The guns kept up an incessant roar so that it was almost impossible to make yourself heard.

In addition to the amazing diary that Grant Willard kept during WWI, he took photos. The images he captured at Verdun in August 1917 really illustrate the severity of destruction caused by the steady shelling. 

Monday, August 20, 1917:

Reported at Citerne about 6:30 this A.M. Practically every car in both sections is out on the job. This morning at 5 A.M. the biggest offensive in the history of the war started in dead earnest. The French and English are pulling together. The guns kept up an incessant roar so that it was almost impossible to make yourself heard. We found that the road had been blown out of existence during the night, that 3 of our cars and 2 Fords had been caught out there all night. The lieutenant of Section I jumped into a Ford with the order "Carrière Sud or demolished in the attempt."

A half hour later a Ford came in from Carrière Sud with a load of 3 couchés with whom he had spent the night near the shell hole on the road. He reported things to be in terrible condition--wagons, artillery, dead horses and men blocking all traffic until the lieutenant arrived and scared up enough Frenchmen to clear the road and shoot suffering horses, etc. The road had been temporarily repaired though German shells were still dropping in the valley. Soon one of our cars followed. They had also lain in a shell hole all night but reported our 3 cars safe as well as the men.

Then came a call for 3 more Fiats at Carrière Sud. Johnnie and I led the procession with our Chief. The road was certainly a mess, but we got through untouched, the closest shell breaking not closer than 150 yards away. We found Carrière Sud still on the map, but full of wounded. Soon there must have been a dozen cars there. Among the wounded were many Germans and many unwounded prisoners. The attack was progressing very well for the French and our 42nd Division had again pushed through all of their objectives and were ready to go on. After picking up several souvenirs in the way of Boche buttons, fatigue caps, helmets, etc. we loaded up our car and made a safe return trip. The Boche seemed to be searching for batteries all around us, but came uncomfortably close to our road. On the way in we passed many hundreds of German prisoners marching down the road. It gave great joy to the hearts of these tired Frenchmen. It is the first big offensive and actual gain they have made in this sector since the successful German repulsion at Verdun.