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When did the German bombardment that opened the Battle of Verdun begin?

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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.

The German bombardment that initiated the Battle of Verdun began at 7:15 am on February 21, 1916. This massive artillery strike spanned a front approximately 25 miles long, extending from the Bois d’Avocourt to Étain, and preceded the first German infantry attack later that afternoon.1