Paul Lefèbvre-Dibon

The German machine guns unleashed death on the men of the 74th Infantry Regiment as they advanced towards Fort Douaumont on that Monday, 22 May 1916. There was no cover to protect them other than “the depot”, a concrete structure standing near the fort. It was more than they could have hoped for, and their commander, Paul Lefèbvre-Dibon, fell on it immediately. But the building was already occupied.

Inside, chaos reigned. There were wounded French soldiers lying on the floor, the wreckage of equipment and further away, piled one on top of the other, the bodies of German soldiers. It was horrifying. It seemed that this depot had appeared as a last refuge for many fighters. Outside, the barrage of machine gun fire continued. Bullets flew in through an opening in the structure, as if they were determined to hit the occupants. Lying flat on the ground, Lefèbvre-Dibon rapidly blocked up the deadly opening. A temporary barricade was set up, made of the bits and pieces lying around. But would it stand up to an attack by the German troops?

Grenades replaced the machine gun fire. Panic spread inside the depot, where the dead and wounded, cut off from all help, were now more numerous than the living. The commander weighed up the situation, but his men begged him to surrender for the sake of their wives and children. He had no choice but to accept. A devastated Paul Lefèbvre-Dibon threw his revolver at the feet of the Germans, after resisting for more than 24 hours. The 23 May marked the end for the defenders of the “depot”.