On this Day, 21st February 1916, The Battle of Verdun begins.
A single shell landing on the bishop’s palace in the fortress city of Verdun in the early hours of 21 February 1916 - fired by a redeployed large calibre German naval gun - marked the start of the Great War’s longest battle.
By the end of the ten-month engagement there would be three quarters of a million casualties and German war chief’s Erich von Falkenhayn’s plan to ‘bleed France white’ would have gone catastrophically awry.
A staggering two million shells landed on the French lines in the opening bombardment. Surely no one could survive this onslaught!?
Part of the line that received most attention that winter morning was the Bois des Caures, the area held by Colonel Driant and his Chasseurs.
Colonel Driant’s Command Bunker
Driant’s men were 8-1 outnumbered and had endured 80,000 rounds falling in their sector alone - unspeakable numbers. Somehow they resisted for more than 24 hours, until they were eventually outflanked and overwhelmed.
Inside Colonel Driant’s Command Bunker
Driant’s sacrifice and that of his men became a byword for French resistance at Verdun. The story of the Chasseurs encapsulates perfect the order given by General Nivelle later in the battle ‘vous ne les laisserrez pas passer’ (you shall not let them pass).
The battlefield of Verdun is unlike most on the Western Front. It is still littered with many WW1 trenches you can see today.
Trench lines by Colonel Driant’s Command Bunker
Visiting Colonel Driant’s Command Bunker and associated trenches allows you to explore that first day and the many stories of heroism and sacrifice in the name of France.
Take a tour with one of Sophie’s expert team members and this haunting landscape will come alive. Visitors often combine a guided tour of Verdun with the battlefields of the Meuse Argonne, where the American doughboys played such a crucial role in the allied victory of 1918.
Contact Sophie and the team to arrange your special tour: sophie@sophiesgreatwartours.com