Suddenly there is panic in fort Douaumont.
Men cry out 'the blacks are coming'.
Shortly after, there are three explosions creating an enormous shock wave that rages through the fort, much stronger than there would have been in the case of a direct hit. Within the fort a smoke screen of suffocating gas is put up. The shock wave results in many dead bodies. In a huge effort only a hundred Germans are saved. The number of deaths is estimated between 700 and 800.