Battle of Bois des Caures 1916
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 21 February 1916 – 22 February 1916 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1916 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
| Era | World War I era (1914–1918) | derived from year |
| Location | France | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Europe | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Battle of Verdun | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 49.2742, 5.4043 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Bois des Caures was fought at the beginning of the Battle of Verdun in World War I. The battle was fought in the commune of Moirey-Flabas-Crépion (former commune of Flabas), in the department of Meuse, north of Verdun in France.
In February 1916, the woods were crossed by the front line. This poorly defended section of the front was defended by Lieutenant-Colonel Émile Driant's light infantry battalions. On 21 February 1916, on the first day of the Battle of Verdun, the woods were destroyed by one of the most impressive artillery barrages. The survivors of the two battalions held out for almost two days against the overwhelmingly superior German troops before being destroyed or captured. This resistance slowed the German advance and allowed reinforcements to reach the front.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Bois des Caures (revision 1370434694), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Browse more: battles in France · Europe · World War I era battles