The Battle of Verdun lasted for 300 days with over 1 million French soldiers serving in the sector, and the French artillery firing at estimated 23 million rounds. To keep the frontline supplied with men and materiel was a major logistical effort during the course of the battle.
It was along a 56 kilometre route route from Bar-Le-Duc to Verdun and a narrow gauge railway on which the logistics to sustain the battle depended. It became known as the Sacred Way ... La Voie Sacrée.
Along the route 6,000 lorries and buses passed every day, one vehicle passing every 14 seconds, day and night.
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La Voie Sacrée movement by day
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| La Voie Sacrée movement by night |
On average 13,000 men, 6,400 tons of equipment and 1,500 tons of ammunition were transported daily.
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| La Voie Sacrée Combat Supplies Heippes |
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| La Voie Sacrée Artillery Ammunition Heippes |
The return journey took 18 hours and drivers were required to stay with their vehicles at all times in order to be ready to move when ordered. They would eat and sleep in their vehicles.
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| La Voie Sacrée truck drivers |
The route was split into sectors for efficient route control and strict discipline maintained by the provost marshall. Speed limits were imposed, 25 km per hour for vans, 15 km per hour for lorries. Heavy artillery tractors were limited to 4 km per hour or 8 km per hour when empty.
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| La Voie Sacrée traffic |
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| La Voie Sacrée 10th Artillery Ammunition Section |
Quarries were dug all along the road to maintain the road. A force of 8,000 French Territorial soldiers lived along the route constantly shovelling stones under the wheels of trucks to plug the ruts left.
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| La Voie Sacrée Route Maintenance |
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| La Voie Sacrée shovelling stones |
It was protected by several fighter squadrons dedicated to preventing enemy air attacks on the route.
The Sacred Way, a single road, only paved with stones of poor quality was a miracle that saved France a a perilous time during the First World war.
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| La Voie Sacrée |
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| La Voie Sacrée 1916 |
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| La Voie Sacrée Great War Museum IJ |
The route is commemorated by milestones marked by helmeted bollards bearing the inscription N VS (Nationale Voie Sacrée). It was inaugurated by the President of France on 21 August 1922 and the first marker being a memorial at Bar-Le-Luc.
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| La Voie Sacrée first route marker Bar-Le-luc |
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| La Voie Sacrée Marker Stone |
The current modern road that follows the original Voie Sacrée is designated the RD1916.
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| RD1916 La Voie Sacrée Marker Stone |
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| RD 1916 DR IJ |
A monument has been erected to commemorate the Voie Sacrée on the RD1916 8.5 km from Verdun.
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| La Voie Sacrée Memorial |
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| La Voie Sacrée frieze |
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La Voie Sacrée frieze
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