Editing Battle of Verdun (section)

====20–26 August 1917====

[[File:French attack at Verdun, August 1917.png|thumb|{{centre|French attack, August 1917}}]]
The French planned an attack on a {{cvt|9|km|order=flip}} front on both sides of the Meuse; XIII Corps and XVI Corps to attack on the left bank with two divisions each and two in reserve. Côte 304, Mort-Homme and Côte (hill) de l'Oie were to be captured in a {{cvt|3|km|order=flip}} advance. On the right (east) bank, XV Corps and XXXII Corps were to advance a similar distance and take Côte de Talou, hills 344, 326 and the Bois de Caurières. About {{cvt|34|km|order=flip}} of {{cvt|6|m|order=flip}} wide road was rebuilt and paved for the supply of ammunition, along with a branch of the {{cvt|60|cm|order=flip}} light railway. The French artillery prepared the attack with {{nowrap|1,280 field}} guns, {{nowrap|1.520 heavy}} guns and howitzers and {{nowrap|80 super-heavy}} guns and howitzers. The {{lang|fr|Aéronautique Militaire}} crowded 16 {{lang|fr|escadrilles de chasse}} into the area to escort reconnaissance aircraft and protect observation balloons. The 5th Army had spent a year improving their defences at Verdun, including the excavation of tunnels linking Mort-Homme with the rear, to deliver supplies and infantry with impunity. On the right bank, the Germans had developed four defensive positions, the last on the French front line of early 1916.{{sfn|Greenhalgh|2014|p=237}}

Strategic surprise was impossible; the Germans had {{nowrap|380 artillery}} batteries in the area and frequently bombarded French positions with the new [[Sulfur mustard|mustard gas]] and made several spoiling attacks to disrupt French preparations. The French counter-attacked but [[Émile Fayolle|Fayolle]] eventually limited ripostes to important ground only, the rest to be retaken during the main attack. A preliminary bombardment began on 11 August and the destructive bombardment began two days later but poor weather led to the infantry attack being put back to 20 August. The assembly of the 25th, 16th, {{lang|fr|Division Marocaine}} and 31st divisions was obstructed by German gas bombardments but their attack captured all but Hill 304, which fell on 24 August. On the right bank, XV Corps had to cross the {{cvt|3|km|order=flip}}-wide Côte de Talou in the middle of no man's land. The French infantry reached their objectives except for a trench between hills 344, 326 and Samogneux, which was taken on 23 August. XXXII Corps reached its objectives in a costly advance but the troops found themselves too close to German trenches and under observed fire from German guns on high ground between Bezonvaux and Ornes. The French took {{nowrap|11,000 prisoners}} for {{nowrap|14,000 casualties}} of whom {{nowrap|4,470 were}} killed or missing.{{sfn|Greenhalgh|2014|pp=237–238}}