Verdun WW1 Battlefield site, Verdun-sur-Meuse, France. March 2014
Fort de Souville and supporting trench system on the Verdun Battlefield. On 11 July 1916 The Bavarian guards launch an assault on the village of Fleury and tried to break into Fort Souville. This is one of the first strong Sere de Rivieres, masonry construction (rubble limestone) covered with piles of dirt. Dating from 1875-1879, the fort was changed to 1888-1890 by digging underground shelters and protection under the concrete powder magazine.
A turret for two 155 mm guns (Bussière model) was installed in 1890-1891 to 120 meters west of the fort.
Sector Fleury held by the 128th French Division of General Riberpray. 255 Brigade Colonel Coquelin de Lisle ( 167th and 168th Infantry Regiments ) is at the forefront, the 168th occupied the forward positions, the 167th is deployed behind him, until July 6 , when the two regiments invert their positions.
On July 9 , the positions of the 167th Infantry Regiment were shelled by artillery shells German with explosives and gas shells.
The Battle of Verdun lasted 9 months, 3 weeks and 6 days between 21 February and 20 december 1916. It was the longest and one of the most costly battles in human history; recent estimates increase the number of casualties to 976,000.
Caption information below from wikipedia:
The Battle of Verdun (Bataille de Verdun0, was fought from 21 February – 18 December 1916 during the First World War on the Western Front between the German and French armies, on hills north of Verdun-sur-Meuse in north-eastern France. The German Fifth Army attacked the defences of the Région Fortifiée de Verdun (RFV) and the Second Army on the right bank of the Meuse, intending rapidly to capture the Côtes de Meuse (Meuse Heights) from which Verdun could be overlooked and bombarded with observed artillery-fire. The German strategy intended to provoke the French into counter-attacks and counter-offensives to drive the Germans off the heights, which