Verdun (French Attack on Fort Douaumont)

The French assault to retake Fort Douaumont began at 11:50 AM, 22 May. The plan called for a three-pronged attack. On the left, the 36th Infantry Regiment managed to capture the Morchée Trench, but it was costly and the regiment …

1916-05-22

249

The French assault to retake Fort Douaumont began at 11:50 AM, 22 May. The plan called for a three-pronged attack. On the left, the 36th Infantry Regiment managed to capture the Morchée Trench, but it was costly and the regiment became pinned down and could advance no further. The 74th, on the right, could not make any progress and only the 129th Infantry Regiment in the center made it to the fort. By nightfall, only a small portion of the fort was under French control.

Fort Douaumont, France

The Battle of Verdun, was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse. The German 5th Army attacked the defences of the Fortified Region of Verdun and those of the French Second Army on the right (east) bank of the Meuse. Using the experience of the Second Battle of Champagne in 1915, the Germans planned to capture the Meuse Heights, an excellent defensive position with good observation for artillery-fire on Verdun. The Germans hoped that the French would commit their strategic reserve to recapture the position and suffer catastrophic losses at little cost to the Germans.

Wikipedia: Battle of Verdun

German

French