The apocalypse on the right bank of the Meuse
On Monday, February 21, 1916 around 7 a.m., a 380 shell exploded in the courtyard of the Episcopal Palace in Verdun. This is the beginning of an inhuman battle - operation baptized Gericht (tribunal) by the Germans - which will last ten months.
A deluge of iron and fire falls on a front of a few kilometers (the bombardment is perceived as far as the Vosges, 150km away). Two million shells - one heavy shell every three seconds - fell on the French positions in two days.
At 4:00 p.m. on February 21, 60,000 German soldiers went on the attack on a 6km front in the Bois des Caures. The German infantry makes a limited progress, immediately prepares the ground in order to put the field artillery in battery. The range thus increased, the German guns directly threatened the French links between the rear and the front. The French forces are crushed by this rain of steel. Lieutenant-Colonel Driant was killed on February 22 in the Bois des Caures. With him, one thousand two hundred men fall. There will only be one hundred and ten survivors. On the rest of the sector, the defenses are crushed, dislocated, crushed. In a few hours, the forest massifs disappear, replaced by a lunar decor. The massifs of Haumont, Herbebois and Caures are shredded, chopped, leveled. Behind the rolling fire, the 7th Rhenish Corps, the 18th Hessians and the 3rd Brandenburgers advance slowly.
Fort Douaumont, which was only defended by about sixty territorials, was captured on February 25 by the 24th Brandbourg regiment. This success was immense for German propaganda and consternation for the French.
Despite everything, the German progression is very much slowed down. Indeed, artillery preparation has disadvantages for the attacker. The plowed soil becomes constraining, unstable, dangerous. Very often, the progress of the troops must be done in column, avoiding obstacles.
Against all expectations, the Germans find opposition to their advance. Incredibly, in disappeared French positions, survivors arise. Handfuls of men, often without officers, arm themselves and fight back, where they are. A machine gun is enough to block a column or the head of a regiment. The French fighters, in a sorry state, resisted fiercely and managed to slow down or block the advance of the German troops.
A semblance of front is reconstituted. The 270 French artillery pieces attempt to return blows for blows. Two French divisions were quickly sent as reinforcements on February 24 to what was left of the front.
With the survivors of the bombardment they stop the progression of the German troops.
This is the end of the first phase of the Battle of Verdun. Clearly, Falkenhayn's goals are not achieved. Too limited a front, impassable terrain and the aggressiveness of the French soldier seem to have got the better of the German's plan.