Source: File: Douaumont
Fort, Verdun, 1916.jpg. [online]
Available at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gun-erzurum-niva-1916-11.jpg> [Accessed: 18 February 2016]
See other image for
Day 1 of the
Battle of Verdun. Depicting there waves of German troops from Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment
39 advancing towards Haumont Wald (bois d’Haumont) on 21 February 1916. Available at: <https://flic.kr/p/aBBztT>
i
Germany was
facing a problem;
The intention by
German strategists
Had been a swift
sharp cut, in action
Of the Schlieffen
Plan via Belgium
Into France, to
end with a Paris win -
This careful
ambition was a failure.
Belgium's
defenders were mighty;
France had thudded
into Germany
At the Marne, while
their Russian
Allies had fought
them on Eastern
Front, as Britain
had made barricades
Along the western
front; stalemate.
A swift flash of
victory floundered
Into mud, along a
border of trench
War - with 1915
leading to dull closure,
General Erich
Anton von Falkenhayn
Formulated how
this stale situation
Might lead to
successful conclusion.
In dark days of
December, General
Falkenhayn wrote
out a strategy
To the Kaiser -
how he believed all
Might be saved,
to sever an artery
Of France, which
was at their heart -
Afterwards to turn East and Russia.
Once France was
out of the running,
Lone Britain
would be seeking peace.
Falkenhayn's
target was to hit nerve
Of Verdun, that
represented France.
In that formidable, impregnable fort,
French honour would be defeated.
ii
Easy in the sense
of a paper plan,
French morale would fall in action
Of feeding their
army into Verdun -
After being
crushed they would
Beg for peace; 'impregnable' forts
Had both fallen at
Liege and Namur.
Fire Power was
Germany's Krupp,
Big built Berthas
of 42 mm - thus
Operation Judgment was set and
The Kaiser was
taken by the plan,
With Crown Prince
Wilhem at head;
Yet no plan formed beyond attrition.
Falkenhayn had no
further goals,
Than to wipe out
forts of Verdun.
To think after what else could be
Done - without
detail Crown Prince
Had his own idea
to capture forts,
By two approaches
over the Meuse.
For Falkenhayn
this idea did not fit
His ideal of
slashing down French
Army, to keep this to himself - yet
he allowed the
Prince's attack, only
On the east bank
of the Meuse;
In promise to
send later reserves.
For Douaumont was
central pivot;
1,200 feet high, about which were
20 other forts of
varied sizes - part
Of a large
salient that pushed its
Way into enemy
lines - thus open
To German fire from
three sides.
iii
Already France
assisted Germany
By weakening
Verdun - General
Joffre believing forts had no use,
By example of
Belgium's easy loss.
So the forts only
housed supplies -
A few men held onto a skeleton line.
While on the
other side Germany
Massed their
weaponry - heavy
Guns, howitzers
and Big Berthas.
In double figures
on a 8 mile front,
150 guns covered
each mile - all
With 140,000 men moved secretly.
Enemy observation
were held
Back by planes, assisted by poor
Weather
conditions - the zero
Hour was set 12
February 1916.
Well into the
night 11 February,
The Germans were
ready to go.
12 February 1916 -
4th day
Of 27th week; 2nd year of war.
Into the night an
explosion took
Over, as nature's
storm brought
In blizzards of
snow - dropping
Sub zero
temperatures of bitter
Winds and frozen
rain, to last for
Days; proving France's saviour.
iV
Suspicion flew
across the winds,
And the French
realised some
Plan was waiting
beyond, from
Over the other
side - quick action
Brought in French
reinforcements -
They had gained
nine days grace.
21 February 1916;
communication
Down the German
line; a new zero
Hour, prompted
attack. A message
Reached town of
Verdun, by launch
Of a 15 inch
Krupp at a distance
Of 20 miles -
followed by upheaval.
21 February 1916 -
6th day
Of 28 week; 2nd year of war.
Ten long fearful
hours with a storm
Of artillery,
fired by 808 guns over
A 19-mile front,
from river Meuse's
East bank - while
long-range guns
Of 26 fired 16.5, to
target Verdun
And the forts -
pausing at midday.
The plan was to
believe French
To reveal
themselves - as storm
Began again, to
narrowing down
On an eight mile
front -100,000
Shells an hour - high
explosive
Shrapnel and gas
made air solid.
15.30 p.m. culminated
the explosive
Air, then stopped
16:00 p.m. field grey
Figures of
Germans emerged across
A riddled lunar
landscape, expectant
Of no living
souls - defiant despite
Losses, the ragged
French emerged.
V
With shocked
surprise the Germans
Faced bedraggled, resistant
fighters.
Despite a
pounding of heavy shells,
The underground forts
density
Preserved their
gunnery that began
To open a return
of artillery fire.
Head pounding the
French fought
Back - to confirm
Falkenhayn's
Prediction how
the French would
Fight until their
last man stood -
German attack
stopped in tracks;
At night a bombardment resumed.
General Joffre's
attitude to forts
Had been
criticised, by Lieutenant
Colonel Emile
Driant, a soldier
Of 60 - a military
writer of Guerre
Imaginaire whose story, Fortress
Warfare, became a sad reality.
Driant was proved
correct with
Verdun under
threat, Driant took
Command to gain
time to get
Reserves - then
outflanked Driant
Gave order to
retreat - with rifle
In hand Driant
was shot in head.
Lieutenant
Colonel Emile Driant,
The first high-ranking
man shot
At Verdun, reflected a determined
France to resist
invasion in that
Sector - the first
hero of Verdun,
Driant died as
others fought on.
by Jamie Mann.
Source: File:
Battle of Verdun. Online. Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Verdun>
[Accessed
21 February 2016]
Source: File:
Erich von Falkenhayn. Online. Available at:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_von_Falkenhayn> [Accessed 21
February 2016]
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1Verdun
