Saint Michael Fortress in Verdun, Command of the Third Army of France.
Petain hadn't slept all night, pacing anxiously under the dim light, asking from time to time about Charles' whereabouts, but apart from the occupation of Bicangxi, he knew nothing.
Petain's anxiety was not due to the tense situation on the Verdun front.
Since the battle of the River Somme began, the situation in Verdun had eased considerably.
With Charles' support, the Verdun Defense Line had been fortified into an impregnable iron wall:
All forts were fully equipped with artillery, with long, medium, and short-range cannons to meet different needs.
The trenches were also deepened and reinforced, with many concrete bunkers and pillboxes added.
More importantly, various mines were buried roughly three hundred meters in front of the defense line; for the Germans to advance, they would have to take the risk of clearing the mines or pass through the minefield.
