HISTOIRE et REGIONS de FRANCE

Devant l'ossuaire de Douaumont (Meuse), la nécropole nationale aligne 16 142 tombes de soldats français. Parmi elles, près de 600 stèles de soldats musulmans issus de l'empire colonial.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 On est à Verdun comme on est à Sarajevo, à Waterloo, à Stalingrad, à Pearl Harbor, à Troie ou à Alésia.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Dans la forêt domaniale de Verdun, un long découvert planté de milliers de croix se déploient.  Derrière se trouvent les trois ailes blanches de l’ossuaire de Douaumont.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Là reposent les restes de 130 000 soldats allemands et français. Il faut gravir 204 marches pour accéder au sommet de la tour des morts et bénéficier, à 46 mètres de hauteur, d’un panorama sur le terrain en dispute parsemé d’une centaine de sites.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Au centre de l'ossuaire de Douaumont, la tour des morts. Au premier étage, un petit musée de la guerre. Au sommet, à 46 mètres, une vision globale des champs de bataille.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Le fort de Souville est l'ultime rempart assurant la défense de Verdun après que le système défensif de Douaumont soit tombés aux mains des Allemands.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Au fort de Douaumont, on sonde l’acier meurtri des tourelles, stupéfaits qu’un pareil dispositif soit tombé aux mains des Allemands, pratiquement sans combats, dès le début de leur offensive.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Près d’un millier de ses occupants y laissèrent leur vie quand un dépôt de munitions explosa accidentellement le 8 mai 1916.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        On longe la Tranchée des Baïonnettes, puis le Boyau de Londres et ses poutrelles de ciment qui menaient vers les voies ferrées, à petit écartement. Partout des abris d’infanterie sur lesquels la mousse panse les cicatrices.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Monument emblématique du champ de bataille de Verdun, la Tranchée des Baïonnettes . La légende rapporte que, le 10 juin 1916, les soldats du 137^ème RI ont été ensevelis debout, fusil à la main, à la suite d'un bombardement.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          À proximité du fort de Douaumont (Meuse), le Boyau de Londres est un abri entre le fort et l'arrière, à proximité des voies ferrées étroites qui assuraient transports d'hommes et ravitaillement.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Au cœur de la « zone rouge », le village de Fleury-devant-Douaumont a totalement été anéanti par les combats qui se déroulèrent de juin à septembre 1916.