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Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..bc18b52 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50417 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50417) diff --git a/old/50417-0.txt b/old/50417-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 279652c..0000000 --- a/old/50417-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4056 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Americans in the Great War; v. 3 The -Meuse-Argonne Battlefields, by Michelin & Cie - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Americans in the Great War; v. 3 The Meuse-Argonne Battlefields - -Author: Michelin & Cie - -Release Date: November 9, 2015 [EBook #50417] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMERICANS IN THE GREAT WAR; V. 3 *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - - MICHELIN ILLUSTRATED GUIDES - TO THE BATTLEFIELDS (1914-1918) - - - THE AMERICANS - IN THE - GREAT WAR - - - VOLUME III. - - MEUSE-ARGONNE BATTLE - (MONTFAUCON, ROMAGNE, S^{T} MENEHOULD) - - - MICHELIN & Cie., CLERMONT-FERRAND - MICHELIN TYRE Co. Ltd., 81 Fulham Road, LONDON, S. W. - MICHELIN TIRE Co., MILLTOWN, N. J., U. S. A. - -[Illustration: You don’t know what a Good Road Map is, if you haven’t -used the Michelin Map - -SCALE: 1: 200.000 (3·15 Miles to the inch.) - -On Sale at Michelin Stockists and Booksellers - -The tourist finds his way about easily _in a town_, if he has a plan -giving the names of the streets. - -He gets about with the same ease and certainty _on the road_, if he has -a =Michelin Map=, because it gives the numbers of all the roads.] - - -The Michelin Wheel - -BEST of all detachable wheels because the least complicated - -[Illustration] - - -_Elegant_ - - It embellishes even the finest coachwork. - -_Simple_ - - It is detachable at the hub and fixed by six bolts only. - -_Strong_ - - The only wheel which held out on all fronts during the war. - -_Practical_ - - Can be replaced in 3 minutes by _anybody_ and cleaned still - quicker. - - It prolongs the life of tires by cooling them. - -AND THE CHEAPEST - - * * * * * - -THE “TOURING CLUB DE FRANCE” - -WHAT IS IT? WHAT ARE ITS USES? - -The “Touring Club de France” (founded in 1890), is at the present time -the largest Touring Association in the whole world. Its principal aim is -to introduce France--admirable country and one of the loveliest on -earth--to French people themselves and to foreigners. - -It seeks to develop travel in all its forms--on foot, on horseback, on -bicycle, in carriage, motor, yacht or railway, and soon in aeroplane. - -Every member of the Association receives a badge and an identity ticket -free of charge, also the “Revue Mensuelle” every month. - -Members have also the benefit of special prices in a certain number of -affiliated hotels; and this holds good for the purchase of guide-books -and Staff (Etat-major) maps, as well as those of the “Ministère de -l’Interieur,” the T. C. F., etc. They may insert notices regarding the -sale or purchase of traveling requisites in the “Revue” (1 fr. per -line). The “Comité des Contentieux” is ready to give them counsel with -regard to travelling, and 3,000 delegates in all the principal towns are -able to give them advice and information about the curiosities of art or -of nature in the neighborhood, as well as concerning the roads, hotels, -motor-agents, garages, etc. - -Members are accorded free passage across the frontier for a bicycle or -motor-bicycle. For a motor-car the Association gives a “Triptyque” -ensuring free passage through the “douane,” etc. - -ONE TRAVELS BEST IN FRANCE WHEN A MEMBER OF THE “TOURING CLUB DE FRANCE” - - - +===========================================+ - | IN MEMORY | - | OF THE MICHELIN WORKMEN AND EMPLOYEES WHO | - | DIED GLORIOUSLY FOR THEIR COUNTRY | - +===========================================+ - - - THE AMERICANS - IN THE - GREAT WAR - - VOLUME III. - - The Meuse-Argonne Battlefields - MONTFAUCON, ROMAGNE, SAINTE-MENEHOULD - - _Published by_ - Michelin & Cie, Clermont-Ferrand, (France) - - Copyright, 1920, by Michelin & Cie - - _All rights of translation, adaptation or reproduction_ - (_in part or whole_), _reserved - in all countries._ - - - - -THE MEUSE-ARGONNE BATTLEFIELDS - - -As in the two preceding volumes of “Americans in the Great War,” no -attempt is made in this third volume to describe the military -engagements in great detail. It was thought better to illustrate the -ruin and devastation caused by the great struggle, rather than to dwell -too long on the actual hostilities. This object has been attained by -securing a great number of carefully selected and exclusive photographs -and maps, all of which are published in this volume, together with -necessary descriptive text. Like its predecessors this volume is not a -military treatise but a guide book. - -Nevertheless, it is the duty of the author as well as a great pleasure -to hesitate long enough at this moment to say a word in appreciation of -the invaluable service rendered to France and to civilization by the -valiant American soldiers. - -It was during the period covered in the pages following that the -American Army reached its maximum fighting strength, and achieved its -greatest military triumphs. - -The splendid fighting spirit of the troops was remarked by all, and -their fine comradeship, both on the firing line and at rest, won the -widest possible admiration. Furthermore, the seasoned military experts -who had been engaged in the war for four long years were amazed to -discover with what remarkable rapidity the American soldiers and their -high spirited officers had adapted themselves to the art of war. - -In the words of Marshal Foch: “As for the American troops you may tell -your people that they are admirable. They can be reproached only with -going ahead too fast!” - -The Meuse-Argonne campaign ended with the signing of the Armistice on -November 11, 1918. Marshal Joffre in a speech of thanksgiving said: “I -am proud to have been the sponsor of the noble American Army, which has -been the determining cause of our present victory.” - -[Illustration: THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE AMERICAN FORCES, JOHN J. -PERSHING] - - - - -THE MEUSE-ARGONNE BATTLEFIELDS 1914-1918. - - - - -FOREWORD - - -The present volume--No. 3 of the series: “The Americans in the Great -War”--see Volumes 1 (“The Second Battle of the Marne”) and 2 (“The -Battles of St. Mihiel”)--deals with the Argonne proper and with the -Marshes of the Argonne, that is to say, the greater part of the country -lying between the Battlefields of Champagne and Verdun, described in the -Michelin Guides: “The Battles of Champagne” and “Verdun.” - -The Argonne was never independent, administratively or politically. It -has always been attached to a neighbouring State, large or small. -Originally a border-land between Champagne and Lorraine, it belonged -formerly to the three Bishoprics of Châlons, Rheims, and Verdun. Later -it became the Comté of Argonne, with Sainte-Menehould as capital, but -remained tributary to the three bishoprics. After the annexation of -Champagne, the King of France and the Duke of Lorraine each took that -part of the Argonne bordering on his territory. Later it was divided -between the Province of Champagne, the Duchy of Bar, and the Duchy of -Lorraine. - -With the exception of several lateral valleys which divide it into -sections difficult of access to one another, the Argonne, covered with -thick forests, and for long roadless, presented an all but insuperable -obstacle to military operations. These valleys, or defiles, considered -from north to south, are: the passes of Chesne Populeux, Croix-aux-Bois, -Grandpré, Chalade, and Les Islettes. These five passes, famous since the -campaign of 1792, which ended in the French victory of Valmy, have often -been disputed. - -[Illustration: THE DEFILES OF THE ARGONNE] - - -The Argonne Campaign of 1792 - -At the end of August, 1792, General Dumouriez--in face of the rapid -advance of the Prussians, who were besieging Verdun, and of the -Austrians, who were drawing near Stenay--was forced to abandon his -proposed offensive in Belgium, and continue on the defensive. Divining -the intentions of the enemy to reach first the Aisne and then Châlons, -in order to march on Paris, he decided to block the roads from Lorraine -into Champagne by a defence of the Argonne. On September 1, he marched -from Sedan on Grandpré, whence on the 3rd he despatched a detachment -against St. Juvin. With his right resting on the Plateau de Marcq, his -left on Grandpré, and his artillery parked at Senuc, he took up his -headquarters at the Château of Grandpré, the property of one of his -friends, Semonville. His lieutenant, Dillon, occupied Les Islettes and -the course of the Biesme as far as Passavant-en-Argonne, with -headquarters at Grange-aux-Bois. General Kellermann was marching to join -Dumouriez, and arrived by the Toul-Bar road. At the call of Dumouriez, -the inhabitants of the districts of Clermont and Bar retired to the -forests of the Argonne with all the provisions and supplies which they -could carry with them. - -On September 7, the Duke of Brunswick and the King of Prussia viewed the -Pass of Les Islettes and the high ground of the Biesme from the summit -of Clermont Hill. Judging their capture impossible, or too costly, they -preferred to turn the position by forcing one of the three other passes -held by Dumouriez: Grandpré, Croix-aux-Bois, or Chesne Populeux. Their -choice fell on the Croix-aux-Bois defile, whose capture was entrusted to -the Austrian General Clerfayt. Meanwhile feint attacks were made on -Briquenay and Marcq, before Les Islettes and Grandpré, in order to -deceive Dumouriez. On the 12th, Clerfayt took the Croix-aux-Bois pass. -One of Dumouriez’s lieutenants, Chazot, recaptured it on the 14th, but -lost it again on the same day, and was obliged to retire. Threatened -with having his position turned and his army surrounded, Dumouriez -decided to retreat immediately, and occupied Termes, Olizy, and -Beaurepaire, in order to protect himself against a possible advance by -Clerfayt. Brunswick sent a messenger with a flag of truce to propose a -parley. Whilst the bearer was vainly waiting in the French outposts at -Marcq for permission to proceed to Dumouriez’s headquarters, the latter, -who had waited till nightfall in order to conceal his movements from the -enemy, struck his camp. At 8 a.m. on the 15th he crossed the Aisne over -the bridges of Senuc and Grand-Ham and marched towards Cernay, thus -saving his army. Chazot’s Division alone, which had received orders to -proceed from Vouziers to join the army at Montcheutin, arrived too late. -Attacked by the Prussian Hussars in the Plain of Montcheutin, it -retreated in confusion, the panic spreading to the rest of the army, -with the exception of the vanguard which held the Prussian Hussars’ -advance. Dumouriez, without resorting to extreme measures, endeavoured -to restore the morale of his troops: a few deserters, after having their -heads shaved and having been deprived of their uniforms as unworthy to -wear them, were publicly dismissed the service. The army quickly pulled -itself together, and hastened to make good its previous weakness. - -Contrary to the opinion of many, who believed he would retire on Châlons -in order more easily to effect a junction with Kellermann, Dumouriez -decided not to abandon the Sainte-Menehould position. Leaving Dillon’s -advance guard at Chalade, in Les Islettes, and in the south of the -Argonne, he established himself in front of Sainte-Menehould, on the -plateau where Maffrecourt, Chaudefontaine, and Braux-Sainte-Cohière -stand. Thus, while no longer covering the Paris road, he threatened the -rear of the Allies. - -Brunswick, who had left Grandpré and was already on the Châlons road, -was forced to stop and face Dumouriez. Fearing that Dumouriez, by -retreating, would once more escape, the King of Prussia, acting hastily -and in opposition to the plans of Brunswick, ordered the march which -brought his army to Valmy. On September 20, his army established itself -opposite Valmy, five miles west of St. Menehould, on the Lune plateau -which crosses the Sainte-Menehould-Châlons road through Auve. - -[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF VALMY (1792)] - -The Lune Inn, which then stood by the side of the road near the Lune -crossroads, formed by the junction of the Somme-Bionne and Gizeaucourt -roads, was pulled down about 1854 and the materials used for building -one of the Maigneux farms. - -Thanks to the clever dispositions of Dumouriez, who directed General -Stengel to occupy Mont-Yvon (in order to cover Valmy on the right), and -General Chazot to march on the Lune heights (to protect Kellermann’s -left), the latter was able to withstand the enemy assault. - -The Prussians decided to attack Valmy, and towards noon their infantry -crossed the valley which lies between the two armies. But the French, -drawn up on the ridge between Moulin and Valmy, under the command of -Kellermann, hurled themselves on the Prussians and drove them back -amidst cries of “Vive la Nation.” Brunswick, disconcerted, stopped the -attack. Kellermann pressed on, while General Stengel held the Austrians -on the right. About 4 o’clock, General Beurnonville came up with -reinforcements, and the battle was won. - -On the evening of September 20, Dumouriez and Kellermann, agreeing that -the position was dangerous, decided to evacuate Yvron and Valmy during -the night, to cross the Auve and deploy between Dampierre and Voilemont. -On the 21st, Kellermann, in his new position covered by the Auve and the -Yevre confidently awaited a fresh Prussian attack, which, however, was -never delivered. Discouraged, and anxious as to the health of his -troops, the Duke of Brunswick, after ten days of vacillation, decided to -retreat. Thanks to his clever negotiations, which misled Dumouriez, he -succeeded in saving his army and in regaining the frontier without being -pursued; but fatigue, hunger, and dysentery had decimated his forces. Of -the 42,000 Prussians who invaded France in the previous August, barely -20,000 recrossed the frontier. - -The moral effect of the victory of Valmy was considerable. It was the -first victory won by the Armies of the Revolution over the Allies. It -humbled the pride of the Prussians and gave the French unshakable faith -in the future of their arms. - -The German poet, Goethe, who followed the operations, said, in speaking -of Valmy: “On that day and at that place began a new era in the history -of the world.” - -[Illustration: THE FIRING-LINE IN ARGONNE DURING THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE -MARNE (1914)] - -In 1814 Blucher went round the Argonne. In 1870 the Third Prussian Army -(the Army of the Meuse) crossed it without much difficulty. - - - - -THE GREAT WAR (1914-1918) - - -In August, 1914, in spite of their success on the Meuse, the French -Third and Fourth Armies were ordered by Joffre to make a general retreat -towards the south. The Third Army, under Sarrail, pivoting on its right, -now rested on Verdun. Facing it was the German Vth Army, under the Crown -Prince. - -The German forces, following the retreat of the French Armies, slipped -in on either side of the thick woods of the Argonne, along the Valleys -of the Aisne and the Aire. - -On September 5, under Joffre’s orders, the retreat came to an end, and -the great battle, which was to save France, began. After six days of -violent fighting (see Part III--The Revigny Pass--of the Battle of the -Marne, 1914), the Crown Prince’s troops, under pressure of the French -Third Army, retreated along both flanks of the Argonne; but during the -latter half of September, they came to a stand, after reaching and -consolidating the following positions: on the east, Montfaucon, -commanding the ground between the Aire and the Meuse; Montblainville and -Varennes, commanding the Valley of the Aire; on the west, Binarville, -Servon, and Vienne-le-Château, commanding the Valley of the Aisne. A -fierce and prolonged battle then began. The French troops, held on the -flanks, pushed on into the forest, in an endeavour to cut the enemy’s -transverse lines of communication, which consisted of two main roads -from east to west (see map, p. 8). - -(1) The main road from Varennes to Vienne-le-Château, _via_ the -Four-de-Paris, where a road running north-south branches, crossing at -Les Islettes, the “National Road,” and the railway from -Châlons-sur-Marne to Verdun, via Sainte-Menehould. - -(2) The wide forest road which, two or three kilometres to the north, -runs almost parallel to the first road, from Montblainville to -Servon-Melzicourt, _via_ Bagatelle, and across the Bois de la Gruerie. - -The Germans, on their part, made every effort to maintain their lines of -communication. Moreover, they had not given up the hope of encircling -and taking Verdun. Through the transverse valleys of the Aire and the -Aisne, and the central passage of the Biesme, they threatened to cut the -Châlons-Verdun Railway, and thereby separate the Army of Champagne from -that of Verdun. The importance of the Argonne position thus becomes -evident, and explains the fury of the fighting which took place there. - - -The Battle in the Forest - -The Forest of Argonne consists of woods of beech, horn-beam, ash, and -oak which, with an undergrowth of hazels and shrubs of many varieties, -form almost impenetrable thickets. Lovely nooks and wild glens abound; -opposite narrow ravines, whose steep sides are clothed with copse-wood, -are cool valleys full of streams, pools, and springs. - -These picturesque spots have often charming names: _Bois de la -Viergette_, _Ruisseau des Emerlots_, _Fontaine la Houyette_, -_Fontaine-aux-Charmes_, _Fontaine-Madame_ and _Bagatelle_. Sometimes the -names are quaint: _Fille-Morte_, _Moulin del’Homme Mort_, -_Ferme-la-Mitte_, _Chêne Tondu_ and _Courte-Chausse_. Below the long -ridge, which forms, as it were, the backbone of the forest, the _Chemin -de la Haute-Chevauchée_, and, a little further west, the _Pavillon St. -Hubert_ evoke memories of bygone hunting-parties. All these names, -yesterday but little known, are to-day famous, as for months they -recurred almost daily in the Communiqués of the Great War, and each of -them brings to mind, not one battle only, but a series of battles, -fierce struggles, and hand-to-hand encounters in the dense undergrowth. - -The stationary warfare assumed a special character in the Argonne. Lanes -and footpaths formed the only breaks in the impenetrable thickets. There -were no gentle slopes, no convenient firing positions for the infantry, -no observation-posts for the artillery--everything being concealed by -the thick foliage; no easy roads, for though several wide valleys enter -the forest, they invariably end in narrow ravines which, except where -there are paths, present almost insuperable obstacles. - -The innumerable springs give rise to excessive moisture. Tiny rivulets -intersect the clay soil, and mud collects easily, making the paths -impassable. Log roads had to be made in order to facilitate the bringing -up of reliefs and supplies. Trenches were no sooner dug than they filled -with water and mud, necessitating continuous baling, often with -makeshifts such as pails, shovels, dishes, mess-tins, etc. - -These trenches, dug haphazard under enemy fire, were very irregular in -line, and French and German trenches sometimes overlapped. The fusillade -was uninterrupted, but erratic, except for a few snipers perched here -and there in the trees. At night, the forest was swept at random by -rifle and machine-gun fire, to make movement dangerous and to prevent -surprise. Rockets continually lit up the night. Here the rifle was -merely an auxiliary weapon, but grenade and bomb fighting went on all -day without respite. - -Under this continuous rain of hand projectiles, and the hurricane of -shells which destroyed the trenches, the casualties were heavy. Apart -from the losses in actual battle, there were often hundreds of killed -and wounded in a single day. In the attack or defence of a trench the -fighting immediately became a hand-to-hand struggle, in which the long, -cumbersome rifle generally gave place to the knife and revolver. - -Owing to the difficulty of approaching the enemy trenches in the open, -advances were made by pushing saps ahead, or by blowing them up with -mines. On both sides incessant digging of galleries and mine-chambers -went on underground, whence a race in speed and skill between the -opposing sappers, for it was a case either of blowing up the enemy -first, or being blown up by him. Over the mine-destroyed trenches, -through the smoke and under the rain of earth and stones caused by the -explosions, the soldiers dashed forward to occupy the new shell-crater, -or to fight for it if the enemy had reached it first. Then would follow -a bloody hand-to-hand struggle with grenades, knives, bayonets, daggers, -axes, etc., resulting in the gain of a few yards of ground. - -From the end of 1914 to March 31, 1915, between Four-de-Paris and the -Valley of the Aisne, the French sappers excavated over 3,000 yards of -mine galleries, and fired fifty-two mine-chambers, using nearly 16,000 -lbs. of explosives. - - -The Stationary Warfare - -(_September, 1914, to September, 1918._) - -Activity on the Argonne front was greatest during the first year of the -war. The German positions were held by part of the Army of the Crown -Prince, whose technical adviser was the old Marshal von Haeseler. This -army was composed mainly of first-class troops, including the XVIth -(Metz) Corps, one of the best in Germany, and superior to the famous -Prussian Guards. This Corps was commanded by General von Mudra, a sapper -skilled in mine warfare, who had under his command numerous -well-equipped pioneers. The French Divisions of the 5th and 2nd (Active) -Corps, though inferior in equipment, outrivalled the enemy in courage -and daring. They held the sector for many months, and their tenacity was -more than a match for German technique. They quickly adapted themselves -to the necessities of forest fighting, and from February, 1915, they -were fully equal to the enemy in discipline and equipment. - -In October, 1914, the line, as a whole, crossed the entire width of the -Argonne, from the north of Vienne-le-Château to the north of Neuvilly. -As a matter of fact, there was no continuous line, the French troops -holding only rudimentary trenches, as stationary warfare was still -distasteful to them. They believed the pause to be but temporary, and -that they would soon resume the advance. They constantly attacked the -Germans, who, equally aggressive, endeavoured to gain ground, and to -wear down the French resistance by attacks on trenches, and by -ceaselessly-renewed local engagements. - -The line was very irregular, with constant re-entrants and salients, and -frequently shifted. The French had established themselves on the two -parallel roads which cross the forest: at Bagatelle on the northern -road, in Gruerie Wood and at the Barricade on the southern road. Between -the two roads they seized and consolidated positions, such as the -_Pavillon St. Hubert_ and _Fontaine-Madame_. On the northern road and -around Bagatelle, during the last months of 1914, the Germans -alternately advanced and retreated about half a mile. In October, they -captured St. Hubert, only to lose it again. Later, they advanced to -within 400 yards of Four-de-Paris on the east, but in November they were -stopped in this sector. In the centre, in spite of repeated attacks, -they were unable to take _Fontaine-Madame_. - -[Illustration: THE BATTLE IN THE FOREST] - -In January, 1915, the line crossed the Melzicourt Ford, a little -upstream from Servon, and the Servon-Vienne-le-Château road to the north -of Fontaine-la-Houyette, running thence, with numerous salients and -re-entrants, through Gruerie Wood, as far as Fontaines-aux-Charmes and -the outskirts of Bagatelle. From there it went south through -Fontaine-Madame to within three-quarters of a mile north of La Harazée, -then north towards St. Hubert, then south again, crossing the Meurissons -Stream, to within 300 yards of Four-de-Paris, finally turning eastwards -across the Woods of Bolante and Courte-Chausse, to the Valley of the -Aire between Neuvilly and Boureuilles. - -For almost a year the struggle on this line continued with unabated -desperateness. It is impossible to enumerate here all the battles fought -almost daily in the sectors of Fontaine-aux-Charmes, Bagatelle, -Marie-Thérèse, Fontaine-Madame, St. Hubert, Four-de-Paris, Les -Meurissons, Bolante Wood, Courte-Chausse and Haute-Chevauchée. The most -important are referred to later, in the Itinerary. On the whole, the -French troops, with whom the Garibaldian Regiment co-operated for a -short time, made some progress and inflicted bitter defeats on the -enemy. To the east, in the Valley of the Aire, though they failed -against Boureuilles, they succeeded in March, after numerous attacks, in -taking Vauquois. - -During 1915, the Germans several times resorted to massed attacks on an -extended front, especially in June and July. From June 20 to July 14 the -Crown Prince launched an offensive in great force, employing as much as -an entire army corps for a single thrust. On June 20, after an intense -bombardment with gas shells, his troops attacked on both sides of the -Binarville-Vienne-le-Château road. Gassed and almost buried in their -shattered trenches, the French could not stop the enemy, but on June 24 -counter-attacks regained almost all the lost ground. - -On the 26th, the Crown Prince renewed and developed the attack, which, -on the 29th, extended from the Four-de-Paris to about two miles beyond -the Binarville-Vienne-le-Château road. After a three days’ bombardment, -he hurled at least 40,000 men into action, three times in succession. -Against the salient from Bagatelle to the north of Four-de-Paris alone, -on a front of about five miles, he launched two divisions. Thanks to a -hail of shells and gas bombs, the enemy advanced and, through the -corridor of the Biesme, came within five miles of their objective, the -railway station of Les Islettes. The fire of the 75’s, however, barred -the road, and the French reserves subsequently counter-attacked and -retook the lost ground covered with enemy dead. - -After some local attacks on July 2 and 7, the Germans launched a fresh -general attack on the 13th, from the Binarville-Vienne-le-Château road, -as far as the Haute-Chevauchée. After a bombardment with more than -45,000 shells, five regiments of the XVIth Corps rushed the shattered -trenches. It was a powerful thrust, especially on the east, where a few -trenches were lost; but in the course of several days’ fighting the -enemy was held, and on the 14th the French counter-attacked on the west, -pushed the Germans back north of the Servon road, and held for a short -time the Beaurain Wood to the west of this road. On September 7, the -enemy once more threw two divisions against the western side of the -forest; but in this attempt, as in the first, they failed to break -through. - -In September, 1915, the French offensive in Champagne made itself felt -in the Argonne. On the 25th, a subsidiary attack, designed to cover the -flank of the main attack, was carried out between Servon and Gruerie -Wood, over difficult ground, strongly entrenched by the Germans, and -flanked by many machine-guns. After carrying the first German lines, the -French troops, who had been counter-attacked and decimated by -machine-guns on the western edges of the Gruerie Wood, were forced to -retire on their original positions. However, this minor operation -prevented the enemy from using the Argonne to launch a counter-offensive -on the flank of the main attack. On the 27th, they attacked in the -Fille-Morte and Bolante sector, doubtless to cover the despatch of -reinforcements from the Argonne to Champagne. - -In October the Argonne front suddenly became as calm as it had -previously been active. The enemy, discouraged by their losses, in -despair of reaching the Sainte-Menehould-Verdun road, and with their -hands full elsewhere, remained on the defensive in the Argonne. Their -efforts were now turned in other directions--towards Les Eparges, the -Trench of Calonne, and Ailly Wood, from which they hoped once more to -threaten Verdun. The Crown Prince had expected to cross the Argonne, but -after sacrificing thousands of soldiers, he was unable to break down the -French resistance. The massed attack on an extended front having only -increased his losses without result, he returned to his original plan of -trench raids and small local operations, the object of which was to -nibble away the ground and exhaust the opposing troops as much as -possible. - -From November, 1915, the sap and mine fighting was renewed, in which the -French gained the advantage. Every month, at one place or another, or at -several places at once--at Bolante, Fille-Morte, Hill 285, near the -Haute-Chevauchée road, at St. Hubert, Courte-Chausse, and Marie-Thérèse, -in the Vauquois sector--mines destroyed the enemy trenches, and there -were fierce fights with hand-grenades for the shell-craters. - -The battering of the defences, the constant improvement of the -equipment, and the construction of deep bomb-proof shelters, mitigated -the hardships of war and effected a considerable reduction in the losses -of the French. - -During the battle of Verdun, fighting in the Argonne was practically -limited to artillery duels, the French batteries on the eastern border -frequently engaging the enemy batteries in the Bois de Cheppy and -Montfaucon. - -In 1917, the fighting consisted almost entirely of hand-to-hand -struggles for outposts or trenches. The French, who excelled in this -kind of warfare, constantly destroyed the enemy mines and brought back -numbers of prisoners from more or less extensive raids. - - - - -THE OPERATIONS OF 1918 - - -During the first half of 1918, while grave events were taking place on -other parts of the front, the Argonne remained quiet. The battle, -however, spread from point to point, and the Argonne front in its turn -was again set ablaze on the date fixed by Foch in his plan for the great -offensive which was destined to bring the Germans to their knees. - -[Illustration: MARSHAL FOCH] - -After the Allied counter-offensive of July 18 on the Aisne front (see -Volume I: “The Second Battle of the Marne”), which drove the Germans -back to the Vesle, the Allies were forced to mark time on the centre of -the front. - -The battle shifted to the wings. Offensive followed offensive with -unfailing regularity, first on the left (the Franco-British offensive of -August 8), then in Artois (the offensive of August 20), and lastly -against the whole of the Hindenburg line, which the Allies attacked on -September 1. - -The Germans were already greatly shaken, but Foch gave them no respite, -and to prevent them recovering he redoubled his attacks. - -An offensive movement on both wings began: on the left (in Flanders) the -Belgian, French and British armies, under the command of King Albert, -attacked simultaneously with the Fourth French Army under Gouraud and -the First American Army under Pershing on the right. - -As a prelude to taking its place in the line for the great offensive, -the American Army had already fought the brilliant action which, on -September 12, reduced the St. Mihiel salient. (See Volume 2: “The Battle -of St. Mihiel.”) - -This operation was only just over when the main body of the American -army was moved very rapidly from the Meuse to the Argonne, to the -positions assigned to General Pershing in the Allied plan of campaign. - -This very important movement, effected without a hitch between September -4 and 24, involved the displacement of enormous forces; eleven French -divisions, constituting the Second Army, were replaced by fifteen -divisions of the First American Army, which thus held the whole Verdun -front from the Aisne to the Moselle, between La Harazée and -Pont-à-Mousson. - -[Illustration: AMERICAN CEMETERY CONTAINING 28,000 GRAVES, ON THE -HILLSIDE, NEAR CUNEL VILLAGE (SEE P. 45)] - -[Illustration: GEORGE H. CAMERON, - -_Commander of the American 5th Corps, comprising the 79th, 37th and 91st -(active), and 32nd (reserve) Divisions_.] - -[Illustration: HUNTER LIGGETT, - -_Commander of the American 1st Corps, comprising the 35th, 28th and 77th -(active), and 12th (reserve) Divisions_.] - -[Illustration: ROBT. L. BULLARD, - -_Commander of the American 3rd Corps, comprising the 33rd, 80th and 4th -Divisions_.] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL JOSEPH DICKMAN - -(_1st Corps._)] - -[Illustration: MAJ.-GEN. JOSEPH E. KUHN - -(_79th Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM WEIGEL - -(_83rd Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE BELL - -(_33rd Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM H. HAY - -(_28th Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL CHARLES G. MORTON - -(_29th Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GEN. EDMOND WITTENMEYER - -(_7th Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN L. HINES - -(_3rd Corps._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES W. M‘ANDREWS - -_General Chief of Staff._] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT ALEXANDER - -_Commander of the 77th Div._] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GEN. WM. M. WRIGHT - -(_1st Corps._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL HANSON E. ELY - -(_5th Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES H. M‘RAE - -(_78th Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GEN. C. P. SUMMERALL - -(_5th Corps._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL LEROY S. LYON - -(_90th Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE B. DUNCAN - -(_82nd Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL SAMUEL D. STURGIS - -(_80th Division._)] - -[Illustration: MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT L. HOWZE - -(_Com. of the 3rd Div._)] - -[Illustration: The above map shows in detail the German Positions -between the Meuse and the Argonne on the eve of the great -Franco-American Offensive of September 26, 1918 (see next page), the -immediate objective of which was to drive the enemy across the Meuse.] - -[Illustration: THE OBJECTIVES OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN ATTACK OF SEPTEMBER -26, 1918] - - -The Franco-American Offensive of September 26, 1918 - -The combined attack of the French and American armies had for its -immediate objective the driving back of the Germans across the Meuse. -They were to advance northwards, on either side of the Argonne, join -hands at the Pass of Grandpré, and then together continue the push -towards the Meuse and cut the main German line of communication formed -by the Sedan-Mézières Railway. - - -The Allied and Enemy Forces - -As this volume deals only with the battle of the Argonne the French -attack will be dealt with separately in “The Battles of Champagne.” Here -we shall confine our attention to the attack made by the American First -Army on the front between the Aisne and the Meuse. - -[Illustration: THE ALLIED AND ENEMY FORCES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE -ATTACK OF SEPTEMBER 26, 1918] - -[Illustration: GUN EMPLACEMENT WRECKED BY HEAVY GERMAN SHELL] - -The displacement of the American forces was completed by the evening of -the 22nd. On the 25th all the units were in position for attack, and -were distributed from east to west as follows: - -Between the Meuse and Malancourt: the 3rd American Corps (Bullard), -comprising three divisions (33rd, 80th, 4th) in line, and one division -(3rd) in reserve. - -Between Malancourt and Vauquois: the 5th American Corps (Cameron), -comprising three divisions (79th, 37th, and 91st) in line, and one -division (32nd), in reserve. - -[Illustration: ENORMOUS SHELL CRATER FILLED WITH WATER] - -Between Vauquois and La Harazée: the 1st American Corps (Liggett), -comprising three divisions (35th, 28th, and 77th) in line, and one -division (92nd) in reserve. - -In addition, there was the army reserve, consisting of three divisions -(1st, 29th, and 82nd). - -On the left, the liaison of the American Army with the French Fourth -Army (Gouraud) on the outskirts of the Argonne, between the Aisne and -the forest, was maintained by two infantry regiments. - -On the right, the French 17th Corps was stationed as look-out on the -right bank of the Meuse. - -Facing the three corps of the American Army, the Germans had in line -eleven divisions belonging to the army of Von Gallwitz. Seven divisions -were in thee army reserve, whilst four additional divisions were being -reorganized in the Metz sector. - - -The Attack - -[Illustration: FIRST STAGE OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN OFFENSIVE, SHOWING THE -ALLIES’ PROGRESS FROM SEPT. 26 (26/9) TO SEPT. 30 (30/9), 1918] - -(_September 20--September 30, 1918._) - -On September 26, 1918, the combined attack was launched on either side -of the Argonne. At 5.30 a.m., after an artillery preparation of six -hours on the French side, and of three hours on the American, the Allied -troops advanced to the attack. While the French took Servon, and gained -a footing on the low hills which skirt the right bank of the Aisne, the -Americans, who did not at first encounter great resistance, seized in a -single rush the first German position. The second line was soon reached, -and in spite of the increasing resistance, an average advance of about -four to six miles was effected. The Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Missouri -troops belonging to the 1st Corps (Liggett) took Varennes, -Montblainville, Cheppy, and cleared Vauquois. - -On the right, the troops of the 3rd Corps (Bullard), crossing the Forges -stream, entered Malancourt, Béthincourt, Cuisy, Septsarges, Gercourt and -Drillancourt. On that day over 5,000 prisoners were captured by the -Americans. - -On the 27th, the advance was slower; the fire of the enemy artillery -increased in intensity, and German reinforcements counter-attacked. -Nevertheless, the Americans carried Véry, Epinonville, Ivoiry and -Charpentry. - -On the centre, the 5th Corps (Cameron) met with formidable resistance, -and in crossing the woods of Malancourt and Cheppy the troops from New -Jersey, Virginia, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana suffered very -heavy losses. In addition, they had to face numerous German -counter-attacks. On the 26th it was impossible to reach the formidable -Heights of Montfaucon, but on the 27th the ridge, outflanked on the west -by the capture of Ivoiry, and on the east by that of Septsarges, fell -into the hands of the 5th Corps which reached Nantillois. - -On the evening of the 27th, the American spoils included over 100 guns -(12 of large calibre), numerous trench-mortars, hundreds of -machine-guns, and over 8,000 prisoners, 125 of whom were officers. - -On the evening of the 27th, the infantry fought fiercely for the last -_points d’appui_ assigned to them for that day. - -In order to prevent a counter-offensive by the Germans, General Pershing -rapidly organised, behind the ground already won, a line of defence -through Gercourt, Drillancourt, Juré Wood, Dannevoux, Nantillois, -Eclisfontaine, Charpentry, Montblainville and Apremont. - -On the 28th, the resistance of the enemy further stiffened: fresh troops -carried out repeated counter-attacks on the French right and against the -American centre. The Americans, however, reached the outskirts of -Brieulles-sur-Meuse, Ogons Wood, the southern edge of Cierges, and the -northern outskirts of Apremont, whilst in the forest, the -Franco-American liaison troops occupied the Crochet shelter. On the west -the French approached Binarville and reached Ivoy Farm. - -Up to that point, the American Air Force, fully maintaining its -supremacy in the air, had brought down twelve observation balloons and -over sixty enemy aeroplanes. - -The next day, the Germans, throwing fresh reinforcements into the -battle, counter-attacked furiously. - -Between the Valley of the Aire and Cierges, the Americans had to fight -hard for several days, in order to resist the pressure of the enemy and -to hold the ground they had gained. On the 29th and 30th violent -fighting took place round Apremont. The Germans, reinforcing their -artillery, fired great numbers of gas shells. They stubbornly defended -the approaches of the “Kriemhilde” position, which from Champigneulle to -St. Juvin, through Cornay, Fléville, and the woods of Gesnes, -Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Cunel and Fays, reached the Meuse in the -Brieulles district. - -Thus the first stage of the attack was over. The Americans had forced -the Germans to abandon their first and second lines and had captured -9,000 prisoners and more than 100 guns. - - -The Period of Attrition - -(_October 1-31, 1918._) - -The advance effected during the first stage of the attack brought the -American infantry face-to-face with fresh German positions, strongly -defended, bristling with machine-guns and automatic weapons, organised -one behind the other and connected up with one another. These positions -had to be reduced bit by bit. - -The smallest wood or the least depression of the ground was utilised by -the Germans with the greatest skill. In the woods they made use of a new -type of auxiliary defence-works--barbed-wire entanglements -(Maschendraht) about nine feet in height, fastened to trees or to stakes -six inches in diameter. - -The Americans on their side attacked desperately, and succeeded in -gaining the disputed ground, step-by-step, thereby laying during the -whole month of October the foundation of the operations which in -November were to end in the enemy’s capitulation along the whole front. - -On October 1, a hard struggle began which lasted several days, with -alternate advances and retreats. The French, finally breaking the -counter-offensive on their flank, advanced along the Valley of the Aire. -On October 1 they occupied Binarville, Condé-lez-Autry and -Vaux-lez-Mouron, after capturing considerable material, including 200 -narrow-gauge trucks and numerous trucks of normal gauge. The Americans, -on their side, in spite of the machine-guns, barbed-wire, and -counter-attacks supported by tanks, pushed forward bravely. - -[Illustration: SECOND STAGE OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN ATTACK, SHOWING -PROGRESS MADE UP TO OCTOBER 30 (30/10)] - -On October 4, Pershing launched an attack along the whole Army front. - -On the right, the American 3rd Corps advanced as far as the -Brieulles-Cunel road, which, however, it failed to pass. In the centre, -the 5th Corps reached Gesnes. On the left, the troops of the 1st Corps -advanced on the Forest of Argonne and reached La Viergette. On the edge -of the forest the same troops made an advance of about two miles, -reaching the outskirts of Fléville and capturing Chéhéry, as well as -Arietal Farm on the north of Exermont. - -On October 7, the 1st Corps drove the Germans out of Chatel and Chéhéry, -and from the heights to the west of the Aire, as far as the outskirts of -Cornay, which they took on the following day. - -But with the arrival of numerous reinforcements the German resistance -increased, and the advance became more and more difficult. - -An extension of the attacking front was then decided upon, and the -French 17th Corps (Claudel), which was keeping watch on the right bank -of the Meuse, was placed at General Pershing’s disposal. - -This army corps was reinforced by the French 26th Infantry Division and -the American 33rd Infantry Division, which were already operating on the -right bank of the river. These dispositions having been completed a -fresh attack was launched from the Argonne as far as Beaumont, to the -west of the Meuse. - -On October 8, the German positions were violently bombarded, and on the -9th the troops advanced to the assault. - -On the right, the French 17th Corps advanced as far as the southern -outskirts of the Haumont and Consenvoye Woods, but could not get beyond -these positions, which had been very strongly fortified by the Germans. - -[Illustration: VARENNES. TELEPHONISTS OF THE 108TH REGT. (28TH D.I.) -WITH GAS MASKS] - -Along the Meuse the American 3rd Corps entered Brieulles, while the 5th -Corps reached the main German line of resistance between Cunel and -Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, and captured Fléville. On the left wing the 1st -Corps occupied the heights south of Marcq and the woods of Cornay. - -Meanwhile the troops of the French 4th Army on the left bank of the -Aisne swept the Montcheutin--Vaux-lez-Mouron Plateau and, on the right -bank, took Lançon, Grand-Ham and Senuc. The capture of the latter -village gave them one of the gates of the Grandpré Pass. The junction of -the French and American armies was effected at Lançon. On that day the -Americans, from the Argonne to Chaume Wood, on the east of the Meuse, -captured more than 2,000 prisoners, and the French 600, besides many -guns. - -On the 10th, the French crossed the Aisne opposite Termes, which they -captured; they then occupied the railway-station of Grandpré, taking -numbers of prisoners. The enemy, in danger of being cut off, evacuated -the forest, pursued by the Americans, who, after progressing beyond -Marcq and Chevières, linked up with the French before Grandpré. Further -east, their line passed north of Sommerance and through the northern -outskirts of Romagne Wood and Gesnes. - -The arrival of American reinforcements in ever-increasing numbers -enabled Pershing to extend his operations. - -The American Second Army, which had just been constituted under the -command of General Bullard, lined up on the right of the First Army -(which had now passed under the command of General Liggett). To his -command were joined the 33rd and 17th French Corps, wedged between the -two American armies. - -The three corps of the American First Army, after the promotion of -Generals Liggett and Bullard, were commanded as follows: The 1st Corps -by General Dickman, the 5th Corps by General Summerall, and the 3rd -Corps by General Hines. - -This was the state of affairs on October 14, when the general attack was -launched. - -The 1st Corps captured St. Juvin and reached the outskirts of St. -Georges. In the centre the 5th Corps passed Cunel and Romagne, and -reached the outskirts of Landres-St. Georges village. Along the Meuse, -the 3rd Corps passed Forêt Wood, while on the east of the Meuse the -French 17th Corps fought a violent engagement in the woods of Coures and -Ormont. - -The fight waxed furious. On the 16th, the Americans took the Hill of -Châtillon and the village of Champigneulle, while on the following day -they were definitely masters of Grandpré. To the west of the Argonne the -French, who had entered Vouziers, on the 12th, after a very hard -struggle and in spite of several counter-attacks, cleared Termes and -entered Mouron. On the 14th, they drove the enemy back beyond the -Grandpré--Vouziers road, and two days later took Talma and Hill 222 to -the north-west. The Germans, whose resources were fast diminishing, made -a desperate but unsuccessful resistance, and there was much confusion -among the enemy units engaged in the valleys of the Aisne and the Aire. -The battalions withdrawn from the firing line were hastily reorganised -at the base, and at once despatched to the most critical points. The -main positions were held by picked troops and especially by -machine-gunners, whose numbers and stubbornness caused great ravage in -the Allied ranks. From Grandpré to Rethel the country had been -inundated. Apparently, the enemy were constructing a new line (the -“Freyastellung”) to the north of the “Kriemhilde” position. The new line -passed north of Landres and Bantheville, through Hazois Wood, the Farms -of La Dhuy and Grand Carré, and along the northern slopes of the valley -of the Andon, between Bantheville ad Cléry-le-Petit. - -[Illustration: VARENNES. RENAULT TANKS WITH 1-1/2-IN. GUNS, USED BY THE -AMERICAN FORCES] - -On the 17th, fierce fighting took place between Olizy and Grandpré; the -French advanced north-west of Olizy, but after a violent bombardment -were forced back from Talma by a counter-attack. On the 18th, they -crossed the Aisne to the north-east and east of Vouziers, capturing -Vandy and Pissois Farm and reaching the western outskirts of Chestres. -Meanwhile, American patrols entered Loges Wood, Landres-St. Georges and -Bantheville Wood, all of which had been abandoned by the enemy. - -From the 19th to the 30th a desperate battle was fought to the east of -Vouziers. Every advance was followed by German counter-attacks, the -positions constantly changing hands. On the 19th, the French Fourth Army -broke a vigorous German attack carried out by parts of seven different -divisions. On the 19th and 20th, Chestres, Macquart Farm, Hill 193 to -the east of Vandy, and Terron were taken, but the Germans recaptured the -last-named village. On the 22nd, the French had reached the outskirts of -Terron, the woods to the south-west of the Malva Farm, Landêves, Chamiot -Farm, and the suburbs of Falaise. Terron, retaken by the Czecho-Slovaks, -was held in spite of repeated German counter-attacks. To the west of -Grandpré the positions were strengthened, while the Americans checked -the Germans north of Bantheville and advanced into the woods of Loges -and Bourgogne. - -A period of calm followed, and thus ended the second stage of the -offensive, during which the Americans had captured 7,000 prisoners and -fifty guns. - - -The Pursuit - -(_November 1--11, 1918._) - -During the quiet days at the end of October, the Americans proceeded -rapidly to reorganize their forces, so as to be ready, as soon as Foch -should give the signal, for their part in the new Allied offensive. - -[Illustration: ALLIED ARTILLERY CROSSING FLOODED DISTRICT NEAR -VOUZIERS] - -[Illustration: THIRD STAGE OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN OFFENSIVE; THE ALLIES’ -PURSUIT OF THE RETREATING GERMANS UNTIL ARMISTICE DAY (NOV. 11, 1918)] - -In the north, the Belgians had just cleared their coast-line, and were -menacing the enemy by an advance into the very heart of Belgium. The -British had occupied Lille and broken down the defences of the -Hindenburg Line. Meanwhile, the French, relentlessly driving back the -retreating enemy, had entered Laon, after forcing the formidable bastion -of the St. Gobain Forest. - -On November 1, between Grandpré and the Meuse, the Americans had in line -the following forces of the First Army (Liggett): - -The 3rd Corps, composed of the 5th and 90th Infantry Divisions. - -The 5th Corps, composed of the 89th and 2nd Infantry Divisions. - -The 1st Corps, composed of the 80th, 77th and 78th Infantry Divisions. - -Their right was prolonged by the French 17th (Active) Corps, which, with -the 33rd (Active) Corps, was in liaison with their Second Army. - -Facing these forces the Germans, under the command of Von der Marwitz, -had massed three army corps between Buzancy and the Meuse, reinforced by -two Austro-Hungarian divisions. - -At 5.30 a.m. on November 1, the troops of the French Fourth Army -(Gouraud) and those of the American First Army (Liggett), after a two -hours’ bombardment of great violence, launched a fresh offensive. - -The Americans attacked on the north, and, in spite of a stubborn -resistance, advanced several kilometres, taking 3,600 prisoners and -forty-four guns. The French attacked on the east, along a twelve-mile -front, cleared the whole of the right bank of the Aisne, and bit into -the Argonne, threatening on the right and in the rear the Germans, who, -facing south, stood opposed to the Americans. 1,300 prisoners and a -number of guns were captured. On November 1, the American 3rd Corps, on -the right, seized Aincreville, approached Doulcon and took Andevanne and -Cléry-le-Grand. In the centre, the 5th Corps captured Bayonville, -Rémonville and Landres. On the left, the 1st Corps, in the face of the -enemy’s fierce resistance, were only able to advance slightly in Loges -Wood. - -On the following day (November 2) the Americans vigorously followed up -their attack. The 1st Corps, freed on its right by the advance of the -5th Corps on the previous day, pushed on boldly five miles beyond -Thénorgues and Buzancy, while the French, on their side, carried half of -the northern portion of the Argonne, reaching the Ballay-Longwé line on -the east of Vouziers. - -On the 3rd, the enemy, threatened with being surrounded, fell back. The -Allies straightened their line towards the north, and advanced twelve -miles in the centre. The line now passed through Semuy, the southern -bank of the Ardennes Canal, the southern outskirts of Chesne, the course -of the Bar as far as Châtillon, through Belleville, Authe, St. -Pierremont, Sommauthe, Vaux-en-Dieulet, Belval, Le Champy-Bas, -Beauclair, Montigny-devant-Sassey and Mont-devant-Sassey. In three days -the Germans lost over 6,000 prisoners and 100 guns, and were driven back -towards the Sedan-Mézières-Metz highway, the approaches to which were -desperately defended. However, their resistance broke down before the -continued push of the Allies. - -Already the Allies’ heavy guns were steadily bombarding the Stenay, -Montmédy and Longuyon Railways. - -On November 4, the American 3rd Army Corps reached the Meuse between -Villefranche and Stenay, while two solid bridgeheads were established at -Brieulles and Cléry. The Germans, disconcerted by this rapid advance, -withdrew to the right bank of the Meuse. - -The two other American Corps followed up the advance, and on the 5th -were within nine miles of Sedan, while the French advanced six miles -north of the line of the Aisne. On the 8th, the French were the first to -enter the suburbs of Sedan, and on the 9th they reached Mézières. - -On the extreme right the Germans gave way before the impetuous attacks -of the French 17th Corps, and after a violent engagement, were driven -back, the next day, to the foot of the heights of the Meuse, south of -Stenay. - -[Illustration: TANKS PUT OUT OF ACTION, AFTER DESTROYING GERMAN -MACHINE-GUN NEST NEAR BAYONVILLE - -(_Nov. 7, 1918._)] - -On the evening of November 10, the First American Army was to cross the -Chiers and push on next day to Montmédy, when the Armistice on the 11th -saved the German Army from destruction. - -The spoils of the American Army during the last stage of the offensive -comprised 5,000 prisoners, 250 guns, 2,000 machine-guns, in addition to -enormous quantities of stores. In all, during the Meuse-Argonne Battle -the Americans took 21,000 prisoners and 400 guns, which, added to their -previous captures, amounted to 50,000 prisoners and over 1,000 guns. -Seventy-eight German divisions were engaged during the battle, and the -American casualties numbered 100,000 men. - - - - -VISIT TO ARGONNE - - -=FIRST DAY=: 155 km.--=Verdun=, =Buzancy=, =Varennes=, =Vauquois=, -=Clermont-en-Argonne=, and =Sainte-Menehould.= - - -[Illustration] - -ITINERARY FOR THE FIRST DAY - -_Leave Verdun[1] by the Chaussée Gate. Beyond the ramparts, turn to the -left into N. 64_ (_leaving N. 3 in front, and, fifty yards further on, -N. 18 on the right_). - - [1] For particulars concerning Verdun, Bras, Charny, Esnes, - Malancourt, see The Michelin Illustrated Guide. “The Battle of Verdun.” - -_N. 64 follows the right bank of the Meuse, crosses the Faubourg of -Belleville, climbs the Hill of Belleville Fort, and passes close to -Froide-Terre Hill. Opposite stands_ =Bras=, at the foot of =Poivre Hill.= - -To visit Verdun, Bras, Charny, Esnes, and Malancourt, see the _Michelin -Illustrated Guide_: “The Battle of Verdun.” - -[Illustration: THE FORT OF DOUAUMONT AND ITS APPROACHES - -(_Photographed from aeroplane in May, 1916._)] - -_Extracted from The Michelin Illustrated Guide, “The Battle of -Verdun.”_ - -[Illustration: BRAS VILLAGE. FRENCH CEMETERY. POIVRE HILL IN BACKGROUND] - -_At the entrance to_ =Bras=, _on the left, there is a_ large French -military cemetery (_photo above_). _In the village_, completely ruined, -_turn to the left into G.C. 38, which soon crosses the Est Canal and -then the Meuse_ (_on the right, under the_ ruined bridge: fortifications -and shelters). =Charny=, _about one mile from Bras, is next reached_. - -_G.C. 38 crosses the ruins of this village (level-crossing on leaving), -then turns to the right, leaving the Thierville road opposite._ - -_The road goes round the Heights of Vacherauville and Marre Forts, then -enters the almost entirely ruined village of_ =Marre= (_about three miles -from Charny_). _Turn to the left at the first houses, pass in front of -the_ ruined church, _then turn to the right, leaving the Bourrus Woods -road opposite_. _Follow the railway._ - -[Illustration: MARRE. G.C. 38 FROM CHARNY. RUINS OF CHURCH ON THE -RIGHT] - -[Illustration: PANORAMIC VIEW OF ESNES AND HILL 304. THE SIDES OF THE -HILL ARE FULL OF SHELTERS, ESPECIALLY ALONG G.C. 18] - -_Two kilometres beyond Marre, before Chattancourt Station, G.C. 38 turns -to the left (leaving the Cumières road opposite), then, 1 km. from the -fork in the road, reaches_ =Chattancourt= (completely ruined) _at the foot -of Mort-Homme_ (_photo below_). - -[Illustration: ALL THAT IS LEFT OF CHATTANCOURT. IN THE BACKGROUND: -MORT-HOMME] - -_On leaving the village, G.C. 38 turns to the left and climbs the side -of_ =Hill 275=, _from the top of which there is_ a fine view of Mort-Homme -Hill and Hill 304; _a little to the left_, Montzéville village, situated -in a hollow, and, behind, the Valley of the Meuse, Poivre Hill, Talou -Hill and Samogneux, are also visible. - -[Illustration: ESNES CHURCH, HILL 304 (LEFT) and G.C. 38 (BEHIND THE -CHURCH)] - -_The road next descends; at the sides are_ numerous military works and -French graves. _2 km. 200 beyond Chattancourt there is a crossroad: the -Montzéville road lies ahead, while G.C. 38, turning to the right, climbs -a crest from which there is_ a view of Esnes and Hill 304. =Esnes= (_4 km. -200 from Chattancourt_), partly ruined, _is reached_: Panorama of Hill -304 (_photo, pp._ 34-35). - -[Illustration: WAYSIDE CROSS OF ESNES ON HILL 304. AVOCOURT ROAD (LEFT) -AND MALANCOURT ROAD (RIGHT)] - -_G.C. 38 passes in front of the church (photo, p. 35) and then rises -towards_ Hill 304. _1 km. from Esnes, near a wayside cross_ (photo -above), _is a fork_; _take the road on the right (G.C. 18) to the top -of_ =Hill 304.= _On the right there is a fine view of_ the Valley of the -Meuse. - -_The road crosses the old front lines, then zigzags down to_ =Malancourt= -(_5 km. from Esnes_). _At the entrance to the village, on the right of -the road, is a_ concrete blockhouse (_photo below_). - -[Illustration: GERMAN BLOCKHOUSE, WITH MACHINE-GUNS, AT ENTRANCE TO -MALANCOURT] - -=Malancourt= was completely devastated. _Pass in front of the ruins_ of -the church, quite near to which there is another blockhouse. _Keep -along_ - -[Illustration: CUISY-SUR-MEUSE. AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN FRONT OF RUINED -CHURCH - -_The road on the left leads to Gercourt; that on the right to -Béthincourt._] - -_G.C. 18, leaving on the left, in the village, the Avocourt road._. -_Climb_ Hill 251, _from the top of which_ Montfaucon Ridge _is seen_. - -_3 km. 400 beyond Malancourt (and 1 km. before Montfaucon) the road -joins G.C. 19, which take to the right in the direction of Consenvoye._ - -_One kilometer further on, at the fork, keep along G.C. 19, which turns -to the left (the Cuisy road, straight ahead, is impassable). On the -right, in a tiny valley, is seen the village of_ =Cuisy=, completely -ruined. _1 km. 200 further on, to the right, there is a road leading to -Cuisy. G.C. 19, after rejoining the Septsarges road, reaches_ =Gercourt=, -_5 km. beyond Cuisy_. - -Several concrete German defence-works are to be seen in Gercourt, while -the ruins of the houses and church present a terrible scene of -desolation (_photo below_). Opposite the church stands a house lined -with concrete, in which the Germans had installed a telephone exchange. - -Cuisy and Gercourt were within the German front lines from 1914, and -were only retaken in 1918 during the American offensive of September 26. - -[Illustration: RUINS OF GERCOURT CHURCH - -_On the right: G.C. 19, leading to Consenvoye._] - -[Illustration: DESTROYED GERMAN GUNS ON _G.C._ 19, BETWEEN GERCOURT AND -CONSENVOYE] - -_The road turns to the right near the church. After leaving the village, -it passes 500 yards to the left of_ Forges Wood, in which German -batteries were posted. Large calibre guns destroyed by French artillery -are still to be seen on the road, 1 km. _from Gercourt_ (_photo above_). - -_On rejoining the road from Dannevoux (I.C. 23) turn to the right and -follow the railway as far as_ =Consenvoye= (_1 km. 800 from Gercourt_), -_which is reached after crossing the Meuse and the canal_. - -Consenvoye, on the left bank of the Meuse, was connected with the right -bank by a fine bridge, which the French blew up after the retreat from -Charleroi. After the victory of the Marne, all efforts to dislodge the -Germans from the village were unavailing, and until the German offensive -of February 21, 1916, Consenvoye marked the limit of the advance on both -sides. It was over this bridge that supplies were brought up for the -sector on the left bank of the Meuse during the 1916 offensive. The -village was retaken in the course of a brilliant combined action by the -French and Americans during the offensive of October 7, 1918. - -[Illustration: SIVRY-SUR-MEUSE - -_The Church and N. 64._] - -[Illustration: AMERICAN MONUMENT COMMEMORATING THE CROSSING OF THE MEUSE -ON NOV. 1, 1918 (_On I.C. 49, 3 km. from Vilosnes._)] - -Consenvoye suffered less than the other villages previously mentioned. -Around the church, which was not severely damaged, are some soldiers’ -graves. - -_Keep along past the church as far as N. 64, into which turn to the -left. Follow the valley of the Meuse to_ =Sivry= (_4 km. from -Consenvoye_). - -_N. 64 crosses the_ partly destroyed village, _then runs alongside the -canal and the Meuse to a fork in the road, 2 km. 500 from Sivry_. _Here -leave N. 64_ - -[Illustration: BRIEULLES-SUR-BAR, NOV. 4, 1918 - -_117th American Engineers_ (_42nd Inf. Div._) - -_Arrival of the Field Kitchen._] - -_and take the Vilosnes road on the left, which continues alongside the -Meuse. Part of_ =Vilosnes= (_3 km. 500 from Sivry_) was destroyed, but the -church, _which stands on a height_, was not seriously damaged. - -[Illustration: PANORAMIC VIEW OF DUN-SUR-MEUSE (LOWER TOWN) AND THE -DOULCON--CLÉRY-LE-PETIT DISTRICT, AS SEEN FROM THE TERRACE - -OF THE CHURCH IN THE UPPER TOWN] - -_Near the church, take the road on the left across the canal and the -Meuse, then beyond the level-crossing at Vilosnes Station turn into I.C. -49 on the right. Follow the railway, which is on the left bank of the -Meuse._ - -_Three kilometres from Vilosnes Station, on the right, between the road -and Châillon Wood, there is_ an American monument commemorating the -crossing of the Meuse on November 1, 1918 (_photo, p. 39_). _Further on, -at the entry to_ =Brieulles=, _opposite the station, stands_ another -similar monument. - -The outskirts of Brieulles were stubbornly defended by the Germans -during the American offensive of September, 1918. On September 29, -during the first stage of the offensive, the American 3rd Corps reached -the southern outskirts of the village, but were unable to enter it. It -was not until October 9 that the American troops, after a fierce -struggle, captured it. - -_At the station, turn to the left along the road through Brieulles (4 -km. 500 from Vilosnes). Pass near the church, leaving the Nantillois -road on the left. Cross the village, in which_ a number of the houses -are in ruins. _The rising road leads to the_ cemetery (numerous German -graves), _then descends to the I.C. 64, which runs beside the railway -and the Meuse to_ =Cléry-le-Petit= (_3 km. 500 from Brieulles_). _Before -entering the village_, a third American monument _is seen on the left_. - -[Illustration: CHURCH OF DUN-SUR-MEUSE. SOUTH FRONT] - -[Illustration: PANORAMIC VIEW OF DUN-SUR-MEUSE UPPER AND LOWER TOWNS] - -[Illustration: DUN-SUR-MEUSE. BRIDGE ACROSS THE MEUSE DESTROYED BY THE -GERMANS] - -Cléry-le-Petit was slightly damaged. On November 4, 1918, the Americans -reached the Meuse between Brieulles and Villefranche. On September 5, -they crossed the river at Brieulles and Cléry, on foot-bridges built by -the American engineers, in spite of the stubborn resistance of the -Germans established on the right bank. It was the American 5th Division -which first effected the crossing of the river and established solid -bridgeheads at Cléry and Brieulles, which resisted every attack. _Keep -straight on, leaving the church on the right, and the Cléry-le-Grand -road on the left._ _After crossing the little River Andon, Dun-sur-Meuse -on the top of the opposite hill comes into view._ _The G.C._ 2 _bis near -Doulcon is reached, which take to the right as far as_ =Dun-sur-Meuse= (_3 -km. from Cléry-le-Petit_). - -[Illustration: DUN-SUR-MEUSE. DAMAGED NAVE AND SOUTH AISLE OF CHURCH -(SEEN FROM THE CHOIR)] - -[Illustration: BANTHÉVILLE. RUINS OF CHURCH AND VILLAGE - -(_G.C._ 2 _bis._)] - -_The town is reached after crossing first the railway (l.c.) near the -station, then the canal and the Meuse (photos, pp. 42-43). Motor-cars -can climb as far as the church. Turn to the left beyond the last bridge -in the lower town, then take the first street on the right, which by a -wide bend and a steep ascent leads to the upper town and to the terrace, -where stands the church._ There is a fine view over the lower town and -the valley of the Meuse (_photo, pp._ 40-41) from here. - -_Return to and recross the bridges; keep straight on to_ =Doulcon=, -_leaving the Cléry road on the left_. - -_At the fork in the road beyond Doulcon_ (in ruins), _take G.C. 2 bis on -the left, as far as_ =Romagne= (_9 km. from Doulcon_), _passing through_ -=Aincreville= (severely damaged) and =Banthéville= (completely ruined). - -[Illustration: ROMAGNE. RIGHT SIDE OF ROAD COMING FROM BANTHÉVILLE - -(_On the left: I.C. 4, leading to Sommerance._)] - -[Illustration: ROMAGNE. GERMAN GRAVEYARD (700 GRAVES) NEAR VILLAGE -CEMETERY] - -_Before entering_ Romagne, _on the right, there is_ a large German -cemetery and some American graves. - -Most of the houses in Romagne were destroyed. _Near the church_ (in -ruins), _take on the left the Cunel road and cross the bridge. 300 yards -from the village_ there suddenly comes into view on the side of the hill -=a very large American cemetery containing some 28,000 graves= (_photo, -pp. 14 and 15_). _Return by the same road to Romagne Church, and take -the Sommerance road_ (_photo, p. 44_) _on the left_. - -[Illustration: SOMMERANCE. RUINED CORNER OF VILLAGE AT JUNCTION OF THE -ROMAGNE AND FLÉVILLE ROADS] - -_Pass the other side of the German cemetery_ (_photo above_), _then go -through_ =Romagne Wood=, in which are numerous German dug-outs and -gun-emplacements. _Next cross a large plateau_ (Hill 247); _7 km. 400 -beyond Romagne_, =Sommerance= (damaged houses) _is reached_ (_photo -below_). _In the village,_ - -[Illustration: AMERICAN MONUMENT (1ST DIV., OCT. 11, 1918) _On I.C. 4, 1 -km. from Sommerance village._] - -_beyond the public washing place near the church, take the street_ (_I.C. -4_) _which ascends on the right. 1 km. beyond Sommerance, on the right -of I.C. 4_, there is another American monument (1st Division, October -11, 1918) (_photo above_). - -_3 km. 200 beyond Sommerance_, =Landres= village (severely damaged) is -reached. During the American offensive of October 14, 1918, the approach -to Landres was fiercely contested. The American 5th Corps reached the -outskirts of the village on October 14, but it was only on the 18th, -after three days’ heavy fighting, that Landres was taken. The church was -partially destroyed. _Turn to the right beyond the church and then to -the left. After crossing the stream, turn to the right again, and 100 -yards further on, to the left._ - -_One kilometer beyond the village, at the fork in the road, take I.C. 15 -on the left across a plateau, and through the_ pretty little village of -=Landreville= _in the Valley of the Agron. At the entrance to this -village, on the left, there is_ an interesting château with turrets, one -of which was destroyed (_photo, p. 47_), =Bayonville=, _5 km. beyond -Landres, is next reached_. - -[Illustration: LANDRES. I.C. 4. RUINS OF CHURCH ON THE RIGHT] - -Several houses in Bayonville were destroyed, the village having been -frequently bombed by the Allied airmen during the Franco-American -offensive of September-October, 1918. The badly damaged church dates -from the 16th century, but has been frequently restored. - -[Illustration: LANDREVILLE. THE OLD CHÂTEAU, WITH DESTROYED TURRET] - -_After passing in front of the church, the road turns first to the left, -then to the right. At the end of the village take I.C. 12, which climbs_ -=Hill 290=, _called Bellevue. Looking back there is a fine view over_ -Bayonville, and the district of Romagne-Banthéville. _3 km. 300 from -Bayonville, at the fork, take the left-hand road_; picturesque run down -to =Buzancy= (_4 km. 400 from Bayonville_). - -_At the cross-ways on I.C. 12, near the first houses, keep straight on -along Rue du Général Chanzy to the Place Chanzy._. The statue of Chanzy -(born at Nouart, in this district), which stood in this square, was -carried away by the Germans. - -[Illustration: BAYONVILLE. RUE HAUTE DE L’EGLISE, WITH TROOPS OF THE -89TH INF. DIV., ON NOV. 2, 1918] - -[Illustration: BUZANCY. THE 306th AMERICAN MACHINE-GUN BATTALION -MARCHING THROUGH THE BURNING VILLAGE ON NOV. 3.] - - -Buzancy - -Buzancy was formerly a fortified town. In 1650, Turenne, after his -defeat at Somme-Py, retreated on Vouziers and thence to Buzancy. On -September 12, 1792, the town was occupied by the Austrian troops under -Clerfayt, on their march to Croix-aux-Bois. In October, after Valmy, the -rearguard of the retreating army was attacked by Valence near Buzancy, -the Republicans capturing a standard of the 6th Division of the -Lifeguards from the Emigrés. This standard was taken to Dumouriez’s -headquarters and hung in the window of the Vouziers Château. Offered -some days later to the Convention, the latter decided that this symbol -of rebellion should be burned by the public executioner. - -On August 27, 1870, a reconnoitring party of two squadrons of the 12th -Chasseurs of the French 5th (Active) Corps, having passed through the -town, was climbing the opposite hill when they were attacked by Saxon -Dragoons debouching from La Folie Wood. The Saxons, greatly superior in -numbers, forced back the French to the entrance of the village; but a -third squadron coming to the rescue, the French attacked, and after a -sharp fight, lasting half an hour, forced the Saxon Dragoons to retreat -up Sivry Hill. Pursued by the French, the latter were finally stopped by -the sudden unmasking of enemy batteries. - -From 1914 to 1918 Buzancy was occupied by the Germans who, at the end of -October, 1918, hotly defended its approaches against the American First -Army. The village was, however, taken and passed on November 2. - -Several houses in the Rue Charles Coffin were burned down. Most of the -church is late 13th century. - -_Take Rue du Château on the left of the Place Chanzy._ - -The Château de la Cour is supposed to have been built on the site of a -house occupied by St. Remi, Archbishop of Rheims. Two very large -sculptured lions, presented by Louis XV. to King Stanislas and brought -from the Château of Lunéville, ornament the entrance. Of the 17th-18th -century château, only the outbuildings are left. - -[Illustration: BUZANCY. I.C. 12 AT ENTRANCE TO VILLAGE - -_The Itinerary follows Rue du Gen. Chanzy opposite._] - -The Mosque of Mahommed is a fragment of a very old square building. -According to tradition it was built by a Noble Jean d’Anglure, a -crusader who, captured by the Mohammedans, regained his liberty by -promising to build a mosque. It seems more probable that this building -is the remains of a lodge attached to the Château de la Cour. - -[Illustration: CHAMPIGNEULLE. RUINED MILL NEAR RIVER AGRON, AT END OF -VILLAGE] - -[Illustration: CHAMPIGNEULLE VILLAGE AND CHURCH, SEEN FROM I.C. 20, -BEFORE ENTERING THE VILLAGE] - -_Take I.C. 6, a continuation of the Rue du Château, as far as_ -=Thénorgues= (_3 km. 200 from Buzancy_). - -_Before entering Thénorgues_, a German burial ground _is seen on the -right in the communal cemetery_. _In front of the church take I.C. 20 on -the left, which, 2 km. 700 further on, reaches_ =Verpel.= _Beyond the -church of Verpel turn to the left, and immediately afterwards to the -right. Outside the village, the I.C. 20 divides; keep straight on._ -Picturesque run down into the Agron Valley. - -_Cross the Agron near a mill, reaching_ =Champigneulle=, which stands on a -hill, _4 km. 200 from Verpel_. Numerous houses are in ruins. The road -passes in front of the very curious church, the nave of which has fallen -in (_photo below_). _On leaving the village, the road again descends -into the valley, recrosses the Agron, then rises on the left up_ =Hill -182=, on which stands the village of =St. Juvin= (_2 km. from -Champigneulle_). _At the entrance to the latter there is a_ large German -cemetery. - -[Illustration: CHAMPIGNEULLE CHURCH, SOUTH FRONT] - - -St. Juvin - -On September 15, 1792, a strong Prussian detachment, under the command -of Hohenlohe, drove a small body of French troops from the village, -forcing them back on Senuc. Eighty foot-soldiers were taken prisoners -and sent to the headquarters at Landres. Among them were several -Alsatians whom the Prince of Prussia addressed in German, offering to -enrol them in his regiment, but only one of them agreed to serve against -France. - -In October, 1918, along the St. Juvin--Landres--St. Georges line, the -Americans delivered a long series of fierce assaults upon the -“Brunehilde” position, or second line of defence which the Germans had -prepared in this district. On October 11, 1918, at the time when the -Americans approached St. Juvin, the village was in flames. Its recapture -proved difficult. On October 14, the Americans outflanked it on the -north, and, on the 15th, regardless of their heavy losses, they -succeeded in taking it inch by inch, and in gaining the positions of St. -Georges and Landres-St. Georges. On the 16th they were fighting in -Champigneulle on the west of St. Georges, and holding the Châtillon Hill -on the south of Landres. By the 18th they had occupied both these -villages. - -St. Juvin is dominated by its church--one of the most interesting of the -fortified churches in this district--which, in the distance, looks like -a fortress. Its high thick walls, with narrow windows and occasional -loopholes at the top, form a parallelogram, flanked at each corner by a -round tower with corbels. - -In the interior of the church there is a well and an oven. Dating from -the early part of the 17th century, it was rebuilt between 1615 and 1623 -on the site of the old church destroyed under the League about 1552. -Some of the relics of the patron-saint of the Parish, St. Juvin, were -preserved in a shrine of gilded bronze. - -[Illustration: FORTIFIED CHURCH OF ST. JUVIN] - -The Fountain of St. Juvin, situated between the Woods of Marcq and -Cornay, is frequented by peasant pilgrims who invoke the Saint to cure -their sick pigs. Failing a visit to the well, the peasants touch the -shrine in the church with a piece of bread, which is afterwards given to -the animals. The church contains a statue of St. Juvin, depicted with a -stick in his hand and two pigs at his feet. There is a legend that St. -Juvin was the disciple of St. Oricle, the Martyr of Senuc. One day when -he was walking with Oricle and his sisters (Oricule and Basilique), they -had to cross the Aisne near Senuc at the “Ford of Madame Anciaux.” -Oricle’s sisters had lifted their skirts before entering the water, and -Juvin, who was behind them, exclaimed: “Oricle, Oricle, what fine legs -your sisters have.” Oricle, in anger, reprimanded Juvin severely, and -condemned him to keep pigs for the rest of his life, which is why Juvin, -up to his death, kept pigs in the heart of the forest, round the well -which to this day bears his name. - -[Illustration: VARENNES-EN-ARGONNE, SEEN FROM N. 46 IN THE UPPER TOWN - -_On the right: The ruined Church. In the foreground: The River Aire._] - -_After visiting the church keep straight on, leaving the St. Georges -road on the left, and on the right, that leading to Grandpré. After a -rather steep descent, turn to the left along N. 46, at the end of the -village._ - -_Follow the Valley of the Aire to_ =Fléville= (_4 km. 200 from St. -Juvin_), _which escaped practically unscathed_. _4 km. further on N. 46 -passes close to Apremont, then over a ridge, from the top of which_ -=Vauquois Hill=, now quite bare, comes into view on the right. _From here, -a rather steep descent brings the tourist to_ =Varennes= (_1 km. from -Fléville_). - - -Varennes - -This little town, made famous by the arrest of Louis XVI. (p. 74), was -almost completely destroyed. - -In September, 1914, it was occupied by the Germans, who converted it -into a fortress. On September 26, 1918, the first day of the -Franco-American offensive, it was retaken by the American First Army in -a single charge. - -The River Aire divides the town into two parts: the upper town on the -left bank, and the lower on the right bank. The visit to the upper town -will be made on the second day (_see p._ 74). - -[Illustration: VARENNES CHURCH. SOUTH-WEST FRONT] - -_N. 46 coming from Fléville, passes the church_ (_hist. mon.--photos -above and below_). - -The three-sided apse of this church, with its fine windows, dates from -the 14th or 15th century; the façade and the tower from the 18th. - -The Hôtel du Grand Cerf, near the church, contains carved presses and -pretty Argonne earthenware. - -The bridge over the Aire, from which there is a pretty view of the -river, connects the upper and lower town. - -_Before crossing the bridge, take G.C. 38 to the left, 1 km. 800 from -Varennes; leave the Cheppy road on the left, and keep on in the -direction of_ =Vauquois=, the bare crest of which is seen _on the right_. - -_3 km. 500 from Varennes, on the right, is a sheet of water, behind -which rises_ =Vauquois Hill.= _One hundred yards further on, at a small -wood, leave the car and take on foot the (bad) road on the right for -about 400 yards_, to a square constructed in cement and stone. This was -a German Command-Post (_photo, p._ 54). _On the left of this building, -follow a small winding path up to_ =Vauquois Crest.= - -(The visit on foot to Vauquois Crest takes an hour.) - -[Illustration: VARENNES. NAVE OF CHURCH SEEN FROM THE CHOIR] - -[Illustration: PANORAMIC VIEW OF VAUQUOIS CREST AS SEEN FROM G.C. 38 AT -AVOCOURT] - -[Illustration: NEAR VAUQUOIS. GERMAN POST OF COMMANDMENT, AFTER CAPTURE -BY AMERICAN TROOPS, WITH STARS AND STRIPES FLYING] - - -Vauquois - -Vauquois is one of the famous spots of the Argonne battlefield. The -Germans took it in September, 1914, during a strong attack on the French -3rd Army, in their efforts to encircle Verdun. The ridge concealed their -operations to the north of Varennes, covered the re-victualling of the -Argonne front by the Four-de-Paris road, and above all furnished their -artillery with an excellent observation-post. The importance of the -position caused the Germans to convert it into a veritable fortress. -Caves were made in the rock and connected by underground passages. The -streets of the village were excavated, so that the vent-holes of the -cellars formed loop-holes on a level with a man’s head. The walls of the -houses and gardens were battlemented, and trenches were dug in the -slopes in front of the village. The position was supported and flanked -by the guns in the Woods of Cheppy, Montfaucon and Argonne. Approach was -the more difficult, in that the position was surrounded on all sides by -ravines and _glacis_, which provided admirable firing positions for the -machine-guns. - -This formidable position, which earlier in the war, before the -improvement in the French artillery, would have been considered -impregnable, was taken by the French 10th Infantry Division after heroic -sacrifices. The first assaults especially, made without artillery -preparation or support, cost the splendid French Infantry heavy losses. - -The first attack was made on October 28, 1914, by two battalions of the -46th Regiment of the line. The French front lines were then on the -_Mamelon Blanc_, facing Vauquois. Two companies debouching from Noir -Wood attacked the western slopes of Vauquois, the sections deployed in -skirmishing order, without artillery preparation, and without a single -big French gun being fired on the village. As the men dashed forward up -the slopes they were shot down by the carefully concealed German -riflemen, but continued nevertheless to advance, in spite of the rain of -bullets, till an avalanche of big German shells overwhelmed and -scattered them. At the end of half an hour almost all of them were out -of action. - -[Illustration: NEAR VAUQUOIS. CAPTURE OF GERMAN TRAIN LOADED WITH RAILS] - -The second assault was made on the following day (the 29th), after a -very short artillery preparation, during which only a few shells were -fired, most of which failed to burst. Fresh companies attacked further -to the right, near the Cigalerie. The men charged with the bayonet, but -as on the previous day, were mown down by the German machine-guns and -rifles, and failed, after heavy losses. At night, an attempt to rescue -the wounded left on the field was unsuccessful, the enemy firing -pitilessly on the stretcher-bearers, in spite of the Red Cross lantern. - -The third assault was carried out on February 17, 1915, by the 76th, -31st and 46th Infantry Regiments. This time the operation, which almost -succeeded, was better prepared. The French artillery had improved its -equipment and methods, being now better adapted to stationary warfare. -The artillery preparation with guns of 75, 95, 150, 155 and 270 m.m. -lasted more than twelve hours. The 31st Regiment of the line charged -into Vauquois, and reached the ruins of the church, but, caught by the -fire of the Argonne and Montfaucon batteries, and that of the -machine-guns of Cheppy, it was forced, after heavy losses, to fall back. -Abandoning the plateau, this regiment held on half-way down the hill. - -The fourth assault was made on February 28, under further improved -conditions. A plan of the village, of which only the ruins were left, -was issued to the troops. Each company had its precise objectives -assigned to it, and the men were armed, for the first time, with the new -hand-grenades, charged with melinite. The bombardment began at dawn. Big -guns shattered the shelters, and 75’s, hoisted to the top of the -_Mamelon Blanc_, fed by infantry, who carried up the shells on their -backs, fired directly on the village. When the attack began, the band of -the 46th Regiment of the line, stationed at the bottom of the ravine, -played the “Marseillaise.” Within a few minutes a number of the bandsmen -fell killed or wounded, but the survivors sounded the charge, and the -storming waves of the 89th, 76th and 46th Regiments - -[Illustration: NEAR VAUQUOIS. GERMAN DEPÔT. CAMOUFLAGED BARBED WIRE -DEFENCES] - -dashed forward. Bullets and shells soon silenced the music; of fifteen -bandsmen only five escaped unwounded, but the companies leading the -charge were by this time climbing the slopes of Vauquois. At the -divisional observation-post, General Valdant, who was following the -attack, turning with great emotion to his officers, raised his _képi_, -and said: “Gentlemen, salute!” The fight was stubborn; twice the troops, -dashing from one shell-hole to another, reached the plateau, the second -time standing firm. The houses were taken one by one, and the church -reached. The village had been wiped out--only shell-holes, heaps of -stones, bits of walls and shattered cellars remained. Throughout the -next day the Germans shelled the defenders, who were armed only with -rifles. Outflanked, the French were slowly forced back from shell-hole -to shell-hole, fighting all the time, but their line of defence, -organised under fire on the edge of the plateau, brought the enemy to a -standstill. At 2 p.m. the French infantry, for the fifth time, stormed -the village, carried the German trenches, entered the ruins, and within -half an hour drove back the enemy at the point of the bayonet. At 3, 4, -5 and 5.30 p.m., the Germans counter-attacked; but although troops of -fourteen different units were successively launched, they could not -dislodge the French from the main street. Twice during the night they -tried, in vain, to take the church. For four days and nights, under an -incessant pounding by high-explosive shells and a rain of bullets, the -French troops held on without supplies, dependent for their food on the -rations taken from the dead. The Colonial Infantry, who for a short time -relieved the attacking troops, were decimated in a few days. The Germans -were already making use of a powerful _minenwerfer_, to which the French -could only reply with hastily-devised mortars roughly made out of 77 -m.m. shell-cases, and which carried only 100-150 yards. It was an -unequal contest. The Germans attacked almost every night, but were -repulsed with hand-grenades and rifle fire, sometimes with the bayonet. -The position became untenable and the French had either to retreat or -advance. Once more they attacked. On the afternoon of March 4, the 76th -regiment of the line took the German trenches west of the church, -reaching the wall of the cemetery, in spite of enemy grenades and mines. -On the 5th a German counter-attack was repulsed and the capture of -Vauquois by the French was definitive. During the night of the -15th-16th, a fresh German attack was easily repulsed. On the 16th, at -the Cigalerie, which during the attacks of February and March had served -as a dressing station, Standard-bearer Collignon, of the 46th Regiment -of the line, Councillor of State, and former Secretary-General to the -Presidency of the Republic, who had voluntarily enlisted at the age of -fifty-eight, was killed by the explosion of a shell while trying to -rescue a wounded man belonging to the 76th Regiment of the line. Ever -since, at Regimental roll-calls, his name follows that of La Tour -d’Auvergne, and the reply is made: “Died on the field of honour.” - -[Illustration: VIEW OF THE MINE CRATERS, WHERE VAUQUOIS VILLAGE USED TO -STAND - -(_Seen from the crest of Vauquois Ridge.) In the background: Argonne -Forest._] Cazeneuve of the _Opera Comique_, Adjutant of the 46th -Regiment of the line, who had volunteered at the age of fifty-four, was -also killed at Vauquois by a bomb which shattered his dug-out. - -Vauquois for long remained a particularly dangerous sector, the scene of -frequent hand-to-hand struggles, of mining and counter-mining, and of -continuous bombardment. The Germans were not reconciled to the loss of -this position, which gave the French an outlook over Varennes and the -road which formed a continuation of the light railway which they had -built between - -[Illustration: SHELTER ON CREST OF VAUQUOIS RIDGE] - -Montfaucon and Spincourt. On March 22, 1915, near the ruins of the -church, they attacked a trench with liquid fire. Mines were exploded -almost every month, followed by fighting for possession of the craters. -Engagements of this nature took place on April 5, July 26, August 3, -September 4, November 18 and 21, and December 16, 1915, and on January -13 and 16, February 3, and March 24, 1916. - -The Battle of Verdun was followed by a period of comparative calm in -this sector, both sides practically abandoning mine warfare. In 1917 -there was hardly anything but hand-to-hand fighting, and a few more or -less important raids. Three times during the first three months of 1918, -the French carried out important raids in this region. On March 17 -especially, along a front of 1,400 yards, they advanced to a depth of -800 yards into the enemy lines, and brought back about a hundred -prisoners. On September 26, 1918, the first day of the Franco-American -offensive, the outskirts to the north of Vauquois were completely -cleared, while Boureuilles was taken by the Americans. - -[Illustration: AUBREVILLE. RUINED BRIDGE AND HOUSES] - -The ridge, which rose 390 feet above the Valley of the Aire, and more -than 250 feet above that of the Buanthe, is no longer recognisable, the -bombardments and mine-explosions have shattered, and, so to speak, -decapitated it. The sight is impressive; mine craters have swallowed up -the village; trenches, shelters, barbed-wire are all that remain -(_photos, p._ 58). - -The view extends as far as Clermont-en-Argonne. - -_After visiting Vauquois, return to and follow G.C. 38._ The original -front lines are soon crossed. Cheppy Wood on the left and Hesse Forest -on the right were cut to pieces by the shells. The ground is covered -with defence-works. _6 km. 500 beyond Varennes the road divides on the -edge of Hesse Forest, G.C. 38 running to the left, towards Avocourt. -Take the right-hand road (I.C. 60), which enters the forest._ Numerous -French military works, and some gun emplacements, may be seen along the -road. _The road to Récicourt, on the left, is soon passed._ - -_Coming out of the forest I.C. 60 crosses a plateau, then reaches_ -=Aubréville= (_14 km. from Varennes_). - -[Illustration: CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. PANORAMIC VIEW OF COUNTRY LOOKING -TOWARDS VAUQUOIS] - -_Cross the railway (l.c.) near the station, then the Couzance River, and -enter the_ ruins of Aubréville (_photo, p. 59_). _At the end of the -village the road forks; keep straight along I.C. 60, which crosses first -the Aire, then the railway (l.c.)._ The =Ridge of Clermont-en-Argonne= -_soon comes into view_. - -_The road joins that leading to Neuvilly; cross the bridge over the -railway and enter_ =Clermont=, _coming out at the Place de la Mairie_. - - -Clermont-en-Argonne - -The history of this picturesque little town, which was the capital of -the old Comté of Clermont, has been a troubled one. In 719, -Charles-Martel gave it and its dependencies to the Bishop of Verdun. In -1094 it was taken by an adventurer named Odon, and recaptured from him -by the Bishop of Verdun. In 1110, Dudon, Count of Clermont, having -insulted the Bishop of Verdun, the town was besieged by the Emperor. In -the subsequent struggles between the Bishops of Verdun and the Counts of -Bar for the possession of the town, it was several times besieged and -burnt. The Counts of Bar, who finally gained the upper hand, on the -condition that they would pay homage to the Bishops of Verdun, strongly -fortified it. A fortress, added by Henri II., Count of Bar, in the 13th -century, was built on the St. Anne Plateau. Letters of enfranchisement -were given to the inhabitants of the fortress by Count Tiébault II. in -1246, and to the people of the town by the Duke Henri IV. in 1339. In -1354, Yolande of Flanders, Countess of Longueville, Bar, and Cassel, had -a mint at Clermont. In 1539, Clermont became a feudatory state of the -Empire. Ceded to France in 1634 by the Treaty of Liverdun (confirmed by -the Treaty of the Pyrénees in 1659) it was definitely incorporated in -France by the Treaty of Paris on March 29, 1641. In 1648, Louis XIII. -settled it on the Great Condé, whose family held it until the -Revolution. During the _Fronde_, Clermont took part in the war of the -rebel princes; in 1654, the town was besieged by the royal troops, the -siege being conducted by Vauban, who had himself fortified the place in -1652. On November 8, 1654, the Marquis de Riberpray took the fortress -and church by assault, and on the 22nd, after a siege lasting one month, -the town surrendered. The upper town and the fortress were entirely -destroyed, while the peasants of the surrounding district were made to -pull down the fortress. Clermont and its dependencies were added to the -national domain in 1790. In 1792, Clermont was occupied by the Austrian -and Hessian troops under Hohenlohe. On September 11, enemy hussars -surprised and captured some French troops near Clermont, who, while -foraging, had lost their way in the fog; they also surrounded a company -of infantry in the gardens of the town. On September 20, the French, who -were holding the pass of Les Islettes, took their revenge on the -Hessians. The latter, held up by the fire of the French artillery, were -forced to retreat, and the sharpshooters, under Marceau, drove them back -to the gardens of Clermont. - -[Illustration: CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. GENERAL VIEW OF RUINS, SEEN FROM THE -TERRACE OF THE CHURCH] - -In 1914, Clermont was occupied by German troops of the Crown Prince’s -Army. The town was almost deserted, with the exception of the old men’s -asylum, in which the pensioners remained under the care of Sister -Gabrielle. During the night of September 4, the 121st and 122nd -Wurtemberg Regiments broke in the doors of the houses with the butt-ends -of their rifles and pillaged the town. At the asylum, after smashing the -doors, officers entered with revolvers in their hands, but Sister -Gabrielle, surrounded by her nuns and the inmates, received the -invaders, and by her firm demeanour won their respect. In the rest of -the town the pillaging went on throughout the day. About noon 3 German -soldier started an incendiary fire; everything was burned or destroyed, -with the exception of the asylum, which owed its escape to Sister -Gabrielle. - -_At the Place de la Mairie turn to the right into the Grand Rue._ - -To visit the interesting church of St. Didier (_hist. mon._) _climb the -rather steep Rue Casimar-Bonjour (accessible to motor-cars), to the -terrace on which stands the church_. Very fine view. - -The Church of St. Didier dates from the 16th century. The date of the -choir (1530) is carved on the keystone of the vaulting. The three naves -and main portal were added in 1596. However, the building as a whole is -pointed-flamboyant in style, the ogive being preserved in the arches, -vaultings and transept. The Renaissance style appears only in the -decoration of the capitals, the consoles in the interior, and the doors. -The western façade is late Renaissance, and must have been completed -about the beginning of the 17th century. Its two arched portals retain -their old wooden folding-doors ornamented with rose-headed nails. Above, -in a niche surmounted by a fine rose-window is a modern statue. On the -south an ancient corner turret was rebuilt in 1728. The façade bears the -escutcheon and crowned monogram of Henri de Lorraine, Duke of Bar. - -[Illustration: CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. OLD WOMAN CONTEMPLATING THE RUINS OF -HER HOUSE, RUE CASIMIR-BONJOUR, NEAR CHURCH] - -The interior of the choir is imposing. The apse is six-sided--rather an -uncommon arrangement. - -In the “Chapelle des Morts,” which opens off the northern nave, near the -transept, there is a Renaissance tomb with a remarkable bas-relief; -below is depicted a nude body lying in a grave, being devoured by worms; -above, three successive panels represent the Weighing of Souls, the -Mirror of Death, and Purgatory. Each subject is accompanied by an -inscription in French verse carved in fine black Gothic characters. -There are few sculptural representations of Purgatory earlier than the -16th century, and this is one of the earliest examples to be found. - -=The Presbytery.=--The Presbytery, standing in a narrow street which runs -along the south side of the church, is an old wooden building, the -interior of which is in a perfect state of preservation. In it is kept -an earthenware model dating from 1530, which was brought from the Chapel -of St. Anne. This model, attributed to Ligier Richier, represents the -Virgin receiving the body of Christ after it had been taken down from -the Cross. It has been imperfectly restored and painted. - -[Illustration: CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. SOUTH-EAST FRONT OF CHURCH] - -[Illustration: CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. 15TH CENTURY CHURCH. RENAISSANCE -PORTAL] - -=Chapel of St. Anne.=--Above the church, on the top of the St. Anne -Plateau, where the fortress used to stand, there now remains only an -unpretending chapel, much frequented by pilgrims. The building has a -wooden front, surmounted by a small steeple, and a stone choir with -pointed vaulting, the flamboyant ornament being in the same style as -that of the St. Didier Church. Four ancient elms give shade to the -parvis and rise high above the steeple. Inside is a sepulchre with six -almost life-size statues, acquired in 1829 when the Church of the -Minimes of Verdun was pulled down. Three only of these statues, the -three Maries, all painted, are late 16th century. The finest, which is -in the centre, is attributed by some to Ligier Richier, but this -appreciation is open to question. Near by there is a hermitage, which at -the beginning of the 17th century belonged to the Benedictines, and -later to the Franciscans. In 1845, the town of Clermont acquired the -whole plateau, the promenade, hermitage, and the chapel. From the -plateau--the highest point in the Argonne--there is a fine and very -extensive view over the Forest of Argonne on the left, and the Forest of -Hesse on the right, while the Vauquois-Montfaucon ridge appears in the -distance. - -[Illustration: CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. CHURCH NAVE, SEEN FROM NORTH AISLES] - -[Illustration: CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. THE ENTOMBMENT IN THE CHAPEL OF ST. -ANNE, ON THE PLATEAU OVERLOOKING ST. MENEHOULD] - -_Return to and follow the Grand Rue which, outside the town, becomes N. -3 and runs alongside the railway to_ =Les Islettes= (_5 km. 800_). - -This large market town marks the centre of the valley. In 1789, Arthur -Young, in his “Travels in France,” described it as a “heap of mud and -manure.” Since then it has been drained and embellished. Thatched roofs -are still common there. Its glass-making industry, which formerly -flourished, has greatly declined. - -On September 17-20, 1792, while the Prussian Army was advancing towards -the Châlons road and fighting at Valmy, the Austro-Hessians of the -Landgrave of Hesse and of Hohenlohe Kirchberg made two demonstrations -against Les Islettes, but were promptly checked by the French. During -the action of September 20, a bullet killed a gunner near the Landgrave, -who was himself unhorsed. - -In 1914, the tunnel of Les Islettes, though mined, was intact on -September 3 when the Germans took the village. A fortnight later the -Germans, driven northwards by the French, evacuated the village. The -Crown Prince, unable to resign himself to the loss of this capital -position on the Châlons-Verdun road and railway, for a whole year (until -the French offensive of September, 1915, in Champagne) made strenuous -efforts to retake Les Islettes, in order to cut this important railway -and turn Verdun. However, his numerous attempts to crush in the French -line all failed. Only once (June 29, 1915) did his troops seriously -threaten the position. On that occasion they got within 8 km. of the -station, but a formidable barrage by the 75’s held them, and French -reserves hurriedly brought up soon drove them back beyond the -Four-de-Paris. Throughout the war the town was an important military -centre, General Headquarters, and food, clothing, and munitions depôts -being established there. - -[Illustration: LES ISLETTES, AFTER THE BOMBARDMENT] - -The town, which was somewhat damaged by the bombardments, contains a -very large French military cemetery. - -_Outside the town, the road climbs a steep slope and enters the forest._ -Pretty view of Les Islettes and the Forest of Argonne (_on the left_). - -_N. 3 next reaches_ =Grange-aux-Bois= (_5 km. beyond Les Islettes_), which -takes its name from a house and grange, formerly the den of a gang of -cutthroats who were wiped out in 1514. - -The church is of no particular architectural interest, although it -contains some curious statues, notably that of St. Nicolas (18th -century) over the altar in the right aisle. - -=St. Menehould= _is next reached_ (_3-1/2 km._), after a pleasant run down -the shady Avenue Victor Hugo, _which crosses the Aisne_. - - -Sainte-Menehould - -The origin of this town is uncertain, and its history prior to the -Merovingian epoch obscure. Judging by the Gallo-Roman relics and graves -discovered in the neighbourhood, it seems probable that at an early date -a Pagan temple or Gallo-Roman _castrum_ stood on the rock encircled by -the two arms of the Aisne. Houses gradually arose about the fortress--an -important stronghold prior to the 5th century. During that century, -Count Sygmar held assizes in the château. Sygmar and his seven daughters -were Christians. One of the latter, Manechildis or Manehildis, being of -a religious turn of mind, devoted herself to the care of the sick and -poor, and was greatly beloved in consequence. After her death she was -honoured by the people as a saint, and the town then took her name St. -Menehould. - -During the wars of Chilpéric against Sigebert the town was partly -destroyed. More than a hundred years later, towards the end of the 7th -century, Drogon, Duke of Champagne, son of Pépin of Héristal, rebuilt -the castle and surrounded the rock with ramparts. St. Menehould was -frequently besieged. In the 11th century it was attacked by troops of -the Duke of Lorraine and the Bishop of Verdun. In the 12th century the -castle fell into the hands of a robber-chief, Albert or Aubert, who -plundered the Bishoprics of Verdun and Châlons. At the end of the 12th -century St. Menehould was finally included in the County of Champagne. -It became French in the 13th century, after the union of Champagne with -France. In 1398, Charles VI. built a wall round the town proper. In -1423, the English took the town, but the Constable of Richemont -recaptured it in 1435. In 1545, Marini, an Italian engineer, built a new -line of ramparts with moats and four gates. Several years later the -town, ravaged by plague, was attacked by Antoine de Cory, the Calvinist, -who, however, failed to take it. Under the League, the Governor, -Mondreville, sided with the Guises, but could not shake the allegiance -of the burgesses to Henri III. On May 1, 1589, Antoine de Saint-Paul, a -leader of the League, pursued the royal troops as far as the gates of -the town, but the burgesses forced them to retreat after a battle -lasting two hours. In 1590 the Duke of Lorraine tried in vain to reduce -the town by force. In March, 1603, Henri IV., after renouncing the -Protestant faith, visited the faithful city, accompanied by Marie de -Médicis. In 1613, the Prince of Condé and the Duke of Nevers took the -castle by surprise and forced the burgesses to lay down their arms. In -1630, Marillac was imprisoned in the castle for several months. In -December, 1631, and January, 1632, Louis XIII. stayed in the town. In -1634, the King ordered the castle to be pulled down; by mistake the -walls of the town were also razed, and in 1635 they had to be rebuilt. -In October, 1652, during the Fronde, the Great Condé, with an army of -15,000 to 16,000 men and two guns, laid siege to the town, which -eventually capitulated, with the honours of war, after thirteen days of -trench warfare and three assaults. In October of the following year the -royal troops besieged the town in their turn and forced the garrison to -surrender. This siege of 1653 was the last to which the town was -subjected. In 1712, St. Menehould had to pay a war-levy to the Dutch -robber-chief Growenstein. On the night of August 7, 1719, the town was -almost entirely destroyed by fire. It was at St. Menehould in 1791 that -Louis XVI., while attempting to escape from France, was recognised by -Drouet, son of the postmaster of Varennes. On September 3, 1792, the -body of Beaurepaire, Military Commander of Verdun, who committed -suicide rather than surrender to the Prussians, was buried in the town -cemetery. It was before St. Menehould that Dumouriez established himself -while awaiting the arrival of Kellermann, who defeated the Prussians at -Valmy in September 20, 1792. - -In 1914, the town was for a long time occupied by the enemy. Early in -August of that year, the first refugees from the neighbourhood of -Longwy, Longuyon, Audun-le-Roman, and the region of the Meuse reached -St. Menehould. On Monday, August 24, the guns in the north-east of the -Argonne were heard in the town. On the 31st the sound of the cannonade -drew nearer, and refugees from the Ardennes flocked in, terrifying the -inhabitants with stories of German pillage and atrocities. On September -1, the horizon towards Monthois was lit up by the incendiary fires, and -the next day the people were advised to leave the town. The banks -closed, and many of the inhabitants left the city, the trains in the -evening being literally taken by storm. The last train left at about ten -o’clock on the morning of the 3rd. Early in the morning of the 4th, the -last French troops marched through the town on their way to Verrières. -At 8.30 companies of a Prussian Reserve Corps, preceded by Uhlans, -entered St. Menehould by the Moiremont road and destroyed the -telegraphic and telephonic apparatus at the post-office and the station. -The Germans, exasperated by the evacuation of the inhabitants, hastened -to pillage the deserted houses and shops. The tobacco warehouse, the -Caïffa stores, and the cellars of Quesnel the wine-merchant were emptied -and the contents sent away on army waggons. - -Of the population only eighty-two men had remained, twelve of whom were -obliged to present themselves each morning at six o’clock before the -Kommandantur, as surety for the order and peace of the town. Six men by -day and six by night were kept as hostages by the German sentries, first -at the Maison Viard, where the Kommandantur was housed, and then at the -Hôtel-de-Metz. The Mayor was kept busy by the German requisitions. From -Nettancourt, where the Crown Prince was reported to be, came an officer -to demand champagne, fine wines, and liqueurs. On the Mayor’s declaring -that there was nothing left the officer lost his temper and threatened -to have him shot. General von Schaeffendorf, commanding the VIth -Artillery Corps, took up his residence at the Château de la Mignonnerie. -Headquarters were established in the Maison Géraudel, Rue de la Force, -where the Duke of Wurtemberg was erroneously reported to have been -housed. The able-bodied men of the town were commandeered for -fatigue-duty and for the cleaning of the streets. A day or two before -evacuating the town, the Germans requisitioned 6,000 bottles of claret, -but left them behind in the hurry of their departure. - -On September 13, a cannonade was heard from the south. On the 14th, -there was great excitement in the German garrison, regimental -baggage-trains passed through the town northwards and the Staff prepared -to leave. In the morning the enemy troops streamed along the Verrières -and Daucourt roads, soon followed by the garrison and waggon-loads of -stolen furniture. The Municipal Buildings, Savings Banks, and -Post-office were full of German sick and wounded, only part of whom -could be evacuated through lack of ambulances. There was a speeding up -of the retreat, resulting in great confusion, the bridge, Faubourg de -Verrières and Rue de Vitry being encumbered with German troops on the -way to Moiremont and Chaudefontaine. Shortly afterwards an enemy battery -of 77’s, which had taken up a position on the Verrières road, withdrew -at a gallop through the town, while the last German troops fled along -the Rue de Prés towards the Pont des Maures. Almost immediately -afterwards the French artillery occupied the ridge of Bel-Air and opened -fire on the retreating enemy columns. At about 5.30 p.m. the French -advance-guards, cyclists and light cavalry entered St. Menehould. A -Prussian laggard was shot in the Avenue Kellermann on his refusal to -surrender. At 7 p.m. General Cordonnier arrived in the town, which was -occupied by the 51st Regiment of the line, and a continuous stream of -French troops passed through, following up the pursuit in the direction -of Ville-sur-Tourbe, Vienne-la-Ville and Florent. - -[Illustration: SAINTE-MENEHOULD TOWN AND CHÂTEAU (_old engraving_)] - -While the trench warfare lasted the headquarters, supply-depôts and -hospitals for the Argonne front were centred in St. Menehould, and for -four years it was entirely given over to military activities. Frequently -bombarded, the first shells were fired at the station at 4.30 a.m. on -April 26, 1915, when some houses were struck and two civilians killed. -On July 20 of the same year another bombardment was directed by -aeroplanes. At 1.30 a.m. on August 28, an aeroplane dropped a few bombs. -On September 14, a heavy bombardment set fire to the evacuation -hospital, killing two civilians, one of whom, M. Bocquillon, the Deputy -Mayor (acting for the Mayor, who was ill), was struck on his way to the -Hôtel-de-Ville. - -During 1918 the town was frequently bombed by enemy aeroplanes. - - -A VISIT TO THE TOWN - -_On arriving by the Avenue Victor Hugo, after crossing the bridge over -the Aisne_, the Gendarmerie, _at No. 8 on the right_, should be noticed. -It is the old post-house where Louis XVI. was recognised during his -flight in 1791. Over a door which opens into the Rue de la -Porte-des-Bois, the word “Poste” carved in the stone may still be seen. - -The royal carriage stopped near this post-house in broad daylight, -arousing the curiosity of the bystanders by its imposing appearance and -by the respect paid to the traveller and his family by the members of -his suite. The postmaster, Drouet, thought he recognised Louis XVI., -whom he had seen at Versailles, and he was confirmed in his belief by an -_assignat_ (paper money) with the king’s head stamped upon it, which had -just been given him. - -After the departure of the carriage, Drouet followed it to Varennes, -where he caught it up and had the royal family arrested. - -[Illustration: SAINTE-MENEHOULD HÔTEL-DE-VILLE] - -_The Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville is next reached with the_ Hôtel-de-Ville, -an 18th century building, _on the right_ (_photo above_). - -_Cross the “Place,” keeping to the left, via the Rue Chanzy, which is -the main street. On the right, at No. 33, is the_ Hôtel-de-Metz, an old -inn on the road from Metz to Paris, formerly well known, the original -kitchen of which has preserved its ample dimensions and innumerable -copper utensils. - -_The Rue Chanzy ends on the bank of the Aisne at the Place d’Austerlitz. -At the sharp turning on the left, before crossing this “place,” take the -Rue de la Côte-du-Château, then the Rue des Ormes, which leads to_ the -church.[2] - - [2] The church is reached by a flight of steps; the entrance is close - to No. 72, Rue Chanzy. - -The church, surrounded by a graveyard, stands on a rock in the centre of -the old town, of which nothing is left but fragments of the castle and -some ruined walls to the south and south-west. The church was built in -the 13th and 14th centuries. Its exterior is massive; the main doorway -is hidden by a modern porch. Beyond the Chapel of the Virgin, on the -right of the choir, a low sacristy was added at the end of the 17th or -beginning of the 18th century. Some fine fragments of earlier sculpture -(five panels depicting scenes from the Passion, and three richly -decorated canopies) have been incrusted in the outside walls. Tombstones -have been built into the walls on either side of the doorway in the left -transept, at the entrance to the church. - -The interior consists of five naves with low vaulting. In the left arm -of the transept, under a tri-cusped pointed arcade, the group “The Death -of the Virgin,” represents the Virgin recumbent, with children reading -and clinging to her hands and feet, and eight weeping women carrying -books. In the chapel on the left of the choir there is a 17th century -picture--a view of St. Menehould, with three figures, one of which is -the Patron-Saint of the town; the other two are supposed to be Louis -XIII. and Richelieu. Behind this chapel, which was formerly used for the -ceremonies of the town-guilds, is a recess called the Treasury, a small -vaulted 15th century room opening on the choir. The polygonal choir -presents a fine appearance with its five slightly pointed windows, -framed by two archivolts, supported on little columns with Romanesque -capitals. All around is an elegant 13th century arcade, screened with -rather heavy woodwork. The last nave on the right consists of three -separate 14th century chapels. The capitals of the aisles represent -human heads. The chapel of the Virgin contains a curious capital -representing an oak laden with acorns, towards which a peasant is -driving three pigs. This Chapel was founded in 1552 by the Lord de -Saulx, and was used from the end of the 16th century onward by the Guild -of Vine-dressers, who had the vaulting painted with frescoes. It is also -known as the Chapel of our Lady of the Vines. Formerly it contained a -number of tombstones, since removed. There is still to be seen, in one -of the chapels off the right aisle, a large and very fine 15th century -tombstone with effigies of Jean Toignel and his wife under a handsomely -carved Renaissance pediment. - -_Take the Rue du Cimetière, which passes behind the church, then the Rue -Basse-du-Château, which leads to a path skirting the old walls of the -castle. From this path there is_ a fine view over the town, the Valleys -of the Aisne and the Auve, and the surrounding hills. _Go round the -cliffs and return to the steps which lead down to the Rue Chanzy._ - -SECOND DAY: Sainte-Menehould, Varennes, Montfaucon, Grandpré, -Vienne-le-Château, La Gruerie Wood, Le Four-de-Paris, La Haute-Chevauchée -and La Chalade. - -Distance: 130 km. - -[Illustration: ITINERARY FOR THE SECOND DAY] - -[Illustration: CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. RUINS ON THE BAR-LE-DUC ROAD] - -_From St. Menehould to Clermont-en-Argonne (15 km.) take the same road -as the first day (see pp. 31-70)._ - -_On reaching the Place de la Mairie at Clermont, turn to the left, cross -the railway, leave I.C. 60 on the right, and keep straight on. G.C.D. 2 -runs straight from Clermont to_ =Neuvilly= (_6 km. 500_). - -During the trench warfare of 1914 to 1918, this road was often swept by -the German artillery. At the beginning of September, 1914, Neuvilly was -taken by the enemy, but a fortnight later it was recaptured by the -French. - -[Illustration: NEUVILLY, _seen from behind the_ CHURCH. _At the back_: -ARGONNE FOREST] - -[Illustration: NEUVILLY. RUINS OF ELECTRIC POWER STATION ON RIVER AIRE] - -Until the end of the war it was in close proximity to the front lines, -and was frequently shelled. - -_Opposite the church of Neuvilly the road joins N. 46, which take to the -left._ - -_3 km. 500 further on_, the original front lines are crossed. -=Boureuilles= _lies 1-1/2 km. beyond_. - -[Illustration: GERMAN PRISONERS TAKEN BY THE 35TH INF. DIV., NEAR -BOUREUILLES] - -The village of Boureuilles-on-the-Aire has completely disappeared. As -early as November, 1914, it had been reduced to a mere heap of stones -and rubbish. - -[Illustration: BOUREUILLES. D. CO. OF 111TH ENGINEERS ROAD-MAKING] - -After being rushed by the French on January 4, 1915, it was retaken by -the Germans, who held it until the Franco-American offensive of -September 26, 1918. - -_2 km. 500 beyond Boureuilles the tourist comes to_ =Varennes.= - -[Illustration: BOUREUILLES. THE 27TH ENGINEERS REPAIRED THIS BRIDGE OVER -THE AIRE IN AN HOUR AND A HALF - -(_N. 46 crosses the bridge._)] - -[Illustration: VARENNES. MAISON DE PRÉFONTAINE - -_On June 21, 1791, Louis XVI. and his suite, in their flight from Paris, -halted here late at night to enquire the way._] - - -Varennes - -_Enter the upper town by the Rue des Religieuses (or Rue de -l’Hôtel-de-Ville). The first house on the right is the_ Maison de -Préfontaine (_photo above_), which is still as it was when, on June 21, -1791, at 11 o’clock at night, Louis XVI. and his suite, in their flight -from Paris, knocked at the door to ask their way. - -_On the other side of the street is the Place du Château, where there -are_ some German soldiers’ graves. - -_The Rue de la Basse-Cour--a continuation of the Rue des -Religieuses--crosses the Place du Marché (photo below) in which stands, -on the left_, the ruined house of Sauce, the grocer, Procureur of the -Commune, in which Louis XVI. passed the night. This house, formerly No. -28, had, until the war, remained much as it was in 1791. - -[Illustration: VARENNES. PLACE DU MARCHÉ AND RUE DE LA BASSE-COUR, NEAR -THE BRIDGE - -_Ruins of house where Louis XVI. was arrested._] - -[Illustration: VARENNES. BANKS OF THE AIRE. - -_N. 46 crosses the bridge._] - -Drouet, who recognised the King at St. Menehould (_p. 68_) reached -Varennes before him, by a short-cut. The whole town, aroused by the -tocsin, assembled, and compelled the carriage of the king to stop. - -The arrest of Louis XVI. was made at the Bras d’Or Inn, the site of -which was afterwards occupied by three houses, one of which was No. 340 -(_the bottom photograph_ on p. 74 shows the ruins of these houses). - -The king and his family stayed at Sauce’s house until the morning, when -they were taken back to Paris. - -At the Mairie the authentic official report of the arrest of Louis XVI. -may be seen. - -_Keep along the Rue de la Basse-Cour, then cross the Aire which divides -the upper from the lower town (visited on the first day, p. 52)._ - -[Illustration: VARENNES. BRIDGE OVER THE AIRE - -_Seen from N. 46, coming from Neuvilly. At back: Ruined Church._] - -[Illustration: CHEPPY. TROOPS OF 1ST INF. DIV. WATERING HORSES - -_The ruined village is on the top of the hillside._] - -_Beyond the bridge, take G.C._ 38 _to the right for_ 1 _km_. 800, _then -G.C._ 19 _on the left,_ 2 _km. beyond Varennes, after crossing the -Buanthe_, =Cheppy= _is reached_. - -This village, with its interesting church, remained within the German -lines from 1914 to 1918, being retaken by the Americans on September 26, -1918. Frequently bombarded by aeroplanes and artillery, especially -during the Battle of Verdun, it was completely wiped out. - -[Illustration: CHEPPY. DETACHMENT OF 107TH ENGINEERS (32ND INF. DIV.) -CLEARING ROADS OF BARBED-WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS] - -[Illustration: CHEPPY. DRESSING STATION - -_The Itinerary follows the left-hand road, at fork, to Montfaucon._] - -_To visit the ruins, turn to the left at the first houses along the -road, which runs past the quarries for 400 yards (photo below)._ - -_Return to G.C. 19. At the end of the village (photo above) the road -divides. Leave the road lying straight ahead, which leads to Avocourt, -and follow G.C. 19 on the left, through_ =Chéhémont Wood=, _and cross a -great plain dominated by the_ Montfaucon Ridge. - -_Five hundred yards before reaching_ =Montfaucon=, _take the road on the -right which, at Montfaucon, joins the road from Malancourt_. - -Montfaucon is 8 km. from Cheppy. - -[Illustration: CHEPPY. GERMAN POST OF COMMANDMENT ON BAULMY ROAD - -_Ruins of Cheppy in the background._] - - -Montfaucon - -This very old market town, whose origin is said to date back to the end -of the 6th century, grew up around a monastery founded by St. Balderic, -son of Sigebert I., King of Austrasia. - -It was below Montfaucon that Count Eudes, in June, 888 or 889, aided by -several nobles, including Marc de Doulcon, is said to have inflicted a -bloody defeat on the Normans. The Chronicler, Abbon le Courbe, tells -how, after the defeat of the Normans before Paris, Eudes, pursuing them -across Champagne and the Argonne, caught them up near Montfaucon. After -a terrific struggle the Normans were cut to pieces and 19,000 of them -were left on the battlefield. In 1081, Godefroy de Bouillon, Duke of -Basse-Lorraine, built a castle-fortress there, which, however, he -dismantled before leaving for the Crusade in 1096. Another castle was -subsequently erected on the same site. In 1349 the Flagellants, who as a -penance marched in procession, scourging themselves publicly, passed -through Montfaucon under the leadership of Gilles de Rodennack, Lord of -Chassepierre. - -[Illustration: MONTFAUCON VILLAGE IN RUINS, WITH GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST -IN FOREGROUND, ON THE RIGHT] - -During the Hundred Years’ War the district was frequently ravaged by -bands of robbers, in consequence of which Charles V. authorised the -inhabitants to build a wall round the town. In 1387 the town suffered -during the war between the burgesses of Verdun and three neighbouring -lords. During the religious wars the town was taken and burned (1552). -In 1591, Henri IV. razed the castle, of which not a trace remains. - -In 1636, Montfaucon was once again ravaged by war, the enemy burning the -whole town, one house only being left standing. The Parish Church of St. -Laurent caught fire, and a number of the inhabitants who had taken -refuge there perished in the flames. - -[Illustration: MONTFAUCON. OBSERVATION-POST ON ROADSIDE NEAR CHURCH - -_Overlooking Montfaucon Wood, Cheppy Wood, Hesse Forest, and Clermont -Argonne._] - -On September 9, 1792, Montfaucon was occupied by Prussian troops under -Kalkreuth. - -In 1914, after the battle of the Marne, the Crown Prince had his -headquarters there for a few days, before establishing himself at -Stenay. The French 40th Infantry Division, during the retreat at the end -of September, forced the Bavarians to fall back on the woods of -Montfaucon, but the Germans quickly consolidated their positions on the -ridge, from which it was impossible to dislodge them. - -[Illustration: MONTFAUCON. RUINS OF MAIN STREET - -_The Itinerary follows I.C. 4, on the right to Cierges._] - -From the end of 1914 to 1918 they continued to improve the defence-works -of this naturally strong position, making it the centre of their -intermediate positions between the Hindenburg line and the -“Kriemhildestellung,” or second line of defence. It also provided them -with a splendid observation-post, from which to survey the whole of the -surrounding French lines. Another observation-post had been installed in -the church, from which the enemy could see Verdun, and this post played -a great part during the battle. The village, frequently pounded by the -French heavy batteries, was reduced to ruins. - -It was retaken by the Americans on September 26-27, 1918, after -desperate fighting with the German 37th Division, but only when it had -been surrounded, and Septsarges, Nantillois and Ivoiry had fallen. - -[Illustration: MONTFAUCON. FRANCO-AMERICAN OBSERVATION-POST IN THE -RUINS, NEAR THE CHURCH] - -The site of Montfaucon is an unusual and striking one; unfortunately, -the town was almost entirely ruined. - -_At the junction of the road from Malancourt, turn to the left, passing -shortly afterwards in front of_ a concrete observation-post (_photo, p. -79_). _Keep along the principal street as far as the fork, where take -the uphill street on the right, turning immediately again to the right, -and coming out at the top of the ridge near the ruins of the church._ -Several observation-posts may be visited, including one inside the -church (_photo below_). - -[Illustration: MONTFAUCON. RUINS OF THE CHURCH. GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST -ON THE LEFT] - -The old Collegiate Church was surrounded by 17th century houses, built -on the site of the old cloister, and inhabited by the canons. Below this -part of the town several underground tunnels, since walled-up, were -made. - -The porch and the vestibule of the church dated from the 14th century, -the other parts were rebuilt or restored in 1597 and 1781. - -In the steeple a stone staircase of eighty steps led to the belfry, -whence wooden stairs ascended to a platform in the spire, in which six -openings gave a far-reaching view over the surrounding country. This -platform, 170 feet above the base of the church, had a total altitude of -about 1,240 feet. In the direction of Verdun the forts of Marre and -Dugny could be seen, and, still further away (about 25 miles), the -heights which dominate Souilly. To the south-west lie the plains of St. -Menehould, and on the west the plain and plateaux of Champagne. In the -same direction, in clear weather, the Fort of Berru, near Rheims, is -visible. The panorama further embraces the following: _on the -north-east_, the whole of the region of Grandpré; _on the north_, -Carignan and Montmédy; _on the east_, the heights of the Meuse, seven -miles away, shut in the horizon, hiding Damvillers and the Woëvre. From -the top of the ridge may be seen: _on the south_, the 1916 battlefield -of Verdun; _on the north_, the terrain of the offensive of September 26, -1918. Between the Meuse and the Aire, from Brieulles-sur-Meuse to -Grandpré, the line of villages, woods and hills, which, after being -fortified, formed the formidable German position known as the -“Kriemhildestellung,” should be noticed. Certain points in this line -were only carried in October, and even at the beginning of November, -1918. Several of them, like Hill 299 to the north-east of Cunel and -north-west of Brieulles, were taken, lost and retaken several times by -the Americans. - -_Return by the Rue de l’Eglise to I.C. 4, which take to the right down -the hill. Half-way down, at the fork, take I.C. 4, on the right, to_ -=Cierges= (_4 km. 500 from Montfaucon_). - -From 1914 to 1918 the Germans had an aviation camp at Cierges. The camp -and station were frequently bombed by the Allied aviators. In September, -1918, during the first days of the American offensive, fires broke out -in the village, to which the Germans held on stubbornly. On the 28th, -they launched several counter-attacks, but at the beginning of October -were forced to abandon the village. On October 4, the capture of Gesnes -(through which the tourist passes on his way to Exermont) finally -cleared Cierges. - -_On reaching the Rue de l’Eglise, turn along the first road on the left, -which, 1 km. 300 beyond Cierges, runs into G.C. 2 bis._ - -_Turn to the right and follow G.C. 2 bis for 1 km., then take the Chemin -Vicinal (local road) on the left--German dug-outs, 200 yards away on the -left--which leads to the interesting village of_ =Gesnes=, lying in a -little valley. Many of the houses were destroyed. - -_The road passes in front of the church, then turns to the left, skirts_ -a German cemetery, _then goes straight to_ =Exermont= (_8 km. 800 from -Cierges_). Numbers of German dug-outs, sometimes forming veritable -villages, are met with on the way. - -[Illustration: CIERGES. RUINED CHURCH AND HOUSES IN RUE DE L’EGLISE] - -The folklore of the district, like that of many villages in the Argonne -and the Ardennes, is rich in stories of fairies, demons and witches. -Near the well called Fontaine-St. Germain, about a kilometre north of -the village, is a place called “Ronde-de-Danses,” where the grass never -grows. Here, the fairies of the “Château d’Ariétal,” near the spring of -the same name, used to meet and dance all night. - -[Illustration: GERMAN SHELTER AT FERME-AUX-BOIS, NEAR CIERGES. -AFTERWARDS POST OF COMMANDMENT OF THE 315TH AND 318TH R.A.C., 2ND -AMERICAN ARMY] - -Exermont was retaken by the Americans on September 28 1918. - -[Illustration: GESNES VILLAGE AND CHURCH, _seen coming from Cierges_] - -_Beyond the church turn to the left and at the fork_, 300 _yards after -the last houses, take the left-hand road (I.C. 4). After crossing the -river and over Hill 183, the road cuts N. 46. passes over the river -Aire, then the railway (l.c.), and after joining the Apremont road, -enters_ =Châtel-Chéhéry= (_4 km. 300 from Exermont_). - -This village, which suffered little (_photo, p._ 84), was abandoned by -the Germans without much resistance, on October 7, 1918. in the face of -the advance by the Americans, who had, however, encountered great -difficulty in capturing the outskirts. - -Gérard de Melcy, one of the heroes of the siege of Sebastopol, was -buried in the cemetery which surrounds the church. - -[Illustration: EXERMONT. GERMAN PRISONERS] During the Franco-American -offensive of September, 1918, the Americans found among the papers of -the German Town-Major the following document. - -[Illustration: CHÂTEL-CHÉHÉRY VILLAGE AND CHURCH - -_Behind the latter, I.C. 4 leading to Exermont._] - -which throws light on the German methods of treating the inhabitants of -occupied districts:-- - -“33rd General Divisional Headquarters, -“10th May, 1916. - -“We have absolutely no reason to be lenient with the French population. - -[Illustration: ADVANCE POST ON HILL 240 AT MONTREFAGNE NORTH-WEST OF -EXERMONT] - -I order a fresh examination of the taxable capacity of the inhabitants, -and no misplaced feeling of sympathy with the people of the district -must be allowed to affect that enquiry. It would be well to consider -whether, with this end in view, we might not occasionally imprison some -of the inhabitants. - -“(Signed) Vollbrecht.” - -_Pass in front of the church and keep straight on. Cross the Boulasson -Stream and follow the road past the foot of the promontory on which the_ -=Château of Cornay= _used to stand_. This castle comprised several forts: -Camp-Crochet, Vieux-Château, Grand Bel, and Petit Bel, all separated by -deep trenches and connected by underground passages. A cross called -“Croix-de-Bayle” now stands on the site of the “Grand Bel.” There is a -tradition that this cross was erected to commemorate “the extinction of -heresy,” Protestants having been numerous in the district. The fortress -is said to have been destroyed during the Wars of the League. - -[Illustration: CORNAY VILLAGE AND CHURCH - -_I.C. 4 leading to Marcq._] - -The pretty little village of =Cornay= (_photo above_) which _is soon -reached, is 2 km. from Châtel_. - -Burned down by the troops of Charles-Quint in 1552, it was rebuilt -beside the ruins. - -The church dates from the 12th century, but was frequently restored. The -last restoration dates from 1854, and is in harmony with the original -style of the building. - -_Opposite Cornay, on the right bank of the Aire, is_ =Fléville=, which -possesses a fine 16th century château. This village was taken by the -Americans on October 4, 1918, whilst Cornay and Marcq, the next village, -were only evacuated by the Germans on October 9 and 10. - -_Leave the Church of Cornay on the left and at the fork at the end of -the village, take the left-hand road_ (_I.C._ 20) _which crosses the -valley_ (traces of artillery emplacements). _At the first houses of_ -=Marcq= _the road crosses that from St. Juvin._ _At the crossing there is -a_ large German cemetery. - -[Illustration: CHEVIÈRES. BURNT DOWN BY THE GERMANS] - -_Many of the houses at Marcq_ (_2 km. 800 from Cornay_) were destroyed. - -_Pass through the village and keep straight on to_ =Chevières= (2 _km_.), -completely burned down by the Germans previous to their departure -(_photo above_). - -_Two kilometres beyond Chevières the road crosses the railway (l.c.) and -runs into the Senuc road. Turn to the right and cross the Aire._ -=Grandpré=, a pretty little town, many of whose houses have been -destroyed, _is next reached_ (_2 km. 900 from Chevières_). - -[Illustration: B. CO. OF 303RD ENGINEERS (78TH INF. DIV.) BUILDING -BRIDGE OVER THE AIRE, DESTROYED THREE TIMES BY ENEMY ARTILLERY FIRE. _At -back_: GRANDPRÉ.] - - -Grandpré - -Grandpré lies at the eastern end of the pass formed by the Valley of the -Aire, which cuts deeply into the Argonne. The town is very old. To the -south, on the Nègremont Mountain, there are traces of a camp which is -supposed to be Roman. Attila, after his defeat in the _Champs -Catalauniques_, also camped there, and long after him, Dumouriez. The -village was possibly founded or extended by a follower of Clovis, who -built a château there, but of which nothing now remains. Grandpré was -pillaged in 884, by the Normans; during the Hundred Years’ War, by the -English; and, under the League, by the rival troops of the Marshal of -St. Paul, Mayenne, and Henri IV. The latter stayed there in 1591. His -letter of October 3, 1591, in which he relates the events of the -preceding days, was dated from Grandpré. During the _Fronde_ the country -was again ravaged, and at a later date, pillaged by the Dutchman -Growenstein. - -In 1792, Dumouriez had his headquarters at Grandpré, and after the -battles of Croix-aux-Bois and Montcheutin, the headquarters of the King -of Prussia were transferred there. In October of the same year, during -the Prussian defeat, Grandpré was crowded with enemy sick, struck down -by dysentery. - -[Illustration: GRANDPRÉ. TEMPORARY BRIDGE ACROSS THE AIRE] - -According to Goethe, the castle was at that time the abode of pestilence -and death; the neighbourhood of the village, thickly strewn with corpses -and graves, was one gigantic cemetery. - -During the war of 1914-1918 the German camps and military works at -Grandpré were frequently bombed by the Allied airmen. Only at the end of -September, 1918, did the Franco-American troops recapture the village -after a long and severe struggle. - -On a terrace, in grounds to the north of the village, stands a château -in the style of Louis XIII., which is but the main entrance of an old -and larger castle belonging to the Dukes of Joyeuse. This castle, in -which Charles VI. lodged when on his way to the Ardennes, was rebuilt by -_Louis de Joyeuse_, assisted by the generosity of Louis XI. Joubert, -Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Italy, was married to Mlle. de -Montholon Senonville in this castle on the 7th Messidor of the year -VII. (June 26, 1799). The castle was destroyed by fire in 1834. - -[Illustration: GRANDPRÉ. RUINS OF CHURCH] - -_The road passes slightly to the right of the Church_--a large, handsome -building of yellow stone (_hist. mon.--photo above_), which suffered -greatly from the bombardments. - -Dating from the 13th century, when it formed part of the old Priory of -St. Médard, it had frequently been restored and altered. The pulpit and -the choir-stalls were composed of fragments of magnificent 16th century -woodwork, brought from the Abbey of Belval. The church contains the tomb -of Claude de Joyeuse, a remarkable monument in black marble. - -_One hundred yards beyond the village, turn to the left, into I.C. 15, -which leads to_ =Termes= (_3 km. 500 from Grandpré_). - -Many of the houses in Termes were destroyed. _Pass in front of_ the -church, which has lost the top of its steeple (_photo, p._ 89). In the -interior there is an old holy-water basin shaped like a mortar. - -[Illustration: GRANDPRÉ CHURCH. NAVE AND SOUTH AISLE, SEEN FROM THE -CHOIR] - -[Illustration: SHELL HOLES ON MORT-HOMME HILL - -_5 km. north of Grandpré._] - -_Opposite Termes, stands the village of_ =Senuc=, which dominates the -junction of the Aire and the Aisne. - -In 1918 the position of Senuc, strongly fortified by the Germans, was -taken by the French troops after a long struggle. - -[Illustration: TERMES. RUINED CHURCH - -_I.C. 15 at the corner of Olizy road._] - -_Keep along I.C. 15, which leads straight to_ =Mouron= (2 _km._ 700). - -It was between Termes and Mouron that, on October 2, 1792, the Prussian -Army, retreating after the Battle of Valmy, recrossed the Aisne on two -pontoon-bridges. Goethe, who was standing between the two bridges, -watched the disappointed and exhausted troops go by. - -The King of Prussia and the Duke of Brunswick, with their staff, brought -up the rear. “Both,” wrote Goethe, “paused for a moment before crossing -the bridge, as if reluctant to abandon the Plains of Champagne, where -they had just suffered a humiliating defeat.” - -Mouron and Vaux guard the entrance to the Grandpré Pass--the easiest -pass of the Argonne. - -In 1792, Dumouriez concentrated the greater part of his army there, -leaving practically undefended the passes of Les Islettes, -Croix-aux-Bois and Chesne. - -[Illustration: MOURON. DESTROYED BRIDGE OVER THE AISNE, AND TEMPORARY -BRIDGE] - -In 1918, the Germans clung desperately to these positions, from which -the French had to drive them by main force. - -The Church of Mouron is modern, but contains some interesting 17th -century woodwork. - -_On leaving the village, take the left-hand road, which soon crosses -first the Aisne (photo above), then the railway (l.c.), reaching_ -=Vaux-lez-Mouron= (_1 km. 200 from Mouron_). - -_The road runs along the south side of Vaux Church, and after passing -the portal, goes straight ahead._ - -_About 100 yards beyond the church, leave the Challerange road on the -right, and continue for another 800 yards, where the I.C. 21 joins up. -Turn into the latter on the left._ - -[Illustration: GERMAN VILLAGE ON THE EDGE OF AUTRY WOOD] - -1 _km. 800 further on, after crossing the I.C._, the edge of Autry Wood -_will be reached_. _On the right will be seen_ a village built by the -Germans (_photo above_). - -_I.C. 21 now runs through the wood, which was strongly fortified by the -Germans from 1914 to 1918._ - -_On leaving it at the fork in the road, turn to the left; 500 yards -further on, at another fork, turn again to the left, reaching_ =Autry= -_soon afterwards_ (6 km. 300 _from Vaux_). - -[Illustration: AUTRY. DESTROYED BRIDGE ACROSS THE AISNE] - -[Illustration: GERMAN TELEPHONE EXCHANGE - -_50 yards to the left of G.C. 66 (coming from Autry) and 150 yards this -side of Binarville._] - -Autry, like all the surrounding villages, has had a chequered history. - -It was besieged and taken by the English in 1359. At the beginning of -the 17th century it was practically a deserted ruin. - -Under the _Fronde_ it suffered again. The Lord of Autry was one of the -four knights who bore the canopy of the Sacred Ampulla during the -consecration of the kings at Rheims. - -_The road winds round the rock on which stands_ the ruined church. St. -Lambert’s Chapel in the cemetery contains some interesting frescoes. - -The château, which is below the church, dates from 1635. - -[Illustration: SERVON. GERMAN SHELTERS - -_Along G.C. 66, below site of destroyed Church._] - -[Illustration: ST. THOMAS. ROUTE DE SERVON, WITH BARRICADES AND TRENCHES -(_Feb. 2, 1916_).] - -_Leave Autry by two bridges across the Aisne._ - -_Beyond the second bridge and the second house, there is a German -structure under the cliff, on the right._ - -_On the left is the road to_ =Lançon=, the village where the French and -American troops effected their junction during the offensive of -September-October, 1918. - -_Keep along I.C. 21 in the direction of_ =Binarville.= _1 km. 700 beyond -Autry, leave the road to Condé-les-Autry on the right. 500 yards this -side of Binarville and 200 yards before the fork with G.C. 66 coming -from Varennes, there is_ a French military cemetery _on the left_. - -[Illustration: FRENCH DEFENCE WORKS AND DRESSING-STATION - -_G.C. 66, between Servon and St. Thomas._] - -_Just before reaching Binarville, fifty yards to the left of the road, -are_ two large German concrete structures, a post of commandment, and a -telephone exchange (_photo, p._ 92). - -The village of Binarville, and the adjacent hamlet of =Mare-aux-Bœufs=, -were occupied by the Germans from 1914 to 1918, and were only recaptured -in September, 1918, by the French 4th Army. - -Binarville was completely destroyed. - -_Outside the village, leave on the left the (impassable) road from -Vienne-le-Château, and keep straight on along G.C. 66._ - -_Two kilometres further on_, a few houses in ruins mark the site of -Mare-aux-Bœufs. _Keep to the left, leaving on the right the road from -Condé-les-Autry._ - -_Fire hundred yards beyond Mare-aux-Bœufs, on the left, there is_ a -German post of commandment in concrete, with rooms, shelter and -telephone exchange. An Iron Cross is carved on one of the doors. - -[Illustration: FRENCH DEFENCE WORKS BETWEEN SERVON AND ST. THOMAS] - -_Keep along G.C. 66, past numerous defence-works and shelters, some in -concrete._ - -This region, an excellent artillery position and a veritable stronghold, -from which the Germans launched many counter-attacks against the right -flank of the French 4th Army, during the offensive of September 26, -1918, was liberated by the French on September 30, after a heroic -struggle. - -_Five kilometres beyond Binarville is_ =Servon.= - -It was near Servon that, on August 25th, 1786, the aeronaut Blanchard, -on his way from Lille to Paris, where he hoped to present a bouquet to -the King, was forced to descend after being carried out of his course by -contrary winds. - -Occupied by the Germans since September, 1914, and strongly fortified by -them, the village and surrounding country were attacked by the French on -September 25, 1915, during a minor offensive, intended to cover the main -attack in Champagne. The French, after a short advance, were forced to -retire on their original positions, in consequence of counter-attacks -debouching from Servon. - -The village was only retaken on September 26, 1918, by the French 4th -Army, which, on the evening of the same day, reached the wood 1 km. 500 -to the north-east of the village, after a fierce struggle. - -To-day Servon is an absolute ruin. The cemetery alone, on the left of -the road, indicates the site of the village. - -Below the ruins of the church, which stood on the top of the hill on -which the village was built, several German shelters (_photo, p._ 92) -may still be seen _along G.C._ 66. - -[Illustration: FRENCH MILITARY GRAVES AT ST. THOMAS - -_Alongside the road from Servon._] - -Immediately beyond these shelters _turn into the road on the left, which -runs through the village;_ on both sides are other defence-works. - -_Outside the village, leave the (impassable) Vienne-le-Château road on -the left, and keep straight on._ - -_G.C. 66 runs alongside the Aisne as far as_ =St. Thomas=, _then passes -by_ trenches and barbed-wire entanglements--the remains of the old -German front lines. - -_Shortly afterwards_, the old French front lines _are reached_. _To the -right, on the left bank of the Aisne, is seen_ the hamlet of =Melzicourt=, -which the French retook on October 25, 1914. - -All through the trench warfare the French line ran through the -Melzicourt Ford. - -_Two kilometres beyond Servon, by the side of the road_, are large -shelters of stone and cement (_photo, p._ 92). _Opposite is_ a French -military cemetery (_photo, p._ 95). _Two kilometres further on_ =St. -Thomas= _is reached_. - -[Illustration: FIRST FRENCH LINE IN AISNE VALLEY BEFORE SERVON - -(_St. Thomas’ Sector._)] - -The little village of St. Thomas formerly possessed a rich priory, -founded in 1096 by Robert, Abbot of St. Méry, and Manassés, Archbishop -of Rheims. - -The modern church was built on the site of the Priory Chapel, destroyed -during the Revolution. - -The village has completely disappeared; of the church only a few broken -fragments of wall remain. - -_On leaving St. Thomas, G.C. 66 winds down into the valley of the -Biesme, passes near_ a military cemetery, _crosses the valley, then -divides_. _Take the left-hand road (G.C. 67) which soon passes near_ the -farm of La Renarde, _then alongside_ a large military cemetery, _finally -reaching_ =Vienne-le-Château= (_3 km. beyond St. Thomas_). - -[Illustration: ST. THOMAS CHURCH AND VILLAGE - -_Seen from G.C. 66 going towards Servon._] - -[Illustration: VIENNE-LE-CHÂTEAU. RUINS OF CHURCH] - - -Vienne-le-Château - -This very picturesque, industrial and forestal village was a royal -provostship before the Revolution. - -In the 6th century it belonged to the Bishops of Verdun. - -The castle-fortress on the hill which dominates the town to the west was -razed in 959 by the Count of Grandpré. - -Later, it was several times rebuilt and demolished. Fragments of the -ramparts may still be seen. - -In the 12th century the district was purchased by the Count of Bar. - -Vienne-le-Château was shelled by the Germans, especially in 1914 and -1915. The greater part of the village was wiped out, but the church and -neighbouring Town Hall did not greatly suffer. - -[Illustration: VIENNE-LE-CHÂTEAU. NAVE AND TRANSEPT OF CHURCH] - -[Illustration: VIENNE-LE-CHÂTEAU. ROAD LEADING TO LA PLACARDELLE] - -The church dates from the 15th century, with the exception of the -façade, which is 18th century. - -_G.C. 67, after turning to the right, passes by the Town Hall, and -follows the valley of the Biesme._ - -This almost straight river is often called “the canal” by the -inhabitants. - -[Illustration: VIENNE-LE-CHÂTEAU. INTERIOR OF RUINED FACTORY (1915)] - -The road hereabouts is very picturesque, and one of the finest in the -Argonne. It runs south of the woods of =Gruerie=, =Bolante= and =Chalade=, -_i.e._, through that part of the forest where, in 1914-1915, the battles -which have made the Argonne famous were fought. Of the many famous -places in this forest those most accessible to tourists are mentioned -and described in the order in which they may be visited without unduly -prolonging the itinerary. - -[Illustration: LA HARAZÉE. CHURCH BELL INSTALLED AS GAS ALARM SIGNAL] - -_One kilometre from Vienne-le-Château, take on the left a road, made -during the war, which crosses the Biesme, and then follow the right -bank, past_ numerous constructions and shelters (_photos above and -below_), to =La Harazée.= - -In this village, completely ruined, near a French military cemetery, -_G.C._ 67, _coming from the left bank of the Biesme, is joined_. - -_Take the small path which first runs alongside a stream, then climbs -towards_ =Gruerie Wood=, for 500 yards, to see the battlefield. The wood, -which was hacked to pieces by the shells, contains numerous -defence-works of all kinds, and makes an impressive sight. _Further -along the road are_ the German front lines. - -[Illustration: LA HARAZÉE. ALL THAT IS LEFT OF THE VILLAGE - -_At back_: GRUERIE WOOD] - - -Gruerie Wood in 1914-1915 - -Gruerie Wood, which the _poilus_ called “Tuerie Wood” (Slaughter Wood), -was one of the most active and dangerous sectors on the Western front -from September, 1914, to the end of 1915. The conditions of warfare -there were particularly trying. Attack followed attack almost without a -pause, generally preceded by mine explosions, and often developing into -ferocious hand-to-hand struggles. In this wood, sectors like the -_Pavillon de Bagatelle_, and the valleys of the _Fontaine-aux-Charmes_ -and _Fontaine-Madame_, were the most fiercely contested. - -[Illustration: PATH FROM LA HARAZÉE TO GERMAN TRENCHES IN GRUERIE WOOD] - -From Bagatelle a path leads to Fontaine-aux-Charmes, following the -stream of that name (which falls into the Biesme at La Harazée), and -then running beside the stream of Fontaine-Madame. These two streams, on -the south-east of Bagatelle, enclose a plateau broken by ravines and -hills, along which the French advanced in September and October, 1914, -threatening the German lines of communication through the Argonne. The -Germans repeatedly tried to force them back south of the Servon-Varennes -road, and to slip in through the valley of Fontaine-aux-Charmes, towards -La Harazée. In December, 1914, they attacked Fontaine-Madame six times -and Bagatelle three times. In January, 1915, attacks and counter-attacks -occurred almost daily. From the 16th to the 26th, fifteen German attacks -were launched in succession between Fontaine-Madame and St. Hubert, -lying to the south-east, on the stream of Fontaine-au-Mortier. The -French replied by immediate counter-attacks, and in the terrible -fighting which followed each side gained a hundred yards or so of -trenches. On the 27th, the Germans launched three attacks in the -direction of Bagatelle, while two days later the whole of the XXVIIth -Wurtemberg Division, previously drugged with alcohol and ether, hurled -themselves against the same position. The French left gave way, but -retook part of the lost ground after six counter-attacks. The struggle -continued on the following days, and, after heavy losses on both sides, -the Germans were repulsed twice during the night of January 29, once on -January 30, once on February 1, three times on the 2nd, twice on the 4th -and 7th. On February 17, 1915, while a French offensive was developing -in the district of Hurius-in-Champagne, the French troops in the Argonne -attacked the enemy, to prevent reinforcements being sent from that part -of the front. On the right bank of the Fontaine-aux-Charmes stream they -blew up a German blockhouse, and subsequently shelled the -gun-emplacement with a 65 mm. gun at 400 yards range. The most important -operation was directed against the German position of the _Blanleuil -Croupe_, lying between _Sec Ravin_ and the _Ravine of Fontaine-Madame_, -from which it was possible to enfilade the Bagatelle salient. Three mine -chambers were made under the German lines. The attacking troops were -divided into three waves: the first (one company), after the explosion -of the mines, was to seize the position, pass it, and push on; the -second (one company) was to consolidate the captured position; the third -(a battalion) was to reinforce the attacking party and exploit the -success. Each assaulting column was preceded by a bomb-thrower and -followed by sappers with sand-bags and entrenching tools. At 8 a.m. the -mines were fired, one of them blowing up a German mine. Two - -[Illustration: GRUERIE WOOD. SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGE, 25 FT. DEEP - -_Awaiting inspection by General commanding Sector._] - -minutes later the three assaulting columns, led by their officers, -dashed forward. The position, attacked from three sides, was taken, and -a hundred Germans were killed in the trenches. Four prisoners and a -machine-gun were captured. At 8.30 the French held 350 yards of the -German trench, and reached the second line, which was full of Germans. -The enemy then launched fierce counter-attacks, which gave them back -their second line. On the French side the second wave had arrived to -reinforce the first company in the captured position. Two machine-guns -mowed down the advancing Germans, but were in turn put out of action by -the enemy, who renewed their counter-attacks with grenades. The French -were reinforced by two companies of the third wave, the third company -being used to revictual the combatants with grenades, bombs, and -sand-bags. The Germans renewed their counter-attacks, but were driven -back. Between 1.30 and 3 p.m., after a violent bombardment with -artillery and _minenwerfer_, which churned up the ground, the enemy -counter-attacked the French right in force with bayonets, but were -checked. The attack was renewed with grenades and bombs, and this time -the Germans advanced through all the trenches in the vicinity. After a -heroic resistance the French had to give way, and at about 4.30 p.m. the -position was lost. The enemy then attacked the rest of the trench on the -flank; under an incessant hail of bombs, the French were forced to -withdraw, retreating step by step--200 yards in two hours--with a loss -of 40 per cent of their forces. Little by little, their ammunition -exhausted, and in the face of the impossibility of bringing up supplies, -they were obliged to abandon the position and return to the trench from -which they had started. A company of Chasseurs fought for two hours with -German rifles and ammunition, and with unexploded German bombs. On March -1 another desperate struggle took place at Blanleuil. At about 7.15 a.m. -three enemy mines exploded under the French trenches, and the Germans -rushed into the craters, overwhelming two companies in the first line, -the survivors of which fought hand-to-hand. The Germans, heavily -reinforced, made considerable progress in Fontaine-Madame ravine, but a -counter-attack by a French battalion stopped and held them. At nightfall -another battalion counter-attacked in a snow-storm, and after four hours -of bayonet fighting recaptured the greater part of the lost ground. Very -few prisoners were taken on either side. On March 22, at Bagatelle, -after the explosion of three mines, two French companies took a German -trench and repulsed a strong attack, while 500 yards away the enemy also -exploded mines, threw themselves into the French trenches, and in a -hand-to-hand fight were beaten and driven back. From June 30 to July 15 -the sector was affected by the German offensive between Four-de-Paris -and Binarville road. On July 28, and on August 4 and 17, three German -efforts against Fontaine-aux-Charmes broke down. On September 9, a fresh -and more powerful attack ended in a desperate struggle. The Germans, -repulsed, renewed the attack a second time without success. On the -following day the sector was heavily bombarded with big shells. From -1916 this sector became quieter, the fierce and prolonged struggle of -1915 giving place to a mutual shelling of the trenches with occasional -grenade attacks and raids on both sides. - -[Illustration: GRUERIE WOOD. ST. HUBERT SECTOR - -_Taking the soup to troops in first-line trenches._] - -Another sector, that of St. Hubert, was the scene of frequent struggles -from October, 1914, to September, 1915. In December, 1916, the Germans -attacked St. Hubert five times. After alternately advancing and -retreating, the French succeeded in maintaining their positions. - -Between January 16 and 27, 1915, some fifteen enemy attacks took place -in this region. At the beginning of July the battle became more violent. -On August 2, the Germans made use of liquid fire in an attack. -Subsequently the sector became quieter, like the rest of the Argonne. - -Not far from St. Hubert the French line described a pronounced salient, -known as Marie-Thérèse, in the enemy positions to the north of -Fontaine-la-Mitte. This name was given to the position by the _poilus_, -probably on account of the proximity of the lodge of a gamekeeper who -had a daughter named Marie-Thérèse. Surrounded on three sides by the -German lines, the Marie-Thérèse salient was difficult to hold, and the -Germans frequently endeavoured to reduce it. On January 19, 1915, they -exploded two mines in front of the French trenches, but the French -immediately occupied the craters. On the 22nd, after having pushed -sap-heads as close as possible to the French lines, the German -grenadiers suddenly emerged from them at about 10 a.m., each throwing -two large bombs. Then one of their battalions attacked the three sides -of the position, killed the machine-gunners, and at certain points -penetrated into the French second line. At 2 p.m. a battalion of French -Chasseurs counter-attacked, and partly reoccupied the first line, but -was then repulsed by German reinforcements. A third counter-attack in -the evening and a fourth on the following morning regained some of the -lost positions after a terrific struggle. All day and all night the -fight went on with bombs, grenades, bayonets, knives, pickaxes--anything -the men could lay their hands on--with equal ferocity on both sides. A -hundred Frenchmen, nearly all wounded, were taken prisoners. At about -9.30 a.m. on February 10, the Germans mined some of the French trenches, -and then attacked in considerable force, but although they occupied part -of them, the attack was arrested almost immediately by a counter-attack, -and in the evening the enemy was partially driven back. The fighting -here was ferocious. The Germans, mostly drunk or drugged, murdered some -prisoners after disarming them. About midday on the 12th, the enemy, in -columns four abreast, on a front of 300 to 400 yards, once more hurled -themselves against the Marie-Thérèse salient. However, after being -brought to a stand by rifle fire, then scattered by an artillery -barrage, they retreated with very heavy losses. Two hours later, two -companies of French Chasseurs attacked in their turn, but suffered -severely from the machine-gun fire, only one party succeeding in getting -into contact with the enemy in a trench to which they clung. Twice on -May 12, several times in the beginning of July, on August 2 (when they -used liquid fire), on August 12 and 24, and twice on August 29, the -Germans attacked this so greatly coveted and so well defended salient. -Finally, there, as elsewhere, they abandoned all hope of breaking down -the resistance of the French, and thereafter “Marie-Thérèse” was seldom -mentioned in the communiqués. - -[Illustration: GRUERIE WOOD. ST. HUBERT SECTOR. MARIE THÉRÈSE RAVINE] - -_After visiting Gruerie Wood, return to and proceed along G.C. 67. The -road passes beside_ two large French cemeteries, _then_ a row of -dug-outs. The forest becomes more and more denuded of trees, which were -smashed by the shells. _The site of_ =Four-de-Paris= _is soon reached_, -though not a trace of the village remains (_photo, p. 104_). -_Four-de-Paris is 2 km. from La Harazée._ - - -Four-de-Paris - -It was against the Four-de-Paris sector that the first efforts of the -Germans, after their retreat of September, 1914, were directed. No -sacrifice, however costly, was considered too great to recapture this -essential position on the road to Les Islettes. - -In two days (November 27-28) seven enemy attacks were launched to the -north of Four. Three times on December 5 their troops, to the sound of -fife and drum, returned to the charge, but without success. On the 18th, -after blowing up a trench, they again attacked. On January 5, 1915, by -way of a diversion, the French 2nd battalion of the 4th Foreign (or -Garibaldian) Regiment carried out an operation in this sector, while, -further to the east, the rest of the regiment delivered the main attack -at Courte-Chausse. At 10 a.m., the Garibaldians, supported by some -bomb-throwers belonging to the 9th Battalion of Chasseurs and French -91st Regiment of the Line, and by two sections of the engineers, -attacked the enemy trenches on a front of 400 yards, but, decimated by -machine-gun fire, they were unable to reach them. On February 16-17 and -on March 9 there were renewed and violent struggles. From June 29 to -July 15 the battle broke out again in this sector, interrupted from time -to time by terrible bombardments with gas shells. - -[Illustration: GENERAL VIEW OF THE “FOUR-DE-PARIS” (_see page 103_) - -_The road in the foreground leads from Four-de-Paris to Varennes._] - -In 1916 and 1917 this sector, like the rest of the Argonne, quieted -down. Mining operations continued from time to time, but there were no -battles properly so called. In the occasional surprise attacks which -took place, the French generally got the better of the enemy. - -_From Four-de-Paris, instead of going to La Chalade by the direct road -through the valley of the Biesme (2 km. 500), the Itinerary follows a -number of roads (17 km. 500 in all) through the forest, in order to -visit_ certain picturesque spots and at the same time to see places like -=Bolante=, =Les Meurissons=, =La Haute-Chevauchée=, =Fille-Morte=, -=Pierre-Croisée= and =Courte-Chausse=, made famous by the war. All these -places were the scene of fierce conflicts in 1914 and 1915. - -In December, 1914, many engagements, in which the French made slight -progress, took place in this sector. It was to the east of Bolante Wood, -in the wild ravine of La Fontaine-des-Meurissons, that the Garibaldian -Regiment--raised by the Republicans of Italy to fight in France, and -placed at the disposal of General Gérard (commanding the 2nd Active -Corps)--received its baptism of fire. On December 26, 1914, the 2nd -Garibaldian Battalion was detailed to carry a German trench. The -attacking front was limited, about 150 yards, but the position was -strongly held and protected by a deep entanglement of barbed wire. After -an artillery preparation lasting from midnight until dawn, the -Garibaldian companies rushed forward, one behind the other, to make a -breach at all costs, but were held up by the uncut wire. At - -[Illustration: “FOUR-DE-PARIS.” FRONT-LINE DEFENCES (1916)] - -one point an opening was made and a few men got through to the edge of -the German trench, only to be killed there. It was during this -engagement, which cost the 2nd Battalion 30 dead, 17 missing, and 111 -wounded, that Second-Lieutenant Bruno Garibaldi--a grandson of Giuseppe -Garibaldi, “the old red bird” whom, in 1870, the Prussian General Werder -confidently expected to “catch in his nest” in the Vosges, but failed in -the attempt--was killed. Bruno Garibaldi, though in reserve, advanced to -the assault with the 2nd Battalion, his sword drawn, his green tunic -unfastened, showing the traditional and symbolic red shirt. Wounded in -the hand, he went back to the trench to have it dressed, then returned -immediately to the fight. Struck by a bullet he continued to urge his -men forward, until another laid him low. Before dying, he embraced a -wounded comrade near by, saying, “Kiss my brothers for me.” On January -5, 1915, further to the right, on the Courte-Chausse plateau, the 1st -and 3rd Garibaldian Battalions had their revenge. Eight mines, the -galleries of which, forty to fifty yards in length, ran under the German -trench, were charged with about 6,000 lbs. of explosives during the -night. At 7 a.m. the next morning the mines were fired, one after the -other, after which, to the sound of bugles and drums, eight Garibaldian -companies took the shattered enemy front line in a single charge, threw -a German counter-attack into disorder, took and retook the second line, -and penetrated into the third German line. This they were unable to -hold, but they had nevertheless made an important advance, taken four -machine-guns, two _minenwerfer_, and 200 prisoners of the 135th, 26th, -and 24th German Regiments--most of them Pomeranians. By a strange -coincidence it was the flag of a Pomeranian regiment--the LXIst--that -had been taken in 1870 at the Battle of Dijon by Ricciotti Garibaldi, -Bruno’s father. The Garibaldians’ losses that day were heavy. Among the -dead was Adjutant-Chief Costante Garibaldi, Bruno’s brother. Some days -later a violent battle took place in the Meurissons ravine. On January -7, after a half-hearted German attack, which was easily beaten off, -rough trenches were dug on the plateau--in view of a possible -retreat--by men belonging to the 46th French Regiment of the Line, who -worked under heavy fire. General Gouraud, commanding the 10th Infantry -Division, who came to examine the position, was wounded in the shoulder -by a machine-gun bullet. On the following day a violent German artillery -preparation began at dawn. At 7.30 a.m. three regiments of fresh enemy -troops (Bavarian infantry) advanced to the attack. A trench held by men -of the 89th Regiment of the Line was blown up, the French line was -broken, and the Bavarians took on the flank the first and second lines -held by troops of the 89th and 46th Regiments of the Line, who put up a -fierce resistance. On the plateau the 11th Company of the 46th, which -held the unfinished supporting trench, stopped the rush of the enemy. -The Germans, unwilling to risk a frontal attack, turned the position on -the right flank, and finally took the trench, but only after the gallant -defenders had fired their last cartridges. The Germans penetrated into -the ravine, capturing the regimental headquarters, and wounding the -colonel and his staff. The 11th Company, however, still held on. On the -crest, the cooks and the sick seized rifles and joined in the fight. At -about 9.30 a.m. a blast of trumpets on the right announced the arrival -of reinforcements. Units of the French 89th Regiment of the Line and 2nd -Garibaldian Battalion charged through the undergrowth. A furious -hand-to-hand struggle ensued in the copse-wood, no quarter being given. -The French succeeded in saving their comrades of the 46th, and checked -the enemy, who eventually evacuated the ravine. At dawn on the 9th, -units of the 120th Regiment of the Line relieved the Garibaldians, who -numbered among their dead the Regiment’s adopted child, Gaston Huet, a -French boy of twelve, who had fought like a man. It was in vain that the -Germans renewed their attacks; until nine o’clock in the evening they -were repulsed and held. The remnant of the French 46th Regiment of the -Line--some three hundred men--under the command of a captain clung for -three days without supplies, to their positions. Their splendid -resistance and sacrifice were not in vain, as reinforcements arrived in -time to re-establish the position. - -[Illustration: FOUR-DE-PARIS FARM IN 1915 (SUBSEQUENTLY RAZED TO THE -GROUND), ON THE ROAD TO CHALADE] - -From March 9 to 19, several French attacks between Four-de-Paris and -Bolante gave slight gains, in spite of enemy counter-attacks. - -[Illustration: FOUR-DE-PARIS FARM IN 1918 (_see p. 103_)] - -[Illustration: SHELL CRATERS ON HILL 285, IN THE “FILLE MORTE” SECTOR -(_as seen from the road_)] - -On August 7, part of a trench was taken by the Germans in a night attack -at Fille-Morte. During the whole of that month, at Courte-Chausse, Les -Meurissons, La Haute-Chevauchée and Bolante, continual fighting took -place with artillery, mines, trench-mortars, grenades and bombs. On -September 27, during the French offensive in Champagne, the Germans -attempted a diversion against Bolante and Fille-Morte. After a heavy -bombardment with explosive and gas shells, a force of nearly two -regiments attacked in four successive waves. At first they made some -slight progress, but were soon almost everywhere repulsed with very -heavy losses. From October, 1915, it was in this part of the Argonne -that the activity was greatest, though here, as elsewhere, the fighting -considerably diminished. In 1916, frequent mining operations gave rise -to grenade fighting around the craters at Fille-Morte, Bolante, La -Haute-Chevauchée and Courte-Chausse. In 1917, mine warfare was -practically abandoned, but both sides frequently made raids into the -opposing trenches, for the purpose of taking prisoners and destroying -the works and shelters there. - -[Illustration: GERMAN CEMETERY ON THE ROAD FROM FOUR-DE-PARIS TO -VARENNES (_4 km. from the former_)] - -_On reaching Four-de-Paris from La Harazée, take G.C. 38, on the left, -towards Varennes._ - -_The road follows the valley of Les Meurissons_ (_on the right is_ -=Bolante Wood=), _crosses_ Hill 265, _and passes by the_ original front -lines. - -_From here onwards_, veritable villages built by the Germans _may be -seen on the sides of the hill, on the left bank of the Meurissons -stream_. - -The forest on the crest of the hill was cut to pieces by the shells. - -_Almost at the top of the hill the road runs past_ a German cemetery -containing a curious monument (_4 km. from Four-de-Paris; photo above_). - -[Illustration: DESTRUCTION OF THE ARGONNE FOREST] - -_One kilometre further on, at the Meurissons cross-roads_, =La -Haute-Chevauchée=, an old Roman road, _is reached_. - -_Follow La Haute-Chevauchée_--_a very interesting road, but in bad -repair--driving slowly and carefully for the first 2 km._ - -_The road passes through_ =Jardinet Wood=, which is full of dug-outs, -shelters and gun-emplacements. - -_On leaving the wood_ the view is impressive. Hill 285, opposite, is -literally ploughed up by the shell fire, while not a single tree is left -(_photo below_). - -This is the sector of the Fille-Morte, Pierre-Croisée and -Courte-Chausse. - -_The road goes round the hill, passing_ a succession of shell-craters on -the crest. - -_Shortly afterwards, after entering Chalade Wood, the road improves._ On -both sides are French structures of stonework. - -[Illustration: HILL 285, IN THE “FILLE MORTE” SECTOR - -(_The car is going towards the Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads._)] - -_One kilometre beyond Hill 285 is the Sept-Fontaines cross-roads, where -stood_ a French dressing-station, _facing the road going towards the -Mont-de-Villers_. - -_Keep straight on: 1 km. 800 further on, at the cross-roads, near the -site of the Forest Keeper’s Lodge, there is_ a large military cemetery. -The Lodge was completely destroyed. - -_2 km. 300 further on, Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads is reached. Fifty -yards this side of the cross-roads, on the left, is_ the shelter where -Lieutenant de Courson met a glorious death in 1915 (_photo, p._ 110). - -_At Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads, where the Neuvilly road (on the left) -and the Clermont road (in front) start, turn to the right into the road -leading to Chalade (called Chemin des Romains)._ - -_Pass an old camp (Camp Monhoven), then 1 km. beyond Croix-de-Pierre -leave the Claon road on the left._ - -_Two kilometres further on there is a sharp descent leading to G.C. 22, -which take on the right for 1 km. to_ =Chalade.= - -The village of Chalade grew up around a monastery founded in 1120 by -Robert and Riouin, monks of the Abbey of St. Vanne at Verdun. - -The Abbey, occupied first by the Benedictines, and afterwards (from -1127) by the Cistercians, was placed under the care of the Bishops of -Verdun, protected by the Lords of Vienne-le-Château. - -The monks drained the marshes of the valley of the Biesme and cultivated -the slopes. - -The Abbey church, begun in 1275, was never finished. - -There is a legend that the prior, who had given up all hope of finishing -the church, received a visit from the Devil, who offered to finish the -building for him, on condition that he should have the soul of the first -Christian who crossed the threshold of the completed church. - -[Illustration: SHELTER, NAMED AFTER FRENCH OFFICER WHO FELL THERE IN -1915] - -The prior having refused this offer, the Devil scattered in all -directions the houses which had until then been grouped around the -monastery, and reduced to dust the blocks of “gaize” in the quarries. - -Since that time the houses have remained scattered, and there are no -more blocks of “gaize” to be found in the neighbourhood. - -This legend is doubtless a naïve explanation of natural phenomena, -“gaize” being a silicious clay peculiar to the district. - -The Abbot’s house in the enclosure is in ruins. South of the church, -monastic buildings, probably erected in the 17th century, are still -standing, though in a dilapidated condition. - -The Abbey church became the church of the parish. The windows and -rose-window were restored in the 19th century. The nave has lost two of -its bays, and the steeple has been pulled down. - -The Gothic nave is large and high, the springing of the vaults resting -on sculptured capitals. Fragments of old stained-glass, still to be -found in some of the windows before the war, were destroyed by the -bombardments. - -At the end of the nave there is a fine rose-window, the mullions of -which are said to have been taken from the old Abbey of St. Vanne at -Verdun. - -[Illustration: CHALADE. MILITARY GRAVES AND CHURCH] - -_Return by G.C. 22, continuing along this road to_ =Claon= (_3 km_). - -This little village served as a cantonment during the war, and was also -a revictualling centre. - -_Take the road to the right in the village, returning to -Sainte-Menehould, via Florent (9 km)._ - -_Before entering Sainte-Menehould, the road passes by_ a large French -military cemetery containing 9,000 graves. - -[Illustration: SAINTE-MENEHOULD. GREAT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY, - -_with monument to the defenders of the Argonne_ (_10th and 18th C._)] - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - -FOREWORD 5 - -THE ARGONNE, 1792-1870--HISTORICAL 6 - -THE GREAT WAR, 1914-1918 8 - -THE OPERATIONS OF 1918 13 - -THE FRANCO-AMERICAN OFFENSIVE OF SEPTEMBER 26, 1918 19 - - -ITINERARY - -THE FIRST DAY 31 - -The Second Day 70 - -[Illustration: FRENCH MINE-THROWER ABOUT TO BE FIRED] - -[Illustration: THE AMERICANS IN THE GREAT WAR VOL. I - -MICHELIN ILLUSTRATED GUIDES TO THE BATTLEFIELDS (1914-1918) - -THE AMERICANS IN THE GREAT WAR - -VOLUME I. THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE MARNE (CHÂTEAU THIERRY. SOISSONS. -FISMES) - -_A PANORAMIC HISTORY AND GUIDE_ - -_Price_ =$1= - -MICHELIN & Cie., CLERMONT-FERRAND MICHELIN TYRE Co. Ltd., 81 Fulham -Road. LONDON. S. W. MICHELIN TYRE Co., MILLTOWN, N. J. U. S. A.] - - -[Illustration: THE AMERICANS IN THE GREAT WAR VOL. II - -MICHELIN ILLUSTRATED GUIDES TO THE BATTLEFIELDS (1914-1918) - -THE AMERICANS IN THE GREAT WAR - -VOLUME II. THE SECOND BATTLE OF SAINT MIHIEL (ST MIHIEL. PONT-à-MOUSSON. -METZ) - -_A PANORAMIC HISTORY AND GUIDE_ - -_Price_ =$1= - -MICHELIN & Cie., CLERMONT-FERRAND MICHELIN TYRE Co. Ltd., 81 Fulham -Road. LONDON. S. W. MICHELIN TYRE Co., MILLTOWN, N. J. U. S. A.] - - PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. - BY ESSEX PRESS, INC., NEWARK, N. J. - - -BEAUTIFUL FRANCE - -_Paris and its Environs_ - - -_PARIS_--home of grandeur, elegance, and wit--plays a part in France -probably unequalled in any other country, and may be considered, in many -respects, as the chief city of Europe, and one of the greatest in the -world. Above all, it possesses eminently national qualities which ten -centuries of refinement and taste have handed down to contemporary -France. - -It is impossible, in a few lines, to paint the exceptional charms of -Paris which the whole world admires. - -Its vistas of the Champs-Elysées seen from the Tuileries and the Arc de -Triomphe; of Notre-Dame and the point of the City Island seen from La -Concorde Bridge; of the River Seine, the Institute, the Louvre, seen -from the Pont-Neuf embankment; Notre-Dame and its quays, seen from the -end of St. Louis Island; the panorama of the city seen from the top of -Montmartre Hill; the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Boulogne -itself, etc., etc.--all are of incomparable beauty. - -The city’s historical monuments are of inestimable value, and the most -famous art treasures are to be found in its Museums. - -The surroundings of Paris join the charm of their landscapes to the -world-wide fame of their parks and castles: _Versailles_, whose palace -and park recall the splendour of the Louis XIV. period, and where the -“Trianons” have preserved graceful traces of the Court of Marie -Antoinette; _St. Germain_, with its castle and forest; _St. Cloud_ and -its park; _Sèvres_ and its world-renowned art porcelain factory; _La -Malmaison_, home of Bonaparte before he became Napoleon I.; -_Rambouillet_, _Fontainebleau_, _Chartres_ with its marvelous cathedral, -_Maintenon_, _Dreux_, etc.--all these form a girdle round Paris such as -no other metropolis in the world can boast of. - - -MICHELIN TOURING OFFICES - - -MICHELIN TYRE CO., Ltd., LONDON - Touring Office :: 81, Fulham Road, S. W. - -MICHELIN & Cie, CLERMONT-FERRAND - Touring Office :: 97, Boulevard Péreire, PARIS - -[Illustration: _Why ask the Way, when ..._] - -[Illustration: ... _Michelin will tell you free of charge?_] - -Drop a line, ring us up, or call at one of our -Touring Offices and you will receive a carefully -worked-out description of the route to follow. - - -HOTELS AND MOTOR AGENTS AT SAINT MENEHOULD, VERDUN. - - -SAINT MENEHOULD - -Hôtel Saint Nicholas, Rue Chanzy. -Hôtel de Metz, 23, Rue Chanzy. -E. Depors, 3, Rue Chanzy. - - -VERDUN - -Hostellerie du Coq Hardi, 8, Rue du St. Esprit - - (between the Rue Mazel and the Meuse) - -Hôtel du Lion d’Or, Place Saint Paul - - (Opposite the Sub-Prefecture) - - * * * * * - -Grand Garage Central Rochette, 22, Rue de la Rivière. Inspection pit. -Petrol. Telephone No. 50. - - -The above information may no longer be exact when it meets the reader’s -eye. Tourists are therefore recommended to consult the Michelin Touring -Office. - -[Illustration] - -Before setting out on a motoring tour, whether in the British -Isles or abroad, call or write to: - -THE MICHELIN -TOURING OFFICE - -81, Fulham Rd., London. -S.W. 3, - -[Illustration] - -who will be pleased to furnish all desired information and a carefully -worked-out itinerary of the route to be followed free of charge. - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Americans in the Great War; v. 3 -The Meuse-Argonne Battlefields, by Michelin & Cie - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMERICANS IN THE GREAT WAR; V. 3 *** - -***** This file should be named 50417-0.txt or 50417-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/4/1/50417/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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-display: inline-block; text-align: left;} - -</style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Americans in the Great War; v. 3 The -Meuse-Argonne Battlefields, by Michelin & Cie - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Americans in the Great War; v. 3 The Meuse-Argonne Battlefields - -Author: Michelin & Cie - -Release Date: November 9, 2015 [EBook #50417] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMERICANS IN THE GREAT WAR; V. 3 *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/cover_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="289" height="450" alt="cover" /></a> -</p> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="" -style="border: 2px black solid;margin:auto auto 2% auto;max-width:50%; -padding:1%;"> -<tr><td><p class="c"><a href="#CONTENTS">Contents Volume III.</a></p> -<p class="nonvis"><span class="nonvis">(In certain versions of this etext [in certain browsers] -clicking on this symbol <img class="enlargeimage" src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" alt="" title="" height="14" width="18" />, -or directly on the image, -will bring up a larger version of the illustration.)</span></p> -<p class="c">(etext transcriber's note)</p></td></tr> -</table> - -<p class="cb"><big>MICHELIN ILLUSTRATED GUIDES<br /> -TO THE BATTLEFIELDS (1914-1918)</big></p> - -<hr class="dbl" /> - -<h1>THE AMERICANS<br /> -<small>IN THE</small><br /> -GREAT WAR</h1> - -<p class="cb"><big>VOLUME III.<br /> -MEUSE-ARGONNE BATTLE</big><br /> -(MONTFAUCON, ROMAGNE, ST MENEHOULD)<br /><br /><br /><br /> - -MICHELIN & Cie., CLERMONT=FERRAND<br /> -MICHELIN TYRE Co. Ltd., 81 Fulham Road, LONDON, S. W.<br /> -MICHELIN TIRE Co., MILLTOWN, N. J., U. S. A. -</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 344px;"> -<a href="images/i002_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i002_sml.png" width="344" height="550" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p> </p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="cb"><big><big>The Michelin Wheel</big></big></p> - -<p class="c">BEST of all detachable wheels<br /> because the least complicated</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 316px;"> -<a href="images/i003_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i003_sml.png" width="316" height="148" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p class="hangu"><i>Elegant</i></p> - -<p>It embellishes even the finest coachwork.</p> - -<p class="hangu"><i>Simple</i></p> - -<p>It is detachable at the hub and fixed by six bolts only.</p> - -<p class="hangu"><i>Strong</i></p> - -<p>The only wheel which held out on all fronts during the war.</p> - -<p class="hangu"><i>Practical</i></p> - -<p>Can be replaced in 3 minutes by <i>anybody</i> and cleaned still quicker.</p> - -<p>It prolongs the life of tires by cooling them.</p> - -<p class="cb">AND THE CHEAPEST</p> -</div> - -<p> </p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="cb">THE “TOURING CLUB DE FRANCE”</p> - -<p class="c">———</p> - -<p class="c">WHAT IS IT? WHAT ARE ITS USES?</p> - -<p>The “Touring Club de France” (founded in 1890), is at the present time -the largest Touring Association in the whole world. Its principal aim is -to introduce France—admirable country and one of the loveliest on -earth—to French people themselves and to foreigners.</p> - -<p>It seeks to develop travel in all its forms, on foot, on horseback, on -bicycle, in carriage, motor, yacht, or railway, and soon in aeroplane.</p> - -<p>Every member of the Association receives a badge and an identity ticket -free of charge, as also the “Revue Mensuelle” every month.</p> - -<p>Members have also the benefit of special prices in a certain number of -affiliated hotels; and this holds good for the purchase of guide-books -and Staff (Etat-major) maps, as well as those of the “Ministère de -l’Intérieur,” the T. C. F., etc. They may insert notices regarding the -sale or purchase of traveling requisites, in the “Revue” (1 fr. per -line). The “Comité des Contentieux” is ready to give them counsel with -regard to traveling, and 3,000 delegates in all the principal towns are -able to give them advice and information about the curiosities of art or -of nature in the neighborhood, as well as concerning the roads, hotels, -motor-agents, garages, etc.</p> - -<p>Members are accorded free passage across the frontier for a bicycle or -motor-bicycle. For a motor-car the Association gives a “Triptyque” -ensuring free passage through the “douane,” etc.</p> - -<hr /> -<p class="cb">ONE TRAVELS BEST IN FRANCE WHEN A MEMBER<br /> OF THE “TOURING CLUB DE -FRANCE”</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_1" id="page_1"></a>{1}</span></p> - -<div class="bboxx"><p class="cb"> - IN MEMORY<br /> -OF THE MICHELIN WORKMEN AND EMPLOYEES WHO<br /> - DIED GLORIOUSLY FOR THEIR COUNTRY</p> -</div> - -<h1>THE AMERICANS<br /> -IN THE<br /> -GREAT WAR</h1> - -<p class="cb">VOLUME III.<br /> -<br /> -<big>The Meuse-Argonne Battlefields<br /> -<small>MONTFAUCON, ROMAGNE, SAINTE-MENEHOULD</small></big><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<i>Published by</i><br /> -Michelin & Cie, Clermont-Ferrand, (France)<br /> -—————<br /> -Copyright, 1920, by Michelin & Cie<br /> -<br /> -<i>All rights of translation, adaptation or reproduction (in part or whole), reserved<br /> -in all countries.</i><br /> -</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_2" id="page_2"></a>{2}</span> </p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_3" id="page_3"></a>{3}</span> </p> - -<h2>THE MEUSE-ARGONNE BATTLEFIELDS</h2> - -<p>As in the two preceding volumes of “Americans in the Great War,” no -attempt is made in this third volume to describe the military -engagements in great detail. It was thought better to illustrate the -ruin and devastation caused by the great struggle, rather than to dwell -too long on the actual hostilities. This object has been attained by -securing a great number of carefully selected and exclusive photographs -and maps, all of which are published in this volume, together with -necessary descriptive text. Like its predecessors this volume is not a -military treatise but a guide book.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, it is the duty of the author as well as a great pleasure -to hesitate long enough at this moment to say a word in appreciation of -the invaluable service rendered to France and to civilization by the -valiant American soldiers.</p> - -<p>It was during the period covered in the pages following that the -American Army reached its maximum fighting strength, and achieved its -greatest military triumphs.</p> - -<p>The splendid fighting spirit of the troops was remarked by all, and -their fine comradeship, both on the firing line and at rest, won the -widest possible admiration. Furthermore, the seasoned military experts -who had been engaged in the war for four long years were amazed to -discover with what remarkable rapidity the American soldiers and their -high spirited officers had adapted themselves to the art of war.</p> - -<p>In the words of Marshal Foch: “As for the American troops you may tell -your people that they are admirable. They can be reproached only with -going ahead too fast!”</p> - -<p>The Meuse-Argonne campaign ended with the signing of the Armistice on -November 11, 1918. Marshal Joffre in a speech of thanksgiving said: “I -am proud to have been the sponsor of the noble American Army, which has -been the determining cause of our present victory.”<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_4" id="page_4"></a>{4}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 333px;"> -<a href="images/i008_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i008_sml.jpg" width="333" height="465" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE AMERICAN FORCES, JOHN J. -PERSHING</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_5" id="page_5"></a>{5}</span></p> - -<h2>THE MEUSE-ARGONNE BATTLEFIELDS 1914-1918.</h2> - -<h3><a name="FOREWORD" id="FOREWORD"></a>FOREWORD</h3> - -<p class="nind">T<small>HE</small> present volume—No. 3 of the series: “The Americans in the Great -War”—see Volumes 1 (“The Second Battle of the Marne”) and 2 (“The -Battles of St. Mihiel”)—deals with the Argonne proper and with the -Marshes of the Argonne, that is to say, the greater part of the country -lying between the Battlefields of Champagne and Verdun, described in the -Michelin Guides: “The Battles of Champagne” and “Verdun.”</p> - -<p>The Argonne was never independent, administratively or politically. It -has always been attached to a neighbouring State, large or small. -Originally a border-land between Champagne and Lorraine, it belonged -formerly to the three Bishoprics of Châlons, Rheims, and Verdun. Later -it became the Comté of Argonne, with Sainte-Menehould as capital, but -remained tributary to the three bishoprics. After the annexation of -Champagne, the King of France and the Duke of Lorraine each took that -part of the Argonne bordering on his territory. Later it was divided -between the Province of Champagne, the Duchy of Bar, and the Duchy of -Lorraine.</p> - -<p>With the exception of several lateral valleys which divide it into -sections difficult of access to one another, the Argonne, covered with -thick forests, and for long roadless, presented an all but insuperable -obstacle to military operations. These valleys, or defiles, considered -from north to south, are: the passes of Chesne Populeux, Croix-aux-Bois, -Grandpré, Chalade, and Les Islettes. These five passes, famous since the -campaign of 1792, which ended in the French victory of Valmy, have often -been disputed.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;"> -<a href="images/i009_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i009_sml.png" width="339" height="345" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE DEFILES OF THE ARGONNE</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_6" id="page_6"></a>{6}</span></p> - -<h4><a id="The_Argonne_Campaign_of_1792"></a>The Argonne Campaign of 1792</h4> - -<p>At the end of August, 1792, General Dumouriez—in face of the rapid -advance of the Prussians, who were besieging Verdun, and of the -Austrians, who were drawing near Stenay—was forced to abandon his -proposed offensive in Belgium, and continue on the defensive. Divining -the intentions of the enemy to reach first the Aisne and then Châlons, -in order to march on Paris, he decided to block the roads from Lorraine -into Champagne by a defence of the Argonne. On September 1, he marched -from Sedan on Grandpré, whence on the 3rd he despatched a detachment -against St. Juvin. With his right resting on the Plateau de Marcq, his -left on Grandpré, and his artillery parked at Senuc, he took up his -headquarters at the Château of Grandpré, the property of one of his -friends, Semonville. His lieutenant, Dillon, occupied Les Islettes and -the course of the Biesme as far as Passavant-en-Argonne, with -headquarters at Grange-aux-Bois. General Kellermann was marching to join -Dumouriez, and arrived by the Toul-Bar road. At the call of Dumouriez, -the inhabitants of the districts of Clermont and Bar retired to the -forests of the Argonne with all the provisions and supplies which they -could carry with them.</p> - -<p>On September 7, the Duke of Brunswick and the King of Prussia viewed the -Pass of Les Islettes and the high ground of the Biesme from the summit -of Clermont Hill. Judging their capture impossible, or too costly, they -preferred to turn the position by forcing one of the three other passes -held by Dumouriez: Grandpré, Croix-aux-Bois, or Chesne Populeux. Their -choice fell on the Croix-aux-Bois defile, whose capture was entrusted to -the Austrian General Clerfayt. Meanwhile feint attacks were made on -Briquenay and Marcq, before Les Islettes and Grandpré, in order to -deceive Dumouriez. On the 12th, Clerfayt took the Croix-aux-Bois pass. -One of Dumouriez’s lieutenants, Chazot, recaptured it on the 14th, but -lost it again on the same day, and was obliged to retire. Threatened -with having his position turned and his army surrounded, Dumouriez -decided to retreat immediately, and occupied Termes, Olizy, and -Beaurepaire, in order to protect himself against a possible advance by -Clerfayt. Brunswick sent a messenger with a flag of truce to propose a -parley. Whilst the bearer was vainly waiting in the French outposts at -Marcq for permission to proceed to Dumouriez’s headquarters, the latter, -who had waited till nightfall in order to conceal his movements from the -enemy, struck his camp. At 8 a.m. on the 15th he crossed the Aisne over -the bridges of Senuc and Grand-Ham and marched towards Cernay, thus -saving his army. Chazot’s Division alone, which had received orders to -proceed from Vouziers to join the army at Montcheutin, arrived too late. -Attacked by the Prussian Hussars in the Plain of Montcheutin, it -retreated in confusion, the panic spreading to the rest of the army, -with the exception of the vanguard which held the Prussian Hussars’ -advance. Dumouriez, without resorting to extreme measures, endeavoured -to restore the morale of his troops: a few deserters, after having their -heads shaved and having been deprived of their uniforms as unworthy to -wear them, were publicly dismissed the service. The army quickly pulled -itself together, and hastened to make good its previous weakness.</p> - -<p>Contrary to the opinion of many, who believed he would retire on Châlons -in order more easily to effect a junction with Kellermann, Dumouriez -decided not to abandon the Sainte-Menehould position. Leaving Dillon’s -advance guard at Chalade, in Les Islettes, and in the south of the -Argonne, he established himself in front of Sainte-Menehould, on the -plateau where Maffrecourt, Chaudefontaine, and Braux-Sainte-Cohière -stand. Thus, while no longer covering the Paris road, he threatened the -rear of the Allies.</p> - -<p>Brunswick, who had left Grandpré and was already on the Châlons road, -was forced to stop and face Dumouriez. Fearing that Dumouriez, by -retreating, would once more escape, the King of Prussia, acting hastily -and in opposition<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_7" id="page_7"></a>{7}</span> to the plans of Brunswick, ordered the march which -brought his army to Valmy. On September 20, his army established itself -opposite Valmy, five miles west of St. Menehould, on the Lune plateau -which crosses the Sainte-Menehould-Châlons road through Auve.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 348px;"> -<a href="images/i011_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i011_sml.png" width="348" height="219" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BATTLE OF VALMY (1792)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The Lune Inn, which then stood by the side of the road near the Lune -crossroads, formed by the junction of the Somme-Bionne and Gizeaucourt -roads, was pulled down about 1854 and the materials used for building -one of the Maigneux farms.</p> - -<p>Thanks to the clever dispositions of Dumouriez, who directed General -Stengel to occupy Mont-Yvon (in order to cover Valmy on the right), and -General Chazot to march on the Lune heights (to protect Kellermann’s -left), the latter was able to withstand the enemy assault.</p> - -<p>The Prussians decided to attack Valmy, and towards noon their infantry -crossed the valley which lies between the two armies. But the French, -drawn up on the ridge between Moulin and Valmy, under the command of -Kellermann, hurled themselves on the Prussians and drove them back -amidst cries of “Vive la Nation.” Brunswick, disconcerted, stopped the -attack. Kellermann pressed on, while General Stengel held the Austrians -on the right. About 4 o’clock, General Beurnonville came up with -reinforcements, and the battle was won.</p> - -<p>On the evening of September 20, Dumouriez and Kellermann, agreeing that -the position was dangerous, decided to evacuate Yvron and Valmy during -the night, to cross the Auve and deploy between Dampierre and Voilemont. -On the 21st, Kellermann, in his new position covered by the Auve and the -Yevre confidently awaited a fresh Prussian attack, which, however, was -never delivered. Discouraged, and anxious as to the health of his -troops, the Duke of Brunswick, after ten days of vacillation, decided to -retreat. Thanks to his clever negotiations, which misled Dumouriez, he -succeeded in saving his army and in regaining the frontier without being -pursued; but fatigue, hunger, and dysentery had decimated his forces. Of -the 42,000 Prussians who invaded France in the previous August, barely -20,000 recrossed the frontier.</p> - -<p>The moral effect of the victory of Valmy was considerable. It was the -first victory won by the Armies of the Revolution over the Allies. It -humbled the pride of the Prussians and gave the French unshakable faith -in the future of their arms.</p> - -<p>The German poet, Goethe, who followed the operations, said, in speaking<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_8" id="page_8"></a>{8}</span> -of Valmy: “On that day and at that place began a new era in the history -of the world.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 386px;"> -<a href="images/i012_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i012_sml.png" width="386" height="392" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE FIRING-LINE IN ARGONNE DURING THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE -MARNE (1914)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>In 1814 Blucher went round the Argonne. In 1870 the Third Prussian Army -(the Army of the Meuse) crossed it without much difficulty.</p> - -<h3><a name="THE_GREAT_WAR_1914-1918" id="THE_GREAT_WAR_1914-1918"></a>THE GREAT WAR (1914-1918)</h3> - -<p>In August, 1914, in spite of their success on the Meuse, the French -Third and Fourth Armies were ordered by Joffre to make a general retreat -towards the south. The Third Army, under Sarrail, pivoting on its right, -now rested on Verdun. Facing it was the German Vth Army, under the Crown -Prince.</p> - -<p>The German forces, following the retreat of the French Armies, slipped -in on either side of the thick woods of the Argonne, along the Valleys -of the Aisne and the Aire.</p> - -<p>On September 5, under Joffre’s orders, the retreat came to an end, and -the great battle, which was to save France, began. After six days of -violent fighting (see Part III—The Revigny Pass—of the Battle of the -Marne, 1914), the Crown Prince’s troops, under pressure of the French -Third Army, retreated along both flanks of the Argonne; but during the -latter half of September, they came to a stand, after reaching and -consolidating the following positions: on the east, Montfaucon, -commanding the ground between the Aire and the Meuse; Montblainville and -Varennes, commanding the Valley of the Aire;<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_9" id="page_9"></a>{9}</span> on the west, Binarville, -Servon, and Vienne-le-Château, commanding the Valley of the Aisne. A -fierce and prolonged battle then began. The French troops, held on the -flanks, pushed on into the forest, in an endeavour to cut the enemy’s -transverse lines of communication, which consisted of two main roads -from east to west (see map, p. 8).</p> - -<p>(1) The main road from Varennes to Vienne-le-Château, <i>via</i> the -Four-de-Paris, where a road running north-south branches, crossing at -Les Islettes, the “National Road,” and the railway from -Châlons-sur-Marne to Verdun, via Sainte-Menehould.</p> - -<p>(2) The wide forest road which, two or three kilometres to the north, -runs almost parallel to the first road, from Montblainville to -Servon-Melzicourt, <i>via</i> Bagatelle, and across the Bois de la Gruerie.</p> - -<p>The Germans, on their part, made every effort to maintain their lines of -communication. Moreover, they had not given up the hope of encircling -and taking Verdun. Through the transverse valleys of the Aire and the -Aisne, and the central passage of the Biesme, they threatened to cut the -Châlons-Verdun Railway, and thereby separate the Army of Champagne from -that of Verdun. The importance of the Argonne position thus becomes -evident, and explains the fury of the fighting which took place there.</p> - -<h4>The Battle in the Forest</h4> - -<p>The Forest of Argonne consists of woods of beech, horn-beam, ash, and -oak which, with an undergrowth of hazels and shrubs of many varieties, -form almost impenetrable thickets. Lovely nooks and wild glens abound; -opposite narrow ravines, whose steep sides are clothed with copse-wood, -are cool valleys full of streams, pools, and springs.</p> - -<p>These picturesque spots have often charming names: <i>Bois de la -Viergette</i>, <i>Ruisseau des Emerlots</i>, <i>Fontaine la Houyette</i>, -<i>Fontaine-aux-Charmes</i>, <i>Fontaine-Madame</i> and <i>Bagatelle</i>. Sometimes the -names are quaint: <i>Fille-Morte</i>, <i>Moulin del’Homme Mort</i>, -<i>Ferme-la-Mitte</i>, <i>Chêne Tondu</i> and <i>Courte-Chausse</i>. Below the long -ridge, which forms, as it were, the backbone of the forest, the <i>Chemin -de la Haute-Chevauchée</i>, and, a little further west, the <i>Pavillon St. -Hubert</i> evoke memories of bygone hunting-parties. All these names, -yesterday but little known, are to-day famous, as for months they -recurred almost daily in the Communiqués of the Great War, and each of -them brings to mind, not one battle only, but a series of battles, -fierce struggles, and hand-to-hand encounters in the dense undergrowth.</p> - -<p>The stationary warfare assumed a special character in the Argonne. Lanes -and footpaths formed the only breaks in the impenetrable thickets. There -were no gentle slopes, no convenient firing positions for the infantry, -no observation-posts for the artillery—everything being concealed by -the thick foliage; no easy roads, for though several wide valleys enter -the forest, they invariably end in narrow ravines which, except where -there are paths, present almost insuperable obstacles.</p> - -<p>The innumerable springs give rise to excessive moisture. Tiny rivulets -intersect the clay soil, and mud collects easily, making the paths -impassable. Log roads had to be made in order to facilitate the bringing -up of reliefs and supplies. Trenches were no sooner dug than they filled -with water and mud, necessitating continuous baling, often with -makeshifts such as pails, shovels, dishes, mess-tins, etc.</p> - -<p>These trenches, dug haphazard under enemy fire, were very irregular in -line, and French and German trenches sometimes overlapped. The fusillade -was uninterrupted, but erratic, except for a few snipers perched here -and there in the trees. At night, the forest was swept at random by -rifle and machine-gun fire, to make movement dangerous and to prevent -surprise. Rockets continually lit up the night. Here the rifle was -merely an auxiliary weapon, but grenade and bomb fighting went on all -day without respite.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_10" id="page_10"></a>{10}</span></p> - -<p>Under this continuous rain of hand projectiles, and the hurricane of -shells which destroyed the trenches, the casualties were heavy. Apart -from the losses in actual battle, there were often hundreds of killed -and wounded in a single day. In the attack or defence of a trench the -fighting immediately became a hand-to-hand struggle, in which the long, -cumbersome rifle generally gave place to the knife and revolver.</p> - -<p>Owing to the difficulty of approaching the enemy trenches in the open, -advances were made by pushing saps ahead, or by blowing them up with -mines. On both sides incessant digging of galleries and mine-chambers -went on underground, whence a race in speed and skill between the -opposing sappers, for it was a case either of blowing up the enemy -first, or being blown up by him. Over the mine-destroyed trenches, -through the smoke and under the rain of earth and stones caused by the -explosions, the soldiers dashed forward to occupy the new shell-crater, -or to fight for it if the enemy had reached it first. Then would follow -a bloody hand-to-hand struggle with grenades, knives, bayonets, daggers, -axes, etc., resulting in the gain of a few yards of ground.</p> - -<p>From the end of 1914 to March 31, 1915, between Four-de-Paris and the -Valley of the Aisne, the French sappers excavated over 3,000 yards of -mine galleries, and fired fifty-two mine-chambers, using nearly 16,000 -lbs. of explosives.</p> - -<h4>The Stationary Warfare</h4> - -<p class="c">(<i>September, 1914, to September, 1918.</i>)</p> - -<p>Activity on the Argonne front was greatest during the first year of the -war. The German positions were held by part of the Army of the Crown -Prince, whose technical adviser was the old Marshal von Haeseler. This -army was composed mainly of first-class troops, including the XVIth -(Metz) Corps, one of the best in Germany, and superior to the famous -Prussian Guards. This Corps was commanded by General von Mudra, a sapper -skilled in mine warfare, who had under his command numerous -well-equipped pioneers. The French Divisions of the 5th and 2nd (Active) -Corps, though inferior in equipment, outrivalled the enemy in courage -and daring. They held the sector for many months, and their tenacity was -more than a match for German technique. They quickly adapted themselves -to the necessities of forest fighting, and from February, 1915, they -were fully equal to the enemy in discipline and equipment.</p> - -<p>In October, 1914, the line, as a whole, crossed the entire width of the -Argonne, from the north of Vienne-le-Château to the north of Neuvilly. -As a matter of fact, there was no continuous line, the French troops -holding only rudimentary trenches, as stationary warfare was still -distasteful to them. They believed the pause to be but temporary, and -that they would soon resume the advance. They constantly attacked the -Germans, who, equally aggressive, endeavoured to gain ground, and to -wear down the French resistance by attacks on trenches, and by -ceaselessly-renewed local engagements.</p> - -<p>The line was very irregular, with constant re-entrants and salients, and -frequently shifted. The French had established themselves on the two -parallel roads which cross the forest: at Bagatelle on the northern -road, in Gruerie Wood and at the Barricade on the southern road. Between -the two roads they seized and consolidated positions, such as the -<i>Pavillon St. Hubert</i> and <i>Fontaine-Madame</i>. On the northern road and -around Bagatelle, during the last months of 1914, the Germans -alternately advanced and retreated about half a mile. In October, they -captured St. Hubert, only to lose it again. Later, they advanced to -within 400 yards of Four-de-Paris on the east, but in November they were -stopped in this sector. In the centre, in spite of repeated attacks, -they were unable to take <i>Fontaine-Madame</i>.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_11" id="page_11"></a>{11}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 430px;"> -<a href="images/i015_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i015_sml.png" width="430" height="355" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE BATTLE IN THE FOREST</p></div> -</div> - -<p>In January, 1915, the line crossed the Melzicourt Ford, a little -upstream from Servon, and the Servon-Vienne-le-Château road to the north -of Fontaine-la-Houyette, running thence, with numerous salients and -re-entrants, through Gruerie Wood, as far as Fontaines-aux-Charmes and -the outskirts of Bagatelle. From there it went south through -Fontaine-Madame to within three-quarters of a mile north of La Harazée, -then north towards St. Hubert, then south again, crossing the Meurissons -Stream, to within 300 yards of Four-de-Paris, finally turning eastwards -across the Woods of Bolante and Courte-Chausse, to the Valley of the -Aire between Neuvilly and Boureuilles.</p> - -<p>For almost a year the struggle on this line continued with unabated -desperateness. It is impossible to enumerate here all the battles fought -almost daily in the sectors of Fontaine-aux-Charmes, Bagatelle, -Marie-Thérèse, Fontaine-Madame, St. Hubert, Four-de-Paris, Les -Meurissons, Bolante Wood, Courte-Chausse and Haute-Chevauchée. The most -important are referred to later, in the Itinerary. On the whole, the -French troops, with whom the Garibaldian Regiment co-operated for a -short time, made some progress and inflicted bitter defeats on the -enemy. To the east, in the Valley of the Aire, though they failed -against Boureuilles, they succeeded in March, after numerous attacks, in -taking Vauquois.</p> - -<p>During 1915, the Germans several times resorted to massed attacks on an -extended front, especially in June and July. From June 20 to July 14 the -Crown Prince launched an offensive in great force, employing as much as -an entire army corps for a single thrust. On June 20, after an intense -bombardment with gas shells, his troops attacked on both sides of the -Binarville-Vienne-le-Château road. Gassed and almost buried in their -shattered trenches, the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_12" id="page_12"></a>{12}</span> French could not stop the enemy, but on June 24 -counter-attacks regained almost all the lost ground.</p> - -<p>On the 26th, the Crown Prince renewed and developed the attack, which, -on the 29th, extended from the Four-de-Paris to about two miles beyond -the Binarville-Vienne-le-Château road. After a three days’ bombardment, -he hurled at least 40,000 men into action, three times in succession. -Against the salient from Bagatelle to the north of Four-de-Paris alone, -on a front of about five miles, he launched two divisions. Thanks to a -hail of shells and gas bombs, the enemy advanced and, through the -corridor of the Biesme, came within five miles of their objective, the -railway station of Les Islettes. The fire of the 75’s, however, barred -the road, and the French reserves subsequently counter-attacked and -retook the lost ground covered with enemy dead.</p> - -<p>After some local attacks on July 2 and 7, the Germans launched a fresh -general attack on the 13th, from the Binarville-Vienne-le-Château road, -as far as the Haute-Chevauchée. After a bombardment with more than -45,000 shells, five regiments of the XVIth Corps rushed the shattered -trenches. It was a powerful thrust, especially on the east, where a few -trenches were lost; but in the course of several days’ fighting the -enemy was held, and on the 14th the French counter-attacked on the west, -pushed the Germans back north of the Servon road, and held for a short -time the Beaurain Wood to the west of this road. On September 7, the -enemy once more threw two divisions against the western side of the -forest; but in this attempt, as in the first, they failed to break -through.</p> - -<p>In September, 1915, the French offensive in Champagne made itself felt -in the Argonne. On the 25th, a subsidiary attack, designed to cover the -flank of the main attack, was carried out between Servon and Gruerie -Wood, over difficult ground, strongly entrenched by the Germans, and -flanked by many machine-guns. After carrying the first German lines, the -French troops, who had been counter-attacked and decimated by -machine-guns on the western edges of the Gruerie Wood, were forced to -retire on their original positions. However, this minor operation -prevented the enemy from using the Argonne to launch a counter-offensive -on the flank of the main attack. On the 27th, they attacked in the -Fille-Morte and Bolante sector, doubtless to cover the despatch of -reinforcements from the Argonne to Champagne.</p> - -<p>In October the Argonne front suddenly became as calm as it had -previously been active. The enemy, discouraged by their losses, in -despair of reaching the Sainte-Menehould-Verdun road, and with their -hands full elsewhere, remained on the defensive in the Argonne. Their -efforts were now turned in other directions—towards Les Eparges, the -Trench of Calonne, and Ailly Wood, from which they hoped once more to -threaten Verdun. The Crown Prince had expected to cross the Argonne, but -after sacrificing thousands of soldiers, he was unable to break down the -French resistance. The massed attack on an extended front having only -increased his losses without result, he returned to his original plan of -trench raids and small local operations, the object of which was to -nibble away the ground and exhaust the opposing troops as much as -possible.</p> - -<p>From November, 1915, the sap and mine fighting was renewed, in which the -French gained the advantage. Every month, at one place or another, or at -several places at once—at Bolante, Fille-Morte, Hill 285, near the -Haute-Chevauchée road, at St. Hubert, Courte-Chausse, and Marie-Thérèse, -in the Vauquois sector—mines destroyed the enemy trenches, and there -were fierce fights with hand-grenades for the shell-craters.</p> - -<p>The battering of the defences, the constant improvement of the -equipment, and the construction of deep bomb-proof shelters, mitigated -the hardships of war and effected a considerable reduction in the losses -of the French.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_13" id="page_13"></a>{13}</span></p> - -<p>During the battle of Verdun, fighting in the Argonne was practically -limited to artillery duels, the French batteries on the eastern border -frequently engaging the enemy batteries in the Bois de Cheppy and -Montfaucon.</p> - -<p>In 1917, the fighting consisted almost entirely of hand-to-hand -struggles for outposts or trenches. The French, who excelled in this -kind of warfare, constantly destroyed the enemy mines and brought back -numbers of prisoners from more or less extensive raids.</p> - -<h3><a name="THE_OPERATIONS_OF_1918" id="THE_OPERATIONS_OF_1918"></a>THE OPERATIONS OF 1918</h3> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 198px;"> -<a href="images/i017_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i017_sml.jpg" width="198" height="328" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MARSHAL FOCH</p></div> -</div> - -<p>During the first half of 1918, while grave events were taking place on -other parts of the front, the Argonne remained quiet. The battle, -however, spread from point to point, and the Argonne front in its turn -was again set ablaze on the date fixed by Foch in his plan for the great -offensive which was destined to bring the Germans to their knees.</p> - -<p>After the Allied counter-offensive of July 18 on the Aisne front (see -Volume I: “The Second Battle of the Marne”), which drove the Germans -back to the Vesle, the Allies were forced to mark time on the centre of -the front.</p> - -<p>The battle shifted to the wings. Offensive followed offensive with -unfailing regularity, first on the left (the Franco-British offensive of -August 8), then in Artois (the offensive of August 20), and lastly -against the whole of the Hindenburg line, which the Allies attacked on -September 1.</p> - -<p>The Germans were already greatly shaken, but Foch gave them no respite, -and to prevent them recovering he redoubled his attacks.</p> - -<p>An offensive movement on both wings began: on the left (in Flanders) the -Belgian, French and British armies, under the command of King Albert, -attacked simultaneously with the Fourth French Army under Gouraud and -the First American Army under Pershing on the right.</p> - -<p>As a prelude to taking its place in the line for the great offensive, -the American Army had already fought the brilliant action which, on -September 12, reduced the St. Mihiel salient. (See Volume 2: “The Battle -of St. Mihiel.”)</p> - -<p>This operation was only just over when the main body of the American -army was moved very rapidly from the Meuse to the Argonne, to the -positions assigned to General Pershing in the Allied plan of campaign.</p> - -<p>This very important movement, effected without a hitch between September -4 and 24, involved the displacement of enormous forces; eleven French -divisions, constituting the Second Army, were replaced by fifteen -divisions of the First American Army, which thus held the whole Verdun -front from the Aisne to the Moselle, between La Harazée and -Pont-à-Mousson.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_14" id="page_14"></a>{14}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 509px;"> -<a href="images/i018a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i018a_sml.jpg" width="509" height="261" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<a href="images/i019a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i019a_sml.jpg" width="505" height="303" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>AMERICAN CEMETERY CONTAINING 28,000 GRAVES, ON THE -HILLSIDE, NEAR CUNEL VILLAGE (SEE P. 45)</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 650px;"> -<a href="images/panorama-american-cemetery_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/panorama-american-cemetery_sml.jpg" width="650" height="167" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Panoramic View</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 449px;"> -<a href="images/i018b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i018b_sml.jpg" width="449" height="280" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="" - class="caption"> - -<tr valign="top" align="center"><td>GEORGE H. CAMERON,<br /> -<i>Commander of the American 5th Corps, comprising the 79th, 37th and 91st -(active), and 32nd (reserve) Divisions</i>.</td> - -<td>HUNTER LIGGETT,<br /> -<i>Commander of the American 1st Corps, comprising the 35th, 28th and 77th -(active), and 12th (reserve) Divisions</i>.</td> - -<td>ROBT. L. BULLARD,<br /> -<i>Commander of the American 3rd Corps, comprising the 33rd, 80th and 4th -Divisions</i>.</td></tr> - -</table> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_15" id="page_15"></a>{15}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 214px;"> -<a href="images/i019b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i019b_sml.jpg" width="214" height="294" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MAJOR-GENERAL JOSEPH DICKMAN</p> - -<p>(<i>1st Corps.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 153px;"> -<a href="images/i019c_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i019c_sml.jpg" width="153" height="288" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MAJ.-GEN. JOSEPH E. KUHN</p> - -<p>(<i>79th Division.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_16" id="page_16"></a>{16}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 426px;"> -<a href="images/i020a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i020a_sml.jpg" width="426" height="134" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="" - class="caption"> - -<tr valign="top" align="center"><td>MAJOR-GENERAL WILLIAM WEIGEL<br /> - -(<i>83rd Division.</i>)</td> - -<td>MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE BELL<br /> - -(<i>33rd Division.</i>)</td> -<td> -MAJOR GENERAL WILLIAM H. HAY<br /> - -(<i>28th Division.</i>)</td></tr> -</table> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 252px;"> -<a href="images/i020b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i020b_sml.jpg" width="252" height="198" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MAJOR-GENERAL CHARLES G. MORTON</p> - -<p>(<i>29th Division.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 164px;"> -<a href="images/i020c_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i020c_sml.jpg" width="164" height="222" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MAJOR-GEN. EDMOND WITTENMEYER</p> - -<p>(<i>7th Division.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 85px;"> -<a href="images/i020d_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i020d_sml.jpg" width="85" height="209" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN L. HINES</p> - -<p>(<i>3rd Corps.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 161px;"> -<a href="images/i020e_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i020e_sml.jpg" width="161" height="207" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES W. M‘ANDREWS</p> - -<p><i>General Chief of Staff.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 80px;"> -<a href="images/i020f_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i020f_sml.jpg" width="80" height="207" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT ALEXANDER</p> - -<p><i>Commander of the 77th Div.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_17" id="page_17"></a>{17}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 431px;"> -<a href="images/i021a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i021a_sml.jpg" width="431" height="205" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="" - class="caption"> - -<tr align="center" valign="top"><td>MAJOR-GEN. WM. M. WRIGHT<br /> -(<i>1st Corps.</i>)</td> - -<td>MAJOR-GENERAL HANSON E. ELY<br /> -(<i>5th Division.</i>)</td></tr> -</table> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 266px;"> -<a href="images/i021b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i021b_sml.jpg" width="266" height="165" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MAJOR-GENERAL JAMES H. M‘RAE</p> - -<p>(<i>78th Division.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 123px;"> -<a href="images/i021c_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i021c_sml.jpg" width="123" height="173" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MAJOR-GEN. C. P. SUMMERALL</p> - -<p>(<i>5th Corps.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 428px;"> -<a href="images/i021d_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i021d_sml.jpg" width="428" height="211" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="" - class="caption"> - -<tr valign="top" align="center"><td>MAJOR-GENERAL LEROY S. LYON<br /> - -(<i>90th Division.</i>)</td> - -<td>MAJOR-GENERAL GEORGE B. DUNCAN<br /> - -(<i>82nd Division.</i>)</td> - -<td>MAJOR-GENERAL SAMUEL D. STURGIS<br /> - -(<i>80th Division.</i>)</td> - -<td>MAJOR-GENERAL ROBERT L. HOWZE<br /> - -(<i>Com. of the 3rd Div.</i>)</td></tr> -</table> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_18" id="page_18"></a>{18}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 524px;"> -<a href="images/i022_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i022_sml.png" width="524" height="559" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>The above map shows in detail the German Positions -between the Meuse and the Argonne on the eve of the great -Franco-American Offensive of September 26, 1918 (see next page), the -immediate objective of which was to drive the enemy across the Meuse.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_19" id="page_19"></a>{19}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 352px;"> -<a href="images/i023_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i023_sml.png" width="352" height="478" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE OBJECTIVES OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN ATTACK OF SEPTEMBER -26, 1918</p></div> -</div> - -<h3><a id="The_Franco-American_Offensive_of_September_26_1918"></a>The Franco-American Offensive of September 26, 1918</h3> - -<p>The combined attack of the French and American armies had for its -immediate objective the driving back of the Germans across the Meuse. -They were to advance northwards, on either side of the Argonne, join -hands at the Pass of Grandpré, and then together continue the push -towards the Meuse and cut the main German line of communication formed -by the Sedan-Mézières Railway.</p> - -<h4>The Allied and Enemy Forces</h4> - -<p>As this volume deals only with the battle of the Argonne the French -attack will be dealt with separately in “The Battles of Champagne.” Here -we shall confine our attention to the attack made by the American First -Army on the front between the Aisne and the Meuse.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_20" id="page_20"></a>{20}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 478px;"> -<a href="images/i024a_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i024a_sml.png" width="478" height="359" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE ALLIED AND ENEMY FORCES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE -ATTACK OF SEPTEMBER 26, 1918</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 418px;"> -<a href="images/i024b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i024b_sml.jpg" width="418" height="277" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GUN EMPLACEMENT WRECKED BY HEAVY GERMAN SHELL</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_21" id="page_21"></a>{21}</span></p> - -<p>The displacement of the American forces was completed by the evening of -the 22nd. On the 25th all the units were in position for attack, and -were distributed from east to west as follows:</p> - -<p>Between the Meuse and Malancourt: the 3rd American Corps (Bullard), -comprising three divisions (33rd, 80th, 4th) in line, and one division -(3rd) in reserve.</p> - -<p>Between Malancourt and Vauquois: the 5th American Corps (Cameron), -comprising three divisions (79th, 37th, and 91st) in line, and one -division (32nd), in reserve.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 424px;"> -<a href="images/i025_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i025_sml.jpg" width="424" height="277" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ENORMOUS SHELL CRATER FILLED WITH WATER</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Between Vauquois and La Harazée: the 1st American Corps (Liggett), -comprising three divisions (35th, 28th, and 77th) in line, and one -division (92nd) in reserve.</p> - -<p>In addition, there was the army reserve, consisting of three divisions -(1st, 29th, and 82nd).</p> - -<p>On the left, the liaison of the American Army with the French Fourth -Army (Gouraud) on the outskirts of the Argonne, between the Aisne and -the forest, was maintained by two infantry regiments.</p> - -<p>On the right, the French 17th Corps was stationed as look-out on the -right bank of the Meuse.</p> - -<p>Facing the three corps of the American Army, the Germans had in line -eleven divisions belonging to the army of Von Gallwitz. Seven divisions -were in thee army reserve, whilst four additional divisions were being -reorganized in the Metz sector.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_22" id="page_22"></a>{22}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 455px;"> -<a href="images/i026_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i026_sml.png" width="455" height="336" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>FIRST STAGE OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN OFFENSIVE, SHOWING THE -ALLIES’ PROGRESS FROM SEPT. 26 (26/9) TO SEPT. 30 (30/9), 1918</p></div> -</div> - -<h4>The Attack</h4> - -<p class="c">(<i>September 20—September 30, 1918.</i>)</p> - -<p>On September 26, 1918, the combined attack was launched on either side -of the Argonne. At 5.30 a.m., after an artillery preparation of six -hours on the French side, and of three hours on the American, the Allied -troops advanced to the attack. While the French took Servon, and gained -a footing on the low hills which skirt the right bank of the Aisne, the -Americans, who did not at first encounter great resistance, seized in a -single rush the first German position. The second line was soon reached, -and in spite of the increasing resistance, an average advance of about -four to six miles was effected. The Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Missouri -troops belonging to the 1st Corps (Liggett) took Varennes, -Montblainville, Cheppy, and cleared Vauquois.</p> - -<p>On the right, the troops of the 3rd Corps (Bullard), crossing the Forges -stream, entered Malancourt, Béthincourt, Cuisy, Septsarges, Gercourt and -Drillancourt. On that day over 5,000 prisoners were captured by the -Americans.</p> - -<p>On the 27th, the advance was slower; the fire of the enemy artillery -increased in intensity, and German reinforcements counter-attacked. -Nevertheless, the Americans carried Véry, Epinonville, Ivoiry and -Charpentry.</p> - -<p>On the centre, the 5th Corps (Cameron) met with formidable resistance, -and in crossing the woods of Malancourt and Cheppy the troops from New -Jersey, Virginia, Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana suffered very -heavy losses. In addition, they had to face numerous German -counter-attacks. On the 26th it was impossible to reach the formidable -Heights of Montfaucon, but on the 27th the ridge, outflanked on the west -by the capture of Ivoiry, and on the east by that of Septsarges, fell -into the hands of the 5th Corps which reached Nantillois.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_23" id="page_23"></a>{23}</span></p> - -<p>On the evening of the 27th, the American spoils included over 100 guns -(12 of large calibre), numerous trench-mortars, hundreds of -machine-guns, and over 8,000 prisoners, 125 of whom were officers.</p> - -<p>On the evening of the 27th, the infantry fought fiercely for the last -<i>points d’appui</i> assigned to them for that day.</p> - -<p>In order to prevent a counter-offensive by the Germans, General Pershing -rapidly organised, behind the ground already won, a line of defence -through Gercourt, Drillancourt, Juré Wood, Dannevoux, Nantillois, -Eclisfontaine, Charpentry, Montblainville and Apremont.</p> - -<p>On the 28th, the resistance of the enemy further stiffened: fresh troops -carried out repeated counter-attacks on the French right and against the -American centre. The Americans, however, reached the outskirts of -Brieulles-sur-Meuse, Ogons Wood, the southern edge of Cierges, and the -northern outskirts of Apremont, whilst in the forest, the -Franco-American liaison troops occupied the Crochet shelter. On the west -the French approached Binarville and reached Ivoy Farm.</p> - -<p>Up to that point, the American Air Force, fully maintaining its -supremacy in the air, had brought down twelve observation balloons and -over sixty enemy aeroplanes.</p> - -<p>The next day, the Germans, throwing fresh reinforcements into the -battle, counter-attacked furiously.</p> - -<p>Between the Valley of the Aire and Cierges, the Americans had to fight -hard for several days, in order to resist the pressure of the enemy and -to hold the ground they had gained. On the 29th and 30th violent -fighting took place round Apremont. The Germans, reinforcing their -artillery, fired great numbers of gas shells. They stubbornly defended -the approaches of the “Kriemhilde” position, which from Champigneulle to -St. Juvin, through Cornay, Fléville, and the woods of Gesnes, -Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, Cunel and Fays, reached the Meuse in the -Brieulles district.</p> - -<p>Thus the first stage of the attack was over. The Americans had forced -the Germans to abandon their first and second lines and had captured -9,000 prisoners and more than 100 guns.</p> - -<h4>The Period of Attrition</h4> - -<p class="c">(<i>October 1-31, 1918.</i>)</p> - -<p>The advance effected during the first stage of the attack brought the -American infantry face-to-face with fresh German positions, strongly -defended, bristling with machine-guns and automatic weapons, organised -one behind the other and connected up with one another. These positions -had to be reduced bit by bit.</p> - -<p>The smallest wood or the least depression of the ground was utilised by -the Germans with the greatest skill. In the woods they made use of a new -type of auxiliary defence-works—barbed-wire entanglements -(Maschendraht) about nine feet in height, fastened to trees or to stakes -six inches in diameter.</p> - -<p>The Americans on their side attacked desperately, and succeeded in -gaining the disputed ground, step-by-step, thereby laying during the -whole month of October the foundation of the operations which in -November were to end in the enemy’s capitulation along the whole front.</p> - -<p>On October 1, a hard struggle began which lasted several days, with -alternate advances and retreats. The French, finally breaking the -counter-offensive on their flank, advanced along the Valley of the Aire. -On October 1 they occupied Binarville, Condé-lez-Autry and -Vaux-lez-Mouron, after capturing considerable material, including 200 -narrow-gauge trucks and numerous trucks of normal gauge. The Americans, -on their side, in spite of the machine-guns, barbed-wire, and -counter-attacks supported by tanks, pushed forward bravely.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_24" id="page_24"></a>{24}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 488px;"> -<a href="images/i028_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i028_sml.png" width="488" height="271" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SECOND STAGE OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN ATTACK, SHOWING -PROGRESS MADE UP TO OCTOBER 30 (30/10)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>On October 4, Pershing launched an attack along the whole Army front.</p> - -<p>On the right, the American 3rd Corps advanced as far as the -Brieulles-Cunel road, which, however, it failed to pass. In the centre, -the 5th Corps reached Gesnes. On the left, the troops of the 1st Corps -advanced on the Forest of Argonne and reached La Viergette. On the edge -of the forest the same troops made an advance of about two miles, -reaching the outskirts of Fléville and capturing Chéhéry, as well as -Arietal Farm on the north of Exermont.</p> - -<p>On October 7, the 1st Corps drove the Germans out of Chatel and Chéhéry, -and from the heights to the west of the Aire, as far as the outskirts of -Cornay, which they took on the following day.</p> - -<p>But with the arrival of numerous reinforcements the German resistance -increased, and the advance became more and more difficult.</p> - -<p>An extension of the attacking front was then decided upon, and the -French 17th Corps (Claudel), which was keeping watch on the right bank -of the Meuse, was placed at General Pershing’s disposal.</p> - -<p>This army corps was reinforced by the French 26th Infantry Division and -the American 33rd Infantry Division, which were already operating on the -right bank of the river. These dispositions having been completed a -fresh attack was launched from the Argonne as far as Beaumont, to the -west of the Meuse.</p> - -<p>On October 8, the German positions were violently bombarded, and on the -9th the troops advanced to the assault.</p> - -<p>On the right, the French 17th Corps advanced as far as the southern -outskirts of the Haumont and Consenvoye Woods, but could not get beyond -these positions, which had been very strongly fortified by the Germans.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_25" id="page_25"></a>{25}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;"> -<a href="images/i029_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i029_sml.jpg" width="339" height="259" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VARENNES. TELEPHONISTS OF THE 108TH REGT. (28TH D.I.) -WITH GAS MASKS</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Along the Meuse the American 3rd Corps entered Brieulles, while the 5th -Corps reached the main German line of resistance between Cunel and -Romagne-sous-Montfaucon, and captured Fléville. On the left wing the 1st -Corps occupied the heights south of Marcq and the woods of Cornay.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the troops of the French 4th Army on the left bank of the -Aisne swept the Montcheutin—Vaux-lez-Mouron Plateau and, on the right -bank, took Lançon, Grand-Ham and Senuc. The capture of the latter -village gave them one of the gates of the Grandpré Pass. The junction of -the French and American armies was effected at Lançon. On that day the -Americans, from the Argonne to Chaume Wood, on the east of the Meuse, -captured more than 2,000 prisoners, and the French 600, besides many -guns.</p> - -<p>On the 10th, the French crossed the Aisne opposite Termes, which they -captured; they then occupied the railway-station of Grandpré, taking -numbers of prisoners. The enemy, in danger of being cut off, evacuated -the forest, pursued by the Americans, who, after progressing beyond -Marcq and Chevières, linked up with the French before Grandpré. Further -east, their line passed north of Sommerance and through the northern -outskirts of Romagne Wood and Gesnes.</p> - -<p>The arrival of American reinforcements in ever-increasing numbers -enabled Pershing to extend his operations.</p> - -<p>The American Second Army, which had just been constituted under the -command of General Bullard, lined up on the right of the First Army -(which had now passed under the command of General Liggett). To his -command were joined the 33rd and 17th French Corps, wedged between the -two American armies.</p> - -<p>The three corps of the American First Army, after the promotion of -Generals Liggett and Bullard, were commanded as follows: The 1st Corps -by General Dickman, the 5th Corps by General Summerall, and the 3rd -Corps by General Hines.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_26" id="page_26"></a>{26}</span></p> - -<p>This was the state of affairs on October 14, when the general attack was -launched.</p> - -<p>The 1st Corps captured St. Juvin and reached the outskirts of St. -Georges. In the centre the 5th Corps passed Cunel and Romagne, and -reached the outskirts of Landres-St. Georges village. Along the Meuse, -the 3rd Corps passed Forêt Wood, while on the east of the Meuse the -French 17th Corps fought a violent engagement in the woods of Coures and -Ormont.</p> - -<p>The fight waxed furious. On the 16th, the Americans took the Hill of -Châtillon and the village of Champigneulle, while on the following day -they were definitely masters of Grandpré. To the west of the Argonne the -French, who had entered Vouziers, on the 12th, after a very hard -struggle and in spite of several counter-attacks, cleared Termes and -entered Mouron. On the 14th, they drove the enemy back beyond the -Grandpré—Vouziers road, and two days later took Talma and Hill 222 to -the north-west. The Germans, whose resources were fast diminishing, made -a desperate but unsuccessful resistance, and there was much confusion -among the enemy units engaged in the valleys of the Aisne and the Aire. -The battalions withdrawn from the firing line were hastily reorganised -at the base, and at once despatched to the most critical points. The -main positions were held by picked troops and especially by -machine-gunners, whose numbers and stubbornness caused great ravage in -the Allied ranks. From Grandpré to Rethel the country had been -inundated. Apparently, the enemy were constructing a new line (the -“Freyastellung”) to the north of the “Kriemhilde” position. The new line -passed north of Landres and Bantheville, through Hazois Wood, the Farms -of La Dhuy and Grand Carré, and along the northern slopes of the valley -of the Andon, between Bantheville ad Cléry-le-Petit.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 336px;"> -<a href="images/i030_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i030_sml.jpg" width="336" height="252" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VARENNES. RENAULT TANKS WITH 1-1/2-IN. GUNS, USED BY THE -AMERICAN FORCES</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_27" id="page_27"></a>{27}</span></p> - -<p>On the 17th, fierce fighting took place between Olizy and Grandpré; the -French advanced north-west of Olizy, but after a violent bombardment -were forced back from Talma by a counter-attack. On the 18th, they -crossed the Aisne to the north-east and east of Vouziers, capturing -Vandy and Pissois Farm and reaching the western outskirts of Chestres. -Meanwhile, American patrols entered Loges Wood, Landres-St. Georges and -Bantheville Wood, all of which had been abandoned by the enemy.</p> - -<p>From the 19th to the 30th a desperate battle was fought to the east of -Vouziers. Every advance was followed by German counter-attacks, the -positions constantly changing hands. On the 19th, the French Fourth Army -broke a vigorous German attack carried out by parts of seven different -divisions. On the 19th and 20th, Chestres, Macquart Farm, Hill 193 to -the east of Vandy, and Terron were taken, but the Germans recaptured the -last-named village. On the 22nd, the French had reached the outskirts of -Terron, the woods to the south-west of the Malva Farm, Landêves, Chamiot -Farm, and the suburbs of Falaise. Terron, retaken by the Czecho-Slovaks, -was held in spite of repeated German counter-attacks. To the west of -Grandpré the positions were strengthened, while the Americans checked -the Germans north of Bantheville and advanced into the woods of Loges -and Bourgogne.</p> - -<p>A period of calm followed, and thus ended the second stage of the -offensive, during which the Americans had captured 7,000 prisoners and -fifty guns.</p> - -<h4>The Pursuit</h4> - -<p class="c">(<i>November 1—11, 1918.</i>)</p> - -<p>During the quiet days at the end of October, the Americans proceeded -rapidly to reorganize their forces, so as to be ready, as soon as Foch -should give the signal, for their part in the new Allied offensive.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 342px;"> -<a href="images/i031_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i031_sml.jpg" width="342" height="240" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ALLIED ARTILLERY CROSSING FLOODED DISTRICT NEAR -VOUZIERS</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_28" id="page_28"></a>{28}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 442px;"> -<a href="images/i032_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i032_sml.png" width="442" height="581" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THIRD STAGE OF THE FRANCO-AMERICAN OFFENSIVE; THE ALLIES’ -PURSUIT OF THE RETREATING GERMANS UNTIL ARMISTICE DAY (NOV. 11, 1918)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_29" id="page_29"></a>{29}</span></p> - -<p>In the north, the Belgians had just cleared their coast-line, and were -menacing the enemy by an advance into the very heart of Belgium. The -British had occupied Lille and broken down the defences of the -Hindenburg Line. Meanwhile, the French, relentlessly driving back the -retreating enemy, had entered Laon, after forcing the formidable bastion -of the St. Gobain Forest.</p> - -<p>On November 1, between Grandpré and the Meuse, the Americans had in line -the following forces of the First Army (Liggett):</p> - -<p>The 3rd Corps, composed of the 5th and 90th Infantry Divisions.</p> - -<p>The 5th Corps, composed of the 89th and 2nd Infantry Divisions.</p> - -<p>The 1st Corps, composed of the 80th, 77th and 78th Infantry Divisions.</p> - -<p>Their right was prolonged by the French 17th (Active) Corps, which, with -the 33rd (Active) Corps, was in liaison with their Second Army.</p> - -<p>Facing these forces the Germans, under the command of Von der Marwitz, -had massed three army corps between Buzancy and the Meuse, reinforced by -two Austro-Hungarian divisions.</p> - -<p>At 5.30 a.m. on November 1, the troops of the French Fourth Army -(Gouraud) and those of the American First Army (Liggett), after a two -hours’ bombardment of great violence, launched a fresh offensive.</p> - -<p>The Americans attacked on the north, and, in spite of a stubborn -resistance, advanced several kilometres, taking 3,600 prisoners and -forty-four guns. The French attacked on the east, along a twelve-mile -front, cleared the whole of the right bank of the Aisne, and bit into -the Argonne, threatening on the right and in the rear the Germans, who, -facing south, stood opposed to the Americans. 1,300 prisoners and a -number of guns were captured. On November 1, the American 3rd Corps, on -the right, seized Aincreville, approached Doulcon and took Andevanne and -Cléry-le-Grand. In the centre, the 5th Corps captured Bayonville, -Rémonville and Landres. On the left, the 1st Corps, in the face of the -enemy’s fierce resistance, were only able to advance slightly in Loges -Wood.</p> - -<p>On the following day (November 2) the Americans vigorously followed up -their attack. The 1st Corps, freed on its right by the advance of the -5th Corps on the previous day, pushed on boldly five miles beyond -Thénorgues and Buzancy, while the French, on their side, carried half of -the northern portion of the Argonne, reaching the Ballay-Longwé line on -the east of Vouziers.</p> - -<p>On the 3rd, the enemy, threatened with being surrounded, fell back. The -Allies straightened their line towards the north, and advanced twelve -miles in the centre. The line now passed through Semuy, the southern -bank of the Ardennes Canal, the southern outskirts of Chesne, the course -of the Bar as far as Châtillon, through Belleville, Authe, St. -Pierremont, Sommauthe, Vaux-en-Dieulet, Belval, Le Champy-Bas, -Beauclair, Montigny-devant-Sassey and Mont-devant-Sassey. In three days -the Germans lost over 6,000 prisoners and 100 guns, and were driven back -towards the Sedan-Mézières-Metz highway, the approaches to which were -desperately defended. However, their resistance broke down before the -continued push of the Allies.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_30" id="page_30"></a>{30}</span></p> - -<p>Already the Allies’ heavy guns were steadily bombarding the Stenay, -Montmédy and Longuyon Railways.</p> - -<p>On November 4, the American 3rd Army Corps reached the Meuse between -Villefranche and Stenay, while two solid bridgeheads were established at -Brieulles and Cléry. The Germans, disconcerted by this rapid advance, -withdrew to the right bank of the Meuse.</p> - -<p>The two other American Corps followed up the advance, and on the 5th -were within nine miles of Sedan, while the French advanced six miles -north of the line of the Aisne. On the 8th, the French were the first to -enter the suburbs of Sedan, and on the 9th they reached Mézières.</p> - -<p>On the extreme right the Germans gave way before the impetuous attacks -of the French 17th Corps, and after a violent engagement, were driven -back, the next day, to the foot of the heights of the Meuse, south of -Stenay.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 337px;"> -<a href="images/i034_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i034_sml.jpg" width="337" height="257" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>TANKS PUT OUT OF ACTION, AFTER DESTROYING GERMAN -MACHINE-GUN NEST NEAR BAYONVILLE</p> - -<p>(<i>Nov. 7, 1918.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>On the evening of November 10, the First American Army was to cross the -Chiers and push on next day to Montmédy, when the Armistice on the 11th -saved the German Army from destruction.</p> - -<p>The spoils of the American Army during the last stage of the offensive -comprised 5,000 prisoners, 250 guns, 2,000 machine-guns, in addition to -enormous quantities of stores. In all, during the Meuse-Argonne Battle -the Americans took 21,000 prisoners and 400 guns, which, added to their -previous captures, amounted to 50,000 prisoners and over 1,000 guns. -Seventy-eight German divisions were engaged during the battle, and the -American casualties numbered 100,000 men.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_31" id="page_31"></a>{31}</span></p> - -<h2>VISIT TO ARGONNE</h2> - -<h3><b><a id="FIRST_DAY"></a>FIRST DAY</b>: 155 km.—<b>Verdun</b>, <b>Buzancy</b>, <b>Varennes</b>, <b>Vauquois</b>, -<b>Clermont-en-Argonne</b>, and <b>Sainte-Menehould.</b></h3> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 435px;"> -<a href="images/i035_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i035_sml.jpg" width="435" height="451" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<h4>ITINERARY FOR THE FIRST DAY</h4> - -<p><i>Leave Verdun<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> by the Chaussée Gate. Beyond the ramparts, turn to the -left into N. 64</i> (<i>leaving N. 3 in front, and, fifty yards further on, -N. 18 on the right</i>).</p> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> For particulars concerning Verdun, Bras, Charny, Esnes, -Malancourt, see The Michelin Illustrated Guide. “The Battle of Verdun.”</p></div> - -<p><i>N. 64 follows the right bank of the Meuse, crosses the Faubourg of -Belleville, climbs the Hill of Belleville Fort, and passes close to -Froide-Terre Hill. Opposite stands</i> <b>Bras</b>, at the foot of <b>Poivre Hill<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_32" id="page_32"></a>{32}</span>.</b></p> - -<p>To visit Verdun, Bras, Charny, Esnes, and Malancourt, see the <i>Michelin -Illustrated Guide</i>: “The Battle of Verdun.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 415px;"> -<a href="images/i036_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i036_sml.jpg" width="415" height="468" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>THE FORT OF DOUAUMONT AND ITS APPROACHES</p> - -<p>(<i>Photographed from aeroplane in May, 1916.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Extracted from The Michelin Illustrated Guide, “The Battle of -Verdun.”</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_33" id="page_33"></a>{33}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 423px;"> -<a href="images/i037a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i037a_sml.jpg" width="423" height="298" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>BRAS VILLAGE. FRENCH CEMETERY. POIVRE HILL IN BACKGROUND</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>At the entrance to</i> <b>Bras</b>, <i>on the left, there is a</i> large French -military cemetery (<i>photo above</i>). <i>In the village</i>, completely ruined, -<i>turn to the left into G.C. 38, which soon crosses the Est Canal and -then the Meuse</i> (<i>on the right, under the</i> ruined bridge: fortifications -and shelters). <b>Charny</b>, <i>about one mile from Bras, is next reached</i>.</p> - -<p><i>G.C. 38 crosses the ruins of this village (level-crossing on leaving), -then turns to the right, leaving the Thierville road opposite.</i></p> - -<p><i>The road goes round the Heights of Vacherauville and Marre Forts, then -enters the almost entirely ruined village of</i> <b>Marre</b> (<i>about three miles -from Charny</i>). <i>Turn to the left at the first houses, pass in front of -the</i> ruined church, <i>then turn to the right, leaving the Bourrus Woods -road opposite</i>. <i>Follow the railway.</i></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 331px;"> -<a href="images/i037b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i037b_sml.jpg" width="331" height="197" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MARRE. G.C. 38 FROM CHARNY. RUINS OF CHURCH ON THE -RIGHT</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_34" id="page_34"></a>{34}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 520px;"> -<a href="images/i038a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i038a_sml.jpg" width="520" height="300" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<a href="images/i039a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i039a_sml.jpg" width="512" height="304" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> - -<div class="caption"><p>PANORAMIC VIEW OF ESNES AND HILL 304. THE SIDES OF THE -HILL ARE FULL OF SHELTERS, ESPECIALLY ALONG G.C. 18</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 650px;"> -<a href="images/panorama-esnes-and-hill_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/panorama-esnes-and-hill_sml.jpg" width="650" height="190" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Panoramic View</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Two kilometres beyond Marre, before Chattancourt Station, G.C. 38 turns -to the left (leaving the Cumières road opposite), then, 1 km. from the -fork in the road, reaches</i> <b>Chattancourt</b> (completely ruined) <i>at the foot -of Mort-Homme</i> (<i>photo below</i>).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 416px;"> -<a href="images/i038b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i038b_sml.jpg" width="416" height="285" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ALL THAT IS LEFT OF CHATTANCOURT. IN THE BACKGROUND: -MORT-HOMME</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_35" id="page_35"></a>{35}</span></p> - -<p><i>On leaving the village, G.C. 38 turns to the left and climbs the side -of</i> <b>Hill 275</b>, <i>from the top of which there is</i> a fine view of Mort-Homme -Hill and Hill 304; <i>a little to the left</i>, Montzéville village, situated -in a hollow, and, behind, the Valley of the Meuse, Poivre Hill, Talou -Hill and Samogneux, are also visible.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 342px;"> -<a href="images/i039b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i039b_sml.jpg" width="342" height="238" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ESNES CHURCH, HILL 304 (LEFT) and G.C. 38 (BEHIND THE -CHURCH)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>The road next descends; at the sides are</i> numerous military works and -French graves. <i>2 km. 200 beyond Chattancourt there is a crossroad: the -Montzéville road lies ahead, while G.C. 38, turning to the right, climbs -a crest from which there is</i> a view of Esnes and Hill 304. <b>Esnes</b> (<i>4 km. -200 from<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_36" id="page_36"></a>{36}</span> Chattancourt</i>), partly ruined, <i>is reached</i>: Panorama of Hill -304 (<i>photo, pp.</i> 34-35).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i040a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i040a_sml.jpg" width="340" height="234" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>WAYSIDE CROSS OF ESNES ON HILL 304. AVOCOURT ROAD (LEFT) -AND MALANCOURT ROAD (RIGHT)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>G.C. 38 passes in front of the church (photo, p. 35) and then rises -towards</i> Hill 304. <i>1 km. from Esnes, near a wayside cross</i> (photo -above), <i>is a fork</i>; <i>take the road on the right (G.C. 18) to the top -of</i> <b>Hill 304.</b> <i>On the right there is a fine view of</i> the Valley of the -Meuse.</p> - -<p><i>The road crosses the old front lines, then zigzags down to</i> <b>Malancourt</b> -(<i>5 km. from Esnes</i>). <i>At the entrance to the village, on the right of -the road, is a</i> concrete blockhouse (<i>photo below</i>).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;"> -<a href="images/i040b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i040b_sml.jpg" width="339" height="222" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GERMAN BLOCKHOUSE, WITH MACHINE-GUNS, AT ENTRANCE TO -MALANCOURT</p></div> -</div> - -<p><b>Malancourt</b> was completely devastated. <i>Pass in front of the ruins</i> of -the church, quite near to which there is another blockhouse. <i>Keep -along</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_37" id="page_37"></a>{37}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 345px;"> -<a href="images/i041a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i041a_sml.jpg" width="345" height="241" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CUISY-SUR-MEUSE. AMERICAN SOLDIERS IN FRONT OF RUINED -CHURCH</p> - -<p><i>The road on the left leads to Gercourt; that on the right to -Béthincourt.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>G.C. 18, leaving on the left, in the village, the Avocourt road.</i>. -<i>Climb</i> Hill 251, <i>from the top of which</i> Montfaucon Ridge <i>is seen</i>.</p> - -<p><i>3 km. 400 beyond Malancourt (and 1 km. before Montfaucon) the road -joins G.C. 19, which take to the right in the direction of Consenvoye.</i></p> - -<p><i>One kilometer further on, at the fork, keep along G.C. 19, which turns -to the left (the Cuisy road, straight ahead, is impassable). On the -right, in a tiny valley, is seen the village of</i> <b>Cuisy</b>, completely -ruined. <i>1 km. 200 further on, to the right, there is a road leading to -Cuisy. G.C. 19, after rejoining the Septsarges road, reaches</i> <b>Gercourt</b>, -<i>5 km. beyond Cuisy</i>.</p> - -<p>Several concrete German defence-works are to be seen in Gercourt, while -the ruins of the houses and church present a terrible scene of -desolation (<i>photo below</i>). Opposite the church stands a house lined -with concrete, in which the Germans had installed a telephone exchange.</p> - -<p>Cuisy and Gercourt were within the German front lines from 1914, and -were only retaken in 1918 during the American offensive of September 26.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> -<a href="images/i041b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i041b_sml.jpg" width="335" height="213" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>RUINS OF GERCOURT CHURCH</p> - -<p><i>On the right: G.C. 19, leading to Consenvoye.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_38" id="page_38"></a>{38}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 333px;"> -<a href="images/i042a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i042a_sml.jpg" width="333" height="201" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>DESTROYED GERMAN GUNS ON <i>G.C.</i> 19, BETWEEN GERCOURT AND -CONSENVOYE</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>The road turns to the right near the church. After leaving the village, -it passes 500 yards to the left of</i> Forges Wood, in which German -batteries were posted. Large calibre guns destroyed by French artillery -are still to be seen on the road, 1 km. <i>from Gercourt</i> (<i>photo above</i>).</p> - -<p><i>On rejoining the road from Dannevoux (I.C. 23) turn to the right and -follow the railway as far as</i> <b>Consenvoye</b> (<i>1 km. 800 from Gercourt</i>), -<i>which is reached after crossing the Meuse and the canal</i>.</p> - -<p>Consenvoye, on the left bank of the Meuse, was connected with the right -bank by a fine bridge, which the French blew up after the retreat from -Charleroi. After the victory of the Marne, all efforts to dislodge the -Germans from the village were unavailing, and until the German offensive -of February 21, 1916, Consenvoye marked the limit of the advance on both -sides. It was over this bridge that supplies were brought up for the -sector on the left bank of the Meuse during the 1916 offensive. The -village was retaken in the course of a brilliant combined action by the -French and Americans during the offensive of October 7, 1918.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> -<a href="images/i042b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i042b_sml.jpg" width="335" height="228" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SIVRY-SUR-MEUSE</p> - -<p><i>The Church and N. 64.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_39" id="page_39"></a>{39}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 420px;"> -<a href="images/i043a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i043a_sml.jpg" width="420" height="301" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>AMERICAN MONUMENT COMMEMORATING THE CROSSING OF THE MEUSE -ON NOV. 1, 1918 (<i>On I.C. 49, 3 km. from Vilosnes.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Consenvoye suffered less than the other villages previously mentioned. -Around the church, which was not severely damaged, are some soldiers’ -graves.</p> - -<p><i>Keep along past the church as far as N. 64, into which turn to the -left. Follow the valley of the Meuse to</i> <b>Sivry</b> (<i>4 km. from -Consenvoye</i>).</p> - -<p><i>N. 64 crosses the</i> partly destroyed village, <i>then runs alongside the -canal and the Meuse to a fork in the road, 2 km. 500 from Sivry</i>. <i>Here -leave N. 64</i></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 341px;"> -<a href="images/i043b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i043b_sml.jpg" width="341" height="267" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>BRIEULLES-SUR-BAR, NOV. 4, 1918</p> - -<p><i>117th American Engineers</i> (<i>42nd Inf. Div.</i>)</p> - -<p><i>Arrival of the Field Kitchen.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_40" id="page_40"></a>{40}</span></p> - -<p><i>and take the Vilosnes road on the left, which continues alongside the -Meuse. Part of</i> <b>Vilosnes</b> (<i>3 km. 500 from Sivry</i>) was destroyed, but the -church, <i>which stands on a height</i>, was not seriously damaged.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 505px;"> -<a href="images/i044a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i044a_sml.jpg" width="505" height="422" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<a href="images/i045a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i045a_sml.jpg" width="507" height="414" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> - -<div class="caption"><p>PANORAMIC VIEW OF DUN-SUR-MEUSE (LOWER TOWN) AND THE -DOULCON—CLÉRY-LE-PETIT DISTRICT, AS SEEN FROM THE TERRACE</p> - -<p>OF THE CHURCH IN THE UPPER TOWN</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 650px;"> -<a href="images/panorama-dun-sur-meuse-a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/panorama-dun-sur-meuse-a_sml.jpg" width="650" height="273" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Panoramic View</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Near the church, take the road on the left across the canal and the -Meuse, then beyond the level-crossing at Vilosnes Station turn into I.C. -49 on the right. Follow the railway, which is on the left bank of the -Meuse.</i></p> - -<p><i>Three kilometres from Vilosnes Station, on the right, between the road -and Châillon Wood, there is</i> an American monument commemorating the -crossing of the Meuse on November 1, 1918 (<i>photo, p. 39</i>). <i>Further on, -at the entry to</i> <b>Brieulles</b>, <i>opposite the station, stands</i> another -similar monument.</p> - -<p>The outskirts of Brieulles were stubbornly defended by the Germans -during the American offensive of September, 1918. On September 29, -during the first stage of the offensive, the American 3rd Corps reached -the southern outskirts of the village, but were unable to enter it. It -was not until October 9 that the American troops, after a fierce -struggle, captured it.</p> - -<p><i>At the station, turn to the left along the road through Brieulles (4 -km. 500 from Vilosnes). Pass near the church, leaving the Nantillois -road on the left. Cross the village, in which</i> a number of the houses -are in ruins. <i>The rising road leads to the</i> cemetery (numerous German -graves), <i>then descends to the I.C. 64, which runs beside the railway -and the Meuse to</i> <b>Cléry-le-Petit</b> (<i>3 km. 500 from Brieulles</i>). <i>Before -entering the village</i>, a third American monument <i>is seen on the left</i>.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_41" id="page_41"></a>{41}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;"> -<a href="images/i045b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i045b_sml.jpg" width="338" height="245" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHURCH OF DUN-SUR-MEUSE. SOUTH FRONT</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_42" id="page_42"></a>{42}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 509px;"> -<a href="images/i046a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i046a_sml.jpg" width="509" height="294" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<a href="images/i047a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i047a_sml.jpg" width="504" height="296" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> - -<div class="caption"><p>PANORAMIC VIEW OF DUN-SUR-MEUSE UPPER AND LOWER TOWNS</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 650px;"> -<a href="images/panorama-dun-sur-meuse-b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/panorama-dun-sur-meuse-b_sml.jpg" width="650" height="187" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Panoramic View</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 417px;"> -<a href="images/i046b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i046b_sml.jpg" width="417" height="292" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>DUN-SUR-MEUSE. BRIDGE ACROSS THE MEUSE DESTROYED BY THE -GERMANS</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Cléry-le-Petit was slightly damaged. On November 4, 1918, the Americans -reached the Meuse between Brieulles and Villefranche. On September 5, -they crossed the river at Brieulles and Cléry, on foot-bridges built by -the American engineers, in spite of the stubborn resistance of the -Germans established on the right bank. It was the American 5th Division -which first effected the crossing of the river and established solid -bridgeheads at Cléry and Brieulles,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_43" id="page_43"></a>{43}</span> which resisted every attack. <i>Keep -straight on, leaving the church on the right, and the Cléry-le-Grand -road on the left.</i> <i>After crossing the little River Andon, Dun-sur-Meuse -on the top of the opposite hill comes into view.</i> <i>The G.C.</i> 2 <i>bis near -Doulcon is reached, which take to the right as far as</i> <b>Dun-sur-Meuse</b> (<i>3 -km. from Cléry-le-Petit</i>).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 422px;"> -<a href="images/i047b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i047b_sml.jpg" width="422" height="304" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>DUN-SUR-MEUSE. DAMAGED NAVE AND SOUTH AISLE OF CHURCH -(SEEN FROM THE CHOIR)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_44" id="page_44"></a>{44}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 331px;"> -<a href="images/i048a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i048a_sml.jpg" width="331" height="231" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>BANTHÉVILLE. RUINS OF CHURCH AND VILLAGE</p> - -<p>(<i>G.C.</i> 2 <i>bis.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>The town is reached after crossing first the railway (l.c.) near the -station, then the canal and the Meuse (photos, pp. 42-43). Motor-cars -can climb as far as the church. Turn to the left beyond the last bridge -in the lower town, then take the first street on the right, which by a -wide bend and a steep ascent leads to the upper town and to the terrace, -where stands the church.</i> There is a fine view over the lower town and -the valley of the Meuse (<i>photo, pp.</i> 40-41) from here.</p> - -<p><i>Return to and recross the bridges; keep straight on to</i> <b>Doulcon</b>, -<i>leaving the Cléry road on the left</i>.</p> - -<p><i>At the fork in the road beyond Doulcon</i> (in ruins), <i>take G.C. 2 bis on -the left, as far as</i> <b>Romagne</b> (<i>9 km. from Doulcon</i>), <i>passing through</i> -<b>Aincreville</b> (severely damaged) and <b>Banthéville</b> (completely ruined).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 331px;"> -<a href="images/i048b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i048b_sml.jpg" width="331" height="231" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ROMAGNE. RIGHT SIDE OF ROAD COMING FROM BANTHÉVILLE</p> - -<p>(<i>On the left: I.C. 4, leading to Sommerance.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_45" id="page_45"></a>{45}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 336px;"> -<a href="images/i049a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i049a_sml.jpg" width="336" height="232" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ROMAGNE. GERMAN GRAVEYARD (700 GRAVES) NEAR VILLAGE -CEMETERY</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Before entering</i> Romagne, <i>on the right, there is</i> a large German -cemetery and some American graves.</p> - -<p>Most of the houses in Romagne were destroyed. <i>Near the church</i> (in -ruins), <i>take on the left the Cunel road and cross the bridge. 300 yards -from the village</i> there suddenly comes into view on the side of the hill -<b>a very large American cemetery containing some 28,000 graves</b> (<i>photo, -pp. 14 and 15</i>). <i>Return by the same road to Romagne Church, and take -the Sommerance road</i> (<i>photo, p. 44</i>) <i>on the left</i>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 329px;"> -<a href="images/i049b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i049b_sml.jpg" width="329" height="232" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SOMMERANCE. RUINED CORNER OF VILLAGE AT JUNCTION OF THE -ROMAGNE AND FLÉVILLE ROADS</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Pass the other side of the German cemetery</i> (<i>photo above</i>), <i>then go -through</i> <b>Romagne Wood</b>, in which are numerous German dug-outs and -gun-emplacements. <i>Next cross a large plateau</i> (Hill 247); <i>7 km. 400 -beyond Romagne</i>, <b>Sommerance</b> (damaged houses) <i>is reached</i> (<i>photo -below</i>). <i>In the village,</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_46" id="page_46"></a>{46}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 337px;"> -<a href="images/i050a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i050a_sml.jpg" width="337" height="215" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>AMERICAN MONUMENT (1ST DIV., OCT. 11, 1918) <i>On I.C. 4, 1 -km. from Sommerance village.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>beyond the public washing place near the church, take the street</i> (<i>I.C. -4</i>) <i>which ascends on the right. 1 km. beyond Sommerance, on the right -of I.C. 4</i>, there is another American monument (1st Division, October -11, 1918) (<i>photo above</i>).</p> - -<p><i>3 km. 200 beyond Sommerance</i>, <b>Landres</b> village (severely damaged) is -reached. During the American offensive of October 14, 1918, the approach -to Landres was fiercely contested. The American 5th Corps reached the -outskirts of the village on October 14, but it was only on the 18th, -after three days’ heavy fighting, that Landres was taken. The church was -partially destroyed. <i>Turn to the right beyond the church and then to -the left. After crossing the stream, turn to the right again, and 100 -yards further on, to the left.</i></p> - -<p><i>One kilometer beyond the village, at the fork in the road, take I.C. 15 -on the left across a plateau, and through the</i> pretty little village of -<b>Landreville</b> <i>in the Valley of the Agron. At the entrance to this -village, on the left, there is</i> an interesting château with turrets, one -of which was destroyed (<i>photo, p. 47</i>), <b>Bayonville</b>, <i>5 km. beyond -Landres, is next reached</i>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;"> -<a href="images/i050b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i050b_sml.jpg" width="338" height="233" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>LANDRES. I.C. 4. RUINS OF CHURCH ON THE RIGHT</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Several houses in Bayonville were destroyed, the village having been -frequently bombed by the Allied airmen during the Franco-American -offensive<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_47" id="page_47"></a>{47}</span> of September-October, 1918. The badly damaged church dates -from the 16th century, but has been frequently restored.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 336px;"> -<a href="images/i051a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i051a_sml.jpg" width="336" height="239" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>LANDREVILLE. THE OLD CHÂTEAU, WITH DESTROYED TURRET</p><p>LANDREVILLE. THE OLD CHÂTEAU, WITH DESTROYED TURRET</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>After passing in front of the church, the road turns first to the left, -then to the right. At the end of the village take I.C. 12, which climbs</i> -<b>Hill 290</b>, <i>called Bellevue. Looking back there is a fine view over</i> -Bayonville, and the district of Romagne-Banthéville. <i>3 km. 300 from -Bayonville, at the fork, take the left-hand road</i>; picturesque run down -to <b>Buzancy</b> (<i>4 km. 400 from Bayonville</i>).</p> - -<p><i>At the cross-ways on I.C. 12, near the first houses, keep straight on -along Rue du Général Chanzy to the Place Chanzy.</i>. The statue of Chanzy -(born at Nouart, in this district), which stood in this square, was -carried away by the Germans.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 336px;"> -<a href="images/i051b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i051b_sml.jpg" width="336" height="228" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>BAYONVILLE. RUE HAUTE DE L’EGLISE, WITH TROOPS OF THE -89TH INF. DIV., ON NOV. 2, 1918</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_48" id="page_48"></a>{48}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 278px;"> -<a href="images/i052_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i052_sml.jpg" width="278" height="336" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>BUZANCY. THE 306th AMERICAN MACHINE-GUN BATTALION -MARCHING THROUGH THE BURNING VILLAGE ON NOV. 3.</p></div> -</div> - -<h4>Buzancy</h4> - -<p>Buzancy was formerly a fortified town. In 1650, Turenne, after his -defeat at Somme-Py, retreated on Vouziers and thence to Buzancy. On -September 12, 1792, the town was occupied by the Austrian troops under -Clerfayt, on their march to Croix-aux-Bois. In October, after Valmy, the -rearguard of the retreating army was attacked by Valence near Buzancy, -the Republicans capturing a standard of the 6th Division of the -Lifeguards from the Emigrés. This standard was taken to Dumouriez’s -headquarters and hung in the window of the Vouziers Château. Offered -some days later to the Convention, the latter decided that this symbol -of rebellion should be burned by the public executioner.</p> - -<p>On August 27, 1870, a reconnoitring party of two squadrons of the 12th -Chasseurs of the French 5th (Active) Corps, having passed through the -town, was climbing the opposite hill when they were attacked by Saxon -Dragoons debouching from La Folie Wood. The Saxons, greatly superior in -numbers, forced back the French to the entrance of the village; but a -third squadron coming to the rescue, the French attacked, and after a -sharp fight, lasting half an hour, forced the Saxon Dragoons to retreat -up Sivry Hill. Pursued by the French, the latter were finally stopped by -the sudden unmasking of enemy batteries.</p> - -<p>From 1914 to 1918 Buzancy was occupied by the Germans who, at the end of -October, 1918, hotly defended its approaches against the American First -Army. The village was, however, taken and passed on November 2.</p> - -<p>Several houses in the Rue Charles Coffin were burned down. Most of the -church is late 13th century.</p> - -<p><i>Take Rue du Château on the left of the Place Chanzy.</i></p> - -<p>The Château de la Cour is supposed to have been built on the site of a -house occupied by St. Remi, Archbishop of Rheims. Two very large -sculptured<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_49" id="page_49"></a>{49}</span> lions, presented by Louis XV. to King Stanislas and brought -from the Château of Lunéville, ornament the entrance. Of the 17th-18th -century château, only the outbuildings are left.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> -<a href="images/i053a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i053a_sml.jpg" width="335" height="256" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>BUZANCY. I.C. 12 AT ENTRANCE TO VILLAGE</p> - -<p><i>The Itinerary follows Rue du Gen. Chanzy opposite.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>The Mosque of Mahommed is a fragment of a very old square building. -According to tradition it was built by a Noble Jean d’Anglure, a -crusader who, captured by the Mohammedans, regained his liberty by -promising to build a mosque. It seems more probable that this building -is the remains of a lodge attached to the Château de la Cour.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 422px;"> -<a href="images/i053b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i053b_sml.jpg" width="422" height="270" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHAMPIGNEULLE. RUINED MILL NEAR RIVER AGRON, AT END OF -VILLAGE</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_50" id="page_50"></a>{50}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 342px;"> -<a href="images/i054a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i054a_sml.jpg" width="342" height="222" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHAMPIGNEULLE VILLAGE AND CHURCH, SEEN FROM I.C. 20, -BEFORE ENTERING THE VILLAGE</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Take I.C. 6, a continuation of the Rue du Château, as far as</i> -<b>Thénorgues</b> (<i>3 km. 200 from Buzancy</i>).</p> - -<p><i>Before entering Thénorgues</i>, a German burial ground <i>is seen on the -right in the communal cemetery</i>. <i>In front of the church take I.C. 20 on -the left, which, 2 km. 700 further on, reaches</i> <b>Verpel.</b> <i>Beyond the -church of Verpel turn to the left, and immediately afterwards to the -right. Outside the village, the I.C. 20 divides; keep straight on.</i> -Picturesque run down into the Agron Valley.</p> - -<p><i>Cross the Agron near a mill, reaching</i> <b>Champigneulle</b>, which stands on a -hill, <i>4 km. 200 from Verpel</i>. Numerous houses are in ruins. The road -passes in front of the very curious church, the nave of which has fallen -in (<i>photo below</i>). <i>On leaving the village, the road again descends -into the valley, recrosses the Agron, then rises on the left up</i> <b>Hill -182</b>, on which stands the village of <b>St. Juvin</b> (<i>2 km. from -Champigneulle</i>). <i>At the entrance to the latter there is a</i> large German -cemetery.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 333px;"> -<a href="images/i054b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i054b_sml.jpg" width="333" height="242" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHAMPIGNEULLE CHURCH, SOUTH FRONT</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_51" id="page_51"></a>{51}</span></p> - -<h4>St. Juvin</h4> - -<p>On September 15, 1792, a strong Prussian detachment, under the command -of Hohenlohe, drove a small body of French troops from the village, -forcing them back on Senuc. Eighty foot-soldiers were taken prisoners -and sent to the headquarters at Landres. Among them were several -Alsatians whom the Prince of Prussia addressed in German, offering to -enrol them in his regiment, but only one of them agreed to serve against -France.</p> - -<p>In October, 1918, along the St. Juvin—Landres—St. Georges line, the -Americans delivered a long series of fierce assaults upon the -“Brunehilde” position, or second line of defence which the Germans had -prepared in this district. On October 11, 1918, at the time when the -Americans approached St. Juvin, the village was in flames. Its recapture -proved difficult. On October 14, the Americans outflanked it on the -north, and, on the 15th, regardless of their heavy losses, they -succeeded in taking it inch by inch, and in gaining the positions of St. -Georges and Landres-St. Georges. On the 16th they were fighting in -Champigneulle on the west of St. Georges, and holding the Châtillon Hill -on the south of Landres. By the 18th they had occupied both these -villages.</p> - -<p>St. Juvin is dominated by its church—one of the most interesting of the -fortified churches in this district—which, in the distance, looks like -a fortress. Its high thick walls, with narrow windows and occasional -loopholes at the top, form a parallelogram, flanked at each corner by a -round tower with corbels.</p> - -<p>In the interior of the church there is a well and an oven. Dating from -the early part of the 17th century, it was rebuilt between 1615 and 1623 -on the site of the old church destroyed under the League about 1552. -Some of the relics of the patron-saint of the Parish, St. Juvin, were -preserved in a shrine of gilded bronze.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 343px;"> -<a href="images/i055_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i055_sml.jpg" width="343" height="247" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>FORTIFIED CHURCH OF ST. JUVIN</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The Fountain of St. Juvin, situated between the Woods of Marcq and -Cornay, is frequented by peasant pilgrims who invoke the Saint to cure -their sick pigs. Failing a visit to the well, the peasants touch the -shrine in the church with a piece of bread, which is afterwards given to -the animals. The church contains a statue of St. Juvin, depicted with a -stick in his hand and two pigs at his feet. There is a legend that St. -Juvin was the disciple of St. Oricle, the Martyr of Senuc. One day when -he was walking with Oricle and his sisters (Oricule and Basilique), they -had to cross the Aisne near Senuc<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_52" id="page_52"></a>{52}</span> at the “Ford of Madame Anciaux.” -Oricle’s sisters had lifted their skirts before entering the water, and -Juvin, who was behind them, exclaimed: “Oricle, Oricle, what fine legs -your sisters have.” Oricle, in anger, reprimanded Juvin severely, and -condemned him to keep pigs for the rest of his life, which is why Juvin, -up to his death, kept pigs in the heart of the forest, round the well -which to this day bears his name.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 418px;"> -<a href="images/i056_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i056_sml.jpg" width="418" height="327" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VARENNES-EN-ARGONNE, SEEN FROM N. 46 IN THE UPPER TOWN</p> - -<p><i>On the right: The ruined Church. In the foreground: The River Aire.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>After visiting the church keep straight on, leaving the St. Georges -road on the left, and on the right, that leading to Grandpré. After a -rather steep descent, turn to the left along N. 46, at the end of the -village.</i></p> - -<p><i>Follow the Valley of the Aire to</i> <b>Fléville</b> (<i>4 km. 200 from St. -Juvin</i>), <i>which escaped practically unscathed</i>. <i>4 km. further on N. 46 -passes close to Apremont, then over a ridge, from the top of which</i> -<b>Vauquois Hill</b>, now quite bare, comes into view on the right. <i>From here, -a rather steep descent brings the tourist to</i> <b>Varennes</b> (<i>1 km. from -Fléville</i>).</p> - -<h4>Varennes</h4> - -<p>This little town, made famous by the arrest of Louis XVI. (p. 74), was -almost completely destroyed.</p> - -<p>In September, 1914, it was occupied by the Germans, who converted it -into a fortress. On September 26, 1918, the first day of the -Franco-American offensive, it was retaken by the American First Army in -a single charge.</p> - -<p>The River Aire divides the town into two parts: the upper town on the -left bank, and the lower on the right bank. The visit to the upper town -will be made on the second day (<i>see p.</i> 74).<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_53" id="page_53"></a>{53}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 341px;"> -<a href="images/i057a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i057a_sml.jpg" width="341" height="233" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VARENNES CHURCH. SOUTH-WEST FRONT</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>N. 46 coming from Fléville, passes the church</i> (<i>hist. mon.—photos -above and below</i>).</p> - -<p>The three-sided apse of this church, with its fine windows, dates from -the 14th or 15th century; the façade and the tower from the 18th.</p> - -<p>The Hôtel du Grand Cerf, near the church, contains carved presses and -pretty Argonne earthenware.</p> - -<p>The bridge over the Aire, from which there is a pretty view of the -river, connects the upper and lower town.</p> - -<p><i>Before crossing the bridge, take G.C. 38 to the left, 1 km. 800 from -Varennes; leave the Cheppy road on the left, and keep on in the -direction of</i> <b>Vauquois</b>, the bare crest of which is seen <i>on the right</i>.</p> - -<p><i>3 km. 500 from Varennes, on the right, is a sheet of water, behind -which rises</i> <b>Vauquois Hill.</b> <i>One hundred yards further on, at a small -wood, leave the car and take on foot the (bad) road on the right for -about 400 yards</i>, to a square constructed in cement and stone. This was -a German Command-Post (<i>photo, p.</i> 54). <i>On the left of this building, -follow a small winding path up to</i> <b>Vauquois Crest.</b></p> - -<p>(The visit on foot to Vauquois Crest takes an hour.)</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 342px;"> -<a href="images/i057b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i057b_sml.jpg" width="342" height="239" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VARENNES. NAVE OF CHURCH SEEN FROM THE CHOIR</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_54" id="page_54"></a>{54}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 509px;"> -<a href="images/i058a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i058a_sml.jpg" width="509" height="393" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<a href="images/i059a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i059a_sml.jpg" width="500" height="400" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>PANORAMIC VIEW OF VAUQUOIS CREST AS SEEN FROM G.C. 38 AT -AVOCOURT</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 650px;"> -<a href="images/panorama-vauquois_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/panorama-vauquois_sml.jpg" width="650" height="251" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>Panoramic View</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> -<a href="images/i058b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i058b_sml.jpg" width="335" height="221" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>NEAR VAUQUOIS. GERMAN POST OF COMMANDMENT, AFTER CAPTURE -BY AMERICAN TROOPS, WITH STARS AND STRIPES FLYING</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_55" id="page_55"></a>{55}</span></p> - -<h4>Vauquois</h4> - -<p>Vauquois is one of the famous spots of the Argonne battlefield. The -Germans took it in September, 1914, during a strong attack on the French -3rd Army, in their efforts to encircle Verdun. The ridge concealed their -operations to the north of Varennes, covered the re-victualling of the -Argonne front by the Four-de-Paris road, and above all furnished their -artillery with an excellent observation-post. The importance of the -position caused the Germans to convert it into a veritable fortress. -Caves were made in the rock and connected by underground passages. The -streets of the village were excavated, so that the vent-holes of the -cellars formed loop-holes on a level with a man’s head. The walls of the -houses and gardens were battlemented, and trenches were dug in the -slopes in front of the village. The position was supported and flanked -by the guns in the Woods of Cheppy, Montfaucon and Argonne. Approach was -the more difficult, in that the position was surrounded on all sides by -ravines and <i>glacis</i>, which provided admirable firing positions for the -machine-guns.</p> - -<p>This formidable position, which earlier in the war, before the -improvement in the French artillery, would have been considered -impregnable, was taken by the French 10th Infantry Division after heroic -sacrifices. The first assaults especially, made without artillery -preparation or support, cost the splendid French Infantry heavy losses.</p> - -<p>The first attack was made on October 28, 1914, by two battalions of the -46th Regiment of the line. The French front lines were then on the -<i>Mamelon<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_56" id="page_56"></a>{56}</span> Blanc</i>, facing Vauquois. Two companies debouching from Noir -Wood attacked the western slopes of Vauquois, the sections deployed in -skirmishing order, without artillery preparation, and without a single -big French gun being fired on the village. As the men dashed forward up -the slopes they were shot down by the carefully concealed German -riflemen, but continued nevertheless to advance, in spite of the rain of -bullets, till an avalanche of big German shells overwhelmed and -scattered them. At the end of half an hour almost all of them were out -of action.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i060_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i060_sml.jpg" width="340" height="227" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>NEAR VAUQUOIS. CAPTURE OF GERMAN TRAIN LOADED WITH RAILS</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The second assault was made on the following day (the 29th), after a -very short artillery preparation, during which only a few shells were -fired, most of which failed to burst. Fresh companies attacked further -to the right, near the Cigalerie. The men charged with the bayonet, but -as on the previous day, were mown down by the German machine-guns and -rifles, and failed, after heavy losses. At night, an attempt to rescue -the wounded left on the field was unsuccessful, the enemy firing -pitilessly on the stretcher-bearers, in spite of the Red Cross lantern.</p> - -<p>The third assault was carried out on February 17, 1915, by the 76th, -31st and 46th Infantry Regiments. This time the operation, which almost -succeeded, was better prepared. The French artillery had improved its -equipment and methods, being now better adapted to stationary warfare. -The artillery preparation with guns of 75, 95, 150, 155 and 270 m.m. -lasted more than twelve hours. The 31st Regiment of the line charged -into Vauquois, and reached the ruins of the church, but, caught by the -fire of the Argonne and Montfaucon batteries, and that of the -machine-guns of Cheppy, it was forced, after heavy losses, to fall back. -Abandoning the plateau, this regiment held on half-way down the hill.</p> - -<p>The fourth assault was made on February 28, under further improved -conditions. A plan of the village, of which only the ruins were left, -was issued to the troops. Each company had its precise objectives -assigned to it, and the men were armed, for the first time, with the new -hand-grenades, charged with melinite. The bombardment began at dawn. Big -guns shattered the shelters, and 75’s, hoisted to the top of the -<i>Mamelon Blanc</i>, fed by infantry, who carried up the shells on their -backs, fired directly on the village. When the attack began, the band of -the 46th Regiment of the line, stationed at the bottom of the ravine, -played the “Marseillaise.” Within a few minutes a number of the bandsmen -fell killed or wounded, but the survivors sounded the charge, and the -storming waves of the 89th, 76th and 46th Regiments<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_57" id="page_57"></a>{57}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 413px;"> -<a href="images/i061_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i061_sml.jpg" width="413" height="295" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>NEAR VAUQUOIS. GERMAN DEPÔT. CAMOUFLAGED BARBED WIRE -DEFENCES</p></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">dashed forward. Bullets and shells soon silenced the music; of fifteen -bandsmen only five escaped unwounded, but the companies leading the -charge were by this time climbing the slopes of Vauquois. At the -divisional observation-post, General Valdant, who was following the -attack, turning with great emotion to his officers, raised his <i>képi</i>, -and said: “Gentlemen, salute!” The fight was stubborn; twice the troops, -dashing from one shell-hole to another, reached the plateau, the second -time standing firm. The houses were taken one by one, and the church -reached. The village had been wiped out—only shell-holes, heaps of -stones, bits of walls and shattered cellars remained. Throughout the -next day the Germans shelled the defenders, who were armed only with -rifles. Outflanked, the French were slowly forced back from shell-hole -to shell-hole, fighting all the time, but their line of defence, -organised under fire on the edge of the plateau, brought the enemy to a -standstill. At 2 p.m. the French infantry, for the fifth time, stormed -the village, carried the German trenches, entered the ruins, and within -half an hour drove back the enemy at the point of the bayonet. At 3, 4, -5 and 5.30 p.m., the Germans counter-attacked; but although troops of -fourteen different units were successively launched, they could not -dislodge the French from the main street. Twice during the night they -tried, in vain, to take the church. For four days and nights, under an -incessant pounding by high-explosive shells and a rain of bullets, the -French troops held on without supplies, dependent for their food on the -rations taken from the dead. The Colonial Infantry, who for a short time -relieved the attacking troops, were decimated in a few days. The Germans -were already making use of a powerful <i>minenwerfer</i>, to which the French -could only reply with hastily-devised mortars roughly made out of 77 -m.m. shell-cases, and which carried only 100-150 yards. It was an -unequal contest. The Germans attacked almost every night, but were -repulsed with hand-grenades and rifle fire, sometimes with the bayonet. -The position became untenable and the French had either to retreat or -advance. Once more they attacked. On the afternoon of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_58" id="page_58"></a>{58}</span> March 4, the 76th -regiment of the line took the German trenches west of the church, -reaching the wall of the cemetery, in spite of enemy grenades and mines. -On the 5th a German counter-attack was repulsed and the capture of -Vauquois by the French was definitive. During the night of the -15th-16th, a fresh German attack was easily repulsed. On the 16th, at -the Cigalerie, which during the attacks of February and March had served -as a dressing station, Standard-bearer Collignon, of the 46th Regiment -of the line, Councillor of State, and former Secretary-General to the -Presidency of the Republic, who had voluntarily enlisted at the age of -fifty-eight, was killed by the explosion of a shell while trying to -rescue a wounded man belonging to the 76th Regiment of the line. Ever -since, at Regimental roll-calls, his name follows that of La Tour -d’Auvergne, and the reply is made: “Died on the field of honour.”</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 425px;"> -<a href="images/i062a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i062a_sml.jpg" width="425" height="161" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VIEW OF THE MINE CRATERS, WHERE VAUQUOIS VILLAGE USED TO -STAND</p> - -<p>(<i>Seen from the crest of Vauquois Ridge.) In the background: Argonne -Forest.</i></p></div> -</div><p> Cazeneuve of the <i>Opera Comique</i>, Adjutant of the 46th -Regiment of the line, who had volunteered at the age of fifty-four, was -also killed at Vauquois by a bomb which shattered his dug-out.</p> - -<p>Vauquois for long remained a particularly dangerous sector, the scene of -frequent hand-to-hand struggles, of mining and counter-mining, and of -continuous bombardment. The Germans were not reconciled to the loss of -this position, which gave the French an outlook over Varennes and the -road which formed a continuation of the light railway which they had -built between</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 346px;"> -<a href="images/i062b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i062b_sml.jpg" width="346" height="241" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SHELTER ON CREST OF VAUQUOIS RIDGE</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_59" id="page_59"></a>{59}</span></p> - -<p>Montfaucon and Spincourt. On March 22, 1915, near the ruins of the -church, they attacked a trench with liquid fire. Mines were exploded -almost every month, followed by fighting for possession of the craters. -Engagements of this nature took place on April 5, July 26, August 3, -September 4, November 18 and 21, and December 16, 1915, and on January -13 and 16, February 3, and March 24, 1916.</p> - -<p>The Battle of Verdun was followed by a period of comparative calm in -this sector, both sides practically abandoning mine warfare. In 1917 -there was hardly anything but hand-to-hand fighting, and a few more or -less important raids. Three times during the first three months of 1918, -the French carried out important raids in this region. On March 17 -especially, along a front of 1,400 yards, they advanced to a depth of -800 yards into the enemy lines, and brought back about a hundred -prisoners. On September 26, 1918, the first day of the Franco-American -offensive, the outskirts to the north of Vauquois were completely -cleared, while Boureuilles was taken by the Americans.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 422px;"> -<a href="images/i063_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i063_sml.jpg" width="422" height="268" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>AUBREVILLE. RUINED BRIDGE AND HOUSES</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The ridge, which rose 390 feet above the Valley of the Aire, and more -than 250 feet above that of the Buanthe, is no longer recognisable, the -bombardments and mine-explosions have shattered, and, so to speak, -decapitated it. The sight is impressive; mine craters have swallowed up -the village; trenches, shelters, barbed-wire are all that remain -(<i>photos, p.</i> 58).</p> - -<p>The view extends as far as Clermont-en-Argonne.</p> - -<p><i>After visiting Vauquois, return to and follow G.C. 38.</i> The original -front lines are soon crossed. Cheppy Wood on the left and Hesse Forest -on the right were cut to pieces by the shells. The ground is covered -with defence-works. <i>6 km. 500 beyond Varennes the road divides on the -edge of Hesse Forest, G.C. 38 running to the left, towards Avocourt. -Take the right-hand road (I.C. 60), which enters the forest.</i> Numerous -French military works, and some gun emplacements, may be seen along the -road. <i>The road to Récicourt, on the left, is soon passed.</i></p> - -<p><i>Coming out of the forest I.C. 60 crosses a plateau, then reaches</i> -<b>Aubréville</b> (<i>14 km. from Varennes</i>).<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_60" id="page_60"></a>{60}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 431px;"> -<a href="images/i064_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i064_sml.jpg" width="431" height="334" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. PANORAMIC VIEW OF COUNTRY LOOKING -TOWARDS VAUQUOIS</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Cross the railway (l.c.) near the station, then the Couzance River, and -enter the</i> ruins of Aubréville (<i>photo, p. 59</i>). <i>At the end of the -village the road forks; keep straight along I.C. 60, which crosses first -the Aire, then the railway (l.c.).</i> The <b>Ridge of Clermont-en-Argonne</b> -<i>soon comes into view</i>.</p> - -<p><i>The road joins that leading to Neuvilly; cross the bridge over the -railway and enter</i> <b>Clermont</b>, <i>coming out at the Place de la Mairie</i>.</p> - -<h4>Clermont-en-Argonne</h4> - -<p>The history of this picturesque little town, which was the capital of -the old Comté of Clermont, has been a troubled one. In 719, -Charles-Martel gave it and its dependencies to the Bishop of Verdun. In -1094 it was taken by an adventurer named Odon, and recaptured from him -by the Bishop of Verdun. In 1110, Dudon, Count of Clermont, having -insulted the Bishop of Verdun, the town was besieged by the Emperor. In -the subsequent struggles between the Bishops of Verdun and the Counts of -Bar for the possession of the town, it was several times besieged and -burnt. The Counts of Bar, who finally gained the upper hand, on the -condition that they would pay homage to the Bishops of Verdun, strongly -fortified it. A fortress, added by Henri II., Count of Bar, in the 13th -century, was built on the St. Anne Plateau. Letters of enfranchisement -were given to the inhabitants of the fortress by Count Tiébault II. in -1246, and to the people of the town by the Duke Henri IV. in 1339. In -1354, Yolande of Flanders, Countess of Longueville, Bar, and Cassel, had -a mint at Clermont. In 1539, Clermont became a feudatory state of the -Empire. Ceded to France in 1634 by the Treaty of Liverdun (confirmed by -the Treaty of the Pyrénees in 1659) it was definitely incorporated in -France by the Treaty of Paris on March 29, 1641. In 1648, Louis XIII. -settled it on the Great Condé, whose family held it until the -Revolution. During the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_61" id="page_61"></a>{61}</span> <i>Fronde</i>, Clermont took part in the war of the -rebel princes; in 1654, the town was besieged by the royal troops, the -siege being conducted by Vauban, who had himself fortified the place in -1652. On November 8, 1654, the Marquis de Riberpray took the fortress -and church by assault, and on the 22nd, after a siege lasting one month, -the town surrendered. The upper town and the fortress were entirely -destroyed, while the peasants of the surrounding district were made to -pull down the fortress. Clermont and its dependencies were added to the -national domain in 1790. In 1792, Clermont was occupied by the Austrian -and Hessian troops under Hohenlohe. On September 11, enemy hussars -surprised and captured some French troops near Clermont, who, while -foraging, had lost their way in the fog; they also surrounded a company -of infantry in the gardens of the town. On September 20, the French, who -were holding the pass of Les Islettes, took their revenge on the -Hessians. The latter, held up by the fire of the French artillery, were -forced to retreat, and the sharpshooters, under Marceau, drove them back -to the gardens of Clermont.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 418px;"> -<a href="images/i065_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i065_sml.jpg" width="418" height="345" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. GENERAL VIEW OF RUINS, SEEN FROM THE -TERRACE OF THE CHURCH</p></div> -</div> - -<p>In 1914, Clermont was occupied by German troops of the Crown Prince’s -Army. The town was almost deserted, with the exception of the old men’s -asylum, in which the pensioners remained under the care of Sister -Gabrielle. During the night of September 4, the 121st and 122nd -Wurtemberg Regiments broke in the doors of the houses with the butt-ends -of their rifles and pillaged the town. At the asylum, after smashing the -doors, officers entered with revolvers in their hands, but Sister -Gabrielle, surrounded by her nuns and the inmates, received the -invaders, and by her firm demeanour won their respect. In the rest of -the town the pillaging went on throughout the day. About noon 3 German -soldier started an incendiary fire; everything was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_62" id="page_62"></a>{62}</span> burned or destroyed, -with the exception of the asylum, which owed its escape to Sister -Gabrielle.</p> - -<p><i>At the Place de la Mairie turn to the right into the Grand Rue.</i></p> - -<p>To visit the interesting church of St. Didier (<i>hist. mon.</i>) <i>climb the -rather steep Rue Casimar-Bonjour (accessible to motor-cars), to the -terrace on which stands the church</i>. Very fine view.</p> - -<p>The Church of St. Didier dates from the 16th century. The date of the -choir (1530) is carved on the keystone of the vaulting. The three naves -and main portal were added in 1596. However, the building as a whole is -pointed-flamboyant in style, the ogive being preserved in the arches, -vaultings and transept. The Renaissance style appears only in the -decoration of the capitals, the consoles in the interior, and the doors. -The western façade is late Renaissance, and must have been completed -about the beginning of the 17th century. Its two arched portals retain -their old wooden folding-doors ornamented with rose-headed nails. Above, -in a niche surmounted by a fine rose-window is a modern statue. On the -south an ancient corner turret was rebuilt in 1728. The façade bears the -escutcheon and crowned monogram of Henri de Lorraine, Duke of Bar.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 334px;"> -<a href="images/i066_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i066_sml.jpg" width="334" height="274" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. OLD WOMAN CONTEMPLATING THE RUINS OF -HER HOUSE, RUE CASIMIR-BONJOUR, NEAR CHURCH</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The interior of the choir is imposing. The apse is six-sided—rather an -uncommon arrangement.</p> - -<p>In the “Chapelle des Morts,” which opens off the northern nave, near the -transept, there is a Renaissance tomb with a remarkable bas-relief; -below is depicted a nude body lying in a grave, being devoured by worms; -above, three successive panels represent the Weighing of Souls, the -Mirror of Death, and Purgatory. Each subject is accompanied by an -inscription in French verse carved in fine black Gothic characters. -There are few sculptural representations of Purgatory earlier than the -16th century, and this is one of the earliest examples to be found.</p> - -<p><b>The Presbytery.</b>—The Presbytery, standing in a narrow street which runs -along the south side of the church, is an old wooden building, the -interior<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_63" id="page_63"></a>{63}</span> of which is in a perfect state of preservation. In it is kept -an earthenware model dating from 1530, which was brought from the Chapel -of St. Anne. This model, attributed to Ligier Richier, represents the -Virgin receiving the body of Christ after it had been taken down from -the Cross. It has been imperfectly restored and painted.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 420px;"> -<a href="images/i067a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i067a_sml.jpg" width="420" height="290" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. SOUTH-EAST FRONT OF CHURCH</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 235px;"> -<a href="images/i067b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i067b_sml.jpg" width="235" height="338" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. 15TH CENTURY CHURCH. RENAISSANCE -PORTAL</p></div> -</div> - -<p><b>Chapel of St. Anne.</b>—Above the church, on the top of the St. Anne -Plateau, where the fortress used to stand, there now remains only an -unpretending chapel, much frequented by pilgrims. The building has a -wooden front, surmounted by a small steeple, and a stone choir with -pointed vaulting, the flamboyant ornament being in the same style as -that of the St. Didier Church. Four ancient elms give shade to the -parvis and rise high above the steeple. Inside is a sepulchre with six -almost life-size statues, acquired in 1829 when the Church of the -Minimes of Verdun was pulled down. Three only of these statues, the -three Maries, all painted, are late 16th<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_64" id="page_64"></a>{64}</span> century. The finest, which is -in the centre, is attributed by some to Ligier Richier, but this -appreciation is open to question. Near by there is a hermitage, which at -the beginning of the 17th century belonged to the Benedictines, and -later to the Franciscans. In 1845, the town of Clermont acquired the -whole plateau, the promenade, hermitage, and the chapel. From the -plateau—the highest point in the Argonne—there is a fine and very -extensive view over the Forest of Argonne on the left, and the Forest of -Hesse on the right, while the Vauquois-Montfaucon ridge appears in the -distance.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 349px;"> -<a href="images/i068a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i068a_sml.jpg" width="349" height="242" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. CHURCH NAVE, SEEN FROM NORTH AISLES</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 430px;"> -<a href="images/i068b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i068b_sml.jpg" width="430" height="304" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. THE ENTOMBMENT IN THE CHAPEL OF ST. -ANNE, ON THE PLATEAU OVERLOOKING ST. MENEHOULD</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_65" id="page_65"></a>{65}</span></p> - -<p><i>Return to and follow the Grand Rue which, outside the town, becomes N. -3 and runs alongside the railway to</i> <b>Les Islettes</b> (<i>5 km. 800</i>).</p> - -<p>This large market town marks the centre of the valley. In 1789, Arthur -Young, in his “Travels in France,” described it as a “heap of mud and -manure.” Since then it has been drained and embellished. Thatched roofs -are still common there. Its glass-making industry, which formerly -flourished, has greatly declined.</p> - -<p>On September 17-20, 1792, while the Prussian Army was advancing towards -the Châlons road and fighting at Valmy, the Austro-Hessians of the -Landgrave of Hesse and of Hohenlohe Kirchberg made two demonstrations -against Les Islettes, but were promptly checked by the French. During -the action of September 20, a bullet killed a gunner near the Landgrave, -who was himself unhorsed.</p> - -<p>In 1914, the tunnel of Les Islettes, though mined, was intact on -September 3 when the Germans took the village. A fortnight later the -Germans, driven northwards by the French, evacuated the village. The -Crown Prince, unable to resign himself to the loss of this capital -position on the Châlons-Verdun road and railway, for a whole year (until -the French offensive of September, 1915, in Champagne) made strenuous -efforts to retake Les Islettes, in order to cut this important railway -and turn Verdun. However, his numerous attempts to crush in the French -line all failed. Only once (June 29, 1915) did his troops seriously -threaten the position. On that occasion they got within 8 km. of the -station, but a formidable barrage by the 75’s held them, and French -reserves hurriedly brought up soon drove them back beyond the -Four-de-Paris. Throughout the war the town was an important military -centre, General Headquarters, and food, clothing, and munitions depôts -being established there.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 348px;"> -<a href="images/i069_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i069_sml.jpg" width="348" height="244" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>LES ISLETTES, AFTER THE BOMBARDMENT</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The town, which was somewhat damaged by the bombardments, contains a -very large French military cemetery.</p> - -<p><i>Outside the town, the road climbs a steep slope and enters the forest.</i> -Pretty view of Les Islettes and the Forest of Argonne (<i>on the left</i>).</p> - -<p><i>N. 3 next reaches</i> <b>Grange-aux-Bois</b> (<i>5 km. beyond Les Islettes</i>), which -takes its name from a house and grange, formerly the den of a gang of -cutthroats who were wiped out in 1514.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_66" id="page_66"></a>{66}</span></p> - -<p>The church is of no particular architectural interest, although it -contains some curious statues, notably that of St. Nicolas (18th -century) over the altar in the right aisle.</p> - -<p><b>St. Menehould</b> <i>is next reached</i> (<i>3-1/2 km.</i>), after a pleasant run down -the shady Avenue Victor Hugo, <i>which crosses the Aisne</i>.</p> - -<h4>Sainte-Menehould</h4> - -<p>The origin of this town is uncertain, and its history prior to the -Merovingian epoch obscure. Judging by the Gallo-Roman relics and graves -discovered in the neighbourhood, it seems probable that at an early date -a Pagan temple or Gallo-Roman <i>castrum</i> stood on the rock encircled by -the two arms of the Aisne. Houses gradually arose about the fortress—an -important stronghold prior to the 5th century. During that century, -Count Sygmar held assizes in the château. Sygmar and his seven daughters -were Christians. One of the latter, Manechildis or Manehildis, being of -a religious turn of mind, devoted herself to the care of the sick and -poor, and was greatly beloved in consequence. After her death she was -honoured by the people as a saint, and the town then took her name St. -Menehould.</p> - -<p>During the wars of Chilpéric against Sigebert the town was partly -destroyed. More than a hundred years later, towards the end of the 7th -century, Drogon, Duke of Champagne, son of Pépin of Héristal, rebuilt -the castle and surrounded the rock with ramparts. St. Menehould was -frequently besieged. In the 11th century it was attacked by troops of -the Duke of Lorraine and the Bishop of Verdun. In the 12th century the -castle fell into the hands of a robber-chief, Albert or Aubert, who -plundered the Bishoprics of Verdun and Châlons. At the end of the 12th -century St. Menehould was finally included in the County of Champagne. -It became French in the 13th century, after the union of Champagne with -France. In 1398, Charles VI. built a wall round the town proper. In -1423, the English took the town, but the Constable of Richemont -recaptured it in 1435. In 1545, Marini, an Italian engineer, built a new -line of ramparts with moats and four gates. Several years later the -town, ravaged by plague, was attacked by Antoine de Cory, the Calvinist, -who, however, failed to take it. Under the League, the Governor, -Mondreville, sided with the Guises, but could not shake the allegiance -of the burgesses to Henri III. On May 1, 1589, Antoine de Saint-Paul, a -leader of the League, pursued the royal troops as far as the gates of -the town, but the burgesses forced them to retreat after a battle -lasting two hours. In 1590 the Duke of Lorraine tried in vain to reduce -the town by force. In March, 1603, Henri IV., after renouncing the -Protestant faith, visited the faithful city, accompanied by Marie de -Médicis. In 1613, the Prince of Condé and the Duke of Nevers took the -castle by surprise and forced the burgesses to lay down their arms. In -1630, Marillac was imprisoned in the castle for several months. In -December, 1631, and January, 1632, Louis XIII. stayed in the town. In -1634, the King ordered the castle to be pulled down; by mistake the -walls of the town were also razed, and in 1635 they had to be rebuilt. -In October, 1652, during the Fronde, the Great Condé, with an army of -15,000 to 16,000 men and two guns, laid siege to the town, which -eventually capitulated, with the honours of war, after thirteen days of -trench warfare and three assaults. In October of the following year the -royal troops besieged the town in their turn and forced the garrison to -surrender. This siege of 1653 was the last to which the town was -subjected. In 1712, St. Menehould had to pay a war-levy to the Dutch -robber-chief Growenstein. On the night of August 7, 1719, the town was -almost entirely destroyed by fire. It was at St. Menehould in 1791 that -Louis XVI., while attempting to escape from France, was recognised by -Drouet, son of the postmaster of Varennes. On September 3, 1792, the -body of Beaurepaire, Military Commander of Verdun, who committed<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_67" id="page_67"></a>{67}</span> -suicide rather than surrender to the Prussians, was buried in the town -cemetery. It was before St. Menehould that Dumouriez established himself -while awaiting the arrival of Kellermann, who defeated the Prussians at -Valmy in September 20, 1792.</p> - -<p>In 1914, the town was for a long time occupied by the enemy. Early in -August of that year, the first refugees from the neighbourhood of -Longwy, Longuyon, Audun-le-Roman, and the region of the Meuse reached -St. Menehould. On Monday, August 24, the guns in the north-east of the -Argonne were heard in the town. On the 31st the sound of the cannonade -drew nearer, and refugees from the Ardennes flocked in, terrifying the -inhabitants with stories of German pillage and atrocities. On September -1, the horizon towards Monthois was lit up by the incendiary fires, and -the next day the people were advised to leave the town. The banks -closed, and many of the inhabitants left the city, the trains in the -evening being literally taken by storm. The last train left at about ten -o’clock on the morning of the 3rd. Early in the morning of the 4th, the -last French troops marched through the town on their way to Verrières. -At 8.30 companies of a Prussian Reserve Corps, preceded by Uhlans, -entered St. Menehould by the Moiremont road and destroyed the -telegraphic and telephonic apparatus at the post-office and the station. -The Germans, exasperated by the evacuation of the inhabitants, hastened -to pillage the deserted houses and shops. The tobacco warehouse, the -Caïffa stores, and the cellars of Quesnel the wine-merchant were emptied -and the contents sent away on army waggons.</p> - -<p>Of the population only eighty-two men had remained, twelve of whom were -obliged to present themselves each morning at six o’clock before the -Kommandantur, as surety for the order and peace of the town. Six men by -day and six by night were kept as hostages by the German sentries, first -at the Maison Viard, where the Kommandantur was housed, and then at the -Hôtel-de-Metz. The Mayor was kept busy by the German requisitions. From -Nettancourt, where the Crown Prince was reported to be, came an officer -to demand champagne, fine wines, and liqueurs. On the Mayor’s declaring -that there was nothing left the officer lost his temper and threatened -to have him shot. General von Schaeffendorf, commanding the VIth -Artillery Corps, took up his residence at the Château de la Mignonnerie. -Headquarters were established in the Maison Géraudel, Rue de la Force, -where the Duke of Wurtemberg was erroneously reported to have been -housed. The able-bodied men of the town were commandeered for -fatigue-duty and for the cleaning of the streets. A day or two before -evacuating the town, the Germans requisitioned 6,000 bottles of claret, -but left them behind in the hurry of their departure.</p> - -<p>On September 13, a cannonade was heard from the south. On the 14th, -there was great excitement in the German garrison, regimental -baggage-trains passed through the town northwards and the Staff prepared -to leave. In the morning the enemy troops streamed along the Verrières -and Daucourt roads, soon followed by the garrison and waggon-loads of -stolen furniture. The Municipal Buildings, Savings Banks, and -Post-office were full of German sick and wounded, only part of whom -could be evacuated through lack of ambulances. There was a speeding up -of the retreat, resulting in great confusion, the bridge, Faubourg de -Verrières and Rue de Vitry being encumbered with German troops on the -way to Moiremont and Chaudefontaine. Shortly afterwards an enemy battery -of 77’s, which had taken up a position on the Verrières road, withdrew -at a gallop through the town, while the last German troops fled along -the Rue de Prés towards the Pont des Maures. Almost immediately -afterwards the French artillery occupied the ridge of Bel-Air and opened -fire on the retreating enemy columns. At about 5.30 p.m. the French -advance-guards, cyclists and light cavalry entered St. Menehould. A -Prussian laggard was shot in the Avenue Kellermann on his refusal to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_68" id="page_68"></a>{68}</span> -surrender. At 7 p.m. General Cordonnier arrived in the town, which was -occupied by the 51st Regiment of the line, and a continuous stream of -French troops passed through, following up the pursuit in the direction -of Ville-sur-Tourbe, Vienne-la-Ville and Florent.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 438px;"> -<a href="images/i072_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i072_sml.jpg" width="438" height="458" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SAINTE-MENEHOULD TOWN AND CHÂTEAU (<i>old engraving</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>While the trench warfare lasted the headquarters, supply-depôts and -hospitals for the Argonne front were centred in St. Menehould, and for -four years it was entirely given over to military activities. Frequently -bombarded, the first shells were fired at the station at 4.30 a.m. on -April 26, 1915, when some houses were struck and two civilians killed. -On July 20 of the same year another bombardment was directed by -aeroplanes. At 1.30 a.m. on August 28, an aeroplane dropped a few bombs. -On September 14, a heavy bombardment set fire to the evacuation -hospital, killing two civilians, one of whom, M. Bocquillon, the Deputy -Mayor (acting for the Mayor, who was ill), was struck on his way to the -Hôtel-de-Ville.</p> - -<p>During 1918 the town was frequently bombed by enemy aeroplanes.</p> - -<h5>A VISIT TO THE TOWN</h5> - -<p><i>On arriving by the Avenue Victor Hugo, after crossing the bridge over -the Aisne</i>, the Gendarmerie, <i>at No. 8 on the right</i>, should be noticed. -It is the old post-house where Louis XVI. was recognised during his -flight in 1791. Over a door which opens into the Rue de la -Porte-des-Bois, the word “Poste” carved in the stone may still be seen.</p> - -<p>The royal carriage stopped near this post-house in broad daylight, -arousing the curiosity of the bystanders by its imposing appearance and -by the respect paid to the traveller and his family by the members of -his suite. The postmaster, Drouet, thought he recognised Louis XVI., -whom he had seen at Versailles, and he was confirmed in his belief by an -<i>assignat</i> (paper money) with the king’s head stamped upon it, which had -just been given him.</p> - -<p>After the departure of the carriage, Drouet followed it to Varennes, -where he caught it up and had the royal family arrested.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_69" id="page_69"></a>{69}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;"> -<a href="images/i073_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i073_sml.jpg" width="338" height="238" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SAINTE-MENEHOULD HÔTEL-DE-VILLE</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>The Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville is next reached with the</i> Hôtel-de-Ville, -an 18th century building, <i>on the right</i> (<i>photo above</i>).</p> - -<p><i>Cross the “Place,” keeping to the left, via the Rue Chanzy, which is -the main street. On the right, at No. 33, is the</i> Hôtel-de-Metz, an old -inn on the road from Metz to Paris, formerly well known, the original -kitchen of which has preserved its ample dimensions and innumerable -copper utensils.</p> - -<p><i>The Rue Chanzy ends on the bank of the Aisne at the Place d’Austerlitz. -At the sharp turning on the left, before crossing this “place,” take the -Rue de la Côte-du-Château, then the Rue des Ormes, which leads to</i> the -church.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> - -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> The church is reached by a flight of steps; the entrance is -close to No. 72, Rue Chanzy.</p></div> - -<p>The church, surrounded by a graveyard, stands on a rock in the centre of -the old town, of which nothing is left but fragments of the castle and -some ruined walls to the south and south-west. The church was built in -the 13th and 14th centuries. Its exterior is massive; the main doorway -is hidden by a modern porch. Beyond the Chapel of the Virgin, on the -right of the choir, a low sacristy was added at the end of the 17th or -beginning of the 18th century. Some fine fragments of earlier sculpture -(five panels depicting scenes from the Passion, and three richly -decorated canopies) have been incrusted in the outside walls. Tombstones -have been built into the walls on either side of the doorway in the left -transept, at the entrance to the church.</p> - -<p>The interior consists of five naves with low vaulting. In the left arm -of the transept, under a tri-cusped pointed arcade, the group “The Death -of the Virgin,” represents the Virgin recumbent, with children reading -and clinging to her hands and feet, and eight weeping women carrying -books. In the chapel on the left of the choir there is a 17th century -picture—a view of St. Menehould, with three figures, one of which is -the Patron-Saint of the town; the other two are supposed to be Louis -XIII. and Richelieu. Behind this chapel, which was formerly used for the -ceremonies of the town-guilds, is a recess called the Treasury, a small -vaulted 15th century room opening on the choir. The polygonal choir -presents a fine appearance with its five slightly pointed windows, -framed by two archivolts, supported on little columns with Romanesque -capitals. All around is an elegant 13th century arcade, screened with -rather heavy woodwork. The last nave on the right consists of three -separate 14th century chapels. The capitals of the aisles represent -human heads. The chapel of the Virgin contains a curious capital<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_70" id="page_70"></a>{70}</span> -representing an oak laden with acorns, towards which a peasant is -driving three pigs. This Chapel was founded in 1552 by the Lord de -Saulx, and was used from the end of the 16th century onward by the Guild -of Vine-dressers, who had the vaulting painted with frescoes. It is also -known as the Chapel of our Lady of the Vines. Formerly it contained a -number of tombstones, since removed. There is still to be seen, in one -of the chapels off the right aisle, a large and very fine 15th century -tombstone with effigies of Jean Toignel and his wife under a handsomely -carved Renaissance pediment.</p> - -<p><i>Take the Rue du Cimetière, which passes behind the church, then the Rue -Basse-du-Château, which leads to a path skirting the old walls of the -castle. From this path there is</i> a fine view over the town, the Valleys -of the Aisne and the Auve, and the surrounding hills. <i>Go round the -cliffs and return to the steps which lead down to the Rue Chanzy.</i></p> - -<h3> -<a id="SECOND_DAY"></a>SECOND DAY: Sainte-Menehould, Varennes, Montfaucon, Grandpré,<br /> -Vienne-le-Château, La Gruerie Wood, Le Four-de-Paris,<br /> -La Haute-Chevauchée and La Chalade.</h3> - -<p class="c">Distance: 130 km.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 437px;"> -<a href="images/i074_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i074_sml.jpg" width="437" height="451" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ITINERARY FOR THE SECOND DAY</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_71" id="page_71"></a>{71}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 346px;"> -<a href="images/i075a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i075a_sml.jpg" width="346" height="240" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CLERMONT-EN-ARGONNE. RUINS ON THE BAR-LE-DUC ROAD</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>From St. Menehould to Clermont-en-Argonne (15 km.) take the same road -as the first day (see pp. 31-70).</i></p> - -<p><i>On reaching the Place de la Mairie at Clermont, turn to the left, cross -the railway, leave I.C. 60 on the right, and keep straight on. G.C.D. 2 -runs straight from Clermont to</i> <b>Neuvilly</b> (<i>6 km. 500</i>).</p> - -<p>During the trench warfare of 1914 to 1918, this road was often swept by -the German artillery. At the beginning of September, 1914, Neuvilly was -taken by the enemy, but a fortnight later it was recaptured by the -French.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;"> -<a href="images/i075b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i075b_sml.jpg" width="339" height="245" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>NEUVILLY, <i>seen from behind the</i> CHURCH. <i>At the back</i>: -ARGONNE FOREST</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_72" id="page_72"></a>{72}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 347px;"> -<a href="images/i076a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i076a_sml.jpg" width="347" height="245" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>NEUVILLY. RUINS OF ELECTRIC POWER STATION ON RIVER AIRE</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Until the end of the war it was in close proximity to the front lines, -and was frequently shelled.</p> - -<p><i>Opposite the church of Neuvilly the road joins N. 46, which take to the -left.</i></p> - -<p><i>3 km. 500 further on</i>, the original front lines are crossed. -<b>Boureuilles</b> <i>lies 1-1/2 km. beyond</i>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 336px;"> -<a href="images/i076b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i076b_sml.jpg" width="336" height="255" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GERMAN PRISONERS TAKEN BY THE 35TH INF. DIV., NEAR -BOUREUILLES</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The village of Boureuilles-on-the-Aire has completely disappeared. As<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_73" id="page_73"></a>{73}</span> -early as November, 1914, it had been reduced to a mere heap of stones -and rubbish.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 337px;"> -<a href="images/i077a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i077a_sml.jpg" width="337" height="262" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>BOUREUILLES. D. CO. OF 111TH ENGINEERS ROAD-MAKING</p></div> -</div> - -<p>After being rushed by the French on January 4, 1915, it was retaken by -the Germans, who held it until the Franco-American offensive of -September 26, 1918.</p> - -<p><i>2 km. 500 beyond Boureuilles the tourist comes to</i> <b>Varennes.</b></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 337px;"> -<a href="images/i077b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i077b_sml.jpg" width="337" height="244" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>BOUREUILLES. THE 27TH ENGINEERS REPAIRED THIS BRIDGE OVER -THE AIRE IN AN HOUR AND A HALF</p> - -<p>(<i>N. 46 crosses the bridge.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_74" id="page_74"></a>{74}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> -<a href="images/i078a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i078a_sml.jpg" width="335" height="210" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VARENNES. MAISON DE PRÉFONTAINE</p> - -<p><i>On June 21, 1791, Louis XVI. and his suite, in their flight from Paris, -halted here late at night to enquire the way.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<h4>Varennes</h4> - -<p><i>Enter the upper town by the Rue des Religieuses (or Rue de -l’Hôtel-de-Ville). The first house on the right is the</i> Maison de -Préfontaine (<i>photo above</i>), which is still as it was when, on June 21, -1791, at 11 o’clock at night, Louis XVI. and his suite, in their flight -from Paris, knocked at the door to ask their way.</p> - -<p><i>On the other side of the street is the Place du Château, where there -are</i> some German soldiers’ graves.</p> - -<p><i>The Rue de la Basse-Cour—a continuation of the Rue des -Religieuses—crosses the Place du Marché (photo below) in which stands, -on the left</i>, the ruined house of Sauce, the grocer, Procureur of the -Commune, in which Louis XVI. passed the night. This house, formerly No. -28, had, until the war, remained much as it was in 1791.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;"> -<a href="images/i078b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i078b_sml.jpg" width="339" height="188" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VARENNES. PLACE DU MARCHÉ AND RUE DE LA BASSE-COUR, NEAR -THE BRIDGE</p> - -<p><i>Ruins of house where Louis XVI. was arrested.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_75" id="page_75"></a>{75}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 342px;"> -<a href="images/i079a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i079a_sml.jpg" width="342" height="243" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VARENNES. BANKS OF THE AIRE.</p> - -<p><i>N. 46 crosses the bridge.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>Drouet, who recognised the King at St. Menehould (<i>p. 68</i>) reached -Varennes before him, by a short-cut. The whole town, aroused by the -tocsin, assembled, and compelled the carriage of the king to stop.</p> - -<p>The arrest of Louis XVI. was made at the Bras d’Or Inn, the site of -which was afterwards occupied by three houses, one of which was No. 340 -(<i>the bottom photograph</i> on p. 74 shows the ruins of these houses).</p> - -<p>The king and his family stayed at Sauce’s house until the morning, when -they were taken back to Paris.</p> - -<p>At the Mairie the authentic official report of the arrest of Louis XVI. -may be seen.</p> - -<p><i>Keep along the Rue de la Basse-Cour, then cross the Aire which divides -the upper from the lower town (visited on the first day, p. 52).</i></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;"> -<a href="images/i079b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i079b_sml.jpg" width="338" height="244" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VARENNES. BRIDGE OVER THE AIRE</p> - -<p><i>Seen from N. 46, coming from Neuvilly. At back: Ruined Church.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_76" id="page_76"></a>{76}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 336px;"> -<a href="images/i080a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i080a_sml.jpg" width="336" height="258" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHEPPY. TROOPS OF 1ST INF. DIV. WATERING HORSES</p> - -<p><i>The ruined village is on the top of the hillside.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Beyond the bridge, take G.C.</i> 38 <i>to the right for</i> 1 <i>km</i>. 800, <i>then -G.C.</i> 19 <i>on the left,</i> 2 <i>km. beyond Varennes, after crossing the -Buanthe</i>, <b>Cheppy</b> <i>is reached</i>.</p> - -<p>This village, with its interesting church, remained within the German -lines from 1914 to 1918, being retaken by the Americans on September 26, -1918. Frequently bombarded by aeroplanes and artillery, especially -during the Battle of Verdun, it was completely wiped out.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 348px;"> -<a href="images/i080b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i080b_sml.jpg" width="348" height="278" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHEPPY. DETACHMENT OF 107TH ENGINEERS (32ND INF. DIV.) -CLEARING ROADS OF BARBED-WIRE ENTANGLEMENTS</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_77" id="page_77"></a>{77}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 334px;"> -<a href="images/i081a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i081a_sml.jpg" width="334" height="263" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHEPPY. DRESSING STATION</p> - -<p><i>The Itinerary follows the left-hand road, at fork, to Montfaucon.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>To visit the ruins, turn to the left at the first houses along the -road, which runs past the quarries for 400 yards (photo below).</i></p> - -<p><i>Return to G.C. 19. At the end of the village (photo above) the road -divides. Leave the road lying straight ahead, which leads to Avocourt, -and follow G.C. 19 on the left, through</i> <b>Chéhémont Wood</b>, <i>and cross a -great plain dominated by the</i> Montfaucon Ridge.</p> - -<p><i>Five hundred yards before reaching</i> <b>Montfaucon</b>, <i>take the road on the -right which, at Montfaucon, joins the road from Malancourt</i>.</p> - -<p>Montfaucon is 8 km. from Cheppy.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 342px;"> -<a href="images/i081b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i081b_sml.jpg" width="342" height="225" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHEPPY. GERMAN POST OF COMMANDMENT ON BAULMY ROAD</p> - -<p><i>Ruins of Cheppy in the background.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_78" id="page_78"></a>{78}</span></p> - -<h4>Montfaucon</h4> - -<p>This very old market town, whose origin is said to date back to the end -of the 6th century, grew up around a monastery founded by St. Balderic, -son of Sigebert I., King of Austrasia.</p> - -<p>It was below Montfaucon that Count Eudes, in June, 888 or 889, aided by -several nobles, including Marc de Doulcon, is said to have inflicted a -bloody defeat on the Normans. The Chronicler, Abbon le Courbe, tells -how, after the defeat of the Normans before Paris, Eudes, pursuing them -across Champagne and the Argonne, caught them up near Montfaucon. After -a terrific struggle the Normans were cut to pieces and 19,000 of them -were left on the battlefield. In 1081, Godefroy de Bouillon, Duke of -Basse-Lorraine, built a castle-fortress there, which, however, he -dismantled before leaving for the Crusade in 1096. Another castle was -subsequently erected on the same site. In 1349 the Flagellants, who as a -penance marched in procession, scourging themselves publicly, passed -through Montfaucon under the leadership of Gilles de Rodennack, Lord of -Chassepierre.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 408px;"> -<a href="images/i082_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i082_sml.jpg" width="408" height="277" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MONTFAUCON VILLAGE IN RUINS, WITH GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST -IN FOREGROUND, ON THE RIGHT</p></div> -</div> - -<p>During the Hundred Years’ War the district was frequently ravaged by -bands of robbers, in consequence of which Charles V. authorised the -inhabitants to build a wall round the town. In 1387 the town suffered -during the war between the burgesses of Verdun and three neighbouring -lords. During the religious wars the town was taken and burned (1552). -In 1591, Henri IV. razed the castle, of which not a trace remains.</p> - -<p>In 1636, Montfaucon was once again ravaged by war, the enemy burning the -whole town, one house only being left standing. The Parish Church of St. -Laurent caught fire, and a number of the inhabitants who had taken -refuge there perished in the flames.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_79" id="page_79"></a>{79}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 345px;"> -<a href="images/i083a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i083a_sml.jpg" width="345" height="192" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MONTFAUCON. OBSERVATION-POST ON ROADSIDE NEAR CHURCH</p> - -<p><i>Overlooking Montfaucon Wood, Cheppy Wood, Hesse Forest, and Clermont -Argonne.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>On September 9, 1792, Montfaucon was occupied by Prussian troops under -Kalkreuth.</p> - -<p>In 1914, after the battle of the Marne, the Crown Prince had his -headquarters there for a few days, before establishing himself at -Stenay. The French 40th Infantry Division, during the retreat at the end -of September, forced the Bavarians to fall back on the woods of -Montfaucon, but the Germans quickly consolidated their positions on the -ridge, from which it was impossible to dislodge them.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 343px;"> -<a href="images/i083b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i083b_sml.jpg" width="343" height="241" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MONTFAUCON. RUINS OF MAIN STREET</p> - -<p><i>The Itinerary follows I.C. 4, on the right to Cierges.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>From the end of 1914 to 1918 they continued to improve the defence-works -of this naturally strong position, making it the centre of their -intermediate positions between the Hindenburg line and the -“Kriemhildestellung,” or second line of defence. It also provided them -with a splendid observation-post, from which to survey the whole of the -surrounding French lines. Another observation-post had been installed in -the church, from which the enemy could see Verdun, and this post played -a great part during the battle. The village, frequently pounded by the -French heavy batteries, was reduced to ruins.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_80" id="page_80"></a>{80}</span></p> - -<p>It was retaken by the Americans on September 26-27, 1918, after -desperate fighting with the German 37th Division, but only when it had -been surrounded, and Septsarges, Nantillois and Ivoiry had fallen.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 332px;"> -<a href="images/i084a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i084a_sml.jpg" width="332" height="257" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MONTFAUCON. FRANCO-AMERICAN OBSERVATION-POST IN THE -RUINS, NEAR THE CHURCH</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The site of Montfaucon is an unusual and striking one; unfortunately, -the town was almost entirely ruined.</p> - -<p><i>At the junction of the road from Malancourt, turn to the left, passing -shortly afterwards in front of</i> a concrete observation-post (<i>photo, p. -79</i>). <i>Keep along the principal street as far as the fork, where take -the uphill street on the right, turning immediately again to the right, -and coming out at the top of the ridge near the ruins of the church.</i> -Several observation-posts may be visited, including one inside the -church (<i>photo below</i>).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 343px;"> -<a href="images/i084b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i084b_sml.jpg" width="343" height="236" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MONTFAUCON. RUINS OF THE CHURCH. GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST -ON THE LEFT</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_81" id="page_81"></a>{81}</span></p> - -<p>The old Collegiate Church was surrounded by 17th century houses, built -on the site of the old cloister, and inhabited by the canons. Below this -part of the town several underground tunnels, since walled-up, were -made.</p> - -<p>The porch and the vestibule of the church dated from the 14th century, -the other parts were rebuilt or restored in 1597 and 1781.</p> - -<p>In the steeple a stone staircase of eighty steps led to the belfry, -whence wooden stairs ascended to a platform in the spire, in which six -openings gave a far-reaching view over the surrounding country. This -platform, 170 feet above the base of the church, had a total altitude of -about 1,240 feet. In the direction of Verdun the forts of Marre and -Dugny could be seen, and, still further away (about 25 miles), the -heights which dominate Souilly. To the south-west lie the plains of St. -Menehould, and on the west the plain and plateaux of Champagne. In the -same direction, in clear weather, the Fort of Berru, near Rheims, is -visible. The panorama further embraces the following: <i>on the -north-east</i>, the whole of the region of Grandpré; <i>on the north</i>, -Carignan and Montmédy; <i>on the east</i>, the heights of the Meuse, seven -miles away, shut in the horizon, hiding Damvillers and the Woëvre. From -the top of the ridge may be seen: <i>on the south</i>, the 1916 battlefield -of Verdun; <i>on the north</i>, the terrain of the offensive of September 26, -1918. Between the Meuse and the Aire, from Brieulles-sur-Meuse to -Grandpré, the line of villages, woods and hills, which, after being -fortified, formed the formidable German position known as the -“Kriemhildestellung,” should be noticed. Certain points in this line -were only carried in October, and even at the beginning of November, -1918. Several of them, like Hill 299 to the north-east of Cunel and -north-west of Brieulles, were taken, lost and retaken several times by -the Americans.</p> - -<p><i>Return by the Rue de l’Eglise to I.C. 4, which take to the right down -the hill. Half-way down, at the fork, take I.C. 4, on the right, to</i> -<b>Cierges</b> (<i>4 km. 500 from Montfaucon</i>).</p> - -<p>From 1914 to 1918 the Germans had an aviation camp at Cierges. The camp -and station were frequently bombed by the Allied aviators. In September, -1918, during the first days of the American offensive, fires broke out -in the village, to which the Germans held on stubbornly. On the 28th, -they launched several counter-attacks, but at the beginning of October -were forced to abandon the village. On October 4, the capture of Gesnes -(through which the tourist passes on his way to Exermont) finally -cleared Cierges.</p> - -<p><i>On reaching the Rue de l’Eglise, turn along the first road on the left, -which, 1 km. 300 beyond Cierges, runs into G.C. 2 bis.</i></p> - -<p><i>Turn to the right and follow G.C. 2 bis for 1 km., then take the Chemin -Vicinal (local road) on the left—German dug-outs, 200 yards away on the -left—which leads to the interesting village of</i> <b>Gesnes</b>, lying in a -little valley. Many of the houses were destroyed.</p> - -<p><i>The road passes in front of the church, then turns to the left, skirts</i> -a German cemetery, <i>then goes straight to</i> <b>Exermont</b> (<i>8 km. 800 from -Cierges</i>). Numbers<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_82" id="page_82"></a>{82}</span> of German dug-outs, sometimes forming veritable -villages, are met with on the way.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 344px;"> -<a href="images/i086a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i086a_sml.jpg" width="344" height="258" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CIERGES. RUINED CHURCH AND HOUSES IN RUE DE L’EGLISE</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The folklore of the district, like that of many villages in the Argonne -and the Ardennes, is rich in stories of fairies, demons and witches. -Near the well called Fontaine-St. Germain, about a kilometre north of -the village, is a place called “Ronde-de-Danses,” where the grass never -grows. Here, the fairies of the “Château d’Ariétal,” near the spring of -the same name, used to meet and dance all night.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 344px;"> -<a href="images/i086b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i086b_sml.jpg" width="344" height="268" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GERMAN SHELTER AT FERME-AUX-BOIS, NEAR CIERGES. -AFTERWARDS POST OF COMMANDMENT OF THE 315TH AND 318TH R.A.C., 2ND -AMERICAN ARMY</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Exermont was retaken by the Americans on September 28 1918.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_83" id="page_83"></a>{83}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i087a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i087a_sml.jpg" width="340" height="220" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GESNES VILLAGE AND CHURCH, <i>seen coming from Cierges</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Beyond the church turn to the left and at the fork</i>, 300 <i>yards after -the last houses, take the left-hand road (I.C. 4). After crossing the -river and over Hill 183, the road cuts N. 46. passes over the river -Aire, then the railway (l.c.), and after joining the Apremont road, -enters</i> <b>Châtel-Chéhéry</b> (<i>4 km. 300 from Exermont</i>).</p> - -<p>This village, which suffered little (<i>photo, p.</i> 84), was abandoned by -the Germans without much resistance, on October 7, 1918. in the face of -the advance by the Americans, who had, however, encountered great -difficulty in capturing the outskirts.</p> - -<p>Gérard de Melcy, one of the heroes of the siege of Sebastopol, was -buried in the cemetery which surrounds the church.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;"> -<a href="images/i087b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i087b_sml.jpg" width="338" height="267" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>EXERMONT. GERMAN PRISONERS</p></div> -</div><p> During the Franco-American -offensive of September, 1918, the Americans found among the papers of -the German Town-Major the following document.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_84" id="page_84"></a>{84}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 415px;"> -<a href="images/i088a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i088a_sml.jpg" width="415" height="300" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHÂTEL-CHÉHÉRY VILLAGE AND CHURCH</p> - -<p><i>Behind the latter, I.C. 4 leading to Exermont.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">which throws light on the German methods of treating the inhabitants of -occupied districts:—</p> - -<p class="r"> -“33rd General Divisional Headquarters,<br /> -“10th May, 1916.<br /> -</p> - -<p>“We have absolutely no reason to be lenient with the French population.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 330px;"> -<a href="images/i088b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i088b_sml.jpg" width="330" height="254" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ADVANCE POST ON HILL 240 AT MONTREFAGNE NORTH-WEST OF -EXERMONT</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_85" id="page_85"></a>{85}</span></p> - -<p>I order a fresh examination of the taxable capacity of the inhabitants, -and no misplaced feeling of sympathy with the people of the district -must be allowed to affect that enquiry. It would be well to consider -whether, with this end in view, we might not occasionally imprison some -of the inhabitants.</p> - -<p class="r"> -“(Signed) Vollbrecht.”<br /> -</p> - -<p><i>Pass in front of the church and keep straight on. Cross the Boulasson -Stream and follow the road past the foot of the promontory on which the</i> -<b>Château of Cornay</b> <i>used to stand</i>. This castle comprised several forts: -Camp-Crochet, Vieux-Château, Grand Bel, and Petit Bel, all separated by -deep trenches and connected by underground passages. A cross called -“Croix-de-Bayle” now stands on the site of the “Grand Bel.” There is a -tradition that this cross was erected to commemorate “the extinction of -heresy,” Protestants having been numerous in the district. The fortress -is said to have been destroyed during the Wars of the League.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i089_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i089_sml.jpg" width="340" height="229" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CORNAY VILLAGE AND CHURCH</p> - -<p><i>I.C. 4 leading to Marcq.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>The pretty little village of <b>Cornay</b> (<i>photo above</i>) which <i>is soon -reached, is 2 km. from Châtel</i>.</p> - -<p>Burned down by the troops of Charles-Quint in 1552, it was rebuilt -beside the ruins.</p> - -<p>The church dates from the 12th century, but was frequently restored. The -last restoration dates from 1854, and is in harmony with the original -style of the building.</p> - -<p><i>Opposite Cornay, on the right bank of the Aire, is</i> <b>Fléville</b>, which -possesses a fine 16th century château. This village was taken by the -Americans on October 4, 1918, whilst Cornay and Marcq, the next village, -were only evacuated by the Germans on October 9 and 10.</p> - -<p><i>Leave the Church of Cornay on the left and at the fork at the end of -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_86" id="page_86"></a>{86}</span> village, take the left-hand road</i> (<i>I.C.</i> 20) <i>which crosses the -valley</i> (traces of artillery emplacements). <i>At the first houses of</i> -<b>Marcq</b> <i>the road crosses that from St. Juvin.</i> <i>At the crossing there is -a</i> large German cemetery.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i090a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i090a_sml.jpg" width="340" height="239" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHEVIÈRES. BURNT DOWN BY THE GERMANS</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Many of the houses at Marcq</i> (<i>2 km. 800 from Cornay</i>) were destroyed.</p> - -<p><i>Pass through the village and keep straight on to</i> <b>Chevières</b> (2 <i>km</i>.), -completely burned down by the Germans previous to their departure -(<i>photo above</i>).</p> - -<p><i>Two kilometres beyond Chevières the road crosses the railway (l.c.) and -runs into the Senuc road. Turn to the right and cross the Aire.</i> -<b>Grandpré</b>, a pretty little town, many of whose houses have been -destroyed, <i>is next reached</i> (<i>2 km. 900 from Chevières</i>).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 336px;"> -<a href="images/i090b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i090b_sml.jpg" width="336" height="266" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>B. CO. OF 303RD ENGINEERS (78TH INF. DIV.) BUILDING -BRIDGE OVER THE AIRE, DESTROYED THREE TIMES BY ENEMY ARTILLERY FIRE. <i>At -back</i>: GRANDPRÉ.</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_87" id="page_87"></a>{87}</span></p> - -<h4>Grandpré</h4> - -<p>Grandpré lies at the eastern end of the pass formed by the Valley of the -Aire, which cuts deeply into the Argonne. The town is very old. To the -south, on the Nègremont Mountain, there are traces of a camp which is -supposed to be Roman. Attila, after his defeat in the <i>Champs -Catalauniques</i>, also camped there, and long after him, Dumouriez. The -village was possibly founded or extended by a follower of Clovis, who -built a château there, but of which nothing now remains. Grandpré was -pillaged in 884, by the Normans; during the Hundred Years’ War, by the -English; and, under the League, by the rival troops of the Marshal of -St. Paul, Mayenne, and Henri IV. The latter stayed there in 1591. His -letter of October 3, 1591, in which he relates the events of the -preceding days, was dated from Grandpré. During the <i>Fronde</i> the country -was again ravaged, and at a later date, pillaged by the Dutchman -Growenstein.</p> - -<p>In 1792, Dumouriez had his headquarters at Grandpré, and after the -battles of Croix-aux-Bois and Montcheutin, the headquarters of the King -of Prussia were transferred there. In October of the same year, during -the Prussian defeat, Grandpré was crowded with enemy sick, struck down -by dysentery.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;"> -<a href="images/i091_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i091_sml.jpg" width="339" height="254" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GRANDPRÉ. TEMPORARY BRIDGE ACROSS THE AIRE</p></div> -</div> - -<p>According to Goethe, the castle was at that time the abode of pestilence -and death; the neighbourhood of the village, thickly strewn with corpses -and graves, was one gigantic cemetery.</p> - -<p>During the war of 1914-1918 the German camps and military works at -Grandpré were frequently bombed by the Allied airmen. Only at the end of -September, 1918, did the Franco-American troops recapture the village -after a long and severe struggle.</p> - -<p>On a terrace, in grounds to the north of the village, stands a château -in the style of Louis XIII., which is but the main entrance of an old -and larger castle belonging to the Dukes of Joyeuse. This castle, in -which Charles VI. lodged when on his way to the Ardennes, was rebuilt by -<i>Louis de Joyeuse</i>, assisted by the generosity of Louis XI. Joubert, -Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Italy, was married to Mlle. de -Montholon Senonville in this<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_88" id="page_88"></a>{88}</span> castle on the 7th Messidor of the year -VII. (June 26, 1799). The castle was destroyed by fire in 1834.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 333px;"> -<a href="images/i092a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i092a_sml.jpg" width="333" height="243" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GRANDPRÉ. RUINS OF CHURCH</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>The road passes slightly to the right of the Church</i>—a large, handsome -building of yellow stone (<i>hist. mon.—photo above</i>), which suffered -greatly from the bombardments.</p> - -<p>Dating from the 13th century, when it formed part of the old Priory of -St. Médard, it had frequently been restored and altered. The pulpit and -the choir-stalls were composed of fragments of magnificent 16th century -woodwork, brought from the Abbey of Belval. The church contains the tomb -of Claude de Joyeuse, a remarkable monument in black marble.</p> - -<p><i>One hundred yards beyond the village, turn to the left, into I.C. 15, -which leads to</i> <b>Termes</b> (<i>3 km. 500 from Grandpré</i>).</p> - -<p>Many of the houses in Termes were destroyed. <i>Pass in front of</i> the -church, which has lost the top of its steeple (<i>photo, p.</i> 89). In the -interior there is an old holy-water basin shaped like a mortar.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 347px;"> -<a href="images/i092b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i092b_sml.jpg" width="347" height="253" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GRANDPRÉ CHURCH. NAVE AND SOUTH AISLE, SEEN FROM THE -CHOIR</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_89" id="page_89"></a>{89}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 254px;"> -<a href="images/i093a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i093a_sml.jpg" width="254" height="335" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SHELL HOLES ON MORT-HOMME HILL</p> - -<p><i>5 km. north of Grandpré.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Opposite Termes, stands the village of</i> <b>Senuc</b>, which dominates the -junction of the Aire and the Aisne.</p> - -<p>In 1918 the position of Senuc, strongly fortified by the Germans, was -taken by the French troops after a long struggle.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 347px;"> -<a href="images/i093b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i093b_sml.jpg" width="347" height="238" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>TERMES. RUINED CHURCH</p> - -<p><i>I.C. 15 at the corner of Olizy road.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_90" id="page_90"></a>{90}</span></p> - -<p><i>Keep along I.C. 15, which leads straight to</i> <b>Mouron</b> (2 <i>km.</i> 700).</p> - -<p>It was between Termes and Mouron that, on October 2, 1792, the Prussian -Army, retreating after the Battle of Valmy, recrossed the Aisne on two -pontoon-bridges. Goethe, who was standing between the two bridges, -watched the disappointed and exhausted troops go by.</p> - -<p>The King of Prussia and the Duke of Brunswick, with their staff, brought -up the rear. “Both,” wrote Goethe, “paused for a moment before crossing -the bridge, as if reluctant to abandon the Plains of Champagne, where -they had just suffered a humiliating defeat.”</p> - -<p>Mouron and Vaux guard the entrance to the Grandpré Pass—the easiest -pass of the Argonne.</p> - -<p>In 1792, Dumouriez concentrated the greater part of his army there, -leaving practically undefended the passes of Les Islettes, -Croix-aux-Bois and Chesne.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 426px;"> -<a href="images/i094_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i094_sml.jpg" width="426" height="298" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>MOURON. DESTROYED BRIDGE OVER THE AISNE, AND TEMPORARY -BRIDGE</p></div> -</div> - -<p>In 1918, the Germans clung desperately to these positions, from which -the French had to drive them by main force.</p> - -<p>The Church of Mouron is modern, but contains some interesting 17th -century woodwork.</p> - -<p><i>On leaving the village, take the left-hand road, which soon crosses -first the Aisne (photo above), then the railway (l.c.), reaching</i> -<b>Vaux-lez-Mouron</b> (<i>1 km. 200 from Mouron</i>).</p> - -<p><i>The road runs along the south side of Vaux Church, and after passing -the portal, goes straight ahead.</i></p> - -<p><i>About 100 yards beyond the church, leave the Challerange road on the -right, and continue for another 800 yards, where the I.C. 21 joins up. -Turn into the latter on the left.</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_91" id="page_91"></a>{91}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 342px;"> -<a href="images/i095a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i095a_sml.jpg" width="342" height="232" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GERMAN VILLAGE ON THE EDGE OF AUTRY WOOD</p></div> -</div> - -<p>1 <i>km. 800 further on, after crossing the I.C.</i>, the edge of Autry Wood -<i>will be reached</i>. <i>On the right will be seen</i> a village built by the -Germans (<i>photo above</i>).</p> - -<p><i>I.C. 21 now runs through the wood, which was strongly fortified by the -Germans from 1914 to 1918.</i></p> - -<p><i>On leaving it at the fork in the road, turn to the left; 500 yards -further on, at another fork, turn again to the left, reaching</i> <b>Autry</b> -<i>soon afterwards</i> (6 km. 300 <i>from Vaux</i>).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 422px;"> -<a href="images/i095b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i095b_sml.jpg" width="422" height="298" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>AUTRY. DESTROYED BRIDGE ACROSS THE AISNE</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_92" id="page_92"></a>{92}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 334px;"> -<a href="images/i096a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i096a_sml.jpg" width="334" height="236" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GERMAN TELEPHONE EXCHANGE</p> - -<p><i>50 yards to the left of G.C. 66 (coming from Autry) and 150 yards this -side of Binarville.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>Autry, like all the surrounding villages, has had a chequered history.</p> - -<p>It was besieged and taken by the English in 1359. At the beginning of -the 17th century it was practically a deserted ruin.</p> - -<p>Under the <i>Fronde</i> it suffered again. The Lord of Autry was one of the -four knights who bore the canopy of the Sacred Ampulla during the -consecration of the kings at Rheims.</p> - -<p><i>The road winds round the rock on which stands</i> the ruined church. St. -Lambert’s Chapel in the cemetery contains some interesting frescoes.</p> - -<p>The château, which is below the church, dates from 1635.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 337px;"> -<a href="images/i096b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i096b_sml.jpg" width="337" height="237" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SERVON. GERMAN SHELTERS</p> - -<p><i>Along G.C. 66, below site of destroyed Church.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_93" id="page_93"></a>{93}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> -<a href="images/i097a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i097a_sml.jpg" width="335" height="243" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p><span class="smcap">ST. THOMAS. ROUTE DE SERVON, WITH BARRICADES AND TRENCHES</span> -(<i>Feb. 2, 1916</i>).</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Leave Autry by two bridges across the Aisne.</i></p> - -<p><i>Beyond the second bridge and the second house, there is a German -structure under the cliff, on the right.</i></p> - -<p><i>On the left is the road to</i> <b>Lançon</b>, the village where the French and -American troops effected their junction during the offensive of -September-October, 1918.</p> - -<p><i>Keep along I.C. 21 in the direction of</i> <b>Binarville.</b> <i>1 km. 700 beyond -Autry, leave the road to Condé-les-Autry on the right. 500 yards this -side of Binarville and 200 yards before the fork with G.C. 66 coming -from Varennes, there is</i> a French military cemetery <i>on the left</i>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 344px;"> -<a href="images/i097b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i097b_sml.jpg" width="344" height="241" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>FRENCH DEFENCE WORKS AND DRESSING-STATION</p> - -<p><i>G.C. 66, between Servon and St. Thomas.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_94" id="page_94"></a>{94}</span></p> - -<p><i>Just before reaching Binarville, fifty yards to the left of the road, -are</i> two large German concrete structures, a post of commandment, and a -telephone exchange (<i>photo, p.</i> 92).</p> - -<p>The village of Binarville, and the adjacent hamlet of <b>Mare-aux-Bœufs</b>, -were occupied by the Germans from 1914 to 1918, and were only recaptured -in September, 1918, by the French 4th Army.</p> - -<p>Binarville was completely destroyed.</p> - -<p><i>Outside the village, leave on the left the (impassable) road from -Vienne-le-Château, and keep straight on along G.C. 66.</i></p> - -<p><i>Two kilometres further on</i>, a few houses in ruins mark the site of -Mare-aux-Bœufs. <i>Keep to the left, leaving on the right the road from -Condé-les-Autry.</i></p> - -<p><i>Fire hundred yards beyond Mare-aux-Bœufs, on the left, there is</i> a -German post of commandment in concrete, with rooms, shelter and -telephone exchange. An Iron Cross is carved on one of the doors.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 421px;"> -<a href="images/i098_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i098_sml.jpg" width="421" height="304" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>FRENCH DEFENCE WORKS BETWEEN SERVON AND ST. THOMAS</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Keep along G.C. 66, past numerous defence-works and shelters, some in -concrete.</i></p> - -<p>This region, an excellent artillery position and a veritable stronghold, -from which the Germans launched many counter-attacks against the right -flank of the French 4th Army, during the offensive of September 26, -1918, was liberated by the French on September 30, after a heroic -struggle.</p> - -<p><i>Five kilometres beyond Binarville is</i> <b>Servon.</b></p> - -<p>It was near Servon that, on August 25th, 1786, the aeronaut Blanchard, -on his way from Lille to Paris, where he hoped to present a bouquet to -the King, was forced to descend after being carried out of his course by -contrary winds.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_95" id="page_95"></a>{95}</span></p> - -<p>Occupied by the Germans since September, 1914, and strongly fortified by -them, the village and surrounding country were attacked by the French on -September 25, 1915, during a minor offensive, intended to cover the main -attack in Champagne. The French, after a short advance, were forced to -retire on their original positions, in consequence of counter-attacks -debouching from Servon.</p> - -<p>The village was only retaken on September 26, 1918, by the French 4th -Army, which, on the evening of the same day, reached the wood 1 km. 500 -to the north-east of the village, after a fierce struggle.</p> - -<p>To-day Servon is an absolute ruin. The cemetery alone, on the left of -the road, indicates the site of the village.</p> - -<p>Below the ruins of the church, which stood on the top of the hill on -which the village was built, several German shelters (<i>photo, p.</i> 92) -may still be seen <i>along G.C.</i> 66.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 274px;"> -<a href="images/i099_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i099_sml.jpg" width="274" height="207" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>FRENCH MILITARY GRAVES AT ST. THOMAS</p> - -<p><i>Alongside the road from Servon.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>Immediately beyond these shelters <i>turn into the road on the left, which -runs through the village;</i> on both sides are other defence-works.</p> - -<p><i>Outside the village, leave the (impassable) Vienne-le-Château road on -the left, and keep straight on.</i></p> - -<p><i>G.C. 66 runs alongside the Aisne as far as</i> <b>St. Thomas</b>, <i>then passes -by</i> trenches and barbed-wire entanglements—the remains of the old -German front lines.</p> - -<p><i>Shortly afterwards</i>, the old French front lines <i>are reached</i>. <i>To the -right, on the left bank of the Aisne, is seen</i> the hamlet of <b>Melzicourt</b>, -which the French retook on October 25, 1914.</p> - -<p>All through the trench warfare the French line ran through the -Melzicourt Ford.</p> - -<p><i>Two kilometres beyond Servon, by the side of the road</i>, are large -shelters<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_96" id="page_96"></a>{96}</span> of stone and cement (<i>photo, p.</i> 92). <i>Opposite is</i> a French -military cemetery (<i>photo, p.</i> 95). <i>Two kilometres further on</i> <b>St. -Thomas</b> <i>is reached</i>.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;"> -<a href="images/i100a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i100a_sml.jpg" width="338" height="231" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>FIRST FRENCH LINE IN AISNE VALLEY BEFORE SERVON</p> - -<p>(<i>St. Thomas’ Sector.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The little village of St. Thomas formerly possessed a rich priory, -founded in 1096 by Robert, Abbot of St. Méry, and Manassés, Archbishop -of Rheims.</p> - -<p>The modern church was built on the site of the Priory Chapel, destroyed -during the Revolution.</p> - -<p>The village has completely disappeared; of the church only a few broken -fragments of wall remain.</p> - -<p><i>On leaving St. Thomas, G.C. 66 winds down into the valley of the -Biesme, passes near</i> a military cemetery, <i>crosses the valley, then -divides</i>. <i>Take the left-hand road (G.C. 67) which soon passes near</i> the -farm of La Renarde, <i>then alongside</i> a large military cemetery, <i>finally -reaching</i> <b>Vienne-le-Château</b> (<i>3 km. beyond St. Thomas</i>).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 339px;"> -<a href="images/i100b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i100b_sml.jpg" width="339" height="216" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>ST. THOMAS CHURCH AND VILLAGE</p> - -<p><i>Seen from G.C. 66 going towards Servon.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_97" id="page_97"></a>{97}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i101a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i101a_sml.jpg" width="340" height="246" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VIENNE-LE-CHÂTEAU. RUINS OF CHURCH</p></div> -</div> - -<h4>Vienne-le-Château</h4> - -<p>This very picturesque, industrial and forestal village was a royal -provostship before the Revolution.</p> - -<p>In the 6th century it belonged to the Bishops of Verdun.</p> - -<p>The castle-fortress on the hill which dominates the town to the west was -razed in 959 by the Count of Grandpré.</p> - -<p>Later, it was several times rebuilt and demolished. Fragments of the -ramparts may still be seen.</p> - -<p>In the 12th century the district was purchased by the Count of Bar.</p> - -<p>Vienne-le-Château was shelled by the Germans, especially in 1914 and -1915. The greater part of the village was wiped out, but the church and -neighbouring Town Hall did not greatly suffer.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 338px;"> -<a href="images/i101b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i101b_sml.jpg" width="338" height="237" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VIENNE-LE-CHÂTEAU. NAVE AND TRANSEPT OF CHURCH</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_98" id="page_98"></a>{98}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 423px;"> -<a href="images/i102a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i102a_sml.jpg" width="423" height="289" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VIENNE-LE-CHÂTEAU. ROAD LEADING TO LA PLACARDELLE</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The church dates from the 15th century, with the exception of the -façade, which is 18th century.</p> - -<p><i>G.C. 67, after turning to the right, passes by the Town Hall, and -follows the valley of the Biesme.</i></p> - -<p>This almost straight river is often called “the canal” by the -inhabitants.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 345px;"> -<a href="images/i102b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i102b_sml.jpg" width="345" height="247" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>VIENNE-LE-CHÂTEAU. INTERIOR OF RUINED FACTORY (1915)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The road hereabouts is very picturesque, and one of the finest in the -Argonne. It runs south of the woods of <b>Gruerie</b>, <b>Bolante</b> and <b>Chalade</b>, -<i>i.e.</i>, through that part of the forest where, in 1914-1915, the battles -which<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_99" id="page_99"></a>{99}</span> have made the Argonne famous were fought. Of the many famous -places in this forest those most accessible to tourists are mentioned -and described in the order in which they may be visited without unduly -prolonging the itinerary.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 333px;"> -<a href="images/i103a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i103a_sml.jpg" width="333" height="215" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>LA HARAZÉE. CHURCH BELL INSTALLED AS GAS ALARM SIGNAL</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>One kilometre from Vienne-le-Château, take on the left a road, made -during the war, which crosses the Biesme, and then follow the right -bank, past</i> numerous constructions and shelters (<i>photos above and -below</i>), to <b>La Harazée.</b></p> - -<p>In this village, completely ruined, near a French military cemetery, -<i>G.C.</i> 67, <i>coming from the left bank of the Biesme, is joined</i>.</p> - -<p><i>Take the small path which first runs alongside a stream, then climbs -towards</i> <b>Gruerie Wood</b>, for 500 yards, to see the battlefield. The wood, -which was hacked to pieces by the shells, contains numerous -defence-works of all kinds, and makes an impressive sight. <i>Further -along the road are</i> the German front lines.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 345px;"> -<a href="images/i103b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i103b_sml.jpg" width="345" height="237" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>LA HARAZÉE. ALL THAT IS LEFT OF THE VILLAGE</p> - -<p><i>At back</i>: GRUERIE WOOD</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100"></a>{100}</span></p> - -<h4>Gruerie Wood in 1914-1915</h4> - -<div class="figleft" style="width: 226px;"> -<a href="images/i104_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i104_sml.png" width="226" height="226" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>PATH FROM LA HARAZÉE TO GERMAN TRENCHES IN GRUERIE WOOD</p></div> -</div> - -<p>Gruerie Wood, which the <i>poilus</i> called “Tuerie Wood” (Slaughter Wood), -was one of the most active and dangerous sectors on the Western front -from September, 1914, to the end of 1915. The conditions of warfare -there were particularly trying. Attack followed attack almost without a -pause, generally preceded by mine explosions, and often developing into -ferocious hand-to-hand struggles. In this wood, sectors like the -<i>Pavillon de Bagatelle</i>, and the valleys of the <i>Fontaine-aux-Charmes</i> -and <i>Fontaine-Madame</i>, were the most fiercely contested.</p> - -<p>From Bagatelle a path leads to Fontaine-aux-Charmes, following the -stream of that name (which falls into the Biesme at La Harazée), and -then running beside the stream of Fontaine-Madame. These two streams, on -the south-east of Bagatelle, enclose a plateau broken by ravines and -hills, along which the French advanced in September and October, 1914, -threatening the German lines of communication through the Argonne. The -Germans repeatedly tried to force them back south of the Servon-Varennes -road, and to slip in through the valley of Fontaine-aux-Charmes, towards -La Harazée. In December, 1914, they attacked Fontaine-Madame six times -and Bagatelle three times. In January, 1915, attacks and counter-attacks -occurred almost daily. From the 16th to the 26th, fifteen German attacks -were launched in succession between Fontaine-Madame and St. Hubert, -lying to the south-east, on the stream of Fontaine-au-Mortier. The -French replied by immediate counter-attacks, and in the terrible -fighting which followed each side gained a hundred yards or so of -trenches. On the 27th, the Germans launched three attacks in the -direction of Bagatelle, while two days later the whole of the XXVIIth -Wurtemberg Division, previously drugged with alcohol and ether, hurled -themselves against the same position. The French left gave way, but -retook part of the lost ground after six counter-attacks. The struggle -continued on the following days, and, after heavy losses on both sides, -the Germans were repulsed twice during the night of January 29, once on -January 30, once on February 1, three times on the 2nd, twice on the 4th -and 7th. On February 17, 1915, while a French offensive was developing -in the district of Hurius-in-Champagne, the French troops in the Argonne -attacked the enemy, to prevent reinforcements being sent from that part -of the front. On the right bank of the Fontaine-aux-Charmes stream they -blew up a German blockhouse, and subsequently shelled the -gun-emplacement with a 65 mm. gun at 400 yards range. The most important -operation was directed against the German position of the <i>Blanleuil -Croupe</i>, lying between <i>Sec Ravin</i> and the <i>Ravine of Fontaine-Madame</i>, -from which it was possible to enfilade the Bagatelle salient. Three mine -chambers were made under the German lines. The attacking troops were -divided into three waves: the first (one company), after the explosion -of the mines, was to seize the position, pass it, and push on; the -second (one company) was to consolidate the captured position; the third -(a battalion) was to reinforce the attacking party and exploit the -success. Each assaulting column was preceded by a bomb-thrower and -followed by sappers with sand-bags and entrenching tools. At 8 a.m. the -mines were fired, one of them blowing up a German mine. Two<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101"></a>{101}</span></p> - -<div class="figright" style="width: 221px;"> -<a href="images/i105_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i105_sml.jpg" width="221" height="332" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GRUERIE WOOD. SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGE, 25 FT. DEEP</p> - -<p><i>Awaiting inspection by General commanding Sector.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">minutes later the three assaulting columns, led by their officers, -dashed forward. The position, attacked from three sides, was taken, and -a hundred Germans were killed in the trenches. Four prisoners and a -machine-gun were captured. At 8.30 the French held 350 yards of the -German trench, and reached the second line, which was full of Germans. -The enemy then launched fierce counter-attacks, which gave them back -their second line. On the French side the second wave had arrived to -reinforce the first company in the captured position. Two machine-guns -mowed down the advancing Germans, but were in turn put out of action by -the enemy, who renewed their counter-attacks with grenades. The French -were reinforced by two companies of the third wave, the third company -being used to revictual the combatants with grenades, bombs, and -sand-bags. The Germans renewed their counter-attacks, but were driven -back. Between 1.30 and 3 p.m., after a violent bombardment with -artillery and <i>minenwerfer</i>, which churned up the ground, the enemy -counter-attacked the French right in force with bayonets, but were -checked. The attack was renewed with grenades and bombs, and this time -the Germans advanced through all the trenches in the vicinity. After a -heroic resistance the French had to give way, and at about 4.30 p.m. the -position was lost. The enemy then attacked the rest of the trench on the -flank; under an incessant hail of bombs, the French were forced to -withdraw, retreating step by step—200 yards in two hours—with a loss -of 40 per cent of their forces. Little by little, their ammunition -exhausted, and in the face of the impossibility of bringing up supplies, -they were obliged to abandon the position and return to the trench from -which they had started. A company of Chasseurs fought for two hours with -German rifles and ammunition, and with unexploded German bombs. On March -1 another desperate struggle took place at Blanleuil. At about 7.15 a.m. -three enemy mines exploded under the French trenches, and the Germans -rushed into the craters, overwhelming two companies in the first line, -the survivors of which fought hand-to-hand. The Germans, heavily -reinforced, made considerable progress in Fontaine-Madame ravine, but a -counter-attack by a French battalion stopped and held them. At nightfall -another battalion counter-attacked in a snow-storm, and after four hours -of bayonet fighting recaptured the greater part of the lost ground. Very -few prisoners were taken on either side. On March 22, at Bagatelle, -after the explosion of three mines, two French companies took a German -trench and repulsed a strong attack, while 500 yards away the enemy also -exploded mines, threw themselves into the French trenches, and in a -hand-to-hand fight were beaten and driven back. From June 30 to July 15 -the sector was affected by the German offensive between Four-de-Paris -and Binarville road. On July 28, and on August 4 and 17, three German<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_102" id="page_102"></a>{102}</span> -efforts against Fontaine-aux-Charmes broke down. On September 9, a fresh -and more powerful attack ended in a desperate struggle. The Germans, -repulsed, renewed the attack a second time without success. On the -following day the sector was heavily bombarded with big shells. From -1916 this sector became quieter, the fierce and prolonged struggle of -1915 giving place to a mutual shelling of the trenches with occasional -grenade attacks and raids on both sides.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 342px;"> -<a href="images/i106_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i106_sml.jpg" width="342" height="240" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GRUERIE WOOD. ST. HUBERT SECTOR</p> - -<p><i>Taking the soup to troops in first-line trenches.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>Another sector, that of St. Hubert, was the scene of frequent struggles -from October, 1914, to September, 1915. In December, 1916, the Germans -attacked St. Hubert five times. After alternately advancing and -retreating, the French succeeded in maintaining their positions.</p> - -<p>Between January 16 and 27, 1915, some fifteen enemy attacks took place -in this region. At the beginning of July the battle became more violent. -On August 2, the Germans made use of liquid fire in an attack. -Subsequently the sector became quieter, like the rest of the Argonne.</p> - -<p>Not far from St. Hubert the French line described a pronounced salient, -known as Marie-Thérèse, in the enemy positions to the north of -Fontaine-la-Mitte. This name was given to the position by the <i>poilus</i>, -probably on account of the proximity of the lodge of a gamekeeper who -had a daughter named Marie-Thérèse. Surrounded on three sides by the -German lines, the Marie-Thérèse salient was difficult to hold, and the -Germans frequently endeavoured to reduce it. On January 19, 1915, they -exploded two mines in front of the French trenches, but the French -immediately occupied the craters. On the 22nd, after having pushed -sap-heads as close as possible to the French lines, the German -grenadiers suddenly emerged from them at about 10 a.m., each throwing -two large bombs. Then one of their battalions attacked the three sides -of the position, killed the machine-gunners, and at certain points -penetrated into the French second line. At 2 p.m. a battalion of French -Chasseurs counter-attacked, and partly reoccupied the first line, but -was then repulsed by German reinforcements. A third counter-attack in -the evening and a fourth on the following morning regained some of the -lost positions after a terrific struggle. All day and all night the -fight went on with bombs, grenades, bayonets, knives, pickaxes—anything -the men could<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103"></a>{103}</span> lay their hands on—with equal ferocity on both sides. A -hundred Frenchmen, nearly all wounded, were taken prisoners. At about -9.30 a.m. on February 10, the Germans mined some of the French trenches, -and then attacked in considerable force, but although they occupied part -of them, the attack was arrested almost immediately by a counter-attack, -and in the evening the enemy was partially driven back. The fighting -here was ferocious. The Germans, mostly drunk or drugged, murdered some -prisoners after disarming them. About midday on the 12th, the enemy, in -columns four abreast, on a front of 300 to 400 yards, once more hurled -themselves against the Marie-Thérèse salient. However, after being -brought to a stand by rifle fire, then scattered by an artillery -barrage, they retreated with very heavy losses. Two hours later, two -companies of French Chasseurs attacked in their turn, but suffered -severely from the machine-gun fire, only one party succeeding in getting -into contact with the enemy in a trench to which they clung. Twice on -May 12, several times in the beginning of July, on August 2 (when they -used liquid fire), on August 12 and 24, and twice on August 29, the -Germans attacked this so greatly coveted and so well defended salient. -Finally, there, as elsewhere, they abandoned all hope of breaking down -the resistance of the French, and thereafter “Marie-Thérèse” was seldom -mentioned in the communiqués.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i107_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i107_sml.jpg" width="340" height="247" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GRUERIE WOOD. ST. HUBERT SECTOR. MARIE THÉRÈSE RAVINE</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>After visiting Gruerie Wood, return to and proceed along G.C. 67. The -road passes beside</i> two large French cemeteries, <i>then</i> a row of -dug-outs. The forest becomes more and more denuded of trees, which were -smashed by the shells. <i>The site of</i> <b>Four-de-Paris</b> <i>is soon reached</i>, -though not a trace of the village remains (<i>photo, p. 104</i>). -<i>Four-de-Paris is 2 km. from La Harazée.</i></p> - -<h4>Four-de-Paris</h4> - -<p>It was against the Four-de-Paris sector that the first efforts of the -Germans, after their retreat of September, 1914, were directed. No -sacrifice, however costly, was considered too great to recapture this -essential position on the road to Les Islettes.</p> - -<p>In two days (November 27-28) seven enemy attacks were launched to the -north of Four. Three times on December 5 their troops, to the sound<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104"></a>{104}</span> of -fife and drum, returned to the charge, but without success. On the 18th, -after blowing up a trench, they again attacked. On January 5, 1915, by -way of a diversion, the French 2nd battalion of the 4th Foreign (or -Garibaldian) Regiment carried out an operation in this sector, while, -further to the east, the rest of the regiment delivered the main attack -at Courte-Chausse. At 10 a.m., the Garibaldians, supported by some -bomb-throwers belonging to the 9th Battalion of Chasseurs and French -91st Regiment of the Line, and by two sections of the engineers, -attacked the enemy trenches on a front of 400 yards, but, decimated by -machine-gun fire, they were unable to reach them. On February 16-17 and -on March 9 there were renewed and violent struggles. From June 29 to -July 15 the battle broke out again in this sector, interrupted from time -to time by terrible bombardments with gas shells.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 428px;"> -<a href="images/i108_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i108_sml.jpg" width="428" height="230" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p><span class="smcap">GENERAL VIEW OF THE “FOUR-DE-PARIS”</span> (<i>see page 103</i>)</p> - -<p><i>The road in the foreground leads from Four-de-Paris to Varennes.</i></p></div> -</div> - -<p>In 1916 and 1917 this sector, like the rest of the Argonne, quieted -down. Mining operations continued from time to time, but there were no -battles properly so called. In the occasional surprise attacks which -took place, the French generally got the better of the enemy.</p> - -<p><i>From Four-de-Paris, instead of going to La Chalade by the direct road -through the valley of the Biesme (2 km. 500), the Itinerary follows a -number of roads (17 km. 500 in all) through the forest, in order to -visit</i> certain picturesque spots and at the same time to see places like -<b>Bolante</b>, <b>Les Meurissons</b>, <b>La Haute-Chevauchée</b>, <b>Fille-Morte</b>, -<b>Pierre-Croisée</b> and <b>Courte-Chausse</b>, made famous by the war. All these -places were the scene of fierce conflicts in 1914 and 1915.</p> - -<p>In December, 1914, many engagements, in which the French made slight -progress, took place in this sector. It was to the east of Bolante Wood, -in the wild ravine of La Fontaine-des-Meurissons, that the Garibaldian -Regiment—raised by the Republicans of Italy to fight in France, and -placed at the disposal of General Gérard (commanding the 2nd Active -Corps)—received its baptism of fire. On December 26, 1914, the 2nd -Garibaldian Battalion was detailed to carry a German trench. The -attacking front was limited, about 150 yards, but the position was -strongly held and protected by a deep entanglement of barbed wire. After -an artillery preparation lasting from midnight until dawn, the -Garibaldian companies rushed forward, one behind the other, to make a -breach at all costs, but were held up by the uncut wire. At<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105"></a>{105}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 345px;"> -<a href="images/i109_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i109_sml.jpg" width="345" height="246" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>“FOUR-DE-PARIS.” FRONT-LINE DEFENCES (1916)</p></div> -</div> - -<p class="nind">one point an opening was made and a few men got through to the edge of -the German trench, only to be killed there. It was during this -engagement, which cost the 2nd Battalion 30 dead, 17 missing, and 111 -wounded, that Second-Lieutenant Bruno Garibaldi—a grandson of Giuseppe -Garibaldi, “the old red bird” whom, in 1870, the Prussian General Werder -confidently expected to “catch in his nest” in the Vosges, but failed in -the attempt—was killed. Bruno Garibaldi, though in reserve, advanced to -the assault with the 2nd Battalion, his sword drawn, his green tunic -unfastened, showing the traditional and symbolic red shirt. Wounded in -the hand, he went back to the trench to have it dressed, then returned -immediately to the fight. Struck by a bullet he continued to urge his -men forward, until another laid him low. Before dying, he embraced a -wounded comrade near by, saying, “Kiss my brothers for me.” On January -5, 1915, further to the right, on the Courte-Chausse plateau, the 1st -and 3rd Garibaldian Battalions had their revenge. Eight mines, the -galleries of which, forty to fifty yards in length, ran under the German -trench, were charged with about 6,000 lbs. of explosives during the -night. At 7 a.m. the next morning the mines were fired, one after the -other, after which, to the sound of bugles and drums, eight Garibaldian -companies took the shattered enemy front line in a single charge, threw -a German counter-attack into disorder, took and retook the second line, -and penetrated into the third German line. This they were unable to -hold, but they had nevertheless made an important advance, taken four -machine-guns, two <i>minenwerfer</i>, and 200 prisoners of the 135th, 26th, -and 24th German Regiments—most of them Pomeranians. By a strange -coincidence it was the flag of a Pomeranian regiment—the LXIst—that -had been taken in 1870 at the Battle of Dijon by Ricciotti Garibaldi, -Bruno’s father. The Garibaldians’ losses that day were heavy. Among the -dead was Adjutant-Chief Costante Garibaldi, Bruno’s brother. Some days -later a violent battle took place in the Meurissons ravine. On January -7, after a half-hearted German attack, which was easily beaten off, -rough trenches were dug on the plateau—in view of a possible -retreat—by men belonging to the 46th French Regiment of the Line, who -worked under heavy fire. General Gouraud, commanding the 10th Infantry -Division,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106"></a>{106}</span> who came to examine the position, was wounded in the shoulder -by a machine-gun bullet. On the following day a violent German artillery -preparation began at dawn. At 7.30 a.m. three regiments of fresh enemy -troops (Bavarian infantry) advanced to the attack. A trench held by men -of the 89th Regiment of the Line was blown up, the French line was -broken, and the Bavarians took on the flank the first and second lines -held by troops of the 89th and 46th Regiments of the Line, who put up a -fierce resistance. On the plateau the 11th Company of the 46th, which -held the unfinished supporting trench, stopped the rush of the enemy. -The Germans, unwilling to risk a frontal attack, turned the position on -the right flank, and finally took the trench, but only after the gallant -defenders had fired their last cartridges. The Germans penetrated into -the ravine, capturing the regimental headquarters, and wounding the -colonel and his staff. The 11th Company, however, still held on. On the -crest, the cooks and the sick seized rifles and joined in the fight. At -about 9.30 a.m. a blast of trumpets on the right announced the arrival -of reinforcements. Units of the French 89th Regiment of the Line and 2nd -Garibaldian Battalion charged through the undergrowth. A furious -hand-to-hand struggle ensued in the copse-wood, no quarter being given. -The French succeeded in saving their comrades of the 46th, and checked -the enemy, who eventually evacuated the ravine. At dawn on the 9th, -units of the 120th Regiment of the Line relieved the Garibaldians, who -numbered among their dead the Regiment’s adopted child, Gaston Huet, a -French boy of twelve, who had fought like a man. It was in vain that the -Germans renewed their attacks; until nine o’clock in the evening they -were repulsed and held. The remnant of the French 46th Regiment of the -Line—some three hundred men—under the command of a captain clung for -three days without supplies, to their positions. Their splendid -resistance and sacrifice were not in vain, as reinforcements arrived in -time to re-establish the position.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 335px;"> -<a href="images/i110_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i110_sml.jpg" width="335" height="247" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>FOUR-DE-PARIS FARM IN 1915 (SUBSEQUENTLY RAZED TO THE -GROUND), ON THE ROAD TO CHALADE</p></div> -</div> - -<p>From March 9 to 19, several French attacks between Four-de-Paris and -Bolante gave slight gains, in spite of enemy counter-attacks.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107"></a>{107}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 332px;"> -<a href="images/i111a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i111a_sml.jpg" width="332" height="215" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>FOUR-DE-PARIS FARM IN 1918 (<i>see p. 103</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i111b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i111b_sml.jpg" width="340" height="236" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SHELL CRATERS ON HILL 285, IN THE “FILLE MORTE” SECTOR -(<i>as seen from the road</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p>On August 7, part of a trench was taken by the Germans in a night attack -at Fille-Morte. During the whole of that month, at Courte-Chausse, Les -Meurissons, La Haute-Chevauchée and Bolante, continual fighting took -place with artillery, mines, trench-mortars, grenades and bombs. On -September 27, during the French offensive in Champagne, the Germans -attempted a diversion against Bolante and Fille-Morte. After a heavy -bombardment with explosive and gas shells, a force of nearly two -regiments attacked in four successive waves. At first they made some -slight progress, but were soon almost everywhere repulsed with very -heavy losses. From October, 1915, it was in this part of the Argonne -that the activity was greatest, though here, as elsewhere, the fighting -considerably diminished. In 1916, frequent mining operations gave rise -to grenade fighting around the craters at Fille-Morte, Bolante, La -Haute-Chevauchée and Courte-Chausse. In 1917, mine warfare was -practically abandoned, but both sides frequently made<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108"></a>{108}</span> raids into the -opposing trenches, for the purpose of taking prisoners and destroying -the works and shelters there.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 333px;"> -<a href="images/i112a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i112a_sml.jpg" width="333" height="242" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>GERMAN CEMETERY ON THE ROAD FROM FOUR-DE-PARIS TO -VARENNES (<i>4 km. from the former</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>On reaching Four-de-Paris from La Harazée, take G.C. 38, on the left, -towards Varennes.</i></p> - -<p><i>The road follows the valley of Les Meurissons</i> (<i>on the right is</i> -<b>Bolante Wood</b>), <i>crosses</i> Hill 265, <i>and passes by the</i> original front -lines.</p> - -<p><i>From here onwards</i>, veritable villages built by the Germans <i>may be -seen on the sides of the hill, on the left bank of the Meurissons -stream</i>.</p> - -<p>The forest on the crest of the hill was cut to pieces by the shells.</p> - -<p><i>Almost at the top of the hill the road runs past</i> a German cemetery -containing a curious monument (<i>4 km. from Four-de-Paris; photo above</i>).</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 343px;"> -<a href="images/i112b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i112b_sml.jpg" width="343" height="226" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>DESTRUCTION OF THE ARGONNE FOREST</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109"></a>{109}</span></p> - -<p><i>One kilometre further on, at the Meurissons cross-roads</i>, <b>La -Haute-Chevauchée</b>, an old Roman road, <i>is reached</i>.</p> - -<p><i>Follow La Haute-Chevauchée</i>—<i>a very interesting road, but in bad -repair—driving slowly and carefully for the first 2 km.</i></p> - -<p><i>The road passes through</i> <b>Jardinet Wood</b>, which is full of dug-outs, -shelters and gun-emplacements.</p> - -<p><i>On leaving the wood</i> the view is impressive. Hill 285, opposite, is -literally ploughed up by the shell fire, while not a single tree is left -(<i>photo below</i>).</p> - -<p>This is the sector of the Fille-Morte, Pierre-Croisée and -Courte-Chausse.</p> - -<p><i>The road goes round the hill, passing</i> a succession of shell-craters on -the crest.</p> - -<p><i>Shortly afterwards, after entering Chalade Wood, the road improves.</i> On -both sides are French structures of stonework.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 418px;"> -<a href="images/i113_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i113_sml.jpg" width="418" height="283" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>HILL 285, IN THE “FILLE MORTE” SECTOR</p> - -<p>(<i>The car is going towards the Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>One kilometre beyond Hill 285 is the Sept-Fontaines cross-roads, where -stood</i> a French dressing-station, <i>facing the road going towards the -Mont-de-Villers</i>.</p> - -<p><i>Keep straight on: 1 km. 800 further on, at the cross-roads, near the -site of the Forest Keeper’s Lodge, there is</i> a large military cemetery. -The Lodge was completely destroyed.</p> - -<p><i>2 km. 300 further on, Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads is reached. Fifty -yards this side of the cross-roads, on the left, is</i> the shelter where -Lieutenant de Courson met a glorious death in 1915 (<i>photo, p.</i> 110).</p> - -<p><i>At Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads, where the Neuvilly road (on the left) -and the Clermont road (in front) start, turn to the right into the road -leading to Chalade (called Chemin des Romains).</i></p> - -<p><i>Pass an old camp (Camp Monhoven), then 1 km. beyond Croix-de-Pierre -leave the Claon road on the left.</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110"></a>{110}</span></p> - -<p><i>Two kilometres further on there is a sharp descent leading to G.C. 22, -which take on the right for 1 km. to</i> <b>Chalade.</b></p> - -<p>The village of Chalade grew up around a monastery founded in 1120 by -Robert and Riouin, monks of the Abbey of St. Vanne at Verdun.</p> - -<p>The Abbey, occupied first by the Benedictines, and afterwards (from -1127) by the Cistercians, was placed under the care of the Bishops of -Verdun, protected by the Lords of Vienne-le-Château.</p> - -<p>The monks drained the marshes of the valley of the Biesme and cultivated -the slopes.</p> - -<p>The Abbey church, begun in 1275, was never finished.</p> - -<p>There is a legend that the prior, who had given up all hope of finishing -the church, received a visit from the Devil, who offered to finish the -building for him, on condition that he should have the soul of the first -Christian who crossed the threshold of the completed church.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i114_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i114_sml.jpg" width="340" height="238" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SHELTER, NAMED AFTER FRENCH OFFICER WHO FELL THERE IN -1915</p></div> -</div> - -<p>The prior having refused this offer, the Devil scattered in all -directions the houses which had until then been grouped around the -monastery, and reduced to dust the blocks of “gaize” in the quarries.</p> - -<p>Since that time the houses have remained scattered, and there are no -more blocks of “gaize” to be found in the neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>This legend is doubtless a naïve explanation of natural phenomena, -“gaize” being a silicious clay peculiar to the district.</p> - -<p>The Abbot’s house in the enclosure is in ruins. South of the church, -monastic buildings, probably erected in the 17th century, are still -standing, though in a dilapidated condition.</p> - -<p>The Abbey church became the church of the parish. The windows and -rose-window were restored in the 19th century. The nave has lost two of -its bays, and the steeple has been pulled down.</p> - -<p>The Gothic nave is large and high, the springing of the vaults resting -on sculptured capitals. Fragments of old stained-glass, still to be -found in some of the windows before the war, were destroyed by the -bombardments.</p> - -<p>At the end of the nave there is a fine rose-window, the mullions of -which are said to have been taken from the old Abbey of St. Vanne at -Verdun.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111"></a>{111}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 340px;"> -<a href="images/i115a_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i115a_sml.jpg" width="340" height="238" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>CHALADE. MILITARY GRAVES AND CHURCH</p></div> -</div> - -<p><i>Return by G.C. 22, continuing along this road to</i> <b>Claon</b> (<i>3 km</i>).</p> - -<p>This little village served as a cantonment during the war, and was also -a revictualling centre.</p> - -<p><i>Take the road to the right in the village, returning to -Sainte-Menehould, via Florent (9 km).</i></p> - -<p><i>Before entering Sainte-Menehould, the road passes by</i> a large French -military cemetery containing 9,000 graves.</p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 419px;"> -<a href="images/i115b_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i115b_sml.jpg" width="419" height="302" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>SAINTE-MENEHOULD. GREAT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY,</p> - -<p><i>with monument to the defenders of the Argonne</i> (<i>10th and 18th C.</i>)</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112"></a>{112}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary=""> -<tr><td> </td><td align="right">PAGE</td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#FOREWORD">Foreword</a></span></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_5">5</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#The_Argonne_Campaign_of_1792">The Argonne, 1792-1870—Historical</a></span></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_6">6</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_GREAT_WAR_1914-1918">The Great War, 1914-1918</a></span></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_8">8</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#THE_OPERATIONS_OF_1918">The Operations of 1918</a></span></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_13">13</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><span class="smcap"><a href="#The_Franco-American_Offensive_of_September_26_1918">The Franco-American Offensive of September 26, 1918</a></span></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_19">19</a></td></tr> - -<tr><th colspan="2" align="center">ITINERARY</th></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#FIRST_DAY"><span class="smcap">The First Day</span></a></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_31">31</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td valign="top"><a href="#SECOND_DAY"><span class="smcap">The Second Day</span></a></td><td align="right" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_70">70</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 425px;"> -<a href="images/i116_lg.jpg"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i116_sml.jpg" width="425" height="277" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<div class="caption"><p>FRENCH MINE-THROWER ABOUT TO BE FIRED</p></div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113"></a>{113}</span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 458px;"> -<a href="images/i119_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i119_sml.png" width="458" height="721" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 453px;"> -<a href="images/i118_lg.png"> -<img src="images/i118_sml.png" width="453" height="714" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -</div> - -<p class="c"> -PRINTED IN THE U. S. A.<br /> -BY ESSEX PRESS, INC., NEWARK, N. J.<br /> -<br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116"></a>{116}</span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117"></a>{117}</span><a name="page_115" id="page_115"></a><br /> - -<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118"></a>{118}</span></p> - -<div class="bbox"> -<p class="cb">BEAUTIFUL FRANCE</p> - -<p class="c"><i>Paris and its environs</i></p> - -<p class="nind"><i>PARIS</i>—home of grandeur, elegance, and wit—plays a part in France -probably unequalled in any other country, and may be considered, in many -respects, as the chief city of Europe, and one of the greatest in the -world. Above all, it possesses eminently national qualities which ten -centuries of refinement and taste have handed down to contemporary -France.</p> - -<p> -It is impossible, in a few lines, to paint the exceptional charms of -Paris which the whole world admires.</p> - -<p> -Its vistas of the Champs-Elysées seen from the Tuileries and the Arc de -Triomphe; of Notre-Dame and the point of the City Island seen from La -Concorde Bridge; of the River Seine, the Institute, the Louvre, seen -from the Pont-Neuf embankment; Notre-Dame and its quays, seen from the -end of St. Louis Island; the panorama of the city seen from the top of -Montmartre Hill; the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Boulogne -itself, etc., etc.,—all are of incomparable beauty.</p> - -<p> -The city’s historical monuments are of inestimable value, and the most -famous art treasures are to be found in its Museums.</p> - -<p> -The surroundings of Paris join the charm of their landscapes to the -world-wide fame of their parks and castles: <i>Versailles</i>, whose palace -and park recall the splendor of the Louis XIV. period, and where the -“Trianons” have preserved graceful traces of the Court of -Marie-Antoinette; <i>St. Germain</i> with its castle and forest; <i>St. Cloud</i> -and its park; <i>Sèvres</i> and its world-renowned art porcelain factory; <i>La -Malmaison</i>, home of Bonaparte before he became Napoleon I.; -<i>Rambouillet</i>, <i>Fontainebleau</i>, <i>Chartres</i> with its marvelous cathedral, -<i>Maintenon</i>, <i>Dreux</i>, etc.—all these form a girdle round Paris such as -no other metropolis in the world can boast of.</p> -</div> - -<p> </p> - -<div class="bbox"> - -<p class="cb"><big>MICHELIN TOURING OFFICES</big><br />———</p> - -<p class="c"><b>MICHELIN TYRE CO., Ltd., LONDON</b><br /> - Touring Office <span class="ditto">::</span> 81, Fulham Road, S. W.<br /> - -<b>MICHELIN & Cie, CLERMONT-FERRAND</b><br /> - Touring Office <span class="ditto">::</span> 97, Boulevard Péreire, PARIS</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i154a_lg.png"> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /> -<br /> -<img src="images/i154a_sml.png" width="294" height="198" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<p class="c"><i>Why ask the Way, when . . . . .</i></p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i154b_lg.png"> -<br /> -<img class="enlargeimage" -src="images/enlarge-image.jpg" -alt="" -width="18" -height="14" /><br /> -<img src="images/i154b_sml.png" width="311" height="215" alt="[Image not available]" /></a> -<p class="c"><i>. . . . . Michelin will tell you free of charge?</i></p> -</div> - -<p class="c">———</p> - -<div class="centr"><div class="centr2"> -<p class="nind">Drop a line, ring us up, or call at one of our<br /> -Touring Offices and you will receive a carefully<br /> -worked-out description of the route to follow.<br /> -</p></div> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119"></a>{119}</span> </p> - -<div class="bbox"> -<p class="c">HOTELS AND MOTOR AGENTS<br /> AT SAINT MENEHOULD, VERDUN.</p> -<hr /> -<p class="c">SAINT MENEHOULD</p> - -<p class="c"> -Hôtel Saint Nicholas, Rue Chanzy.<br /> -Hôtel de Metz, 23, Rue Chanzy.<br /> -E. Depors, 3, Rue Chanzy.<br /> -</p> - -<p class="c">VERDUN</p> - -<p class="c">Hostellerie du Coq Hardi, 8, Rue du St. Esprit</p> - -<p class="c">(between the Rue Mazel and the Meuse)</p> - -<p class="c">Hôtel du Lion d’Or, Place Saint Paul</p> - -<p class="c">(Opposite the Sub-Prefecture)</p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="c">Grand Garage Central Rochette, 22, Rue de la Rivière. Inspection pit. -Petrol. Telephone No. 50.</p> - -<p class="c">The above information may no longer be exact when it meets the reader’s -eye. Tourists are therefore recommended to consult the Michelin Touring -Office.</p> - -<p class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/i120.png" -width="450" -height="165" -alt="" -/> -</p> - -<p class="nind">who will be pleased to furnish all desired information and a carefully -worked-out itinerary of the route to be followed free of charge.</p> -</div> - -<hr class="full" /> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Americans in the Great War; v. 3 -The Meuse-Argonne Battlefields, by Michelin & Cie - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE AMERICANS IN THE GREAT WAR; V. 3 *** - -***** This file should be named 50417-h.htm or 50417-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/4/1/50417/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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