First phase, 21 February – 1 March Battle of Verdun

21–26 february

unternehmen gericht (operation judgement) due begin on 12 february fog, heavy rain , high winds delayed offensive until 7:15 a.m. on 21 february, when 10-hour artillery bombardment 808 guns began. german artillery fired c. 1,000,000 shells along front 30 km (19 mi) long 5 km (3.1 mi) wide. main concentration of fire on right (east) bank of meuse river. twenty-six super-heavy, long-range guns, 420 mm (16.5 in), fired on forts , city of verdun; rumble heard 160 km (99 mi) away. bombardment paused @ midday, ruse prompt french survivors reveal , german artillery-observation aircraft able fly on battlefield unmolested french aircraft. 3rd, 7th , 18th corps attacked @ 4:00 p.m.; germans used flamethrowers first time , storm troops followed closely rifles slung, use hand grenades kill remaining defenders. tactic had been developed captain willy rohr , sturm-bataillon nr. 5 (rohr), battalion conducted attack. french survivors engaged attackers, yet germans suffered c. 600 casualties.

by 22 february, german troops had advanced 5 km (3.1 mi) , captured bois des caures, @ edge of village of flabas. 2 french battalions led colonel Émile driant had held bois (wood) 2 days forced samogneux, beaumont , ornes. driant killed, fighting 56th , 59th bataillons de chasseurs à pied , 118 of chasseurs managed escape. poor communications meant did french high command realise seriousness of attack. germans managed take village of haumont french forces repulsed german attack on village of bois de l herbebois. on 23 february, french counter-attack @ bois des caures repulsed. fighting bois de l herbebois continued until germans outflanked french defenders bois de wavrille. german attackers had many casualties during attack on bois de fosses , french held on samogneux. german attacks continued on 24 february , french xxx corps forced out of second line of defence; xx corps (general maurice balfourier) arrived @ last minute , rushed forward. evening castelnau advised joffre second army, under general pétain, should sent rfv. germans had captured beaumont, bois des fosses , bois des caurières , moving ravin hassoule, led fort douaumont.

at 3:00 p.m. on 25 february, infantry of brandenburg regiment 24 advanced ii , iii battalions side-by-side, each formed 2 waves composed of 2 companies each. delay in arrival of orders regiments on flanks, led iii battalion advancing without support on flank. germans rushed french positions in woods , on côte 347, support of machine-gun fire edge of bois hermitage. german infantry took many prisoners french on côte 347 outflanked , withdrew douaumont village. german infantry had reached objectives in fewer twenty minutes , pursued french, until fired on machine-gun in douaumont church. german troops took cover in woods , ravine led fort, when german artillery began bombard area, gunners having refused believe claims sent field telephone german infantry within few hundred metres of fort. several german parties forced advance find cover german shelling , 2 parties independently made fort. did not know french garrison made of small maintenance crew led warrant officer, since of verdun forts had been partly disarmed, after demolition of belgian forts in 1914, german super-heavy krupp 420 mm mortars.

the german party of c. 100 soldiers tried signal artillery flares twilight , falling snow obscured them view. of party began cut through wire around fort, while french machine-gun fire douaumont village ceased. french had seen german flares , took germans on fort zouaves retreating côte 378. germans able reach north-east end of fort before french resumed firing. german party found way through railings on top of ditch , climbed down without being fired on, since machine-gun bunkers (coffres de contrescarpe) @ each corner of ditch had been left unmanned. german parties continued , found way inside fort through 1 of unoccupied ditch bunkers , reached central rue de rempart. after quietly moving inside, germans heard voices , persuaded french prisoner, captured in observation post, lead them lower floor, found warrant officer chenot , 25 french troops, of skeleton garrison of fort, , took them prisoner. on 26 february, germans had advanced 3 km (1.9 mi) on 10 km (6.2 mi) front; french losses 24,000 men , german losses c. 25,000 men. french counter-attack on fort douaumont failed , pétain ordered no more attempts made; existing lines consolidated , other forts occupied, rearmed , supplied withstand siege if surrounded.

27–29 february

the german advance gained little ground on 27 february, after thaw turned ground swamp , arrival of french reinforcements increased effectiveness of defence. german artillery became unserviceable , other batteries became stranded in mud. german infantry began suffer exhaustion , unexpectedly high losses, 500 casualties being suffered in fighting around douaumont village. on 29 february, german advance contained @ douaumont heavy snowfall , defence of french 33rd infantry regiment. delays gave french time bring 90,000 men , 23,000 short tons (21,000 t) of ammunition railhead @ bar-le-duc verdun. swift german advance had gone beyond range of artillery covering fire , muddy conditions made difficult move artillery forward planned. german advance southwards brought range of french artillery west of meuse, fire caused more german infantry casualties in earlier fighting, when french infantry on east bank had fewer guns in support.

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