21 February 1916
Start of the battle of Verdun, the longest and most costly battle of the First World War. The German aim is to fight a battle of attrition, forcing the French to feed ever more men into the battle. Possibly as a result of this plan only nine divisions take part in the initial attack, and the Germans make limited progress on the first day of the battle.
The artillery bombardment begins at 4am, and the infantry attack at 4.45pm. Colonel Draint's troops attempt to defend the Bois des Caures.
How to cite this article: Rickard, J (28 December 2007), 21 February 1916, https://www.historyofwar.org/firstworldwar/daybyday/1916_02_21.html