20 October – 2 November Battle of Verdun

in october 1916 french began 1ère bataille offensive de verdun (first offensive battle of verdun), recapture fort douaumont, advance of more 2 km (1.2 mi). 7 of 22 divisions @ verdun replaced mid-october , french infantry platoons reorganised contain sections of riflemen, grenadiers , machine-gunners. in six-day preliminary bombardment, french artillery fired 855,264 shells, including 532,926 seventy-five mm field-gun shells, 100,000 155 mm medium shells , 373 370 mm , 400 mm super-heavy shells, more 700 guns , howitzers. 2 french saint-chamond railway guns, 13 km (8.1 mi) south-west @ baleycourt, fired 400 mm (16 in) super-heavy shells, each weighing 1 short ton (0.91 t). french had identified 800 german guns on right bank capable of supporting 34th, 54th, 9th , 33rd reserve divisions, 10th , 5th divisions in reserve. @ least 20 of super-heavy shells hit fort douaumont, sixth penetrating lowest level , exploding in pioneer depot, starting fire next 7,000 hand-grenades.

the 38th division (general guyot de salins), 133rd division (general fenelon f.g. passaga) , 74th division (general charles de lardemelle) attacked @ 11:40 a.m. infantry advanced 50 m (55 yd) behind creeping field-artillery barrage, moving @ rate of 50 m (55 yd) in 2 minutes, beyond heavy artillery barrage moved in 500–1,000 m (550–1,090 yd) lifts, field artillery barrage came within 150 m (160 yd), force german infantry , machine-gunners stay under cover. germans had partly evacuated douaumont, recaptured on 24 october french marines , colonial infantry; more 6,000 prisoners , fifteen guns captured 25 october attempt on fort vaux failed. haudromont quarries, ouvrage de thiaumont , thiaumont farm, douaumont village, northern end of caillette wood, vaux pond, eastern fringe of bois fumin , damloup battery captured. heaviest french artillery bombarded fort vaux next week , on 2 november, germans evacuated fort, after huge explosion caused 220 mm shell. french eavesdroppers overheard german wireless message announcing departure , french infantry company entered fort without firing shot; on 5 november, french reached front line of 24 february , offensive operations ceased until december.