumont, with 5-day bombardment from 300 guns, incl 4 of the 370s mortars; French ground attack on May 22 was too little, Petain had wanted a big German attack on a broader front than just the fort.

Boelcke and his Fokker pilots maintaned German superiority in the air war in February and March, using the new technique of flying in group formation. But by the end of May at Verdun, French planes outnumbered the German planes (but not elsewhere where the air war was mostly German vs British). German planes never bombed the crucial road, or the Meuse bridges (only 1 of the 34 was blown up, by an accidental French demolition charge). The Nieuport in spring 1916 flew 107 mph, the first plane able to compete with the Germans at Verdun, Before, French guns jammed, often firing by mistake on landing killing ground crews; Germans could fire 1000 rounds without reloading magazine, French only 47. At Verdun, French pilots formed "Groupe des Cigognes" (the Storks), including the great Guynemer with 54 kills by his Sept. 1917 death.

May 18 - Corp Kiffin Rockwell of North Carolin shot down a German reconnaissance plane, the first kill of the new 124 squadron called the Lafayette Escadrille, that had been formed Apr 16 by Norman Prince and Dr. Edmund Gros who created the American Ambulance Field Service in France, with 7 American pilots under 2 French officers, equipped with new Nieuports. On May 18, the squadron was assigned to Verdun. On May 24, William Thaw shot down a Fokker , was first American awarded Legion of Honor. That same day, Bert Hall shot down a plane and was also wounded. The squadron attracted much publicity, and made Americans sympathetic to the French in the war.

June 1 - The battle entered its deadliest phase, with German Op May Cup assault on the Right Bank; Germans had 2200 to French 1777 artillery pieces, but Big Bertha 420s no longer effective; ammo dump of 450,000 shells hit by French in Forest of Spincourt in June. German assaults on Fort Vaux, but French under Raynal held out, June 5 sent last carrier pigeon to Verdun with message asking for relief, bird had been gassed, fell dead after landing, the only pigeon to be given Legion of Honor. Raynal had to surrender the fort June 7. Focus of battle in June and July was Thiaumont that commanded approaches to Souville.

June 4 - Brusilov offensive was to help France relieve the pressure at Verdun; Austrian front collapsed, lost 400,000 pows, was one of Russia's great successes in the war. Falkenhayn was force to send 3 divisions from the Western Front and to temporarily suspend a June 8 offensive at Verdun, and the offensive against Fort Souville was delayed to June 23, giving Nivelle valuable time to repair defenses.

June 23 - Souville offensive began with gas shells fired in the evening of June 22, for the first time with phosgene, the "Green Cross Gas" because shells marked with green cross, designed to penetrate French gas masks, killed all living things plant and animal, wiped out the French artillery units, but gasmasks did better than Germans thought, only 1600 gas casualties, and gas settled down into hollows leaving French guns on higher ground untouched, and Knobelsdorf did not fire all his gas shells. German ground attack began 5 am June 23, overran Ouvrage de Thiaumont, the command post Four Chimneys on edge of Ravine des Vignes. Souville attack had 30,000 Alpine Corps of Gen von Dellmensingen. Alpine Corps included Lt. Col. Ritter von Epp, and Lt. Paulus, and the Bavarian Life Guards Regiment trained in stormtrooper tactics took Fleury. But hot day, Germans ran out of water; Boelcke had left Verdun and French regained air superiority; French defesese were very thin, but German Fifth Army had lost 3 divisions to Eastern Front, German attack was too narrow with salient at Fleury, allowing French to retrain guns on small area, and German attack unable to continue after June 23.

June 24 -Haig's guns began 7-day bombardment on the Somme, then attack began July 1, British with 25 divisions, but French with only 14 instead of planned 40 divisions, due to Verdun. Yet Foch's army, led by the Iron Corps transferred from Verdun, had most success at the Somme, advanced slowly in small groups floowing the terrain, as they had learned at Verdun. British advanced at steady walk in straight lines, spaced from each other by 2-3 paces, each line 100 yards beind the other, carrying 66-lb packs into what Churchill described as "undoubtedly the strongest and most perfectly defended position in the world." - Haig lost 60,000 on July 1, including 20,000 dead.

July- Germans took High Battery south of Fort Vaux that had blocked German advance to Souville; German 50th Div used heavy short-range mortar, then removed fuzes from shells to fool French into thinking they were duds and German attack would end, but German infantry did attack and took the High Battery of 100 men and 3 machine guns, but 3 days rain postponed German attack.

July 10 - German artillery fired Green Cross shells, but French had been equipped with new gas mask, and held their fire until German infantry advanced, then opened up with 75s with great accuracy, devastating the Bavarian Leib Regiment of Ritte von Epp. 30 German troopers of the 140th Regiment reached Fort Souville by end of July 10, claimed they saw the twin spires of Verdun cathedral, the highwater mark of the German attack on Verdun. The 140th signaled for help, but no German units were available, and the Fort was retaken by the French.

July 12 - Mangin launched French counterattack after Germans were stopped July 11, but failed. Petain ordered halt until preparations could be made for a grand offensive.

Aug. - Allied morale rose in August 1916, they were attacking at Somme, in Russia, in Italy, in Near East, and Germans had been stopped at Verdun.

Aug 23 - Knobelsdorf sent to the Eastern Front; when Rumania entered the war Aug. 27, Falkenhayn resigned Aug. 28, replaced by Hindenburg and Ludendorff who visited the Western Front for the first time, were horrified at the losses of Verdun, ordered all attacks to stop

Sept. 4 - tragedy at the Tavannes Tunnel where a fire ignited petrol and ammo, killed over 500.

Oct. 19 - French began bombardment of Fort Douaumont, most Germans withdrew Oct. 23, French advanced 3km Oct. 24 with help of a "creeping barrage" designed by Nivelle, and retook Fort, virtually empty, by Oct. 25. Much fog and mist obscured the French airplanes, 20 crashed.

Nov. 2 - French retook Fort Vaux, had been evacuated by Germany; Dec. 15 offensive retook Louvemont and Bezonvaux 2 miles beyong Douaumont.

Dec. 27 - Due to losses suffered at Verdun and Somme, Joffre was removed from command Dec. 27, replaced by Robert Nivelle due to his reconquest of Douaumont.

1917 Apr. 16 - Nivelle planned great Spring Offensive for 1917 at the Chemin des Dames overlooking the River Aisne, heavily defended by Germany, using a saturation bombardemnt followed by a creeping barrage, but Germany had adjusted to a defense in depth. The attack began April 16, advanced half mile because Germans pulled back from front lines, but then met thousands of machine guns, with 120,000 casualties in 2 days, overwhelming medical services and hospital trains

1917 May 3 - French mutiny began with 21st Division, ringleaders shot, Division sent into battle and was destroyed, next the 120th Regiment refuse,d then the 128th, 20,000 deserted, mutineers advanced on Paris, mutiny spread to 54 divisions, but Germans and British unaware.

1917 May - Petain replaced Nivelle as commander, visited 100 divisions in person, promised no more Nivelle-like offensives, said he was waiting for the Americans and their tanks, began reforms: more leave, station canteens, lavatories, showers , beds, better cooks, better pinard wine, but French army was never the same after the Mutinies. Petain remained CinC, but Foch promoted to Supreme Commander of all Allied armies in France.

Verdun has been called the worst battle in history, lasted longer than Stalingrad's 5 months, higher proportion of casualties to troops than Somme, highest number dead per square mile of battlefield, highest combined casualties of at least 700,000 (possibly 1.25 million), including 420,000 dead (150,000 corpses later collected and buried in the huge Ossuaire) and body parts still being discovered today. 9 villages around Verdun vanished, inhabitants never returned, like Fleury and Douaumont and Cumieres and Ornes and Beaumont. Topsoil disappeared, nothing would grow; not until 1930 would fir trees grow on the slopes of Mort Homme, when nothing else would, but remained an eery forest.



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