B10006 FRENCH SERGEANT VERDUN 1916

The Battle of Verdun was fought from February 21 to December 18, 1916. It is considered one of the bloodiest and heaviest battles of the First World War, and in historical studies or sources from this period, you can find terms such as "the hell of Verdun" or "the meat machine from Verdun". The battle was mainly fought by French troops, commanded from some point by General Phillipe Petain, and German troops under the supreme command of Erich von Falkenhayn. At the start of the battle, the French put around 860,000. people, and Germany - approx. 980 thousand. soldiers. The initiator of this battle was the German side, which wanted to take control of Verdun, and then wanted to go on the defensive and bleed the French army. The battle itself, dragging on for many months, is a classic example of a trench warfare, when the front - despite the use of enormous forces and means - moved at most a few hundred meters. One of its most significant episodes is the heroic defense of Fort Vaux by Captain Raynal, which went down in the legend of the French army as an example of unparalleled dedication and courage. It is worth adding that in the course of this battle, war gases were used on a large scale, the aviation of both sides also played a huge role, and the German side - still on a relatively small scale - began to use innovative tactics of infantry fighting. It is assumed that in the course of the battle, both sides lost a total of approx. 700 thousand. soldiersThe French army at the start of World War I, in August 1914, was perceived as one of the largest and most modern in Europe. This army was also eager to retaliate for the defeats suffered at the hands of Prussia in the years 1870-1871. The basic, numerically largest, type of armed forces was infantry. On the peace foot, in 1913 it consisted of 173 line regiments and other regiments, e.g. zouaves or mountain infantry. After the mobilization in 1914, the number of infantry soldiers increased significantly. In 1914, the average French infantryman (French poillou) was armed with the Lebel Mle1886 rifle, modernized in 1893. The defective Saint Etienne Mle 1907 rifle was used as the basic machine gun. The uniform of the French infantryman did not meet the standards of the then battlefield and consisted of a blue kepi, a grant coat (designed as early as 1877) and red pants! In the course of the first months of World War I, it was realized very quickly and, as a result, in 1916 the French infantryman already had an iron M15 Adrian helmet, gray breeches and, unfortunately, a light blue uniform jacket that was supposed to blend in with the morning mist. He also received a gas mask and hand grenades. At the end of the war in 1918, its armament and equipment differed and often exceeded those used in 1914. Another combat tactic was also used, with a strong emphasis on the use of heavy artillery on the battlefield.