From March 15th to the end of December, 1916, the Germans launched at least fifteen particularly violent attacks against Hill 295, sacrificing countless men and huge quantities of munitions. On March 16th, 17th and 31st, and April 9th and 10th, French Chasseurs and Infantry repulsed the enemy in terrible hand-to-hand fighting. On April 22nd, 23rd and 24th the French 40th D.I., by its resistance and brilliant counter-attacks, broke up as many as three enemy attacks in one day, and re-established the French front as it was on April 5th. Further German attacks on Hill 295 followed on May 7th, 20th and 22nd, June 29th, July 12th and December 28th. Their furious offensive of May 20th alone brought them momentarily on the S.W. crest of Hill 295 and as far as the French second-line trenches, which were retaken on June 15th.
At that time the sector of Mort-Homme and Hill 304 was commanded by General de Maud’huy, whose courage and coolness are legendary in the army. The exploits of the French troops at Mort-Homme during the difficult period of 1916 were countless. One of the most brilliant was accomplished on April 9th by the 11th Company of the 151st Regiment of Infantry, which had received orders to reconquer the crest of the Mort-Homme.
Laughing and singing under a continual bombardment, this company went into line, a section at a time, with measured step and rifle in hand. On approaching the enemy trenches, the men rushed forward under heavy machine-gun fire and captured a large and important network of trenches. Promptly organising the conquered trenches, and despite an extremely intense enemy bombardment of thirty-six hours, the men succeeded in re-establishing the liaison with the 8th Battalion of Chasseurs on their right, making it possible to reform the line which had been broken, and which the enemy afterwards tried in vain to pierce, until May 20th.
THE SOUTH-WESTERN SLOPES OF MORT-HOMME IN JANUARY, 1917.
In 1917 the sector was often the scene of violent combats, especially on January 25th, and March 18th, 20th and 29th. After many efforts and at heavy cost the Germans succeeded in occupying Hill 265 and the crest of Hill 295, where they organised formidable defences, including deep shell-proof tunnels.
On August 20th, 1917, during the French attack along the entire Verdun front, the 31st D.I. carried all the German defences and recaptured the Mort-Homme and its tunnels, including the one known as the “Crown-Prince,” which was “cleaned out” by the Foreign Legion. In one of the tunnels several cavalry-men, units of the XXXVIth and a whole battalion of the XXth Regiment of the German Reserve, were captured, while among the officers taken was Count Bernstorff, nephew of the ex-German Ambassador to the United States. An entire staff was captured in another of the tunnels.
MORT-HOMME AFTER THE ATTACK OF AUGUST, 1917 (see [p. 23])