Fort de Douaumont at Verdun (France)
N 49° 13.000 E 005° 26.342
31U E 677614 N 5454405
The apocalyptic Battle of Verdun was a turning point in the 1st World War and Fort de Douaumont was the heart of the battle. Situated at 395 m above sea level, Fort de Douaumont was in 1914 the strongest and most modern of the forts around Verdun...
Waymark Code: WM6JHV
Location: Grand-Est, France
Date Posted: 06/10/2009
Views: 26
The construction work for Fort de Douaumont started in 1885 and the fort was continually reinforced until 1913. The fort is situated on some of the highest ground in the area. It has a total surface area of 30 000 m² and is approximately 400 m long, with two subterranean levels protected by a roof 12 m thick. The fort was equipped with numerous armed posts, a 155 mm gun turret, a 75 mm gun turret, several other 75 mm guns and numerous machinegun turrets.
The German invasion of Belgium in 1914 forced military planners to radically rethink the utility of fortification in war. Belgium's comparable forts were quickly destroyed by German artillery, and easily overrun. The decision was made in August 1915 to reduce the garrison at Douaumont and to strip the fort of much of its weaponry.
Unfortunately this proved unwise because in February of 1916, Germany launched the Verdun offensive; Douaumont was a key objective; even with a reduced garrison and weaponry, Douaumont presented a formidable obstacle to the German attack.
The French made many attempts to recapture the fort from May 1916, suffering heavy losses. Possibly 100 000 casualties were incurred in these efforts. The fort was an invaluable forward base for the Germans. It provided shelter for troops and served as first aid station and supply center. On the 8th May, a careless fire detonated grenades and flamethrower fuel. This in turn detonated an ammunitions cache. A firestorm ripped through the fort, killing hundreds of soldiers instantly. The exact casualties are unknown, but over 600 bodies were buried in a portion of the main corridor. This part of the fort is now rightly considered an official German military cemetery.
Douaumont was recaptured on the 24th October 1916 by Moroccan French Colonial troops after the Germans withdrew. Millions of shells had been fired at the fort since its capture by the Germans to little avail, and thousands of men had died in attempts to recapture it.
Verdun and Fort Douaumont are synonyms for the senselessness and cruelness of war...
The Battle of Verdun 1916 - the greatest battle ever
The Battle of Verdun is considered the greatest and lengthiest in world history. Never before or since has there been such a lengthy battle, involving so many men, situated on such a tiny piece of land. The battle, which lasted from February 21, 1916 until December 19, 1916 caused over an estimated 700 000 casualties (dead, wounded and missing). The battlefield was not even a square ten kilometres. From a strategic point of view there can be no justification for these atrocious losses. The battle degenerated into a matter of prestige of two nations literally for the sake of fighting...