[Illustration: THIAUMONT REDOUBT OCCUPIED BY THE FRENCH IN MAY, 1916
The Central Shelter having been pierced by a shell on May 6th, the Redoubt was afterwards only used as an Artillery Observation-Post. The Entrance Trench in the foreground was each day levelled by enemy shells, only to be re-made during the night.]
From the middle of August the French command changed their tactics. Abandoning the costly direct attacks, the redoubt was gradually encircled. On October 24th Moroccan Colonial troops, Zouaves and Tirailleurs, in a dashing grenade and bayonet attack, recaptured Douaumont, the Farm and Redoubt of Thiaumont and the Dame and neighbouring ravines.
[Illustration: THIAUMONT REDOUBT IN RUINS OCCUPIED BY THE GERMANS A MONTH LATER
BARBED-WIRE ENTANGLEMENT IN FRONT OF THE FRENCH LINE]
[Illustration: THE APPROACHES TO DOUAUMONT FORT AND VILLAGE.
=a= [fan-shape sign] The upper photo on p. 78, =Dame Ravine=, was taken from here.
=b= [fan-shape sign] The lower photo on p. 80, =Helly Ravine=, was taken from here.]
_Leave the car at Thiaumont Farm and go on foot to Douaumont Fort, following the temporary narrow-gauge line for about 1,300 yards. These rails follow the old road which was entirely destroyed._
This modern stronghold, which the Crown Prince called “the N.E. angular pillar of the permanent fortifications of Verdun,” occupies at Hill 388 the culminating point of the hard limestone plateau which forms the region of Verdun. Lying between Bras Ravine (which descends towards the W. and the Meuse) and Vaux or Bazil Ravine (extending towards the E. and the Woevre), the fort dominates the entire region. As the key of the battlefield it was fiercely disputed.
[Illustration: DOUAUMONT FORT IN JANUARY, 1916.]
Before the battle of 1916 it was only bombarded twice by the German artillery. Of the 250 shells fired at it early in November, 1914, 170 reached the mark without, however, causing serious damage. The few 8-inch shells received on March 29th, 1915, did no damage whatever.
[Illustration: THE FRONT ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 26TH (26/2), AFTER THE GERMANS HAD OCCUPIED THE FORT BY SURPRISE, AND ON THE MORNING OF THE 27TH (27/2), AFTER THE FRENCH COUNTER-ATTACK.]
On February 25th, 1916, almost at the beginning of the battle, units of the German XXIVth Infantry Regiment (IIIrd Brandenburgers), wearing French Zouave uniforms, surprised and occupied the fort. On the morning of the 26th the French 153rd D.I. (20th C.) counter-attacked fiercely five times, advancing their line beyond the fort and surrounding the enemy on three sides. Thanks, however, to a communicating trench connecting up with their lines, the enemy were able to keep their ground. From the 26th to the 29th they furiously attacked the approaches of the fort without being able to surround it. A redoubt, 200 yards E. of the fort, was alternately lost and recaptured three times on the 26th. From March 8th to May 19th the fighting continued with varying fortune.