Gun turrets of Fort Douaumont in the rain, September 22, 2015. © 2015 John M. Shea
"On 8 May a series of explosions wracked the depths of the fort, spreading from a box of hand grenades to the petrol canisters used in flamethrowers and, finally, to a magazine of artillery shells. Some 650 German soldiers died—underground, in darkness, blown to pieces, seared by fire or choked by smoke—in the worst disaster of its type that either army suffered at Verdun."
German troops captured Fort Douaumont, one of the principle forts protecting the fortress city of Verdun, on February 25, 1916, surprising a garrison that had no idea it was at risk. The Battle of Verdun at that date was only in its fourth day. The explosion on May 8 convinced General Mangin the time was ripe for the French to retake the fort. A plaque at Fout Douaumont puts the number of Germans killed in the explosion at 679. In a footnote our author Ian Ousby elaborates on 'the worst disaster of its type that either army suffered at Verdun': Between 400 and 500 French 'using the Tavannes railway tunnel as command post, emergency hospital, garrison and place of refuge' died in an explosion and fire on September 4, 1916.
The Road to Verdun by Ian Ousby, page 275, copyright © 2002 by The Estate of Ian Ousby, publisher: Anchor Books, publication date: 2003
1916-05-08, 1916, May, Fort Douaumont, Douaumont, Verdun, Battle of Verdun
