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How did Robert Nivelle use creeping artillery barrages at Verdun?

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French soldiers in uniform rest and eat on a grassy field behind the front lines during the Battle of Verdun in World War I, with gear and rifles stacked nearby. — Battle of Verdun French soldiers resting away from the front line at the Battle of Verdun, 1916.

General Robert Nivelle employed creeping artillery barrages during the Battle of Verdun to support French infantry during counteroffensives in October and December 1916.1

In these operations, Nivelle utilized a tactical method where infantry divisions advanced closely behind a moving curtain of artillery fire. This technique allowed French forces to effectively retake ground previously lost to the Germans. Specifically:21

October 1916: Following a broad-front artillery barrage, three French divisions advanced behind a creeping barrage on October 24, successfully recapturing the fort at Douaumont.2
December 1916: During the Battle of Louvemont, Nivelle utilized a preparatory barrage followed by a coordinated infantry assault on December 15. The French divisions moved forward behind the creeping barrage, allowing them to retake Poivre Hill and other strategic positions while capturing thousands of German prisoners and numerous artillery pieces.2

Nivelle’s success with these coordinated tactics at Verdun led him to advocate for similar frontal assaults supported by massive artillery bombardments as a decisive strategy for the remainder of the war.1