War Along D913
“Verdun is burning. Every instant, the whistling of a shell forces you to the ground to avoid the shrapnel. Fleury is a scant 100 metres away. Despite sustained machine gun fire, we can’t resist taking one last look ‘over there.’ ‘Over there’ is the never-ending battle, the unrelenting hell, shrapnel scything through the troops, the rat-tat-tat-tat of machine guns, instruments of death.” A French soldier on the battlefield, 21 February, 1916 (Édith Desrousseaux de Medrano; The Battle of Verdun).
Image Credit: Caleb Lemke
There lies a field in the farmlands of Lorraine, nearby the city of Verdun. While the ground is covered in grass, few trees dot the field, and the few that do are small and young. The ground possesses an unusual texture, cresting and falling without rhyme or reason. These crests and falls form mounds, pits, and divots which are everywhere, leaving no normal or even ground. Small plaques and monuments are along the path leading to the nearby museum, along with stubby concrete pillars. There is only a single building which stands in this field, the chapel Notre Dame de l'Europe.
On a dreary morning in February I found myself walking along to this field, to visit the site of Fleury Devant Douaumont, along the country route D913. While I had seen mentions of Fleury in passing when researching for this trip, I had never taken time to find why it was relevant. I approached the field of Fleury from a path through the woods, with tall pines along the path which blocked the rain, which had only recently ceased. I could still hear the water dripping off of the pines and into pools of water below. The thick layer of moss which blanketed the ground created a beautiful shade of green, giving the false impression I should be in a warm spring day. The cold rains of the day seemed to have sucked the warmth from me, and the few other visitors I saw and had left pools in many of the pit and holes in the field. While the greenery was lovely, I had to admit I was finding Fleury to be a bit underwhelming. As I continued on, I approached the first knee tall pillar, which said “Farmhouse” in English, French and German. It was not until I passed the next one, which said “School,” that I understood exactly where I was and the gravity of this place struck me. This was not a simple park, but a village. I no longer found it to be underwhelming.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Col. Nasmith
The attack began on February 21, 1916. The French were caught largely unaware when the first rounds of artillery began falling in the early hours of the morning. Nearly the entire 40 kilometer front came under intense shelling. It is estimated that in the opening hours of the bombardment, more than one million artillery rounds were fired upon French positions. This initial barrage lasted for almost six full days (Édith Desrousseaux de Medrano; The Battle of Verdun).
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ LeHappiste
Fleury was once a small village on the outskirts of Verdun, well within walking distance of both Fort Vaux and Fort Douaumont. It was a small community, mostly of farmers and a few tradesmen. After the bombardment began, the villagers fled, knowing that they were dangerously close to artillery targets. Fleury became increasingly important strategically, as it was centrally located between several French forts in the area who used the village as a place for messengers to meet and coordinate defenses. As such, it became a heavily targeted area as the battle progressed, by both artillery and infantry, of both the French and Germans. The village, or what rubble was left of it, changed hands an estimated 16 times during the battle (Édith Desrousseaux de Medrano; The Battle of Verdun). Now the only building left is the tiny chapel, Notre Dame d’Europe, erected after the war was over. The chapel is inaccessible to tourists, though you can peer through the gate at the entrance to see the walls inside. A brief history of the village is posted on a plaque on the outside of the chapel.
Image Credit: Caleb Lemke
After the end of the battle, and the end of the war, the French government never took away Fleury’s status as a recognized town. Rather, Fleur was given the designation of "Village Détruit," or destroyed village. Though no one lives there anymore, it still has a mayor, and city limit signs posted on D913.
Image Credit: Caleb Lemke
In another section of the battlefield, where D913 turns to D913A, there stands another important remnant of the Battle of Verdun: Fort Vaux. As I arrived, the rains of the day had ceased and given way to a quiet and fast falling snow. I was forced to scurry inside, doing my best to snap photos, while also protecting my camera from the snow itself. Inside the lobby, a large group of French teenagers-- students of a military school judging by their garb-- were gathering in the small entrance to leave. Pushing through, I managed to purchase a ticket and audio guide, and I began my tour.
Image Credit: Bastenbas
I passed into the museum portion of the fort, and the first thing I noticed was the scent of the stagnant water. I noticed that if I paid attention, I could hear the sound of water dripping into a pool deeper within the structure. The walls bear cracks left from the heavy artillery fire from 100 years ago, though the cracks have mostly been filled. Somehow, it seems water is still able to seep into the fort. Most of the walls and the ceiling were wet, with the only seemingly dry parts of the walls were covered in a slick white mineral I assumed was calcium. At a few points I noticed what appear to be the early stages of stalactites growing from archways. While the floors did not seem to have calcium, I had to be mindful of my step to slipping on the wet concrete floors. I even noticed a tiny bat in the corridor, no bigger than a baseball, hanging from one section of the wall. The clerk at the gift shop told me that they have many bats who reside within the fort, though mostly in the belly of the structure which is now inaccessible to tourists. He said that the bat that stays upstairs is affectionately referred to as Sylvain by the staff, the name of the fort’s French commander, Major Sylvain Eugène Raynal.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons: Garitan
Fort Vaux became the focus of many German attacks after the capture of the nearby Fort Douaumont, which was nearly four times the size of Fort Vaux. When I later walked to the top of the fort, I could see the telltale dents in the earth that came from sustained artillery fire. It was able to fend off the Germans despite its smaller size and garrison with the aid and coordination of other French forces in the area. The original garrison of 250 men before the battle was swollen to approximately 650, including those residing in the infirmary. Conditions within the fort were harsh, with injured lining the corridors and rooms I found myself wandering. The audioguide informed me that the septic tank within the bowels of the fort burst under a particularly heavy bombardment, filling the entire fort with the scent of human waste. Food and ammunition were treasured by the men within. However, even under these trying conditions, life within the fort was still better than life in the trenches outside.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ German Army
While they fought valiantly, the French would eventually lose Fort Vaux. The final siege on the fort began on June second, when the fort was cut off from the rest of the French army. Raynal's garrison managed to last for almost a week on their own. Holes left in the fortifications of Fort Vaux eventually began to give way to German efforts. While there were sandbags filling most holes, the Germans managed to widen the openings. They fired guns and flamethrowers into the breaches, and threw in grenades as well. At one point, my audioguide tells me, they began pushing the noxious fumes from their machines into the fort using a series of hoses. This had a particular effect, as it reduced oxygen in the fort and snuffed out almost every source of light.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ George Eastman House
Eventually, German troops themselves were able to breach the fort. The French retreated further into the belly of Fort Vaux, and intense fighting took place. I was able to see into a small portion of the cramped and dark lower levels of the fort. As I walked through the lower levels I could see the chunks and chips missing from the concrete walls, presumably damaged in firefights between Germans and French. I could not imagine the cacophony of sounds echoing off of the narrow concrete corridors: the grenades, the automatic weapons, and the cries of suffering men.
Image Credit: Wikimedia/ Garitan
Raynal sent one of the most famed birds of France during this siege. On June 4th, with his supplies and men dwindling, he sent a carrier pigeon, already injured in a gas attack to plead for aid. The bird died upon delivering its message to the outside French army. The pigeon was awarded the Legion of Honor for its completion of its mission, and is the only bird to have ever had the honor.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ Le Pays de France
Major Sylvain Eugene Raynal, leader of French forces in Fort Vaux, was eventually forced to surrender to save what remained of his forces. While there had been efforts to relieve Raynal by French forces, none had been successful. Raynal had received no contact with the outside world in several days and his forces were not faring well. The dead and injured lined the halls, few men could still fight, they were nearly out of ammunition, but most importantly, the French troops had run out of water. On June seventh, Raynal and the survivors surrendered to German forces.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ Garitan
In the end, the Battle of Verdun lasted 300 days, injured 406,000, and resulted in 306,000 soldiers killed and missing in action (Édith Desrousseaux de Medrano; The Battle of Verdun). An estimated 60 million rounds of artillery were fired (Édith Desrousseaux de Medrano; The Battle of Verdun). The French would eventually claim victory, but it would be a pyrrhic victory due to the massive casualties sustained, and the damage to Verdun and the surrounding areas. Even today, the weapons of death left by the two armies still pose a hazard to locals. While it is mostly safe, the French government has cordoned off some areas due to toxic levels, lasting remnants of the chemical weapons used. Occasionally, live artillery rounds are still discovered as well, and the government must oversee the detonation of the ordinance. Sometimes locals even stumble upon human remains. Mostly, these are unidentifiable and are sent to the nearby Douaumont Ossuary, which houses the remains of 130,000 soldiers, German and French.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ Paul Arps
There is a certain gravity in the air along D913. Knowing the war and hell that transpired here gives a seriousness to the attractions and monuments. While they are still appealing and interesting to visit, it is not a visit for levity. Rather, it is a visit to remember those who perished, a visit to remember the cost nature of war. Walking along the ground still marked by a war that ended 100 years ago as of 2018, and still seeing the marks left on the land is sobering. While it is not a trip for levity or frivolities, Verdun is an important site to visit and remember.
