Major Lefebvre-Dibon, leading the 3rd Bn, 74th Infantry Regiment, saw his battalion being chewed up. The fire earlier felt like nothing compared to this. One whole wave of soldiers were mowed down. The others were hugging ground. Anyone who stood up was eliminated. Battalions to his left and right were still moving but his battalion was stuck and taking more intense fire than any other battalion. As one of the two right flank units of the advance the fire was coming in from two sides but the worst was that machinegun fire. Even the right flank unit was not subject to that withering fire. It would not let up even when he could see artillery shells in the vicinity of the firing. No one was moving now. He could see Captain Lanquetot trying to rally his company to his right but within a few seconds there erupted fire all around him and four of his men were hit. Captain Lanquetot would not be leading charges anymore. Lefebvre-Dibon could see his junior officers down and no one was moving forward. To stand up was to ring the death bell. He had though it foolish to march in close order and now he knew his first instinct was right. In his mind there was no other possibility. The other battalions had not absorbed to casualties that his battalion had. He would keep his men together and fire to hold the flank of the assault. All he would have to do is shout the orders to his men and put up some return fire . . . without becoming a statistic at the same time.
Sergeant Twellman looked down at the advancing line. He could not believe this was real. A slight dusting of artillery had hit his area but nothing of real consequence. He initially thought this was just to annoy his unit but the loudness of the artillery about the mountain could not be dismissed. It was hitting the German Army; just not his unit. They could not be evicted in a near impregnable position. Wire in front and with strongpoints and shelters virtually untouched. Now was the time to put up a wall of fire and stop the enemy assault in its tracks. The lead French battalion had already taken some casualties but with everyone in the trench locked into them it seemed that everytime someone fired a man went down; and the firing was constant. More ammunition needed and some dirt had been blown into the firing mechanism. Clear that out and then . . . what is this, our men are cheering. Sergeant Twellmen looked up and saw the reason for this. The French battalion was running. A smile came over his face, but just for a second. He had to readjust the aiming point on his weapon so that another enemy unit could be fired on. There were always more enemy soldiers to deal with.
Major Lefebvre-Dibon saw his men burst toward the rear. The machinegun fire had moved to other more promising targets and sensing a chance to escape the men had made a dash. What was left of the unit was moving to the rear with some of the men being led to the rear by junior leaders. He would have to stop this and turn his battalion around. There was no other way to handle this but with firmness but it could not be done if he stayed where he was. He would have to move to the rear and hope what few men were holding their position would not think to follow him to the rear.6
Close Range:
Lt. Somonier could hardly believe his good fortune. Being with the African Colonial battalion in the center of the assault, the hinge between both French homeland Brigades was a death warrant. To that end his men were required to march closed up. Looking at the orders he had shuddered and felt someone was either unknowing or a novice. He cursed and thought that last year he could understand it but this was 1915. Surely the Generals had learned.Still more bad news was heaped onto this. His men were to move at a slower pace because of the anticipated rolling barrage. "Do not proceed too fast as there are to be no casualties from the bombardment, however, do not dawdle as the line needs to move in a sustained manner." He thought his veterans would laugh at him but realized this was no laughing situation. If he did not know his men better a mutiny could be at hand, but that was not something his men would contemplate. Better to vent their rage at the German invaders.
But that was easier said than done – first you had to get to them and they were on a ridge on the mountain and entrenched. But now Lt. Somonier was grim, determined but had hope. His veterans had negotiated the march with few casualties and had just scaled the toughest section of the route. They were closing in on the trenches and no barbed wire. Shellholes yes but no barbed wire. His cursing of the artillery for the screw-up of no rolling barrage was taken back. There was no barrage because the guns were focused on the wire. It made sense. His men were getting out hand grenades as it would be soon now . . . very soon.
The machinegun would have to go. Corporal Zwein started taking the machinegun apart. His men would carry it in sections. Their were ruins of what had been a strongpoint. Not anymore. The shelter that he had been in at the beginning of the bombardment was ruined. Anyone still in would be buried alive if anyone was still alive inside. There was a big crater where the trenchline had been that cut the Reserve battalion off from his regular unit but that was for them to worry about. As far as he could see the attack against the reservists had vanished thanks in large part to his MG crew’s firing. His orders were to retreat down the communications trench and set up the MG in the second trenchline. The pressure of the French was there but it would not stop his orderly retreat, not with the battle tested men who comprised the machinegun crew.7
Assault:
Corporal Girault had tripped on a wooden board and been caught by his friend Private Pericard. The Germans were firing at them but it was too little to stop them from getting to the ramparts of the trench. Now it was hand to hand and the Germans were outnumbered. This would be quick work and then they would have to reorganize to repel the German counterattack. Who knew how the rest of the battle was going thought Girault. Not him. He was focused exclusively to his front. They had the numbers and the officers were leading. A few shots into the trench and then they jump. Corporal Girault looked to the left and could see a few German Reservists running down the trench. He was winded but was ready to pursue them when he saw Private Pericard’s shattered side. The trench had been taken but not without great loss.
Lt. Somonier led his soldiers into the trench system. It was well built given that the construction time was only a few months. There was nowhere for the German Reservists to go. They were flanked and facing his fierce veterans. Many of them still were resisting but already he was seeing some white flags. Retreat was impossible as the French troops stormed the troops. These were just the first ones there were still troops behind them. Lt. Somonier was hoping that it was those troops who would take the second trenchline as he could see it had been unaffected by the earlier fighting.8
At this point the game was called.
Verdun Warfare Mud, Trenches & Machineguns
- Part One [Saga 94]
Part Two [Saga 95]
Part Three [Saga 95]
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© Copyright 2004 by Terry Gore
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