The Number of Shells Fired At The Battle of Verdun Is Incomprehensible

Wait, how many?

(By Unknown author — German postcard with post stamp 5.8.1916 found at http://greatwarpostcards.blogspot.com/2013/08/a-row-of-french-155mm-cannons-mle-1877.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28059720)

The Battle of Verdun was one of the largest and deadliest battles in history. Taking place over a brutal ten-month period in 1916, it consumed the heart of the World War I timeline. The battle featured 125 French and German divisions and resulted in 750,000 casualties. In the end, France held out, and the Germans were forced to break off, which was one of the first major turning points of the war. Verdun was known for its horrible conditions, low morale, and length. But it is also known for the astounding number of artillery shells that were fired during the course of the battle.

World War I is known for brutal artillery bombardments, but the number of shells fired during the Battle of Verdun stretches the mind to the breaking point. It is nearly incomprehensible and represents the terrifying capacity of humans to wage war.

Over ten months, the French and Germans exchanged between 40 million and 60 million artillery rounds. When numbers are that big, it is hard to wrap your mind around what exactly that means.

For the purpose of these calculations, we will use the average of the range of shells believed to have been expended: 50 million.