alor.]

While this slaughter was going on the German artillery was trying to
destroy the French batteries on the plateau, but being cunningly
concealed few were silenced. The French freely acknowledged the
great bravery displayed by the Germans, who, after gaining the foot
of the slope, fought splendidly for an hour to get up to the fort.
Then reserve Bavarian troops were brought forward and endeavored to
climb the slopes by clinging to rocks and bushes. Many lost their
foothold, or were struck down under the rain of shells. At last even
the German command sickened of the slaughter and ordered a retreat.

It was an especially bitter fact to the Germans that they had incurred
such great losses without gaining any advantage. The French positions
before the fort and in Vaux village remained intact, and the enemy had
failed utterly in their attempts to pierce the Vaux-Douaumont line.

After some days' pause for reorganization, on March 16, 1916, the
Germans made five attacks on the village and fortress of Vaux. After a
bombardment by thousands of shells they must have believed that their
opponents would be crushed, if not utterly annihilated. But the French
soldiers clung stubbornly to the shell-ravaged ground, and though
sadly reduced in numbers, held their positions and flung back five
times the German horde.

Two days later, on the 18th, the Germans resumed their offensive, and
no less than six attacks were made, in which flame projectors were
freely used and every effort made to smash the stubborn defense. But
the French wall of iron held firm, and in every instance the Germans
were beaten back with colossal losses. Again they were compelled to
pause and reorganize their lines. The calm that succeeded the storm
was no less welcome to the French defenders in this sector, for they
too had been hit hard, and it was questionable if they could have held
their positions against another strong attack.

[Illustration: Verdun Northeast District in Detail.]

Attacks on the sector north of Verdun having failed, the Germans began
on March 20, 1916, and continued during succeeding days to turn the
French by their (German) right in the Malancourt sector. The woods of
Montfaucon and Malancourt, where the Germans were strongly
established, crown a great island of sand and clay. The southeastern
portion of Malancourt Wood forms a sort of promontory known as
Avocourt Wood, and was the objective of the next German attack. The
main