French infantry charge near Fort Vaux, one of the bastions of Verdun. In March 1916, the village of Vaux changed hands 13 times. The fort fell to German forces the morning of June 7.Illustration by Léon Taa. . . ., 1916.
La Bataille sous Verdun, 1916Charge d'infanterie, prise du Fort de VauxThe Battle around Verdun, 1916Infantry charge near Vaux FortLogo: ELDVisé ParisReverse:Imp. E Le Deley, Paris
"While the battle was raging on at Mort-Homme, the Germans kept on fighting on the eastern part of the battlefield, away from French sideways fires. The war objective of the enemy was Fort Vaux. On 8th March, a severe bombing struck that area, with teargas shells for instance. The village of Vaux was partly captured in the afternoon.. . .On 10th March, the Germans renewed their assaults against the fort with multiplied strength. Several successive waves were stopped by 75's shells which caused a real inferno for the assailants. From 10th March 1916 onwards, the battle changed nature : on both banks of the Meuse river, the Germans started suffering as much as the French, sometimes even more."
During the month of March, 1916, the village of Vaux changed hands thirteen times, but it was not until June 6 that German troops finally captured the fort itself. In planning the Battle of Verdun, German commander Erich von Falkenhayn anticipated, using massive concentrations of artillery, a ratio of three French deaths for every German one. Although the battle would continue for months, Falkenhayn had already fallen far short of his goals.
The Battle of Verdun by Yves Buffetaut, pp. 50, 51, copyright © Ysec Éditions 2013, publisher: Ysec Editions, publication date: 2013
1916-03-10, 1916, March, Fort Vaux, Vaux, casualties
