Charles Koenig

Second lieutenant Charles Koenig had already been on the front line for five days. He and his men of the 106th Infantry Regiment were in Horgne Ravine, below Fort Vaux. It was a lively sector, and on the night of 24 June 1916 they were all waiting for the same thing: to be relieved.

But they waited in vain, becoming increasingly impatient. A soldier signalled to his officer a narrow column of men moving forwards in the night, straight in front of them. The relief troops? At last! The column snaked along the bottom of the ravine, and then Charles Koenig saw it turn towards the German lines. He told a sergeant to go and get the men who were lost in the darkness. The sergeant did as he was told, but quickly came back panting, his eyes wide with terror. “Sir!” he shouted, “It’s the Boche!”

Koenig didn’t believe him, but the sergeant insisted. He had recognised their helmets as he put his hand on one of their shoulders. But what were they doing there? Was it an attack? The second lieutenant immediately ordered the men to open fire. The enemy silhouettes dropped to the ground in the darkness and rapidly, some of them reached the French trench. They were about ten metres from the officer. He took one out with his revolver but another threatened him with a dagger. The Frenchman moved quickly, overpowering his attacker and taking him prisoner.

In the commotion, a case of grenades was sent and immediately thrown at the enemy. The explosions were followed by cries of pain. Eventually, the darkness fell silent again. The silhouettes rose up once more, but this time unarmed, with their hands in the air. A dozen prisoners were taken.

The skirmish between the shadowy column and the men of the 106th lasted only a quarter of an hour. It was a situation that arose time and again on the Verdun Battlefield.