6–11 March Battle of Verdun

before offensive, falkenhayn had expected french artillery on west bank suppressed counter-battery fire had failed. germans set specialist artillery force counter french artillery-fire west bank failed reduce german infantry casualties. 5th army asked more troops in late february falkenhayn refused, due rapid advance achieved on east bank , because needed rest of ohl reserve offensive elsewhere, once attack @ verdun had attracted , consumed french reserves. pause in german advance on 27 february led falkenhayn have second thoughts decide between terminating offensive or reinforcing it. on 29 february, knobelsdorf, 5th army chief of staff, prised 2 divisions ohl reserve, assurance once heights on west bank had been occupied, offensive on east bank completed. vi reserve corps reinforced x reserve corps, capture line south of avocourt côte 304 north of esnes, mort-homme, bois des cumières , côte 205, french artillery on west bank destroyed.

the artillery of two-corps assault group on west bank reinforced 25 heavy artillery batteries, artillery command centralised under 1 officer , arrangements made artillery on east bank fire in support. attack planned general heinrich von gossler in 2 parts, on mort-homme , côte 265 on 6 march, followed attacks on avocourt , côte 304 on 9 march. german bombardment reduced top of côte 304 height of 304 m (997 ft) 300 m (980 ft); mort-homme sheltered batteries of french field guns, hindered german progress towards verdun on right bank; hills provided commanding views of left bank. after storming bois des corbeaux , losing french counter-attack, germans launched assault on mort-homme on 9 march, direction of béthincourt north-west. bois des corbeaux captured again @ great cost in casualties, before germans took parts of mort-homme, côte 304, cumières , chattancourt on 14 march.