The skeletal remains of a fallen French soldier near Saint-Mihiel, August 1915.


The skeletal remains of a fallen French soldier near Saint-Mihiel, August 1915.

Colourised by Histoire de Couleurs 

The photographed soldier was 2nd Lieutenant Pierre Boiseau from the French 95th Infantry Regiment, who died at Apremont-la-Forêt near St. Mihiel on January 20, 1915. His remains were found by the French 85th Infantry Regiment on August 28, 1915.

Today I'll write about the Battle of Flirey, also known as the First Battle of the Wöevre, resulting in the formation of the Saint-Mihiel salient.

The village of Flirey is situated in the eastern French Lorraine region near the town of Saint-Mihiel, near the Franco-German border. To its east, ridges can be found alongside the Moselle river, and to its west ridges along the Meuse river, both on the French side of the border.

These ridges, protecting both flanks of Flirey and overlooking the Wöevre plain, allowed for excellent defensive positions, especially with the use of artillery and machine-guns. The Germans realized capturing these heights and establishing good defensive positions would effectively rule out a French invasion of Germany in the area, thus freeing up German forces for battle elsewhere along the front.

Following the German withdrawal from the First Battle of the Marne on September 10, 1914, the Germans began planning for an offensive in the direction of Saint-Mihiel. Elements of the German 6th Army were to cross the border from the city of Metz and take control of the ridges along the Moselle and Meuse rivers.

On September 19, 1914, the German offensive commenced and fighting with the French 3rd Army began along a 30 km front between Saint-Mihiel to the west and the "Priest Forest" to the east.

The Germans deployed heavy artillery and quickly made progress as the villages of Flirey, Seicheprey, and Limey were captured. The French were reinforced by 12 Regiments on September 22, but they could not prevent the Germans from conquering Saint-Mihiel and its high-ground along the Meuse on September 24. The Germans were halted in the north at the Fort de Troyon.
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