Locality of the Meuse.
Located on the ridge line formed by the hills on the right bank of the Meuse, about ten kilometers northeast of Verdun, this fort was erected at the end of the 19th century to defend the eastern towns. . But, quite paradoxically, in 1915 these works were considered unsuitable for combat, and their artillery was removed, the garrison being limited to supply services.
Thus, on the day of February 25, 1916, the Germans, having reached the heights of Talon, Louvemont, Hardaumont and the Cote du Poivre, entered Fort Douaumont and put it in a state of defence. The front stabilized on the outskirts of the fort, near which fierce fighting took place, elements of General Blangin*'s 5th division reaching the ditches during the day of May 22 without however being able to seize the work, cleared by the enemy on the 24th.
Only a large-scale offensive can reoccupy this strategic position. It was led again by Mangin, whose units reached the fort on October 24, pushing back the Germans from the surrounding heights and capturing more than 6,000 prisoners.
In memory of these fierce battles, an ossuary has been installed below since 1932, containing the remains of 300,000 fighters.
In the last days of the resistance at Fort Vaux, the RICM (Lieutenant Colonel Régnier) made a supreme effort on June 8 to extricate it. He reached the ditches of the fort, held there despite incessant shelling and German counter-attacks, but having lost 25 officers and 1120 men, he had to be relieved on June 15.
He came back online at the beginning of August, and brilliantly captured Fleury-devant-Douaumont on August 18; he achieved all his goals. Two months later, his division was part of the Mangin group, responsible for taking over the line:Haudiomont quarries, Douaumont and Vaux forts, Damloup battery. Reinforced by two companies from the 43rd Senegalese battalion, two companies from the Somali battalion, and a company from the 6th battalion of Indochinese skirmishers, the RICM seized Fort Douaumont with a brilliant maneuver on October 24.
During another attack on December 15, and still under the orders of Mangin, this regiment will add a new title to its fame by the capture of Louvemont.
On the battlefield of Verdun, in four particularly severe and glorious cases, he left a number of killed and wounded greater than that of his normal strength, but he captured about 2000 prisoners, and a lot of equipment, and achieved all the assigned objectives and that is , at this time of the war, facing an adversary, believing himself to be impregnable, a success of the most auspicious.