Fort Vaux Fort Vaux , located in Vaux - Devant - Damloup , Meuse , France , was built in 1881 – 1884 at a cost of 1 , 500 , 000 Francs , built to house 150 men . it became the second Fort to fall in the Battle of Verdun . The first fort to fall had been Fort Douaumont which was virtually undefended and had been captured by a small German raiding party in February 1916 . Fort de Vaux , on the other hand , was fully garrisoned when it was attacked on June 2 by German assault troops . The fort had been modernized before 1914 with additional reinforced concrete top protection , like at Fort Douaumont and thus did resist a German heavy artillery preparation which had included shelling by 16 inch howitzers . The superstructure of the fort had been heavily damaged but the deep interior corridors and stations remained intact and can still be seen in their original condition today . One of the fort ' s side bunkers ( " Casemate de Bourges " ) is still equipped with its 75mm cannon . The defense of Fort Vaux was marked by the heroism and endurance of the garrison , including Major Sylvain - Eugene Raynal . Under his command , the besieged French garrison fended off repeated German assaults , including fighting underground from barricades inside the invaded corridors of the fort , which was the first major engagement to happen completely inside a fort during World War I . What was left of the French garrison finally gave up after it had run out of drinkable water ( some of which was poisoned ) , ammunition , medical supplies and food . Raynal sent several messages to his commanding officers via homing pigeons ( including the famous Vaillant ) , requesting relief for his soldiers . During his last communications , Major Raynal penned the phrase " This is my last pigeon . " After the capture of Fort Vaux on June 7 , the Crown Prince of the German ruling family , the Hohenzollerns , presented Major Raynal with a French officer ' s sword as a sign of respect . Raynal and his soldiers remained in captivity in Germany until the Armistice of November 11 , 1918 . The fort was recaptured by French infantry on November 2 , 1916 after an intense artillery preparation involving two long range railway guns . After its recapture , Fort Vaux was thoroughly repaired and fully reactivated . However some original damage from the fight on June 2 can still be seen today . Several underground galleries to reach the far outside , one of them being a mile long , were dug and equipped . The water reserves were quadrupled . Light was provided now by two electric generators . The underground installations of Fort Vaux are in a remarkably good state of preservation . They are currently open to the public for guided visits . State of the fort during the First World War . · September 11 , 1914 , turret 75 fires 22 shots at a German detachment in the Bois de Mabras . · February 18 , 1915 , the fort is bombarded for the first time by 12 42 cm rounds which cause little damage . · End of 1915 , progressive disarmament of the fort is carried out in order to send the guns and ammunition to the front - line . · In January 1916 , there is now enough gunpowder in stores for the possible destruction of the fort in case of an enemy approach . · From 21 to 26 February 1916 , the fort is bombarded with shells of all sizes including 129 large caliber rounds . Pillboxes take damage , armored observatories also take damage , command and will cut the gallery leading to the turret 75 . · Late February - early March 1915 , the fort is frequently bombarded and turret 75 is destroyed accidentally by heavy shells that cause the explosives to blow it up . · May 14 , 1916 , Commandant Raynal takes command of the fort , now completely void of any artillery . · June 1 , 1916 , the Germans begin preparation for the invasion of the fort through the Bois de la Caillett . They cannot be stopped due to the fort having no artillery · 2 and 3 June 1916 , Germans attack the fort directly with flamethrowers and force French troops outside to retreat into the fort . The Germans begin to enter the fort through the coffers of the " contre - escarpe " · June 5 , 1916 , Commander Raynal requests the French army bomb the fort , where the top is taken over by the Germans , in order to allow a part of the garrison to evacuate the fort . · June 7 , 1916 , for three days water supplies are empty and the fighting takes place inside the galleries with grenades , guns and bayonets . The Commandant Raynal is captured by the Germans under military honours for having fought bravely in extreme conditions with a thirsty garrison . · From 8 June to 1 November 1916 , the fort is used by the Germans as a shelter and command post for nearby area . The French attempt to retake the fort several times with enormous loss of life . They bombard the fort to destroy it with heavy shells , including 400 mm rounds , but the concrete walls resist . However , life inside the structure becomes impossible and the Germans eventually abandon the fort at the end of October . · November 2 , 1916 , the fort is recaptured without resistance by a French patrol which finds it empty . · By the end of the battle , in December 1916 , the fort is almost in the same condition as it was in June the same year - except for some damage caused by French artillery . · 1916 – 1918 , the Bourges Casemates are rehabilitated before being rearmed and an observatory along with an armored command bunker are equipped with machine - guns . Further defenses including machine - guns are fitted in place of the turret 75 , to defend the area between the ravine and the village of Dieppe . Exits and entrances of the fort are equipped with baffles masonry , armed with machine guns and grenade launcher chutes . A network of tunnels 17 meters long is dug beneath the fort and generators are used for lighting and ventilation of the premises .