French folding postcard map of Verdun and the Meuse River, number 9 from the series Les Cartes du Front. Montfaucon is in the upper left and St. Mihiel at the bottom.

Les Cartes du Front

Verdun et Côtes de Meuse

Echelle 1:32,000

Routes

Chemin de fer

Canaux



Maps of the Front

Verdun and the Hills of the Meuse

Scale: 1:32,000

Roads

Railways

Canals



1. - Les Flandres

2. - Artois, Picardie

3. - Aisne, Champagne

4. - Argonne et Meuse

5. - Lorraine

6. - Vosges et Alsace

7. - Route des Dame et Plateau de Craonne

8. - Région de Perthes

9. - Verdun

10. - Somme et Santerre

11. - Plateau d'Artois

12. - Belgique - Flandres



A. Hatier. Editeur.8.Rue d'Assas, Paris.



Outer front:

Correspondence of the Armies

Military Franchise

Other views: Larger, Larger, Back

Monday, March 20, 1916

"On 20th March 1916, German artillery suddenly triggered assaults against Hill 304 with a fury which had not been seen since 21st February. A massive assault was brooding. At 3.10 pm, an alarming report from the balloon of the 36th Compagnie d'Aérostiers read: 'Amazingly violent bombing above the trenches in the Bois de Malancourt. Three huge blasts with burst of flames rising at least 100 metres above ground have just taken place.' Twenty minutes later, another incoming message from the balloon said: 'The three huge black clouds first reported were not caused by blasts, but by attacks with inflamed liquid.' The flame-thrower attack was later confirmed by 'tongues of fire' seen on the Avocourt-Malancourt road."

Quotation Context

The German attacked west of Verdun, between the city and the Argonne Forest, on March 20, 1916. A French brigade of 2,800 men were surrounded and surrendered.

Source

The Battle of Verdun by Yves Buffetaut, page 52, copyright © Ysec Éditions 2013, publisher: Ysec Editions, publication date: 2013

Tags

1916-03-20, 1916, March, Battle of Verdun, Verdun, flamethrower, Avocourt-Malancourt Road, Avocourt, Malancourt