![]() ![]() It is believed that 66 per cent of the French Army actually passed up this road at some time during the battle. However, 25,000 tons of supplies were move into Verdun via this road, as well as 90,000 soldiers in 6,000 vehicles. There was just a single road into Verdun and it was only 20ft wide. In fact, the fort at Douaumont, which was considered to be the most powerful in the world, was manned by just 56 elderly part-time gunners who offered no resistance.Īs the forts fell, General Philippe Pétain was put in charge of the defence of Verdun, which was no easy task. The Germans then used flame throwers for the first time, which helped them advance and capture 10,000 French prisoners. ![]() Blown into showers bellies turned inside out skulls forced into the chest as if by a blow from a club." Cut in two or divided from top to bottom. The attack was devastating and one man wrote: On the day the war began, 1,000 german artillery guns fired on a six mile line along the French front. On the other hand, the French had just 30,000 troops. French senior officers at the fort complex completed to Joffre but he rejected their complaints.Īround 140,000 german troops started the attack, with 1,200 artillery guns, 1,300 ammunition trains and 168 planes, which was the largest concentration of planes up to that point in history. In some respects this was right - ammunition had been moved from the forts to the Western Front and the trenches dug for defence in the area had not been finished. While Falkenhayn’s plan was credible, it also assumed that the French would be an easy opponent that it would be them who sustained major casualties. If they do so the forces of France will bleed to death." Within our reach there are objectives for the retention of which the French General Staff would be compelled to throw in every man they have. A mass break-through - which in any case is beyond our means - is unnecessary. "The string in France has reached breaking point. In a letter to Kaiser Wilhelm II, Falkenhayn wrote: Falkenhayn believed that the French would not allow these forts to fall and so would lost as many men as they had to in order to prevent it. ![]() The area around Verdun contained 20 major forts and 40 smaller forts that had historically protected the eastern border of France and had recently been modernised. The Battle of Verdun began on 21st February 1916 and was the result of a plan by the German Chief of General Staff, General von Falkenhayn, who wanted to “bleed France white” by launching an attack on a narrow stretch of land with historic sentiment - Verdun. Yet fighting continued around Verdun until 1918.The Battle of Verdun was the longest in World War One, with the resulting casualties and impact it had on the French Army being the main factor behind the start of the Battle of the Somme. There were more than 700,000 victims – 305,000 killed and missing and 400,000 wounded (approximately), with almost identical losses on both sides. The 1916 battle ended after ten months of bitter fighting. It was empty – the Germans had already left.įrom 15 to 18 December, the French attacked again, retaking almost all the land they had lost since 21 February. On 24 October 1916, they recaptured Fort Douaumont and, a few days later, they entered Fort Vaux. In the autumn of 1916, the French counter-attacked. The Germans tried to capture the town one last time, on 11 and 12 July, but they failed again. On 1 July, the British and French launched a major offensive on the Somme, relieving some of the pressure being put on the French troops by the Germans in Verdun. In all, some 4,000 trucks, 2,000 cars, 800 ambulances, 200 buses and numerous vans passed along it.įrom 6 March 1916, the Germans also attacked on the left bank of the River Meuse yet despite furious fighting on Le Mort-Homme in March and April they were unable to breach the French front line.Īt the end of June, having taken Fort Vaux, they launched a massive attack which failed – but only just. He increased the volume of traffic along the Bar-le-Duc to Verdun road, later known as the “Sacred Way”, the only route taking men and munitions up to the battlefield. General Pétain then took command of the troops. Despite heavy shelling, the French infantrymen (known as “ Poilus”) clung on to their positions and the Germans were unable to advance any further. The French High Command was anxious to retake the fort because of its dominant position high above the battlefield. During the first few days, the Germans breached the French front lines and captured Fort Douaumont without a fight on 25 February 1916.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |