Gradually the French were forced back. Hand-to-hand fighting for
possession of the greatest strategical positions, fought daily, for a
time resulted in advantage to neither side. Among the chief objectives of
the German attack were two particularly important positions--Hill No 304
(so called to distinguish it from numerous other elevated positions) and
Le Mort Homme (Dead Man's Hill). This name, which was fated to become
historic, was gained only after days and days of constant hand-to-hand
fighting and is now recalled as one of the bloodiest battlefields of the
titanic struggle.
General Henri Phillip Petain, in direct command of the French operations
at Verdun, endeared himself to the hearts of all his countrymen by his
gallant conduct of the defense. While the decision of General Joffre, the
French commander-in-chief, to give ground before the German attacks
rather than to sacrifice his men in a useless defense of the fortresses,
was criticized at first by the people, the resulting value of this move
was soon apparent and censure turned to praise.
While the heaviest assaults of the Germans were launched in the
immediate vicinity of Verdun itself, the great battle line stretched far
to the north and to the south.
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