Map Series #5: Verdun 1917

Despite several well-written books on the Battle of Verdun, most focus on the 1916 operations and gloss over the follow-up efforts by the French in 1917.  These efforts are especially of interest to those interested in the American fighting in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in the fall of 1918 because the French set the opening line for the Yanks in the following year.  This map is one of 150 from a postwar atlas prepared by the U.S. Army Command and Staff College titled The Military History of the World War.  The quality of the maps in the collection is quite varied, but this one, #70 from the set, is pretty clear about what transpired in the most noted of Petain's efforts to get the French Army rolling again after the calamitous spring 1917 events by initiating limited offensives. In any case, this is the best map I've ever seen covering the August 1917 fighting around Verdun.

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Some Observations:

The legend is very helpful since it includes the lines for both 1916 and 1917. The use of American terminology is unique to this map and might cause some confusion while using it in conjunction with most books and articles on Verdun

Most beneficial for the future operation of Pershing's forces was the clearing of the line of hills on the west side of the Meuse, including 304, Mort Homme (Dead Man's), and Goose. On the right side of the attack of 26 September, the Doughboys would not have to assault  fortified high positions.

In contrast, the French were not able to get at the wooded areas on the heights of the east bank, such as Bois des Caures, which had been captured by the Germans in the opening of the February 1916 assault.  The U.S. 26th Division would still be fighting in this area at the time of the Armistice.