German troops crossing water-logged terrain on the Vaux stream.© IWM (Q57545)

War chronicle · Pepuere–Tīhema · Verdun, France

Te Pakanga ki Verdun


He pōharu, he toto, he tūpāpaku. Ka parekuratia a Verdun i te taiparatanga nui a Tiamani.

I te tīmatanga o te tau 1916, ka tahuri ngā Tiamana ki te whakahinga i a Wīwī. Ka whakarite rātou ki te kōkiri i tētahi o ngā wāhi matua o Wīwī, arā, ko Verdun. Kua tohua tēnei pā tūwatawata i te mea, ko te taone tēnei i ārai i te whenua o Wīwī i mua, otirā, ki a rātou, he tohu tēnei taone o te mana o Wīwī.

I te 21 o Pepuere, ka tīmata mai a Tiamani i te taiparatanga nui rawa atu o te pakanga. Ko te whāinga nui ko te hinganga o ngā tāngata kia heke hoki ō rātou wairua toa, arā, 'kia mā te toto o te Ope Taua o Wīwī'.

Ka mau i ngā Tiamana te rārangi tuatahi o te hoariri me ngā pā e rua, kātahi ka haukotia ā rātou kōkiringa e te parenga a Wīwī.

He nui te kino o te riri i ngā marama 10 whai muri mai. He āhua rite tonu te nui o ngā ngā mate a ngā Tiamana me ngā Wīwī. Ka wehi te tangata i te nui o te pōharu, i ngā kōputaputa matā, i te muranga o ngā ahi me te nui o te toto. E marara ana ngā tūpāpaku i te kauhanga riri, e 500 mano te nui.