FRENCH COUNTER-OFFENSIVES—CLEARING VERDUN
October–December, 1916–August, 1917
The French Offensive of October 24th, 1916, on the Right Bank of the Meuse
From August, 1916, the Germans, in consequence of the Franco-British offensive in the Somme, gradually abandoned Verdun, in which venture she had sacrificed the pick of her troops. The army of Verdun took advantage of this to regain the initiative of the operations.
General Mangin in front of his Post of Commandment.
Under the command of General Mangin the French attacked from Thiaumont to Laufée Wood on October 24th, 1916, the artillery preparation by 650 guns, including the new 15-inch and 16-inch mortars, beginning on October 20th. On the 22nd a feint attack enabled French aeroplanes to locate 158 enemy batteries, which were heavily shelled the next day.
That the Germans did not realise the position was evident from the Crown Prince’s announcement that he had broken a strong French attack. The real attack took place on the morning of the 24th (see map, [p. 20]).
The German front was held on the first line by seven divisions. The French attacked with three divisions: the 38th (Guyot de Salins), supported on the left by the 11th line regiment; the 133rd (Passaga), known as “La Gauloise”; the 74th (de Lardemelle).
The attack was a brilliant success and gave the French the Haudromont quarries, Thiaumont redoubt and farm, Douaumont fort and village, the northern edge of Caillette Wood, Vaux pond, the eastern edge of Fumin Wood and Damloup battery. On the 24th and 25th more than 6,000 prisoners, fifteen guns, and considerable quantities of material, were captured. On November 2nd, when the French re-entered Vaux Fort, abandoned by the enemy, they practically reoccupied their positions of February 24th.
The Approaches of Tavannes Fort.
The French Offensive of December 15th, 1916, on the Right Bank of the Meuse
To completely clear Verdun to the east of the Meuse and give greater freedom to the reconquered forts of Vaux and Douaumont, General Mangin organised a new attack. A great amount of preparatory work was done by the army of Verdun, including about eighteen miles of road (whereof one of logs laid transversely for the artillery), more than six miles of narrow-gauge railway, and a network of trenches and depots for munitions and material. As soon as these very considerable preparations, often carried out under heavy enemy shell-fire, were finished, the attacking troops took up their positions: the 126th D.I. (Muteau), 38th D.I. (Guyot de Salins), 37th D.I. (Garnier-Duplessis) and 133rd D.I. (Passaga), with the 123rd, 128th, 21st and 6th D.I. as reserves. Two lines of artillery prepared and sustained the attack: one from Vacherauville to Thiaumont, Fleury and Souville, the other passing through Belleville, St. Michel Hill and Tavannes Fort. The six-mile German front from Vacherauville to Bezonvaux was held by five divisions in the first line, with four divisions in reserve.
On December 15th, while Germany was proposing that France should ask for peace, the reply came in the form of attacking waves protected by a moving curtain of artillery fire.
Several of the objectives, including Vacherauville, Poivre Hill, Hill 342 and the first and second lines before Louvemont, were reached in a few minutes at a single bound. Albain and Chauffour Woods, those in front of Douaumont and Helly Ravine, took longer to capture. To the east La Vauche Wood was carried at the point of the bayonet, Caurières Wood passed, and the edges of Chaume Wood reached. The farm of Les Chambrettes and village of Bezonvaux were taken on the following days. The success was considerable, more than 11,000 prisoners, including 300 officers, 115 guns, several hundred machine-guns and important depots of munitions and material, being captured. The enemy who, in July, had been within a few hundred yards of Souville Fort, was now more than three miles away. In June, the Frankfort Gazette, celebrating the German successes at Verdun, declared: “We have clinched our victory and none can take it from us,” but on December 18th they had lost all the ground it had taken five months and enormous sacrifices to conquer.
Hill 304 recaptured. (Photographed August 24th, 1917. See [p. 24])
In congratulating the troops General Mangin reminded them that Germany had just invited France to sue for peace, adding that they had been “the true ambassadors of the Republic.”
Fontaines Ravine, West of Bezonvaux.
The French Offensive of August 20th, 1917
The Army of Verdun, under General Guillaumat, completed the clearing of the city on both banks of the Meuse.
GENERAL GUILLAUMAT
On August 20th, 1917, eight divisions attacked from Avocourt Wood on the west to Bezonvaux on the east, along a fifteen-mile front. Avocourt Wood, Mort-Homme, Corbeaux Wood and Oie Hill on the left bank; Talou Hill, the villages of Champ, Neuville and Champneuville, Hill 344, parts of Fosses Wood, Chaume Wood and Mormont Farm, on the right bank, were captured by the French, who, the next day, also took Samogneux and Regnéville. Hill 304, which had thus far resisted, was likewise captured. On the 26th a further attack from Mormont Redoubt to Chaume Wood brought the French to the southern outskirts of Beaumont. From the 20th to the 26th August the captures include 9,500 prisoners, thirty guns, 100 trench mortars and 242 machine-guns.
The American Offensive of September 26th, 1918
(See Panorama, [pp. 106] and [107])
The clearing of Verdun was entirely and definitely effected in the autumn of 1918.
While the 4th French Army, under General Gouraud, attacked between the Moronvillers Hills and Argonne on September 26th, the American Army, under General Pershing, took the offensive between the Argonne and the Meuse.
Artillery preparation commenced at 2.30 a.m. and lasted three hours. At 5.30 a.m. the Americans attacked with great dash the redoubtable enemy positions on the left bank of the Meuse, capturing Malancourt, Béthincourt and Forges. Keeping up with the infantry, the artillery crossed the Forges stream during the morning. The woods, very strongly defended, were cleared of the enemy, and by noon the Americans had reached Gercourt, Cuisy, the southern part of Montfaucon and Cheppy.
In the afternoon a desperate battle was engaged on the positions covering the redoubtable ridge of Montfaucon, the most important enemy observation-post in the region of Verdun. The Americans wisely turned the ridge on the right, advancing as far as Septsarges. By evening Montfaucon was surrounded. The advance, now slower, continued on the 27th and 28th, despite German counter-attacks. To the west of Montfaucon, Ivoiry and Epinouville were captured, and thus the ridge fell. The Americans took 8,000 prisoners and 100 guns.
The Franco-American Offensive of October, 1918
On the right bank of the Meuse, a French army corps and American troops, under General Pershing, joined in the struggle, capturing Brabant, Haumont, Haumont Wood and Caures Wood, while the famous line from which, in February, 1916, the Crown Prince’s army had attacked Verdun, was soon reached and passed. By the end of October more than 20,000 prisoners, 150 guns, nearly 1,000 trench-mortars and several thousand machine-guns, had been captured, while unconquered Verdun was definitely lost to the Germans. Their retreat was now destined to continue uninterruptedly until the Armistice.
Renault Tanks and American Troops on the old French Lines at Regnéville.
The German Advance
and the ground reconquered (Sectioned zones) by the
French and American armies
[The left-hand side of the two-page map above]
[The right-hand side of the two-page map above]