{"id":53694,"date":"2023-11-05T23:40:19","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T22:40:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=53694"},"modified":"2025-11-06T04:59:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T03:59:44","slug":"the-death-tunnel-of-tavannes-and-its-tragic-history-of-the-world-war-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2023\/11\/05\/the-death-tunnel-of-tavannes-and-its-tragic-history-of-the-world-war-i\/","title":{"rendered":"The death tunnel of Tavannes and its tragic history of the World War I"},"content":{"rendered":"

The World War I was one of the most terrible episodes of the 20th century and of all human history, with some truly brutal battles.<\/p>\n

Zone Rouge: the territory of France that still suffers the effects of the World War I<\/a><\/rel>
\nA labyrinthine fortress that witnessed a brutal battle of the World War I<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

One of the worst battles of that war took place in Verdun<\/strong>, in northern France, in 1916. It was a carnage that pitted the French and Germans, with more than 300,000 soldiers on each side<\/strong>. Many lives were lost in the horrific trench system in that area and in the artillery bombardments between both sides, but there was a very tragic event that occurred in a tunnel and was not the result of combat.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
The northern approach of the Tavannes tunnel during the First World War (Photo: Moselle Association<\/a>).<\/div>\n

The Tavannes railway tunnel, 1,196 meters long<\/strong> and inaugurated in 1874, was an important supply route for the French position of Fort de Vaux, captured by the Germans in February 1916. Because of this , the northern exit of the tunnel was about 500 meters from the front line<\/strong>. Some 3,000 French soldiers used the tunnel as a refuge from German artillery attacks, crowding there in inhumane conditions.<\/p>\n

On September 4, 1916, around 9:30 p.m., a fire broke out inside the tunnel.<\/strong> The investigation pointed to the accidental lighting of some flares as a possible cause. The fuel and ammunition stored in the tunnel exploded and the tunnel became an inferno<\/strong>. The fire was fueled by the air current entering through the tunnel. The disaster was of such magnitude that it was not possible to access the tunnel until a week later. More than 500 French soldiers died of suffocation or burning there.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
The southern approach of the Tavannes tunnel during the First World War (Photo: Moselle Association<\/a>).<\/div>\n

After the war, the Tavannes tunnel was rebuilt and reinforced with concrete. In 1936 a second tunnel was opened right next door<\/strong>, a tunnel that is still used today. The original tunnel is abandoned and no longer has tracks. The History Underground<\/a> has published an interesting video today in which it visits that tunnel:<\/strong><\/p>\n