One of the things which contributed to the pychological significance of Verdun to the French was its situation as one of their strongest fortresses. The northern linchpin of the "De Rivieres Line" built after the debacle of 1870.

The system of fortifications around Verdun included twenty major and forty minor forts (or "ouvrages"). These were sited on commanding hills and ridges around Verdun, with Fort Douaumont occupying the highest crest. The area of the VERDUN Game Map includes nine of the major forts (two of them must be added by hand) and 10-12 of the minor forts. The major forts on the Game Map are most of those actually involved in the battle; they form three lines; first Forts Douaumont, Vaux, and Voulainville, second Forts Tavannes and Souville, and last Forts Belleville, Michel, and Belrupt.

Across the Meuse is Fort Vacherauville, one of five forts on the Bois Borrus ridge that were significant in flanking the initial offensive and holding the expanded offensive which the Germans launched later on that bank of the River.

The Forts were of widely varying ages and strengths; most had been started in the 1880's And subsequently had been modernized, some, like Fort Douaumont, as recently as 1913.

These forts showed very little above the level of the surrounding ground, most of the height of their sloping Glacis (the "wall" of the fort) was taken up by the deep ditch or dry-moat with which they were surrounded. The net effect was to give the forts a turtle-like appearance.

The illustration of Fort Douaumont shows the general structure of the forts, which were built to a shape first advocated by Vauban in the 18th Century. The scale can be indicated by stating that the entire Fort was about a mile (440 yards) across.

The Ditch was lined with flanking Gallerie which could direct fires into every part of it, but which were below gound level. These Galleries were connected to the center of the Fort by deep tunnels so that they could not be cut off from reinforcement. They made the ditch a "moat of fire" that was theoretically impossible to cross. Atop the sloping glacis were observation, machine-gun, and artillery turrets -- in the modern forts these were all disappearing, that is, they could be lowered flush with the top of the fort when not in use. Also present were artillery casemates and embrasures to allow the infantry garrison of the fort to fire on attackers. Thus these forts represented, in theory, a considerable obstacle to the German offensive.

In actuality they were to contribute little. There were two 'reasons for their in effectiveness; First, the critical Allied shortage of artillery had led the Forts to be stripped of every gun that could be removed, usually everything but the tur- reted weapons, to augment the futile Allied offensives of 1915. Second, the French offensive doctrine had always downgraded fortifications, which were essentially defensive, The experiences of 1914. when France's newest and strongest Fort, Manonviller, had been forced to surrender by the German siege Guns, had led to an official opinion that forts were only "shell traps', and were to be ignored.

The result of this was that when the battle opened, there were no active army personnel in any of the forts, and no infantry at all. Fort Douaumont, which was all but delivered to the Germans, had a total garrison of 56 Territorial (3rd line reserve) Gunners. Not only were the forts all but vacant, they were even under the command of the Governor of Verdun, rather than the General commanding the area Corps. The General was actually denied admittance to Fort Douaumont shortly before it fell because he did not have the Governor's authorization.

Needless to say, once Douaumont fell like a ripe plum, the policies were hastily changed, but it was too late to replace the missing guns or repair those forts which, like Fort Vauk, were in need of it. Thus the forts became solely assembly points and large shelters, rather than the offensive-defensive bastions which they could have been.

Along with the major forts were the minor Forts or "Ouvrages", which could hold about a company or so of troops or artillerists. These were often "shell traps," as they were not heavily constructed as were the Forts. Still, heavy fighting raged around several of these ouvrages, notably the Thiaumont works and the Damoup Battery. Usually when one side or the other finally took undisputed possession there was nothing left.

THE TERRAIN

The terrain at VERDUN was dominated by a ridge of low hills, the "Cotes du Meuse". They paralleled the river, extending out roughly to a line connecting Ornes and Eix. The highest crest of this ridge, 1200 feet high, was occupied by Fort Douaumont, which had a commanding view over much of the terrain.

The ridge wag somewhat wooded and marked by numerous ravines and gullies which were observable from the other side of the river b not from the front. Much fierce fighting took place in these defiles, and it was the French advantage of observing from across the Meuse and bringing devastating fire into these ravines that led to the German decision to extend the attack to the west bank of the Meuse. East of the ridge was a very flat and open area, the Woevre Plain. The heights of the ridge, upon which Forts Douaumont, Vaux, and Moulainville were situated, completely commanded this plain, which was the main reason that the Germans attacked in the wooded hilly area only. When the Germans had seized Fort Douaumont, the French were forced to evacuate the plain, though it had not yet been attacked, because the German guns could so completely dominate it.

Verdun: The Situation

Introduction
Artillery
Other Weapons
Barrages
Observation
Forts and Terrain
Infantry

Verdun Game Variants

Introduction
Initial Order of Battle
Forts
Artillery CRT Variation
Observation
Use of the Artillery Shell Table