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from Robert E. Duchesneau, the History Channel:
February 25, 1916
Fort Douaumont falls
On February 25, 1916, German troops seize Fort Douaumont, the most formidable of the forts guarding the walled city of Verdun, France, four days after launching their initial attack. The Battle of Verdun will become the longest and bloodiest conflict of World War I, lasting 10 months and resulting in over 700,000 total casualties.
Fort Douaumont was originally formidably armed. Near the east end was the largest weapon in the fort, a single 155mm gun in a retractable turret. The gun was hinged at the front end and completely enclosed in the turret, leaving no vulnerable protruding barrel. The turret could be lowered into the fort for complete protection. It was counterweighted so two men could perform this operation. This, like the rest of the fort, proved all but invulnerable to the heaviest artillery used in the Great War. In the center of the fort was a twin 75mm retractable turret, basically a smaller version of the 155mm system. Also on the roof were two or three pop-up machine-gun cupolas, and several thick observation domes, with narrow vision slits so the enemy could be targeted.
At the rear corners of the pentagon, facing forward and outward, were the "casemates de Bourges". These held three 75mm guns each in a staggered arrangement, for flank protection. Down in the ditch, at each corner, were the counterscarp casemates. These were large pillboxes built into the outer wall of the ditch, holding 37mm revolver-cannon and machine guns to defeat any enemy therein. The casemates were accessed by tunnels which descended under the ditch. Branching off of these tunnels were listening tunnels, used to detect enemy attempts to undermine the fort.
By 1916 the forts of Verdun were in a sorry state to meet an attack. It had been assumed by the French high command that the era of fixed defenses was over, and the forts had been treated accordingly. They had been stripped of all armament save the turret guns, whose unique construction precluded their use in other roles. No machine guns, no revolver-cannon remained. Their garrisons were mostly middle-aged reservists, under the command of the city's military governor and not the field army. Although Fort Douaumont had only about 40 men in it, a few weeks prior to the battle the fort's commander had refused reinforcement from the regulars.
On February 25th, the Germans attacked towards Fort Douaumont. The garrison adopted a turtle-like approach to the onslaught. Even though giant 420mm "Big Bertha" shells were crashing into the roof, they seem to have assumed they would not be attacked due to the fort's formidable reputation. Only the 155mm turret was manned, firing perfunctorily on previously computed targets that had probably moved on. None of the observation domes was manned, so the enemy's approach could not be detected. The bulk of the garrison was attending a training lecture.
Advance elements of the German 24th Brandenburg Division approached, among them a squad of about 10 pioneers (combat engineers) led by Pioneer-Sergeant Kunze. He noticed the general lack of activity around the fort, and the ill-directed nature of its firing, and decided to investigate. Peering over the edge of the fort's ditch, he saw no opposition, and proceeded to have his squad drop down into it. Once in the ditch, Kunze and about four others were able to enter the fort through an empty revolver-cannon port by standing on the shoulders of the other men. The Germans proceeded up the communicating tunnel into the main part of the fort. Soon they encountered and captured a group of four Frenchmen who had been belatedly sent to man the twin 75mm turret. They proceeded to the 155mm turret, capturing its crew as well. Leaving the others to guard the prisoners, Kunze proceeded alone towards the fort's rear exit. He came upon the lecture room with most of the garrison in it. Reacting quickly, he slammed and bolted the room's steel door. Kunze had all but single-handedly captured Verdun's most powerful and strategically located fortress! On the way to rejoin his pioneers, Kunze came upon the fort's well-stocked pantry, and a cook. He then recalled that he hadn't had a decent meal in quite some time, and may well have missed his meager soldier's breakfast that day. Covering the cook with a pistol, Kunze sat down and ate his fill!
Soon, other groups of Brandenburgers noticed that the fort had stopped firing. By this time, a "Big Bertha" shell had knocked down part of the ditch wall, making it easier to enter. Two other groups entered and occupied Fort Douaumont in short order. A lieutenant leading one of these groups wrote up a very self-serving after-action report, and for a time was hailed as the "Hero of Douaumont". Kunze initially concealed his involvement, because he feared being disciplined for taking time out for his meal.
The German capture of Fort Douaumont greatly assisted their further prosecution of the battle. It gave them an invulnerable shelter for men, ammunition, and supplies, just behind the front line. Normally, French artillery fire would have prevented the concentration of reinforcements and supplies so near the fighting. But even repeated direct hits by the heaviest French artillery (340mm battleship-type guns and 370mm mortars) made little impression on the fort. The Germans came to refer to the place as "Old Uncle Douaumont".
The battle stretched on and on, with devastating casualties on both sides. As German resources were diverted to fight the British at the Somme and the Russians on the Eastern Front, French forces gradually regained much of the ground they had lost. Fort Douaumont was recaptured on October 24, 1916; Fort Vaux on November 2. Barely six weeks later, on December 18, German commander Paul von Hindenburg (who had replaced Falkenhayn in July) finally called a halt to the German attacks, ending the Battle of Verdun after 10 months and a total of over 200,000 lives lost.
February 25, 1916
Fort Douaumont falls
On February 25, 1916, German troops seize Fort Douaumont, the most formidable of the forts guarding the walled city of Verdun, France, four days after launching their initial attack. The Battle of Verdun will become the longest and bloodiest conflict of World War I, lasting 10 months and resulting in over 700,000 total casualties.
Fort Douaumont was originally formidably armed. Near the east end was the largest weapon in the fort, a single 155mm gun in a retractable turret. The gun was hinged at the front end and completely enclosed in the turret, leaving no vulnerable protruding barrel. The turret could be lowered into the fort for complete protection. It was counterweighted so two men could perform this operation. This, like the rest of the fort, proved all but invulnerable to the heaviest artillery used in the Great War. In the center of the fort was a twin 75mm retractable turret, basically a smaller version of the 155mm system. Also on the roof were two or three pop-up machine-gun cupolas, and several thick observation domes, with narrow vision slits so the enemy could be targeted.
At the rear corners of the pentagon, facing forward and outward, were the "casemates de Bourges". These held three 75mm guns each in a staggered arrangement, for flank protection. Down in the ditch, at each corner, were the counterscarp casemates. These were large pillboxes built into the outer wall of the ditch, holding 37mm revolver-cannon and machine guns to defeat any enemy therein. The casemates were accessed by tunnels which descended under the ditch. Branching off of these tunnels were listening tunnels, used to detect enemy attempts to undermine the fort.
By 1916 the forts of Verdun were in a sorry state to meet an attack. It had been assumed by the French high command that the era of fixed defenses was over, and the forts had been treated accordingly. They had been stripped of all armament save the turret guns, whose unique construction precluded their use in other roles. No machine guns, no revolver-cannon remained. Their garrisons were mostly middle-aged reservists, under the command of the city's military governor and not the field army. Although Fort Douaumont had only about 40 men in it, a few weeks prior to the battle the fort's commander had refused reinforcement from the regulars.
On February 25th, the Germans attacked towards Fort Douaumont. The garrison adopted a turtle-like approach to the onslaught. Even though giant 420mm "Big Bertha" shells were crashing into the roof, they seem to have assumed they would not be attacked due to the fort's formidable reputation. Only the 155mm turret was manned, firing perfunctorily on previously computed targets that had probably moved on. None of the observation domes was manned, so the enemy's approach could not be detected. The bulk of the garrison was attending a training lecture.
Advance elements of the German 24th Brandenburg Division approached, among them a squad of about 10 pioneers (combat engineers) led by Pioneer-Sergeant Kunze. He noticed the general lack of activity around the fort, and the ill-directed nature of its firing, and decided to investigate. Peering over the edge of the fort's ditch, he saw no opposition, and proceeded to have his squad drop down into it. Once in the ditch, Kunze and about four others were able to enter the fort through an empty revolver-cannon port by standing on the shoulders of the other men. The Germans proceeded up the communicating tunnel into the main part of the fort. Soon they encountered and captured a group of four Frenchmen who had been belatedly sent to man the twin 75mm turret. They proceeded to the 155mm turret, capturing its crew as well. Leaving the others to guard the prisoners, Kunze proceeded alone towards the fort's rear exit. He came upon the lecture room with most of the garrison in it. Reacting quickly, he slammed and bolted the room's steel door. Kunze had all but single-handedly captured Verdun's most powerful and strategically located fortress! On the way to rejoin his pioneers, Kunze came upon the fort's well-stocked pantry, and a cook. He then recalled that he hadn't had a decent meal in quite some time, and may well have missed his meager soldier's breakfast that day. Covering the cook with a pistol, Kunze sat down and ate his fill!
Soon, other groups of Brandenburgers noticed that the fort had stopped firing. By this time, a "Big Bertha" shell had knocked down part of the ditch wall, making it easier to enter. Two other groups entered and occupied Fort Douaumont in short order. A lieutenant leading one of these groups wrote up a very self-serving after-action report, and for a time was hailed as the "Hero of Douaumont". Kunze initially concealed his involvement, because he feared being disciplined for taking time out for his meal.
The German capture of Fort Douaumont greatly assisted their further prosecution of the battle. It gave them an invulnerable shelter for men, ammunition, and supplies, just behind the front line. Normally, French artillery fire would have prevented the concentration of reinforcements and supplies so near the fighting. But even repeated direct hits by the heaviest French artillery (340mm battleship-type guns and 370mm mortars) made little impression on the fort. The Germans came to refer to the place as "Old Uncle Douaumont".
The battle stretched on and on, with devastating casualties on both sides. As German resources were diverted to fight the British at the Somme and the Russians on the Eastern Front, French forces gradually regained much of the ground they had lost. Fort Douaumont was recaptured on October 24, 1916; Fort Vaux on November 2. Barely six weeks later, on December 18, German commander Paul von Hindenburg (who had replaced Falkenhayn in July) finally called a halt to the German attacks, ending the Battle of Verdun after 10 months and a total of over 200,000 lives lost.