The Germans made good use, on the 22nd, of the advantage gained at the Bois d'Haumont. The village of Haumont was de stroyed by shell fire and at 5.00 P.M. was attacked by three col umns. The main redoubt, built of concrete, collapsed and buried 8o men. The remaining defenders were hunted from the cellars by bombs and liquid fire but rallied at Samogneux. Bois de Ville was lost. Bois de Caures was then enveloped on the right and left and Col. Driant decided to withdraw his chasseurs to Beaumont. He was the last to leave the wood and was then killed. On the 23rd the village of Samogneux was overwhelmed by shells and set on fire but the garrison held on till night fell. On the extreme left the village of Brabant outflanked by the German advance became untenable and was evacuated. On the right Wavrille and Herbebois were lost and the front passed along the northern edges of Bois des Fosses and La Chaume.
In three days the Germans had captured the first of the French positions. Each side was reinforced on the 24th. A fresh regi ment from the V. Res. Corps was sent to each of the German corps. The corps on the right which, having gained the greatest success, thereby became as it were a pivotal wing, also received a battalion of Jagers. On the French side the two divisions in line from the 21st were relieved, on the left by a division of the VII. Corps, on the right by two brigades from the XX. Corps. These troops, thrown at night into doubtful positions in the open country, were immediately destroyed. The 24th was the most critical day of the whole battle. On their right, where the Ger mans sought to move out from Samogneux, they were nailed down by the French artillery on the left bank. But they started a fresh attack immediately eastwards and captured all the line Beaumont, Bois des Fosses, Bois des Caurieres. Further they penetrated towards Douaumont along the ravine of the Vauche.
The second French position was lost in one day. In the eve ning the situation was so grave that Gen. Langle de Cary, com manding the Centre group of Armies, ordered the II. Corps, then closely engaged in the Woevre, to fall back on the Heights of the Meuse. This movement was carried out during the night. That same evening (24th) Gen. Joffre handed over the opera tions before Verdun to a fresh army, the II., commanded by Gen. Petain, who after the Battle of Champagne had been resting at Noailles. The X. Army, on relief by the British Army, was placed in the general reserve.
the troops of the Verdun area on the west bank and to prevent the Germans from crossing the Meuse. But on the 24th at mid night Gen. Castelnau set out for Verdun armed with full powers from the commander-in-chief. He halted at Avize, headquarters of Gen. Langle de Cary, whence at 5.45 A.M. on the 25th he telephoned to Gen. Herr to order him to hold at all costs the line on the east bank facing north between the Meuse and Douau mont and, facing east, on the Heights of the Meuse. Gen. Petain went on the morning of the 25th to Chantilly and thence to take charge of the battle, from the 25th at midnight.
During the 25th, on the French left, the Germans advanced 1,500 metres south of Samogneux up to the mill of Cotelettes. Further east they captured Bezonvaux. A party of Branden burgers crept up to the fort of Douaumont, found it empty and took possession of it. Gen. de Bonneval, commanding the 37th Div. on the French left on the Talon and the Poivre Hills was afraid of being surrounded and ordered retreat on the Belleville Hills. This order was only partially carried out. The Zouaves held their position on the west of the Poivre. On the other hand while the 37th Div. retreated, the 39th Div. of the XX. Corps, going up into the line, passed it and covered the line Bras Haudiomont.
On the 26th Gen. Petain, at his headquarters at Souilly, re organized the battle plan. He drew a sharp line—Bras-Douau mont—which he entrusted to the XX. Corps. He divided the area into four sections: (I) under Duchesne in the Woevre, (2) under Balfourier from the Woevre to Douaumont, (3) under Guillaumat astride the Meuse, and (4) under Bazelaire on the left bank. The artillery as it arrived was divided between these four commands. On Feb. 21 it consisted of 388 field guns and 244 heavy guns. In a few weeks there were 'Jo° field guns, 225 guns of calibres from 8o to 1o5 mm. and 590 heavy guns. The French regained the mastery of the air. The 59th Div. was set to build two defensive positions chosen on the 27th and redoubled on March 2 by two intermediate lines, Three thousand territorials repaired and widened the Sacred Way.
Reinforcements arrived. The I. Corps was at Souilly on the 25th and the XIII. Corps at Revigny. The XXI. Corps followed it two days later. The XIV. Corps detrained on the loth and the III. Corps on the 29th. Between the 26th and the 29th the Germans hurled violent attacks against Douaumont. On the east they reached the position of Hardaumont and attacked Bois de la Caillette. They stopped, exhausted, on the 29th.