Douaumont Fortress: A French Disaster
The Strategic Importance of Fort Douaumont
Douaumont was the biggest fort out of the 19 fortresses defending the city of Verdun. It was also situated on the highest ridge in the area.
Back in 1914, Belgian forts had proven vulnerable to German 420mm howitzers. This led the French high command to doubt the resilience of its own forts. Fort Douaumont was partially disarmed in 1915 and left in the care of a reduced garrison made up of middle-aged reservists under the command of a NCO. Under 70 men in total. This was an odd decision considering the fact Douaumont had been upgraded in the 1880’s with added layers of sand and reinforced concrete, enabling the fort to withstand shelling from high-calibre German guns.
The German Capture of Douaumont
On the 21st of February 1916, the German army launched its Verdun offensive. Four days later, a small German raiding party comprising of 98 men approached the fort without being fired upon: The French garrison had gone deep underground to protect itself from German shelling. There were no sentries in the observation cupolas or in the coffers (casemates) protecting the moat. A small German band led by a sergeant even found a window left open and penetrated inside the fort. The French garrison was made prisoner without a single shot being fired.
The French high command was left both surprised and devastated: They just had handed over to the Germans their biggest and best-protected forts. What was the cornerstone of the defensive belt around Verdun had become the cornerstone of the German lines!
The French Counterattack and Aftermath
For the next 7 months, the Germans used Douaumont as a command post, ammo dump, and first aid station while the French threw everything they had at the fort. Over 1 million artillery shells were fired at the fort. On the 24th of October 1916, no less than three French infantry divisions were used to retake Douaumont.
In the words of one French divisional commander, the loss of Douaumont cost the French 100,000 lives. The fort was at the center of the battle of Verdun, which cost both sides a combined 755,000 casualties. The battle of Verdun wound down two months after the French had managed to recapture the fort.
-RBM
