Part 7/13:
By dawn on October 24, Duaumont Fortress was abandoned by German troops who had run out of water, ammunition, and options. Stranded in the fortress’s deserted tunnels and bunkers, two German soldiers remained unaware of their forces' retreat, inadvertently left behind for two days—an emblem of the chaos of battlefield withdrawals.
French patrols found the fortress empty and began immediate consolidations. Despite initial signs of disorganization, French forces quickly regained control, and within hours, Duaumont was back in French hands—a remarkable victory that marked one of the largest gains for France in the war to that point.