Hardaumont and Caillette Woods and Douaumont Village may be visited, on foot from the fort of Douaumont.
The plateau E. and S.E. of Douaumont Fort ends in wooded slopes, which overhang Vaux (Basil) Ravine. That furthest to the E. contains Hardaumont Wood, while on the most western slope is Caillette Wood. The Germans who, on March 8th and 9th, had taken Hardaumont Redoubt, only entered Caillette Wood on April 2nd, after four days’ attacks with asphyxiating gas and liquid fire. Despite a night march of eleven miles, the 74th line regiment (5th D.I.) attacked the enemy vigorously on the morning of April 3rd. On April 3rd, 4th and 5th the French retook the wood, bit by bit. On the 15th three battalions of the 36th line regiment and units of the 120th threw back the enemy between Caillette and Fausse-Côte ravines, while on the 19th the 81st Brigade enlarged these gains. From the 24th to the 26th the Germans tried in vain to advance. On June 1st they engaged two and a half divisions before they were able to occupy the greater part of Caillette Wood. Moreover, their success was only temporary, for on October 24th the French Division of General Passaga (“La Gauloise”) drove them definitely out of Caillette Wood and partly from that of Hardaumont. Nearly two enemy divisions were put out of action and seventeen field guns, twenty-five heavy guns, including two of long range, and numerous trench mortars were captured. The reconquest of Hardaumont Wood was completed on December 15th by the same division which captured “Lorient” and Hardaumont Redoubts.
RUINS OF DOUAUMONT VILLAGE AND CHURCH.
Douaumont Village, situated below and 500 yards to the W. of the fort, was almost encircled on the evening of February 25th, but Zouaves and Tirailleurs extricated it. From the 25th to the 28th the Vth German D.I. made five furious attacks, but were unable to break down the resistance of the 95th line regiment and units of the 153rd D.I. which were defending the village. On March 2nd, after a preliminary bombardment which destroyed the village and isolated the battalion holding it, the CXIIIth German D.I., wearing French helmets, attacked at 1.15 p.m. on the N. and E. The French machine-gunners soon discovered the trick, however, and mowed them down. After a second bombardment the enemy again attacked, overwhelming the defenders, one company of whom resisted to the last man.
The remains of the French battalion took their stand fifty yards S.W. of the village and prevented the enemy from debouching. On the 3rd two battalions of the 172nd and 174th line regiments retook the village at the point of the bayonet. During the night the Germans counter-attacked twice unsuccessfully with heavy loss, 800 dead being counted in front of one of the French trenches. On the 4th a third and more powerful counter-attack succeeded in driving the French from the village, but broke down against new positions 200 yards to the south. The French were compelled to fall back in May and June, but returned victorious to the ruined village on October 24th.
