diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'old/53408-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | old/53408-0.txt | 3632 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 3632 deletions
diff --git a/old/53408-0.txt b/old/53408-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 19fd0ba..0000000 --- a/old/53408-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3632 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Verdun and the Battle for its Possession, 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: Verdun and the Battle for its Possession - Illustrated Michelin Guides to the Battle-Fields (1914 1918) - -Author: Michelin & Cie - -Release Date: October 30, 2016 [EBook #53408] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VERDUN AND THE BATTLE FOR *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, David Tipple and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - -A small number of obvious typos have been corrected by the addition -of a missing accent. For example, “Prefecture” and “Eglise” have been -changed to “Préfecture” and “Église”, respectively. Except for this, -the spelling and punctuation of the book have not been changed. - -Underscores are used for italic markup; the three words that end this -sentence _are in italics_. - -Equals signs are used for bold-face markup; the three words that end -this sentence =are in bold face=. - -The symbols ^{} are used to represent a superscript; for example "3 -squared" would be printed as "3^{2}". - -The table of contents is at the end of the main text. - -Near the beginning of the chapter entitled “THE WAR OF 1914–18” there -is a reference to - - “=The Battle of the Marne=,” part III., “_The Revigny Pass_”. - -This is another Michelin guide but it is NOT the one that has been -posted to the Gutenberg site. This is another Michelin guide but it is -not the one that has been posted to the Gutenberg site. If you are -interested, see this book on archive.org—Battlefields of the World War, -Vol I. Part III is on pages 215–289. See: -https://archive.org/details/michelinguidetob00mill - - - - - ILLUSTRATED MICHELIN GUIDES TO THE BATTLE-FIELDS (1914–1918) - - - VERDUN - - AND THE BATTLES FOR ITS POSSESSION. - - [Illustration] - - MICHELIN &. C^{IE}—CLERMONT-FERRAND. - MICHELIN TYRE C^O L^{TD}—81, Fulham Road, LONDON, S.W. - MICHELIN TIRE C^O—MILLTOWN, N.J., U.S.A. - - - - - VERDUN - HOTELS AND MOTOR AGENTS. - - _On June 1, 1919._ - - Information extracted from the _Michelin Tourist Guide_ (1919). - - 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-Préfecture). - -The “Comité du Ravitaillement des Réfugies,” whose headquarters are at -the “Collège,” Rue St. Paul (see _Guide_, p. 31 and 33), has installed -a refectory and dormitory in the “Collège.” The “Comité” supplies -tourists with the addresses of private persons who let rooms. - -The resources of the region around Verdun, described in the itineraries -(p. 57 and 88), are absolutely nil. Tourists are therefore advised to -provide themselves with Luncheon Baskets. - - MOTOR AGENTS. - -Grand Garage Central Rochette, 22 rue de la Rivière, Agent for Peugeot. - Inspection pit. Petrol (Gasolene). 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. - -Before setting out on a motoring tour, whether in the British Isles or -abroad, call or write to: - -[Illustration] - - 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. - -[Illustration] - - - - -The MICHELIN MAPS - -Invaluable to Motorists and Tourists. - -FRANCE. - -(_Scale—1:200,000_) - - Published in 47 Sections. - Beautifully printed in - Five Colours. - - The - BRITISH - ISLES. - - (_Scale 3·15 miles to the inch._) - - Published in 31 Sections. Beautifully - engraved and printed in six colours. - - =Price of Maps (English or French) per Section=: - - On Paper — 1/- or post free 1/1-1/ - 2 On Canvas — 2/- ” ” 2/2 - -MICHELIN TYRE CO., 81, Fulham Rd., S.W.3 - - - - - THE BEST & CHEAPEST - DETACHABLE WHEEL - - [Illustration] - - _The Michelin Wheel is practical and strong_ - - [Illustration] - - _The Michelin Wheel is simple and smart_ - - - - - IN MEMORY - OF THE MICHELIN EMPLOYEES - AND WORKMEN WHO DIED GLORIOUSLY FOR - THEIR COUNTRY - - - THE BATTLE OF - VERDUN - (1914–1918) - - - Published by - MICHELIN & Cie - Clermont-Ferrand, France - - - Copyright 1919 by Michelin & Cie - - _All rights of translation, adaptation, or reproduction - (in part or whole) reserved in all countries_ - - - - -[Illustration: VERDUN BURNING IN 1916 DURING BOMBARDMENT WITH -INCENDIARY SHELLS.] - - - - - VERDUN - - - ORIGIN AND POLITICAL HISTORY - -=Verdun=, one of France’s most ancient cities, was first a Gallic, -then under the name of “Virodunum Castrum,” a Roman fortress. In 843 -the celebrated treaty which divided the Carolingian Empire and annexed -Verdun to the Kingdom of Lorraine was signed there. From 870 to 879 -Verdun became part of France, but in 923 it was incorporated in the -German Empire. As a county, it was governed under the feudal system by -the hereditary counts, the last of whom was Godefroy de Bouillon, and -later by the episcopal counts and bishops. - -In the 10th century, Bishop Haimont, of Verdun, persuaded the Count of -Verdun to transfer his rights to him. The arrangement was confirmed by -Emperor Othon III., but the count’s heirs disputed the bishops’ title -to the town. Later, the burgesses revolted against the authority of -the bishops, and after a sanguinary struggle succeeded in throwing -off their yoke about the middle of the 13th century. After a long -occupation by the Germans, Henri II., King of France, retook Verdun -in 1552 and granted it privileges which were confirmed by François II. -in 1559. During the Religious Wars, the town was for the Leaguers, -and only agreed to receive Henry IV.’s envoy, after that prince’s -conversion to the Roman Faith. The burgesses did not take the oath of -allegiance to the King of France until 1601. - - - - CHIEF MILITARY EVENTS - -Both in respect of its geographical position and history, Verdun is a -typical fortified town. From time immemorial it has played an important -part in resisting invasion, as witness its fortified camp and citadel. -Since 1870 it has been the centre of an essential position formed by a -rough hemi-cycle of hills and slopes bristling with defensive works and -batteries. - -Since the year 450, when Attila left it “like a field ravaged by wild -beasts,” it has been besieged at least ten times. - -Charles Quint besieged and took it in 1544, but after a seven years’ -occupation it was retaken by Henry II. of France in 1552. The Huguenots -tried to take it by surprise in 1589, but were unable to overcome the -resistance of the burgesses. - - -=Siege of 1792.=—In 1792, the Prussians attacked and bombarded -the town, defended by Beaurepaire with only thirty-two guns and -forty-four artillerymen. The Council of Defence, urged thereto by the -Anti-Republican section of the population, decided to capitulate, in -spite of opposition on the part of Beaurepaire, who died suddenly soon -afterwards at the Town Hall by his own hand, according to some, others -holding that he was assassinated. The Prussians occupied the town for -six weeks, after the garrison had left. Although it is true that a few -women went to the Camp of Bras with an offering of sweetmeats for the -King of Prussia, it has not been established that the latter gave a -ball at Regret, at which the women of Verdun danced. The victory of -Valmy forced the Prussians to leave Verdun. On October 13th Kellermann -took possession of the Citadel, and on the 14th the troops of the -Republic entered the town. Several of the visitors to the Camp of Bras -expiated their regrettable act on the scaffold. - - -=Siege of 1870.=—In 1870, Verdun offered a more stubborn resistance. -When the Saxon troops, about 10,000 in number, appeared to the east -of the town, the garrison of the latter comprised only 1,500 regular -troops, including fifty artillerymen, 2,000 “mobiles” (newly levied -men) and 1,400 men of the National Sedentary Guard, while its armament -consisted of twenty mortars, two howitzers and ninety-six guns, of -which only forty-six were rifled. Under the command of General Guérin -de Waldersbach, seconded by General Marmier, this small garrison -repulsed an attack on August 24th, and refused to surrender. After -being reinforced by 2,600 men who had escaped from Sedan, several -sallies were made. By September 23rd the enemy had completely encircled -the town, and were forcing the inhabitants of the surrounding villages -to help with the siege-works. On the night of October 19th thirty -sappers, twenty-five artillerymen and 100 foot soldiers surprised the -two German batteries on Heyvaux Hill, between Thierville and Regret, on -the left bank, and after hand-to-hand fighting, spiked all the guns. - -After the fall of Metz, Verdun, besieged by 15,000 men with 140 heavy -guns, in addition to field artillery, surrendered on November 8th with -the honours of war. - -The town had been bombarded three times. On August 24th it received -about 2,000 shells; on September 26th the Citadel received 1,000 to -1,200 shells in five hours; on October 13th, 14th and 15th 20,000 to -25,000 shells fell in the town, severely damaging the upper part and -the Citadel. - -The name of the German Prefect who governed Verdun and the Meuse -province was Von Bethmann Hollweg. - - - - THE WAR OF 1914–1918 - -Abbreviations: Q.G., _General Headquarters_; P.C., _Post of -Commandment_. - -=German= army corps are indicated by Roman figures followed by the -letters “C” for the _active_ and “R.C.” for the _reserve_. - -=French= army corps are indicated by arabic figures followed by the -letters “C.A.” - -=German= infantry divisions are indicated by their number followed by -the letters “D” for the _active_, “R.D.” for the _reserve_, “D.L.” for -the “_Landwehr_,” and “E.D.” for the “_Ersatz_.” - -=French= infantry divisions are indicated by their number followed by -the letters “D.I.” - - -Verdun played an essential part in the great war. - -In 1914, during the battle of the Marne, the army under General -Sarrail, resting on Verdun, formed the pivot for Marshal Joffre’s -manœuvre (_see the Michelin Guide_: “=The Battle of the Marne=,” part -III., “_The Revigny Pass_”). - -[Illustration: VERDUN—PIVOT OF THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE.] - -After the battle of the Marne, the Crown Prince established -his positions of resistance north of the fortress, on the line -Malancourt—Brabant—Haumont—Maucourt. On September 15th, General Sarrail -slipped in from this side the 6th C.A. and 72nd R.D., which were sent -beyond the advance forts. The enemy sought to isolate and approach -Verdun at the same time. The combats which occurred successively on the -initiative of each side were indecisive on the north, but not on the -S.E. - -On September 20th the IIIrd Bavarian Corps attacked the 75th R.D. at -Vigneuilles-les-Hatton châtel, and after forcing it to retreat, reached -the Meuse Heights. The 6th Corps was hastily transferred to this -region, where it checked the German advance. Further to the right, at -St. Mihiel, the enemy succeeded on the 25th in forcing the passage of -the Meuse and occupied Chauvoncourt. - -During October, November and December, the adversaries harassed one -another without intermission. In the vicinity of St. Mihiel the enemy -maintained their positions on the left bank of the river. - -So far from besieging Verdun, as the _Wolff News Agency_ -falsely announced, or entering it, as a postcard circulated -throughout Germany, entitled “_Combats in the streets of -Verdun,_” tried to make believe, the Crown Prince was held in -check on the general line Vauquois—Malancourt—Brabant—Bois des -Caures—Ornes—Fromezey—Hennemont—Combres—Lamorville—Spada—Chauvoncourt. -These positions were but slightly modified up to the time of the big -attack in February, 1916. - -[Illustration: THE VERDUN FRONT, FROM THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE UNTIL THE -GREAT GERMAN OFFENSIVE IN 1916.] - -In February, 1915, the city was bombed by aeroplanes, while the forts -of Douaumont and Vaux were shelled by heavy artillery, including -17-inch guns. The Eparges crest, stubbornly held by the enemy since -September, 1914, was definitely taken on April 6th by the 12th D.I. -after more than a month of the fiercest fighting. This brilliant action -was followed by violent counter-attacks by the Vth German corps, the -combats being particularly furious on April 24th and May 5th, after -which the fighting was less desperate. - -On November 25th–26th the enemy attacked to the N.W. of the city, but -despite the liberal use of poison gas, they failed to reach the French -lines. - -Further attacks by the Germans against Forges on January 12th and at -Caures Wood on February 12th, 1916, were unsuccessful. - -[Illustration: PLAN OF THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE OF FEBRUARY, 1916. - -“_Concentrate an all-powerful artillery, cut with gun-fire the only -main railway connecting Verdun with France, crush the French defences, -isolating their occupants with heavy artillery barrages, then rush the -town with huge masses of men, irrespective of losses, crushing the last -vestiges of resistance,”—such was the “kolossal” plan which the Germans -set out to execute on February 21st, 1916._] - - - - THE BATTLE OF VERDUN - -A battle which was destined to last much longer than the entire -Franco-German war of 1870–1871, and which absorbed the efforts of -Germany throughout the year, began on February 21st, 1916. - -The choice of this battlefield was perhaps less paradoxical than has -been said. For the German High Command to take Verdun was to crush the -French right, capture an important strategical position and secure an -immense moral effect. Moreover, the enemy feared an Allied offensive -and was disturbed by the continued increase of their strength in men -and material. To forestall this offensive was to make it fail and keep -the initiative of the operations. Moreover, the Germans desired to -impress the public opinion of the world, which had begun to doubt their -ultimate victory. Greece and Roumania seemed inclined to abandon their -neutrality, and the time appeared ripe to prove by a crushing blow that -German force had not diminished. Lastly, they were influenced by home -political considerations; the rationing of the population had depressed -the public _morale_ and provoked dissension between the political -parties and the states; the prestige of the Crown Prince, after his -failure in the Argonne, had considerably declined; a great victory was -necessary to strengthen German _morale_, appease dissension and, by -rehabilitating the Crown Prince, enhance the prestige of the Imperial -family. - -[Illustration: GENERALS JOFFRE AND PÉTAIN AT THE G.H.Q. OF THE 2ND -FRENCH ARMY AT SOUILLY, IN FEBRUARY, 1916.] - -The Germans, who had fourteen railways at their disposal, and who, -during a long and careful preparation, had concentrated seven army -corps and extraordinarily powerful artillery, comprising at least -3,000 guns of all calibres, attacked the French, who had a river in -their rear and whose one solitary broad-gauge railway was under enemy -gun-fire. By sacrificing men and material on a lavish scale the enemy -counted on rapidly overcoming all obstacles, level the French trenches, -crush the centres of resistance under a deluge of 17-inch, 15-inch and -12-inch shells, isolate them with barrage fire from 8-inch guns and -poison-gas shells, and occupy the destroyed positions—such were to be -the German tactics. They were so sure, by repeated smashing blows, -of breaking through between Bras and Douaumont, and, by their attack -on Verdun, of forcing the French to withdraw their wings, that they -neglected first to attack the French positions on the left bank and in -the Woevre plain, with the result that their colossal effort broke down -before the tenacious resistance and heroism of the French. - -[Illustration: THE “SACRED WAY,” AND THE NARROW-GAUGE MEUSE RAILWAY. - -_In February, 1916, only one broad-gauge railway connected Verdun, via -St. Menehould, with the rest of France. At the outset of the offensive -it was cut by enemy gun-fire between Parois and Dombasle. There -remained the narrow-gauge Meuse railway and the road. The carrying -capacity of the former was increased to 2,000 tons per day, while the -motor service along the “Sacred Way” was organised to such a pitch that -it was able to ensure the transport of the troops, the evacuation of -the wounded and the revictualling of 250,000 combatants._] - - - - THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE - - _February–August, 1916_ - - - 1.—The Central Attack - -At the beginning of the battle, the first French lines were _on the -left bank_, from Avocourt Wood to Forges, _via_ the slopes in front of -Malancourt and Béthincourt; _on the right bank_, from Brabant-sur-Meuse -to Fromézey, _via_ Haumont, Haumont Wood, Caures Wood, La Ville Wood, -Herbébois, Ornes and Maucourt. On the morning of February 21st and -simultaneously with a bombardment of the entire French front, the enemy -began the systematic shelling of Verdun, whose last residents were -evacuated on the 25th at noon. - -The infantry attacked at 4.45 p.m. from Haumont Wood to Ornes. The 51st -and 72nd divisions sustained the first shock of the IIIrd and XVIIIth -C.A. and the XIIIth division of the VIIth R.C. A heroic combat followed -the most formidable artillery preparation ever known till then. In -Caures Wood the Chasseurs, under _Colonel Driant_, resisted foot by -foot. When night fell, the enemy’s progress was insignificant, compared -with his sacrifices. However, they succeeded in taking Haumont Wood. - -On the 22nd the bombardment was resumed with, if possible, greater -intensity. In Caures Wood _Colonel Driant_ resisted until death -overtook him, having first evacuated his Chasseurs to Beaumont. -Meanwhile, the sectors of Woevre and the left bank of the Meuse were -violently shelled. - -[Illustration: THE CENTRAL ATTACK. - -_This attack (February 21st–26th), on the right bank of the Meuse, -shortened the enemy’s front as progressed. It came to a stop on the -sixth day at Poivre Hill and Douaumont._] - -The fighting on the 23rd was even more furious. Brabant fell into -the hands of the enemy after a fierce resistance by the 351st I.D., -which clung desperately to the ruins of Samogneux until nightfall. -Further east the battle raged fiercely. The French counter-attacked -unsuccessfully at Caures Wood and were attacked at Herbebois. The 51st -I.D. fell back, making the enemy pay dearly for his progress towards -Fosses Wood. - -[Illustration] - -In the evening the front extended along the Samogneux—Beaumont—Ornes -line. Samogneux was captured by the enemy during the night. The -situation was very critical. - -Exasperated at the resistance of the French, and having received -reinforcements, the Germans made a supreme effort on the 24th. Although -harassed by French artillery on the left bank of the Meuse, they -succeeded in taking Hill 344 to the east of Samogneux, Fosses Wood, -Chaume Wood and the village of Ornes. French reinforcements arrived the -same day, and the command of the army of Verdun passed from General de -Castelnau to General Pétain. - -[Illustration: _Starting-point of the German Attack of February 21st, -North of Haumont Wood._] - -On the 25th, the 37th I.D., with orders to defend Talou Hill and -Louvemont village, resisted for a long time against incredibly furious -attacks, but on their right the enemy succeeded in capturing Vauche -Wood and, advancing towards Douaumont, carried the fort by surprise. -However, their efforts to take the village failed before the heroic -tenacity of the 31st Brigade, while the 94th D.I. covered itself with -glory. The enemy advance from this side, had the effect of compelling -the 31st I.D. to abandon Talou Hill. During this time the line in -Woevre was, unknown to the Germans, voluntarily withdrawn to the foot -of the Meuse hills, where the French only retained outposts at Fresnes -and Manheulles. - -Taking over the command on the night of the 25th, General Pétain -at once divided the battle-line into four sectors, officered as -follows: _General Bazelaire_, on the left bank, from Avocourt to the -river; _General Guillaumat_, from the Meuse to Douaumont; _General -Balfourier_, from this point to the Woevre; _General Duchesne_, on the -Meuse Heights. - -There were no trenches, but he ordered that the forts should at least -be connected by a continuous line of entrenchments to be made while the -battle was at its height and which the “poilus,” in their disdain for -the shovel and pick, called the “Panic Line.” The entire 59th division -was told off to organise the counter slopes on the second and third -lines. Thirteen battalions kept in repair the road from Bar-le-Duc to -Verdun, _via_ Souilly (the “=Sacred Way=”), which eventually became the -main artery for revictualling the place in men and munitions, and along -which 1,700 motor lorries passed each way daily. Lastly, General Pétain -managed to imbue all under his command with his energy, activity and -faith, and the enemy’s drive was stopped. - -On the 26th, the 39th D.I., which had relieved the 37th, victoriously -repulsed all attacks on Poivre Hill, while the 31st Brigade continued -to hold Douaumont until relieved in the evening by the 2nd D.I. - -[Illustration: THE RELIEF BY MOTOR-LORRIES. - -_Regiment leaving Nixéville in lorries for the rear._] - -On the following days the fighting continued about and in the streets -of Douaumont, which the enemy finally captured on March 4th. The -Germans now began to show signs of weakening. Their effort on the right -bank had failed. Checked at Douaumont, they were taken in the rear by -the French positions on the left bank, and were obliged to modify their -plans. From that time they operated simultaneously or successively on -both banks. - -[Illustration: _Mort-Homme and Hill 287 in May, 1916._] - - - 2.—The General Attack - - (_See map, pp. 14 and 15_) - -On March 6th two German divisions attacked from Béthincourt to Forges, -where the French front was held by the 67th D.I., and succeeded in -taking Forges and Regnéville, but were checked by the positions on Oie -Hill. Continuing their advance on the 7th, they succeeded in capturing -these positions, as well as Corbeaux Wood. The village of Cumières -was the scene of terrible fighting, but remained in the hands of the -French, while further to the west the enemy’s attacks broke down at -Mort-Homme. - -On March 8th, while on the left bank, French troops retook Corbeaux -Wood, the Germans brought into line units of five army corps and began -a general attack, which failed with very heavy losses, their only gain -being the capture of part of Vaux village. - -On the 9th they succeeded in getting a footing on the slopes of -Mort-Homme, but at the other end of the battle-line their attack on -Vaux Fort failed. Their radiograms announcing the capture of the fort -were untrue. - -On the 10th, Corbeaux Wood was taken by the Germans and the French -withdrew to the line Béthincourt, Mort-Homme, south of Corbeaux and -Cumières Wood and Cumières village. The battle continued in the village -and in front of Vaux Fort, strongly held by the French. The enemy -temporarily ceased his massed attacks. In reality their offensive had -failed, while their losses in men and munitions had been exceptionally -heavy. On March 10th Joffre was able to say to the soldiers of Verdun: -“_For three weeks you have withstood the most formidable attack which -the enemy has yet made. Germany counted on the success of this effort, -which she believed would prove irresistible, and for which she used -her best troops and most powerful artillery. She hoped by the capture -of Verdun to strengthen the courage of her Allies and convince neutrals -of German superiority. But she reckoned without you! The eyes of the -country are on you. You belong to those of whom it will be said: ‘They -barred the road to Verdun.’_” - -[Illustration: THE GERMAN GENERAL ATTACK ON BOTH BANKS OF THE MEUSE. - -_The Central Attack which was to capture Verdun and force back the -French wings failed. The Germans, caught on the flank by French -artillery posted on the left bank of the Meuse, attacked alternately -on both sides of the river. The struggle continued desperately at -Mort-Homme, Hill 304, Cumières, Fleury, and as far as the approaches of -Souville Fort—extreme limit of the German Advance in June, 1916._] - -[Illustration: GENERAL PÉTAIN’S ORDER OF THE DAY (_see translation -below_).] - -From March 11th to April 9th the aspect of the battle changed. Wide -front attacks gave place to local actions, short, violent and limited -in scope. On March 14th the Germans captured Hill 265, forming the -western portion of the Mort-Homme position, from the 75th French -Brigade, whose commander Colonel Garçon, fell, rifle in hand, but they -failed to take the eastern part, Hill 295. On the 20th, Avocourt and -Malancourt Woods fell to the Bavarians, and after a fierce struggle the -village of Malancourt was lost on March 31st, Haucourt on April 5th, -and Béthincourt on April 8th. - -On the right bank, after powerful attacks near Vaux, the enemy reached -Caillette Wood and the Vaux-Fleury railway, only to be driven back by -the 5th division (Mangin). - -A furious attack was made along both banks by the Germans at noon on -April 9th; _on the left bank_, five divisions were engaged, failing -everywhere except at the Mort-Homme, where, despite the heroic -resistance of the 42nd division (Deville), they gained a footing on the -N.E. slopes; _on the right bank_, Poivre Hill was attacked but remained -in French hands. - -“_April 9th was a glorious day for our armies_,” General Pétain -declared in his order of the day dated the 10th, “_the furious -attacks of the soldiers of the Crown Prince broke down everywhere. The -infantry, artillery, sappers and aviators of the 2nd Army vied with -one another in valour. Honour to all. No doubt the Germans will attack -again. Let all work and watch, that yesterday’s success be continued. -Courage! We shall beat them!_” - -[Illustration: _General Nivelle, taking over the Command of Verdun Army -in May, 1916._] - -On the 10th the enemy continued his efforts with small success. - -[Illustration: _Entrance to Douaumont Fort._] - -From that date operations were limited to local actions, either in -reply to French counter-offensives (attacks of April 11th between -Douaumont and Vaux and between the Meuse and Douaumont on the 17th), or -in endeavours to take key positions where the French offered vigorous -resistance. At the beginning of May General Pétain, having received the -command of the central group of armies, General Nivelle took over that -of the army of Verdun. - -From May 4th to 24th the Germans attacked furiously around Mort-Homme. -On the 4th they captured the northern slopes of Hill 304, where -desperate combats took place on the 5th and 6th. By a powerful attack -on the 7th they forced the French to abandon the crest of Hill 304, -which, however, they were unable to occupy on account of the violence -of the bombardment. Cumières and Caurettes fell on the 24th. - -In the meantime, the battle had started afresh on the Douaumont—Vaux -front. On May 22nd, at 11.50 a.m., the French 5th D.I. attacked and -recaptured the fort of Douaumont, the casemates of which were the scene -of desperate hand-to-hand fighting. The French were driven out on the -24th, but maintained their positions in the immediate vicinity. - -The battle continued without respite or quarter. Not an hour passed -without a surprise of some sort being attempted. The Germans were -determined to advance, but at every step they were checked by the -unflinching will of the French not to let them pass. - -From May 29th to 31st the enemy attacked Hill 304 and at Mort-Homme. -June 1st was marked by the loss of the Hardaumont salient and Thiaumont -Farm. On the 2nd the enemy progressed in Fumin Wood, but lost Thiaumont -Farm. On the 3rd they gained a footing in Vaux Fort, which was entirely -in their possession on the 8th. On the 9th they attacked Hill 304 and -Damloup Battery and retook Thiaumont Farm. On the 12th they advanced -along La Dame Ravine, but lost the N.E. slopes of Mort-Homme on the -15th. - -[Illustration: _Aspect of the Battlefield in July, 1916._] - -On the 23rd, after an uninterrupted bombardment, begun the day before, -the Germans launched their greatest attack. Seventeen regiments were -hurled simultaneously against the Thiaumont—Fleury—Souville front, -resulting in the capture of the Thiaumont redoubt and the gaining of -a footing in the village of Fleury, but failing to take the fort of -Souville. Froide-Terre Hill, momentarily invaded, was cleared of the -enemy by a grenade and bayonet attack. - -On the following days, the fighting centred around the Thiaumont -redoubt, which changed hands many times, remaining finally with the -enemy on June 30th. - -Combats, frequent and furious, continued on both banks until the middle -of August. - - - - FRENCH COUNTER-OFFENSIVES—CLEARING VERDUN - - _October–December, 1916–August, 1917_ - - - The French Offensive of October 24th, 1916, on the Right Bank - of the Meuse - -From August, 1916, the Germans, in consequence of the Franco-British -offensive in the Somme, gradually abandoned Verdun, in which venture -she had sacrificed the pick of her troops. The army of Verdun took -advantage of this to regain the initiative of the operations. - -[Illustration: _General Mangin in front of his Post of Commandment._] - -Under the command of General Mangin the French attacked from Thiaumont -to Laufée Wood on October 24th, 1916, the artillery preparation by -650 guns, including the new 15-inch and 16-inch mortars, beginning on -October 20th. On the 22nd a feint attack enabled French aeroplanes to -locate 158 enemy batteries, which were heavily shelled the next day. - -That the Germans did not realise the position was evident from the -Crown Prince’s announcement that he had broken a strong French attack. -The real attack took place on the morning of the 24th (_see map, -p. 20_). - -The German front was held on the first line by seven divisions. The -French attacked with three divisions: the 38th (Guyot de Salins), -supported on the left by the 11th line regiment; the 133rd (Passaga), -known as “La Gauloise”; the 74th (de Lardemelle). - -[Illustration] - -The attack was a brilliant success and gave the French the Haudromont -quarries, Thiaumont redoubt and farm, Douaumont fort and village, -the northern edge of Caillette Wood, Vaux pond, the eastern edge of -Fumin Wood and Damloup battery. On the 24th and 25th more than 6,000 -prisoners, fifteen guns, and considerable quantities of material, -were captured. On November 2nd, when the French re-entered Vaux Fort, -abandoned by the enemy, they practically reoccupied their positions of -February 24th. - -[Illustration: _The Approaches of Tavannes Fort._] - -[Illustration] - - - The French Offensive of December 15th, 1916, on the Right Bank - of the Meuse - -To completely clear Verdun to the east of the Meuse and give greater -freedom to the reconquered forts of Vaux and Douaumont, General -Mangin organised a new attack. A great amount of preparatory work -was done by the army of Verdun, including about eighteen miles of -road (whereof one of logs laid transversely for the artillery), more -than six miles of narrow-gauge railway, and a network of trenches and -depots for munitions and material. As soon as these very considerable -preparations, often carried out under heavy enemy shell-fire, were -finished, the attacking troops took up their positions: the 126th D.I. -(Muteau), 38th D.I. (Guyot de Salins), 37th D.I. (Garnier-Duplessis) -and 133rd D.I. (Passaga), with the 123rd, 128th, 21st and 6th D.I. as -reserves. Two lines of artillery prepared and sustained the attack: one -from Vacherauville to Thiaumont, Fleury and Souville, the other passing -through Belleville, St. Michel Hill and Tavannes Fort. The six-mile -German front from Vacherauville to Bezonvaux was held by five divisions -in the first line, with four divisions in reserve. - -On December 15th, while Germany was proposing that France should ask -for peace, the reply came in the form of attacking waves protected by -a moving curtain of artillery fire. - -Several of the objectives, including Vacherauville, Poivre Hill, Hill -342 and the first and second lines before Louvemont, were reached in -a few minutes at a single bound. Albain and Chauffour Woods, those in -front of Douaumont and Helly Ravine, took longer to capture. To the -east La Vauche Wood was carried at the point of the bayonet, Caurières -Wood passed, and the edges of Chaume Wood reached. The farm of Les -Chambrettes and village of Bezonvaux were taken on the following days. -The success was considerable, more than 11,000 prisoners, including 300 -officers, 115 guns, several hundred machine-guns and important depots -of munitions and material, being captured. The enemy who, in July, had -been within a few hundred yards of Souville Fort, was now more than -three miles away. In June, the _Frankfort Gazette_, celebrating the -German successes at Verdun, declared: “We have clinched our victory and -none can take it from us,” but on December 18th they had lost all the -ground it had taken five months and enormous sacrifices to conquer. - -[Illustration: _Hill 304 recaptured. (Photographed August 24th, 1917. -See p. 24)_] - -In congratulating the troops General Mangin reminded them that Germany -had just invited France to sue for peace, adding that they had been -“the true ambassadors of the Republic.” - -[Illustration: _Fontaines Ravine, West of Bezonvaux._] - - - The French Offensive of August 20th, 1917 - -The Army of Verdun, under General Guillaumat, completed the clearing of -the city on both banks of the Meuse. - -[Illustration: GENERAL GUILLAUMAT] - -[Illustration] - -On August 20th, 1917, eight divisions attacked from Avocourt Wood on -the west to Bezonvaux on the east, along a fifteen-mile front. Avocourt -Wood, Mort-Homme, Corbeaux Wood and Oie Hill on the left bank; Talou -Hill, the villages of Champ, Neuville and Champneuville, Hill 344, -parts of Fosses Wood, Chaume Wood and Mormont Farm, on the right bank, -were captured by the French, who, the next day, also took Samogneux -and Regnéville. Hill 304, which had thus far resisted, was likewise -captured. On the 26th a further attack from Mormont Redoubt to Chaume -Wood brought the French to the southern outskirts of Beaumont. From the -20th to the 26th August the captures include 9,500 prisoners, thirty -guns, 100 trench mortars and 242 machine-guns. - -[Illustration] - - - The American Offensive of September 26th, 1918 - - (_See Panorama, pp. 106 and 107_) - -The clearing of Verdun was entirely and definitely effected in the -autumn of 1918. - -While the 4th French Army, under General Gouraud, attacked between the -Moronvillers Hills and Argonne on September 26th, the American Army, -under General Pershing, took the offensive between the Argonne and the -Meuse. - -Artillery preparation commenced at 2.30 a.m. and lasted three hours. -At 5.30 a.m. the Americans attacked with great dash the redoubtable -enemy positions on the left bank of the Meuse, capturing Malancourt, -Béthincourt and Forges. Keeping up with the infantry, the artillery -crossed the Forges stream during the morning. The woods, very strongly -defended, were cleared of the enemy, and by noon the Americans had -reached Gercourt, Cuisy, the southern part of Montfaucon and Cheppy. - -In the afternoon a desperate battle was engaged on the positions -covering the redoubtable ridge of Montfaucon, the most important -enemy observation-post in the region of Verdun. The Americans wisely -turned the ridge on the right, advancing as far as Septsarges. By -evening Montfaucon was surrounded. The advance, now slower, continued -on the 27th and 28th, despite German counter-attacks. To the west of -Montfaucon, Ivoiry and Epinouville were captured, and thus the ridge -fell. The Americans took 8,000 prisoners and 100 guns. - -[Illustration] - - - The Franco-American Offensive of October, 1918 - -On the right bank of the Meuse, a French army corps and American -troops, under General Pershing, joined in the struggle, capturing -Brabant, Haumont, Haumont Wood and Caures Wood, while the famous line -from which, in February, 1916, the Crown Prince’s army had attacked -Verdun, was soon reached and passed. By the end of October more than -20,000 prisoners, 150 guns, nearly 1,000 trench-mortars and several -thousand machine-guns, had been captured, while unconquered Verdun was -definitely lost to the Germans. Their retreat was now destined to -continue uninterruptedly until the Armistice. - -[Illustration: _Renault Tanks and American Troops on the old French -Lines at Regnéville._] - -[Illustration: _The German Advance and the ground reconquered -(Sectioned zones) by the French and American armies_] - - - - CONCLUSION - -The Battle of Verdun was not merely one of the hardest of the War’s -many battles, it was also one of the most serious checks received by -the Germans. The enemy High Command had foreseen neither its amplitude -nor its long duration. Whereas, “according to plan,” Verdun—“Heart of -France”—was speedily to be overpowered by a carefully prepared mass -attack, the Germans found themselves involved in a formidable struggle, -without being able either to obtain a decisive advantage or keep the -relatively small advantages obtained at the beginning of the battle. - -The battle did not develop “according to plan,” its successive phases -being determined by circumstances. - -The huge numbers of troops which the Germans were compelled to engage -brings out very clearly the immensity of their effort and the different -phases of the struggle. - - * * * * * - -The first and shortest phase (February 21st–March 1st) was that of the -=surprise attack= by a large concentration of specially trained troops. - -To the six German divisions which had been holding the Verdun sector -since the Battle of the Marne, were added nine full divisions, rested -and trained for attack. - -Of these fifteen divisions ten took part in the surprise attack, their -losses being immediately made good by reserves stationed in the rear of -each army corps. At the end of February, in consequence of the French -withdrawal in Woevre, two further divisions strengthened enemy action -in that region. - - * * * * * - -The second phase (March 2nd–April 15th) marked the =general attack= -on both banks of the Meuse, in place of the surprise attack which had -failed. - -During this period nine and a half fresh German divisions were engaged, -of which four came from the Eastern front. - -At the same time two and a half German divisions were withdrawn and -rested in quiet sectors, while four others were sent to the rear to -reform, two of them being, however, again engaged after twenty days’ -rest. - - * * * * * - -The third phase (April 15th–July 1st) was that of =attrition=. After -the failure of their general attack and to avoid avowal of their -defeat, the Germans persisted in their attacks on Verdun. - -Twelve fresh divisions were engaged, in addition to three others which -had been sent to the rear to reform. On the other hand, fourteen -divisions were withdrawn and sent to the rear, to Russia, or other -sectors on the French front. - - * * * * * - -The fourth phase (July 1st, 1916, to 1917) was that of the =retreat -and stabilisation=. The Germans were exhausted and compelled to use -their reserves for the Russian front and especially in the Somme. -Their activities on the Verdun front were limited to making good their -losses. However, they were finally obliged to weaken this front to a -point that they were unable to reply to the French attacks. - -From August 21st to October 1st, the Germans brought up only one -division and withdrew four. From October 1st to 24th, three divisions -relieved nearly five. After October 24th the strength of the enemy -forces varied only slightly, the French offensives preventing any -further weakening of the front. The attrition caused by the French -attacks of October 24th and December 15th gave rise only to rapid -replacements of about equal importance. - -In brief, from February 21st, 1916, to February 1st, 1917, the Germans -engaged fifty-six and a half divisions (or 567 battalions), of which -six divisions appeared successively on both banks of the Meuse, eight -others being also engaged twice and six three times. In reality, in -the course of eleven months, eighty-two and a half German divisions -took part in the attacks on Verdun, which they had expected to crush -in a few days with ten to twelve divisions. The contrast between this -formidable effort and the meagre results obtained is striking, and is -a splendid testimony to the courage and tenacity of the defenders. The -Battle of Verdun in 1916 was not merely a severe local setback for -the Germans; by using up their best troops it had also very important -strategical consequences. Their successes were few, temporary, and -dearly bought. Advancing painfully, each step forward was marked by a -mountain of corpses. Up to the end of the War, even after the Battles -of the Somme and Aisne in 1910 and 1917, and after the Battle of -Champagne in 1918, Verdun remained a hideous spectre for the German -people, while their soldiers surnamed it “=The Slaughter-House of -Germany=.” - -[Illustration: _Douaumont Fort and its Approaches._ - -(_Photographed from aeroplane in May, 1916._)] - -As the French President, M. Poincaré, declared, on handing to the -Mayor of Verdun the decorations conferred on that city by the Allied -nations, it was before the walls of Verdun that “the supreme hope of -Imperial Germany was crushed.” It was at Verdun that Germany sought the -“kolossal” victory which was to enslave the world, and it was there -that France quietly but firmly replied “No road.” For centuries to come -the name of Verdun will continue to ring in the ears of humanity like a -shout of victory and a cry of deliverance. - -[Illustration] - - - Verdun Decorated - -It was in a casemate of the Citadel, transformed into a _salle de -fêtes_, that, on September 13th, 1916, Président Poincaré handed the -undermentioned decorations, conferred on the city by the Chiefs of -State of the Allied countries, to the Municipal Authorities of Verdun: -St. George’s Cross of Russia (white enamel); the British Military Cross -(silver); the medal for military valour of Italy (gold); the Cross -of Leopold I. of Belgium (gold); the medal “Ohilitch” of Montenegro -(gold); the “Croix de la Légion d’Honneur” and the “Croix de Guerre” -of France. Since then the French Government has conferred a Sword of -Honour on the city. Generals Joffre, Pétain and Nivelle, the Military -Governor (General Dubois), the French War Minister and representatives -of the Allied Nations were present at this moving ceremony, which -consecrated the heroic resistance of the army of Verdun and the German -defeat. - -[Illustration: VERDUN - -POPULATION: 21,701. ALTITUDE: 648ft. - -SCALE. - -0 100 500 - -P.O. Telegraph. Telephone. - -A: LA PRINCERIE.] - - - - - A VISIT TO THE CITY OF VERDUN - -[Illustration: _Motorists coming either from St. Menehould, -or Bar-le-Duc, via the_ “=Sacred Way=,” _enter Verdun by the -Porte-de-France, which has been chosen as the starting-point of -the following descriptive itinerary for visiting the town. Follow -the_ =streets shown on the outline map=, _in the direction of the_ -=arrows=, _consulting at the same time the_ =text= _and_ =photographs= -_on pp. 32–56_. - -_See also the_ =two-coloured plan= _opposite_.] - - - VISIT TO THE CITY - -From the =Porte-de-France=, whose entrance arcade on the bridge dates -from Louis XIV., _take the Rue St. Maur, leading to the Place du -Gouvernement_. - -[Illustration: THE PLACE D’ARMES] - -This square owes its name to the building called “Le Gouvernement,” or -“Ancien Logis du Roi.” Residence of the War Minister, M. Louvois, in -1687, and to-day a barracks for the gendarmes. It was damaged by the -bombardment. - -_From the Place du Gouvernement go_ via _the Rue Chevert to the Place -d’Armes_. - -The =Place d’Armes=, badly damaged by bombardment, occupies the site of -a tower (Tour le Princier) of the old rampart. - -Go down the Rue St. Pierre. - -[Illustration: RUE ST. PIERRE IN 1916. - -_In background_ RUE CHAUSSÉE. _On the right_: RUE MAZEL.] - -_Turning to the left into the Rue St. Paul, the tourist passes in front -of_ =the College=. - -[Illustration: FAÇADE OF COLLEGE CHURCH, RUE ST. PAUL, MAY, 1919.] - -The present building was erected in 1890 on the site of the old -college, founded in 1570 by Bishop Nicolas Psaume in the grounds of the -ancient Hôpital de St. Nicolas-de-Gravière. Its church, a fine Ionic -structure, was built in 1730 by the Jesuits. The college was one of the -first buildings to be damaged by the bombardment, being struck in 1915, -prior to the great German offensive against Verdun. - -[Illustration: INTERIOR OF COLLEGE CHURCH. - -_Photographed in May, 1919._] - -_Continue along Rue St. Paul as far as the_ =Palais de Justice= _and -the_ =Sub-Préfecture= (_photo, p. 34_). - -These two buildings are the remains of the second Abbey of the -Premonstrants of St. Paul, built inside the town after 1552. The first, -situated without the walls, was destroyed by order of the Military -Authorities, who feared a siege by Charles Quint. - -In the SOUS-PRÉFECTURE vestiges of the ancient monastery are more -numerous and apparent. The _Salle des Archives_, with its slender -columns and great Renaissance bays, was the monks’ refectory. The -_Cabinet du Sous-Préfet_, with its austere vaulting, has retained its -archaic appearance. In the _Loge du Concierge_ (caretaker’s lodge) -there still exists one of the original mantelpieces, with carving -representing Abraham sacrificing Isaac. The marble-paved _vestibule_ -and fine _staircase_ are also 16th century. - -The interior arrangement of the Palais de Justice buildings, whose -façade is ornamented with a finely carved semicircular _pediment_, has -been changed. Of the old convent there now only remains the Salle des -Pas-Perdus, formerly the cloister. - -The =Hôtel de la Cloche d’Or=, near by, has been installed in the -ancient “Procure” of the same monastery (St. Paul’s). - -[Illustration: THE PALAIS DE JUSTICE] - -The books and woodwork of the monastery have been removed to the -Municipal Library. - -_Return by the Rue St. Paul to the Rue Chaussée, into which turn to the -left; at the end is the_ =Chaussée Gate= (_hist. mon._), built about -1380 (_see pp. 35 and 58_). - -Its architecture recalls that of the Bastille. Half of the left tower -on the river was rebuilt in 1690, exactly on the same lines and with -the stones of the old tower; the semicircular arcade and the pediment -facing the bridge are of the same date. - -The pediment between the two towers was struck by shell splinters, -otherwise the bombardments did not damage the gate. - -[Illustration: THE BANKS OF THE MEUSE AND THE CATHEDRAL BEFORE THE WAR. - -(_Compare with photos on pp. 35 and 37._)] - -[Illustration: THE CHAUSSÉE GATE (before the War)] - -_Cross the Chaussée Bridge over the Meuse, then take on the right -the Boulevard de la République, which passes in front of the Cercle -Militaire (Military Club)._ - -[Illustration: THE BANKS OF THE MEUSE, THE CATHEDRAL AND ST. CROIX -BRIDGE. - -_Photographed from the Military Club in May, 1919._] - -_Take on the left, the Rue du Puty and the Rue des Tanneries, then -the Minimes Bridge (also on the left), at the end of which is_ =St. -Saviour’s Church=. - -[Illustration: ST. SAVIOUR’S CHURCH.] - -The church is modern, having replaced the old Église des Minimes in -1830. It contains, however, some interesting stained-glass windows, -while at the entrance is the tomb of the founder of the old church, -Bishop Bousnard, deceased in 1584. - -[Illustration: THE INTERIOR OF ST. SAVIOUR’S CHURCH.] - -_Return by the Rue des Tanneries to the Rue du Puty, turn to the left, -reaching the_ =Place Chevert= _on the right bank of the Meuse (see -photo, p. 37)_. - -There is a fine view of the upper town, bishop’s palace and cathedral -from this square. The latter was begun in 1552, after the Church of -St. Croix had been pulled down. A statue of _General Chevert_, by the -sculptor of the pediment of the Madeleine in Paris (Lemaire), has been -erected on the site of this church. In December, 1916, this statue was -removed to the underground vaults of the Citadelle. - -[Illustration: CHEVERT SQUARE AND STATUE OF GENERAL CHEVERT. - -(_Born at Verdun in 1695, General Chevert captured Prague in 1741. -After a heroic defence, he capitulated in 1743, with the honours of -War._)] - -[Illustration: THE MEUSE (SEEN FROM CHEVERT SQUARE, 1916).] - -_On the other side of Chevert Square is the Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, -which ends on the right at St. Croix Bridge. Follow it on the left as -far as the_ =Hôtel-de-Ville= (_see Itinerary, p. 31_). - -[Illustration: FAÇADE OF THE HÔTEL-DE-VILLE OVERLOOKING THE GARDENS. -(May 1919)] - - - Hôtel-de-Ville - -As one of the lofty windows bears the date 1623, the popular belief -that the building was erected by the famous Governor Marillac is -unfounded. It is possible, however, that tradition, according to which -Marillac sheltered Marie de Médicis there, after her flight from Paris, -is founded on fact. - -It is a fine structure in the Medicis style. The façade which overlooks -the garden resembles that of the Luxembourg in Paris in some of its -lines. - -_At the side of the Hôtel-de-Ville, at No. 19, is the house of M. -Clément._ - -[Illustration: MAIN ENTRANCE (REBUILT) TO THE ABBEY OF ST. VANNE, IN -THE COURT OF NO. 19 RUE DE L’HÔTEL-DE-VILLE] - -A learned amateur, Monsieur Clément, who was killed during the -bombardments of 1916, had collected a considerable number of fragments -of the Abbey of St. Vanne and rebuilt the principal doorway of the -latter (_see p. 52_) in the courtyard of his house. The famous door -of the Capitulary Room, described and drawn by Viollet-le-Duc, was of -curious 13th-century design. The lintel of the tympanum was ornamented -with foliage, which is an interesting peculiarity, as the sculptural -decoration of the tympanums of doors was very rare at that time in -civil architecture. - -[Illustration: RUINS IN THE RUE MAZEL AND RUE DU ST. ESPRIT.] - -_Return to the Place Chevert, cross the St. Croix Bridge, and go to -the Place d’Armes_ via _the Place and Rue Mazel_, whose houses are in -ruins. - -[Illustration: THE PRINCERIE IN 1916, RUE DE LA BELLE-VIERGE, NOS. 16 -AND 18 (_see p.40_).] - -Turn to the left into the Rue St. Pierre. In the Place d’Armes take the -Rue de la Belle-Vierge as far as the =Hôtel de la Princerie=, former -residence of the “primicerius,” first archdeacon of the Cathedral. - -Rebuilt in 1525, it has been divided in recent times into two houses, -Nos. 16 and 18. While the façade of No. 18 was modern, that of No. 16, -with its window-gratings, retained its ancient aspect. The courtyard -was ornamented on two of its sides with two-storied Renaissance -galleries (_hist. mon._). Although of 16th-century construction, -the decoration of this cloister was inspired by the Middle Age or -Transition Period (_note the crocketted capitals of the pillars and the -bases of the latter_). - -[Illustration: THE PRINCERIE CLOISTER (_hist. mon._) BEFORE THE WAR.] - -The house was destroyed by the bombardments, and the cloister is almost -entirely in ruins. - -[Illustration: THE PRINCERIE CLOISTER IN 1916.] - -The street took its name from a statue of the Virgin on the monumental -entrance-gate of the deanery. - -[Illustration: AN OBSERVATION-POST IN MAGDELEINE SQUARE (1916).] - -_Take the Rue de la Magdeleine on the left, beyond the deanery, as far -as the_ =Place de la Magdeleine=. - -At No. 2 of this square is an early 16th-century house (sometimes -called the “Maison de Jules II.”), with a carved triangular pediment -supported by two pillars. Built after the decease of Pope Julius II., -it was probably erected on the site of the house where he lived while -still Cardinal Julian de la Rovère. - -_At No. 19 of the square, cross the house in ruins to a kind of -garden-terrace at the back_, built on the site of the old ramparts, -vestiges of which are still visible. Fine view of the ruins in the Rues -Mazel, Châtel and St. Esprit. - -_Take the Rues Châtel and Belle-Vierge to the_ =Cathedral= (_see -Itinerary, p. 31_). - -[Illustration: RUINS IN THE RUE CHÂTEL, SEEN FROM THE CATHEDRAL (1916).] - - - THE CATHEDRAL (_hist. mon._) - -The Cathedral of Verdun, like that of Angers, was one of the first -French churches to be dedicated to the Virgin. In the 7th or 8th -centuries its patronal festival was The Nativity, but this was changed -to The Assumption at the beginning of the 19th century. - -It is an ancient edifice, but has often been restored and altered. The -original 5th-century church, which it replaced, was built on the ruins -of a Roman _castrum_, like those of Rheims, Metz and Trèves. - -The Cathedral was consecrated in 1147 by Pope Eugenius III., assisted -by eighteen cardinals and St. Bernard. The plans were made by the -Rhenish architect Garin, and, contrarily to French practice, included -two transepts and two apses. With its four similar spires, two on each -choir, it looked, according to a popular saying, like a “bahut” (chest -of drawers on legs), turned upside down. - -The fire of 1755 caused important alterations to be made which, without -suppressing the main lines of the Cathedral, disfigured the interior. -These alterations explain the lack of harmony in the edifice. - -The four Roman towers with spires disappeared after 1755. Only the two -western towers were replaced by the present large ones. - -The Cathedral did not greatly suffer from the bombardment of 1916, -during the German offensive, but that of April–May, 1917, damaged it -very seriously. The vaults were either pierced or brought down, and -the roof destroyed. Near the apsis a big shell tore open the ground, -bringing to light an unknown subterranean passage or crypt. - -[Illustration: VERDUN SEEN FROM ONE OF THE CATHEDRAL TOWERS. - -In the foreground: Roof of nave, east transept, and great choir of -Cathedral. - -In the middle-ground: The Meuse; on the left, Chaussée Gate; in the -middle, Military Club. - -In the background: Line of trees marking the ramparts; behind, -Belleville Village (on the left) and the Pavé Faubourg. - -On the horizon: Belleville Hills.] - -_The tourist, arriving at the Place de la Cathédrale_, via _the Rue de -la Belle-Vierge (see Itinerary, p. 31), finds himself in front of the -North Façade (photo opposite)_. - -[Illustration: THE CATHEDRAL. - -In the middle: The towers around the old choir. - -On the left: The North Front and Main Doorway. - -On the right: Entrance to Margueritte College, leading to the Bishop’s -Palace and the Cloister (_see pp. 49–51_).] - -_In the middle_ is the entrance portal; _on the right_, the Western -Transept and the Towers enclosing the remarkable, square-shaped old -Choir; _on the left_, the Eastern Transept and polygonal apsis of the -Great Choir (_photo below_). - -_In front of the Towers, on the right of this photograph, is the_ -entrance to Margueritte College, _giving access to the_ Bishop’s Palace -_and the_ Cloister (_see pp. 49–51_). - - - The Entrance Portal - - (_North Front_) - -The Gable and Buttresses of the portal are 13th century. Its secular -ornamentation replaced, in the 18th century, Gothic statues, which were -destroyed as uncouth. - -The portal is placed between two chapels; that on the right (16th -century) is called “The Chaplet,” on account of the chaplets carved on -the buttresses. - - - The Towers - -The present bells weigh four and six tons respectively and date from -1756. They were so cast as to have the same proportions and tones as -those of the St. Germain-des-Prés Church in Paris. - - - The Apse of the Great Choir - -The basement is the remains of a Roman apse. The upper portion dates -from the end of the 14th century. - -[Illustration: APSIS OF THE GREAT CHOIR, SEEN FROM THE BANKS OF THE -MEUSE (_see p. 34_).] - -The bas-reliefs are Roman carvings, re-utilised in the Gothic -buttresses. _From right to left_ they represent _Adam and Eve_; the -_Annunciation_ (the Virgin and Angel are separated by a tree, whose -shape recalls the Tree of Life on the Chaldean cylinders reproduced on -the cloth-stuffs exported from Byzantium); _Cain and Abel (through an -error in perspective, frequently to be found in Egyptian art, the bust -and trunk of the two patriarchs are shown in profile, whilst the feet -are facing frontwards)_; an unknown bishop. - -[Illustration: THE GREAT NAVE - -In the background: The old choir and organ-loft (the organs had been -removed). In the foreground: The marble balustrade of the Great Choir -protected by sandbags] - - - The Great Nave and two Choirs - -The Great Nave was very seriously damaged by the bombardments. Several -bays of the vaulting fell in, leaving bare the timber-work of the roof -in ruins. - -_On entering the Cathedral by the Central Portal in the North Front -(see p. 43)_ the old Choir _(photos, p. 44) is on the right, and the_ -Great Choir with ciborium _(p. 45) on the left_. - -[Illustration: THE GREAT NAVE BEFORE THE WAR - -In the background: The Old Choir and the Great Organ. In the -foreground: The balustrade of the Great Choir] - -[Illustration: THE GREAT NAVE SEEN FROM THE OLD CHOIR - -In the background: The Great Choir and the Ciborium. The ruined vaults -have bared the damaged framework of the roof] - -The old square choir is intersected by the great organ, as at Albi. - -The decoration of the Great Choir dates from 1760. The marble -balustrade (_see p. 44_) is a copy of that in the Jardin du Luxembourg, -Paris, and replaced the old lateral walls and rood-loft. The gilded -canopy, which is a transformation of the antique ciborium of the -Gallo-Roman churches, is supported by four twisted columns of grey -marble. It is a copy of that of St. Peter’s at Rome. Behind it are -eighty-six stalls in two superposed rows, and carved panelling (_see p. -46_). - -[Illustration: THE CIBORIUM - -(The Ciborium was the canopy supported by columns which covered the -altars in the early Christian basilicas.)] - -[Illustration: THE STALLS AND WOODWORK OF THE GREAT CHOIR] - -=Stalls and Woodwork of the Great Choir.=—Classed as an historical -monument in 1905, this Rococo-style woodwork by Lacour of Toul is -remarkable for its somewhat secular elegance and fine finish. During -the bombardment of Verdun in 1916–1918 it was taken down and put in a -place of safety. - -[Illustration: THE SHRINE OF ST. SAINTIN - -Photographed with the woodwork of the Great Choir at the Exhibition of -the Evacuated Art Treasures held in Paris] - -=St. Saintin’s Shrine.=—This 14th-century shrine contains the relics of -the first bishop of Verdun, and is said to represent the ancient church -of the Premonstrants of St. Paul. - -[Illustration] - - - The South Aisle and Holy Sacrament Chapel - -The numerous collateral chapels are 14th, 15th and 16th century. The -most interesting is that of the Holy Sacrament. It was finished in -1402, and is Radial-Gothic in style. - -In the neighbouring transept there was formerly a “puits” (well), which -offended Louis XIV. when he visited the Cathedral in 1687. The Chapter -had it filled up and covered with a stone, on which was carved the -letter “P.” - -The Chapel of the Virgin contains an interesting mutilated monument to -Archdeacon Wassebourg, carved in the 16th century to perpetuate the -true image of Our Lady of Verdun seated and crowned. - -[Illustration: MONUMENT TO ARCHDEACON WASSEBOURG. CHAPEL OF THE VIRGIN] - -[Illustration: UPPER PORTION OF DOOR IN OLD ROMAN APSE, REMOVED TO THE -VESTRY.] - -[Illustration: ROMAN CAPITAL OF THE GREAT CRYPT FILLED IN IN 1755, -EXCEPT TWO BAYS DECORATED WITH PAINTINGS.] - -[Illustration: THE LAST JUDGMENT. PAINTING ON THE VAULT OF THE CRYPT.] - -_Enter the courtyard of the Bishop’s Palace by the door of the -Margueritte College (see p. 43). The Seminary seen in the background of -the photo has been completely destroyed since 1916. The door with steps -in front led formerly to a staircase descending to the Cloister. In -May, 1919, this staircase was easily accessible, in spite of the débris -all around._ - -[Illustration: COURTYARD OF THE BISHOP’S PALACE AND THE CATHEDRAL IN -1916] - - - The Bishop’s Palace - -This fine spacious building was erected in 1725–1755 from the plans of -_Robert de Cotte_. It has two terraces and a garden, with a view over -the whole town. Under the First Empire it was a senatorial palace. - -At the time of the separation of the Church from the State it was -turned into a =museum=. The latter contains a fine collection of medals -and coins, also numerous fragments of the ancient Abbey of St. Vanne, -which was inside the Citadel. These fragments include the remains of a -Pagan altar, a Corinthian capital with Barbarian ornamentation, and an -ivory comb with inscriptions, said to have been given by Emperor -St. Henri to the Abbot of St. Vanne in 1024. - -[Illustration: THE BISHOP’S PALACE. FAÇADE LOOKING ON THE COURTYARD AND -ENTRANCE TO THE MUSEUM.] - -[Illustration: THE CLOISTER - -On the left: Aisle of the Cathedral (_see p. 47_) and the Transept with -ruined roof. In the background: The East Gallery of the Cloister] - - - The Cloister (_Hist. Mon._ 13th and 14th centuries) - -_The door of Margueritte College and the courtyard of the Bishop’s -Palace lead to the Cloister (see photos, pp. 43 and 49)._ - -Although Gothic in structure, parts of the carved decorative work -announced the coming Renaissance (helmeted warriors and antique -personages crowned with laurels). - -Some of the keystones of the vaulting, representing bloated, bearded -faces, are said to be caricatures of the canons of the Cathedral, made -by the workmen who built the cloister, to revenge themselves for the -Church’s stinginess. - -[Illustration: THE WEST GALLERY IN WHICH THE STAIRCASE LEADING TO THE -CLOISTER OPENS OUT (1914) - -The arrangement of the blind windows against the walls is very rarely -met with] - -[Illustration: THE CLOISTER SEEN FROM ONE OF THE CATHEDRAL TOWERS - -In the background: the East Gallery. On the right the Seminary and -South Gallery in ruins. In the town is seen St. Saviour’s Church -against the green background of the fortifications] - -The heavy Seminary buildings, erected on two of the galleries, are 19th -century. They were almost entirely destroyed by the bombardments. - -[Illustration: THE SOUTH GALLERY OF THE CLOISTER BEFORE THE WAR - -Its present state is shown in the above photograph] - -_On leaving the Cathedral, the tourist arrives almost immediately at -the small Place Châtel, the highest point of the town. Take, the Rue -Châtel to the_ =Châtel Gate=. - -[Illustration: CHÂTEL GATE. BEHIND THE CATHEDRAL.] - -From the ancient “Fermeté” rampart, only this machicolated gate -(formerly called “Champenoise”) is visible near the small “Place -Châtel.” - -_On leaving the Châtel Gate, go down the Rue des Hauts Fins to the -corner of the_ Rue Montgaud: Blockhouse for four machine-guns to defend -the town. - -Cross the Esplanade de la Roche to the =Citadelle=. - - - THE CITADELLE - -From the Esplanade de la Roche, the arrangement of which dates from -1780–1783, there is a fine view of the Meuse valley and the prairies -known as =Pré-l’Evêque=. - -The entrance to the =Citadelle= opens on the Esplanade de la Roche, -while the Citadelle proper occupies the site of the ancient =Abbey= -and =Church of St. Vanne=, erected in the Merovingian Period and 15th -century on the hill where, in the days of Clovis, the Dragon with -poisoned breath was said to live. According to the legend St. Vanne -first tamed the dragon, then led it to the River Meuse, where it was -drowned. - -[Illustration: THE CITADEL BUILDINGS AFTER THE BOMBARDMENTS OF 1916 - -(_Photographed in 1917_)] - -The first Citadelle was begun in 1552, continued under Henri IV. by -Errard, and finished in 1630 under Governor Marillac. The second was -the work of Vauban (1670–1682). The church of St. Vanne was included -and preserved in both citadelles, but was later pulled down (1831–1835) -by order of the Military Authorities. The old Gothic cloister was -spared and turned into barracks in 1835. It was destroyed by the German -bombardment during the siege of 1870. Of the Abbey, only a square Roman -Tower of the 11th century remains (_see photo below_). - -[Illustration: THE CITADEL AND ST. VANNE TOWER, WITH WIRELESS ANTENNA.] - -[Illustration: THE CITADEL RAMPARTS AND NEUVE GATE. - -(_Entrance to the town by the G. C. 34, continued by the Rue de Rû. See -coloured plan between pp. 30 and 31._)] - -[Illustration: DORMITORY IN THE CASEMATES.] - - - The Citadel during the War - -During the late War, the Citadelle was often a target for the German -heavy guns, but its deep underground vaults provided secure shelter for -the population before the general evacuation, as also for the public -services and reinforcements. Most of the regiments which took part in -the battles of 1916 passed through the Citadelle. - -It was in one of the casemates that the President of France, M. -Poincaré, handed to the Municipal Authorities of Verdun, on September -13th, 1916, the decorations conferred on that City by the Chiefs of -State of the Allied countries (_see p. 30_). - -[Illustration: CO-OPERATIVE CANTEEN IN THE CITADEL.] - -_On leaving the Citadelle, turn to the right immediately after the -entrance and follow the glacis which passes underneath the terraces of -the Bishop’s Palace. After a sharp turning near the Manutention, the -tourist arrives at the_ =Rue de Rû=. - -_Take the latter as far as the_ =Rue des Gros-Degrés=, one of the most -picturesque streets of Old Verdun, which also suffered greatly from the -German bombardment. It is composed of eighty steps, divided into seven -unequal flights, with a hand-rail erected in 1595. _The photograph -opposite was taken from the bottom of the stairs._ - -[Illustration: THE RUE DES GROS-DEGRÉS.] - -_Take on the right the Rue du Pont des Augustins and cross the curious -canal_ of the same name (_photo below_) to visit the Lower Town, which -is crowded with picturesque old streets and narrow bridges over the -winding canals. - -[Illustration: THE CANAL DES AUGUSTINS.] - -_Return to the_ =Place Mazel=. - -_If the tourist has time, he may go from here to the_ =St. Victor -Gate=, _situated at the exit of Verdun, in the direction of Metz, -Nancy, Toul, and Commercy (see p. 56, and plan between pp. 30 and 31)_. - -[Illustration: ST. VICTOR’S GATE] - - - From the Place Mazel to St. Victor’s Gate - - (_See plan between pp. 30 and 31_) - -_Cross the St. Croix bridge, take the Rue de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, then the -Rue St. Sauveur, in which is the_ =Hospice St. Catherine=. - -The =Hospice St. Catherine= was the birthplace of Bishop St. Airy. -According to tradition the Bishop, on receiving a visit from -Childebert II., caused his last barrel of wine to be brought in. Giving -thanks, he was miraculously able to satisfy the deep-drinking Franks -for several days. (_This legend is probably connected with the planting -of the vineyards in the region of Verdun._) - -_Opposite the Church of St. Catherine is the_ colonaded front of the -former =Congrégation Notre-Dame Monastery=, now a school. - -_Further on are the_ =Church of St. Victor=, Rustic-Gothic in style, -_and the_ =Gate= of the same name (_photo above_). - -_Stairs on the right of St. Victor’s Gate lead to the_ Citadelle -Curtain 16, whence there is a fine view of the city. - -[Illustration: THE DOORWAY OF THE CONGRÉGATION NOTRE-DAME (63 RUE DE -L’HÔTEL-DE-VILLE)] - - - - - VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELD - - -The following Itinerary is divided into two parts: - -1. The right bank of the Meuse, including the forts (Tavannes, -Souville, Vaux and Douaumont). _See pp. 57–87._ - -2. The left bank of the Meuse, including Cumières, Mort-Homme, Hill 304 -and Avocourt. _See pp. 88–111._ - - - - 1st ITINERARY: THE RIGHT BANK OF THE MEUSE AND THE FORTS - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: LEAVING VERDUN BY THE CHAUSSÉE GATE (_see p. 34_).] - - - I.—From Verdun to Tavannes Fort - -_Leave Verdun by the Chaussée Gate, cross the Meuse and the fortified -enclosure, and take the Rue d’Etain_ (R. N. 18) _on the left. Go up -the Faubourg Pavé._ This road, used by the relief troops in the -Vaux-Douaumont sector, was heavily and continually shelled until Verdun -was finally cleared in December, 1916. - -[Illustration: MILITARY CEMETERY AT THE EXIT OF THE FAUBOURG PAVÉ.] - -[Illustration: Two-page map of the battlefield.] - -[Illustration: THE INTERIOR OF TAVANNES FORT] - -_At the side of the Municipal Cemetery_ (_on the left_) is a Military -Cemetery containing more than 5,000 graves (_photo, p. 58_). - -_Follow_ N. 18 _for about six kilometers, then turn to the left into -the road leading to_ =Tavannes Fort=, _situated about a kilometer from -the main road_. - -=Tavannes Fort= dominates the ground behind the Vaux-Souville line and -the Etain-Verdun road. The Germans, in their effort to reach Souville, -sought by frequent bombardments to destroy the fort which resisted -stubbornly, but on May 7th a 17-inch shell destroyed one of the arches -and caused serious damage. - -Near the fort, on the Verdun-Etain railway, is the long =Tavannes -Tunnel=. - -Although the entrances were constantly shelled by enemy artillery, it -was used as a shelter for the reserves of the Vaux-Souville sector and -as a munitions depot. Bunks were fitted up in three superimposed rows, -300 to 450 feet in length, and separated by spaces, where numerous -other troops slept as they could on the ground. Despite the ventilating -shafts, the air remained foul, owing to the perspiration of the men and -the rudimentary sanitary arrangements. To complete the misery of the -men, a grenade depot blew up on the night of September 4th, causing -many victims. - -[Illustration: THE SOUTHERN MOAT OF TAVANNES FORT] - -[Illustration: THE CAR COMING FROM TAVANNES FORT TAKES THE ROAD ON THE -RIGHT TO VAUX FORT. THAT ON THE LEFT LEADS TO SOUVILLE FORT] - - - II.—From Tavannes Fort to Vaux Fort - -_Return to the road by which the fort was reached_ (I.C.2) _and turn -into it on the right. About 300 yards further on, at the fork (see -photo above), take the right-hand road (the other leads to Souville -Fort)._ On the left is the ravine which precedes the entrance to -Tavannes Tunnel. At first the road rises, then dips down to Bourvaux -Ravine. (_On the right the road to_ Bourvaux Battery _is visible_.) -The road zig-zags, then scales Hill 349, leading to Vaux Fort, after -crossing through the woods of La Laufée and Chenois, of which only a -few broken, branchless trunks remain. - -=Chenois and Laufée Woods and the Damloup Battery.=—Before and after -the fall of Vaux Fort, these positions were often attacked by the -Germans, especially in June, July and September, 1916. - -[Illustration: THE ROAD TO VAUX FORT (_the latter is in the -background_).] - -From June 2nd to 4th the Damloup battery and its approaches, defended -by units of the 142nd and 52nd Line Regiments, repulsed sharp German -attacks and prevented the enemy from debouching from Damloup. The -defence of the battery lasted till July 2nd, the defenders, in -constantly diminishing numbers, being attacked and bombarded without -intermission. On July 3rd a German attack, preceded by an intense -bombardment, resulted in the capture at about 1 p.m. of the greater -part of the battery, but the remnant of a French company held its -ground in the southern part of the work. At 3 p.m. only fifty men of -the company were left; at 8 p.m. twenty, but still they hung on until -an hour later they were reinforced by another company, which succeeded -in crossing the barrage. At two o’clock next morning the French -repulsed the enemy at the point of the bayonet and recaptured the -entire battery. - -[Illustration: LAUFÉE WOOD IN 1917] - -After losing it on July 12th, the French retook the battery in a -bayonet charge on October 24th, while General Lardemelle’s division -recaptured Chenois Wood (_see p. 19_). - -[Illustration: CHENOIS WOOD IN 1917. VAUX FORT IS IN THE BACKGROUND.] - -[Illustration: VAUX FORT IN 1916 (_photographed from aeroplane_).] - -=Vaux Fort.=—Built of masonry about the year 1880, afterwards of -concrete, and finally of reinforced concrete, the fort was only -completed in 1911. Smaller and less powerful than Douaumont Fort, it -dominates the plateau to the south of Vaux Ravine and the reverse side -of Douaumont Plateau. Therein lies its importance. On March 9th Germany -announced triumphantly to the world that the VIth and XIXth reserve -regiments of Posen had “taken by assault the armoured Fort of Vaux, as -well as numerous neighbouring fortifications.” - -This communiqué was untrue. Two battalions of the XIXth regiment of -Posen had in reality gained a footing on Vaux Hill on March 9th, but -they were mown down at close range by French fire. As a matter of fact, -three months of uninterrupted costly effort were necessary before the -Germans were able to enter Vaux Fort. - -[Illustration: GERMAN ADVANCE ON MARCH 8 AND 9, 1916.] - -On March 10th and 11th, in four column formation, they attacked the -slopes leading to the fort. Literally mowed down, regiment after -regiment left heaps of dead and wounded in front of the French -wire entanglements; 60 per cent. of the enemy effectives engaged -melted away in these two sanguinary days. After a terrific artillery -preparation—five times on March 16th and six times on March 18th—they -again swarmed up the slopes of the fort only to be thrown back with -heavy loss. On April 2nd the enemy sustained another check, but during -the night of June 2nd they reached the northern moat. While, on June -4th and 5th, six of their divisions attempted unsuccessfully to -outflank the fort on the north by Fumin and on the south by Chenois -Wood, the battle continued to rage on the fort itself and in front of -the southern side. - -[Illustration: VAUX FORT. THE MOATS IN JUNE, 1916] - -From March to June 2nd, the fort and its surroundings received no less -than 8,000 large calibre shells daily. Only one entrance was left, -_i.e._ the north-west postern, which enemy artillery fire rendered -unserviceable. The commander of the fort (Raynal) and his men were -imprisoned in the underground chambers of the fort, being no longer -able to hold their ground outside. To economise food and water, the -surplus contingents were ordered to leave the fort. On the night of the -4th a first detachment made its escape under the direction of Aspirant -Buffet, who returned to the fort the next evening with orders. The -same night 100 more men managed to get away. Carrier pigeons and -optical signals now furnished the only means of communication with the -French lines. On the 4th, the last pigeon was released. On the morning -of the 5th, thanks to two signalmen who volunteered to change a signal -post which the Commandant had difficulty in observing, communications -were maintained. The same night the Commandant sent his last message -that could be read in its entirety, and which ended: “We have reached -the limit, officers and soldiers have done their duty. Long live -France!” Nevertheless, the fort continued to hold out and refused to -surrender. On the night of the 6th reinforcements tried to relieve it -and reached the moat of the counter-scarp, but after losing nearly all -their officers they were compelled to fall back. The Germans gained a -footing in the ruins of the superstructure, and eventually succeeded -in driving the French out of the casemates by lowering baskets of -grenades with retarded fuses and by using liquid fire and poison gas. -Driven back into the underground passages, the French continued the -fight with grenades and bayonets. The 2nd regiment of Zouaves and the -Colonial regiment of Morocco made a last effort on the morning of the -8th to relieve the garrison. They reached the approaches of the fort, -from which clouds of thick black smoke, caused by a violent explosion -in one of the casemates, were pouring. Exposed to the fire of the enemy -machine-guns installed in the superstructure of the fort and attacked -by constantly increasing reinforcements, they were unable to hold their -ground. - -[Illustration: THE APPROACHES TO VAUX FORT IN MARCH, 1916 - -The Fort is on the left at the back] - -When, on the night of June 8th, after seven days and nights of -continual fighting, the heroic defenders of the fort were at last -overpowered, the unwounded among them had not tasted a drop of water -for two days. - -Five months later (November 2nd) the Germans were driven out of the -fort, which they hurriedly evacuated (_see pp. 63–64_). - -[Illustration: THE SOUTH-WEST SIDE OF VAUX FORT] - - - III.—From Vaux Fort to Souville Fort - -_On leaving Vaux Fort return along the same road to the fork (photo, -p. 60) and turn to the right. About one kilometer from the fork, on the -left, the escarpments of_ =Souville Fort= border the road. _Go to the -fort on foot (about 200 yards from the road)._ - -[Illustration: THE OLD ENTRANCE TO SOUVILLE FORT (Sept. 1916)] - -=Souville Fort=, which stands as high as that of Douaumont, commands -the background of the Douaumont—Vaux line. After taking this line, -the enemy, from June 15th to 22nd, undertook the destruction of the -fort. On the 23rd the entire CIIIrd German Division attacked, but was -repulsed with very heavy losses in front of the French second line -trenches. The attack was renewed by two divisions on July 11th and -12th, but failed to reach the moats of the fort. - -[Illustration: SOUVILLE FORT (_March 1917_).] - -[Illustration: Heights on left bank - -Froid-Terre Redoubt - -Froide-Terre Hill - -Road to Douaumont - -Thiaumont Redoubt - -Road to Douaumont - -Douaumont Fort - -Hardaumont Wood - -Vaux Ravine - -Hill 349 - -Chapitre Wood - -Vaux Fort - -PANORAMA SEEN FROM THE CROSS-ROADS AT THE CHAPEL OF ST. FINE (_entirely -destroyed_).] - -[Illustration] - -The “+” on the sketch-map above shows the spot from where the panorama -should be viewed. The car in the photo came from Souville Fort, turning -to the right towards Vaux Village. - -_After visiting the village return to the cross-roads and take the road -on the right to Douaumont, seen on the left half of the above panorama -(p. 66). The bombardments have left no trace of St. Fine Chapel._ - - - IV.—From Souville Fort to Vaux Village and Pond - -_After visiting Souville Fort return to the cross-ways at St. Fine -Chapel, seen in the above photo._ - -[Illustration: ATTACKING WAVES OF INFANTRY CROSSING FUMIN WOOD (_Oct. -1916_).] - -It was the ruins of this chapel that the enemy reached on July 12th, -1916, and that the 2nd regiment of Zouaves, at the order of General -Mangin, recaptured in order to relieve Souville Fort. - -_At the cross-roads, take the_ I. C. 12 _on the right to Vaux village. -The road dips down into a gorge between the woods of Le Chapitre and -Fumin._ - -=Chapitre and Fumin Woods.=—To the west and east of the road leading -to Vaux village, these two woods cover the flanks of the plateau which -dominates Vaux Ravine and supports Vaux Fort. It was there that the -Germans sought to outflank the fort on the west to reach Souville, -but they were held in check during May. From June, 1916, these woods -were subjected to bombardments of incredible intensity. A powerful -German attack on June 23rd failed, but another on July 12th enabled -the Germans to get a footing in Fumin Wood. In August and September -frequent enemy attacks gave them temporary local gains. On October 24th -and 25th, and again at the end of the month, French counter-attacks -captured the enemy strongholds and cleared the woods completely. - -The defence of the “R” outworks by the 101st line regiment was -intimately connected with the attacks on Fumin Wood and Vaux Fort. -These outworks were at the foot of the slopes of Fumin Wood, about -half-way between the village and fort of Vaux. Bombarded by heavy -guns on June 1st and 2nd, it was unsuccessfully attacked by the enemy -at 8 p.m. on the evening of the 2nd. Twice on the 3rd and once on -the 4th the French, reinforced by a few units, although deprived of -water and subjected to machine-gun fire on the flank, repulsed new -German attacks. A company of the 298th which, on the night of the 5th, -relieved that of the 101st (reduced to 39 men), held out three days -more under increasingly difficult conditions, and was only overpowered -on the night of the 8th after the capture of the fort of Vaux. These -positions were recaptured during the French offensive of October -2nd. 1916. The works known as the “Petit Dépôt,” “Fulda Boyau,” and -“Sablière,” bristling with machine-guns and scarcely touched by the -French artillery preparation, offered a stubborn resistance, and were -only captured by the 74th Division in the evening after a whole day of -exceedingly hard fighting. - -[Illustration: DEFENCE WORKS IN VAUX VILLAGE (_January, 1916_).] - -[Illustration: WHERE VAUX VILLAGE (_entirely destroyed_) STOOD BEFORE -THE WAR. (_Photo, April 20th, 1917._)] - -=Vaux-les-Damloup.=—From March 8th the Germans sought to enter this -village from the Woevre. The 1st battalion of their XIXth regiment of -Reserves, believing it to be empty, was well-nigh exterminated. On the -10th, after a nine-hour night bombardment with torpedoes, units of the -XVth and XVIIIth C.A. attacked the village. Although numbering more than -six to one, it was only after four successive attacks that they gained -a footing in the ruins of a block of houses behind the church. Soon -after they advanced as far as the ruins of the church. Five times they -sought to debouch, but were each time literally mowed down by the fire -of the French machine-guns and mountain batteries. After two costly -checks on March 16th and 18th the Germans again attacked on the evening -of the 30th, but it was only three days later and at the cost of very -heavy casualties that they were able to take and keep the village. - -[Illustration: VAUX POND (_March 1917_).] - -The road comes to an end at Vaux Pond. The village extended beyond the -wooden foot-bridge seen in the photo. No trace of it is left, and the -tourist will look in vain for any indication in the desolate waste -around him of this erstwhile picturesque and flourishing village. It -has literally been wiped out. - -_Turn the car round 100 yards from the pond, at the place where a -narrow-gauge rail-track formerly ran (see photo below)._ - -[Illustration: VAUX POND IS THE EXTREME POINT WHICH CAN BE REACHED BY -MOTOR-CARS.] - -[Illustration: THE SOUTHERN OUTSKIRTS OF FLEURY AFTER THE FRENCH -COUNTER-ATTACK OF JUNE 25TH, 1916.] - - - V.—From Vaux Village to Douaumont Fort - -After turning the car round at Vaux Pond, return by the same road to -the cross-ways at St. Fine Chapel (_see pp. 66 and 67_), continue -another fifty yards, then take on the right the road to Douaumont. - -About 500 yards farther on is the site of what was the village of -=Fleury-devant-Douaumont=. - -[Illustration: FLEURY. THE GRANDE RUE IN JULY, 1916.] - -From June 21st to September 30th, 1916, the village was often disputed. -After violently bombarding it from June 21st to 23rd, four German -Alpine regiments carried it, pushing forward to the south of the -Fleury-Vaux railway where the French 75’s checked them with very heavy -loss. On the 24th–25th the French reoccupied the eastern part of the -village. On the 27th two battalions of the French 241st line regiment -entered Fleury, but were soon driven out, after which they clung to -the southern and western parts. The enemy bombardment of July 9th–10th -levelled the village. On the 11th, picked German troops attacked and -outflanked it on the south. French counter-attacks succeeded on the -following days in driving the Germans back somewhat, 800 prisoners -being taken in ten days. On August 2nd–3rd the village was reoccupied -and 1,350 more prisoners taken. It was lost, then partly retaken on -August 5th at the point of the bayonet. Two weeks of constant grenade -fighting, from hole to hole, by battalions of Alpine Chasseurs from -Alsace, carried all that remained of the trenches adjoining the -positions “Trois Arbres” and “Montbrison.” On August 17th the Moroccan -Colonial Regiment finished the conquest of the village with their usual -dash. - -_In the ruins of Fleury, on the right, there is a road which, after -passing through Caillette Wood, comes to an end about 400 yards from_ -=Douaumont Fort=. _The latter can be reached from here on foot._ - -_One kilometer after the ruins of Fleury the road divides. Take the -right-hand one, the other leads to Bras by the northern slopes of -Froide-Terre Hill._ - -The uphill road follows the ridge, at the end of which is Douaumont -Fort, then passes south of =Thiaumont Redoubt=. - -[Illustration: FLEURY IN RUINS, OCTOBER, 1916.] - -=Thiaumont Redoubt=, S.W. of Douaumont Fort, dominating Froide-Terre -Hill and the Bras road to the W., and the Fleury road to the S., -formed the left extremity of the last but one line of resistance which -passed in front of Verdun, _via_ the village of Fleury and the forts -of Souville and Tavannes. For five months (May–September, 1916), which -saw some of the hardest fighting in the battle of Verdun, the Germans -wore themselves down against this line. Neither the repeated furious -attacks, nor poison gas, nor the incredibly intense bombardments could -break the resistance of the French, who clung desperately to their -positions. - -_A little further on the road passes the site of_ =Thiaumont Farm=, -_all traces of which were swept away by the battle_. - -=Thiaumont Farm=, captured on June 1st, was reconquered on the 2nd. -The enemy occupied the ruins on the 9th, after their big attack of the -previous day. On the 12th, 13th, 15th and 17th they sustained four -serious checks in front of the defences. Exasperated at the French -resistance, they deluged the positions and those of Froide-Terre, on -the 21st, with poison gas and more than 100,000 shells. At 6 o’clock -on the morning of the 23rd five Bavarian regiments attacked, but -although they reached the defences of Froide-Terre, they were unable -to hold them. However, those of Thiaumont remained in their hands. In -a magnificent attack on June 30th, and despite enemy cross-fire, the -French 248th line regiment reoccupied Thiaumont at noon, lost it at -four o’clock, but recaptured it again the next day and kept it until -relieved, in spite of furious German counter-attacks. From July 4th -to 9th Thiaumont was retaken and lost four times by the Germans, but -a fifth attack enabled them to hold it. Fighting around the defences -was continual during the rest of the month. From August 1st to 4th -the French 96th line regiment, supported by the 122nd, reconquered -Thiaumont and its approaches. From the 4th to the 8th it was defended -by the 81st, but on the evening of the 8th, after losing and retaking -it, they were driven out by a powerful German attack. Since June 23rd -Thiaumont had changed hands sixteen times. - -[Illustration: THIAUMONT REDOUBT OCCUPIED BY THE FRENCH IN MAY, 1916 - -The Central Shelter having been pierced by a shell on May 6th, the -Redoubt was afterwards only used as an Artillery Observation-Post. -The Entrance Trench in the foreground was each day levelled by enemy -shells, only to be re-made during the night.] - -From the middle of August the French command changed their tactics. -Abandoning the costly direct attacks, the redoubt was gradually -encircled. On October 24th Moroccan Colonial troops, Zouaves and -Tirailleurs, in a dashing grenade and bayonet attack, recaptured -Douaumont, the Farm and Redoubt of Thiaumont and the Dame and -neighbouring ravines. - -[Illustration: THIAUMONT REDOUBT IN RUINS OCCUPIED BY THE GERMANS A -MONTH LATER - -BARBED-WIRE ENTANGLEMENT IN FRONT OF THE FRENCH LINE] - -[Illustration: THE APPROACHES TO DOUAUMONT FORT AND VILLAGE. - - =a= [fan-shape sign] The upper photo on p. 78, =Dame Ravine=, was - taken from here. - - =b= [fan-shape sign] The lower photo on p. 80, =Helly Ravine=, was - taken from here.] - -_Leave the car at Thiaumont Farm and go on foot to Douaumont Fort, -following the temporary narrow-gauge line for about 1,300 yards. These -rails follow the old road which was entirely destroyed._ - - - DOUAUMONT FORT - - (_See photo, p. 29._) - -This modern stronghold, which the Crown Prince called “the N.E. angular -pillar of the permanent fortifications of Verdun,” occupies at Hill 388 -the culminating point of the hard limestone plateau which forms the -region of Verdun. Lying between Bras Ravine (which descends towards the -W. and the Meuse) and Vaux or Bazil Ravine (extending towards the E. -and the Woevre), the fort dominates the entire region. As the key of -the battlefield it was fiercely disputed. - -[Illustration: DOUAUMONT FORT IN JANUARY, 1916.] - -Before the battle of 1916 it was only bombarded twice by the German -artillery. Of the 250 shells fired at it early in November, 1914, 170 -reached the mark without, however, causing serious damage. The few -8-inch shells received on March 29th, 1915, did no damage whatever. - -[Illustration: THE FRONT ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 26TH (26/2), AFTER -THE GERMANS HAD OCCUPIED THE FORT BY SURPRISE, AND ON THE MORNING OF -THE 27TH (27/2), AFTER THE FRENCH COUNTER-ATTACK.] - -On February 25th, 1916, almost at the beginning of the battle, units -of the German XXIVth Infantry Regiment (IIIrd Brandenburgers), wearing -French Zouave uniforms, surprised and occupied the fort. On the morning -of the 26th the French 153rd D.I. (20th C.) counter-attacked fiercely -five times, advancing their line beyond the fort and surrounding -the enemy on three sides. Thanks, however, to a communicating -trench connecting up with their lines, the enemy were able to keep -their ground. From the 26th to the 29th they furiously attacked the -approaches of the fort without being able to surround it. A redoubt, -200 yards E. of the fort, was alternately lost and recaptured three -times on the 26th. From March 8th to May 19th the fighting continued -with varying fortune. - -[Illustration: THE ENTRANCE TO DOUAUMONT FORT IN JANUARY, 1916.] - -From the 19th to the 22nd French heavy guns bombarded the fort, the -explosion of a shell on the 20th causing hundreds of victims. To hamper -the enemy Intelligence Service six of their observation balloons were -destroyed by a French flying squadron on the morning of the 22nd. At -11.50 the 10th Brigade (5th D.I.) attacked the fort and its approaches. -At noon the 129th line regiment occupied the N. and N.W. corners of -the fort. The 74th regiment was unable to take the N.E. corner, but the -36th succeeded in capturing all the trenches west of the Fort. During -the night and all the next day the enemy intensified their bombardment -and increased the number of their counter-attacks, without breaking -through the defences of the 10th Brigade, which maintained all its -gains until relieved on the night of the 23rd. Exasperated at this -check, the Germans, on the 24th, engaged no less than an army corps of -reinforcements and retook the fort. - -[Illustration: THE INTERIOR OF THE FORT ON MAY 22ND, 1916, THREE HOURS -AFTER THE ATTACK. - -French Infantry and Sappers in a trench hurriedly made around an -outwork of masonry still held by the enemy with machine-guns.] - -Five months later (October 24th) they lost it again after a heavy -bombardment and attack, during which a French 16-inch shell pierced -the superstructure of the fort and started a fire. A dense fog overhung -the fort when, at 11.40 a.m., the signal for the attack, directed by -General Mangin, was given. When, at about 2.30 p.m. the fog lifted, -French observers perceived the Moroccan Colonials of the Nicolaï -battalion scaling the ruins of the fort. On arriving there, the latter -found units of the 321st line regiment which, operating _in liaison_ on -their right, had preceded them and already hoisted the French flag on -the ruins of the fort. Two sappers of the 19-2 Co. of Engineers slipped -into the basement of the fort, and with the aid of four Colonials -captured twenty-four German soldiers, four officers, two guns and three -machine-guns in one of the counter-scarp shelters. Other enemy soldiers -in one of the casemates surrendered, with the German commander of the -fort, on the night of the 24th. The next morning the entire fort, -together with a great quantity of arms, munitions and foodstuffs, was -in the hands of the French. Four enemy counter-attacks on the 26th -failed to retake it. - -[Illustration: SOLDIERS OF THE MOROCCAN COLONIAL REGT. OCCUPYING THE -MOATS OF THE RECONQUERED FORT (photographed on the morning of -Oct. 25th, 1916, the day after the victory)] - -On the night of the 24th a sergeant of the 4th Zouaves captured, -unaided, a German company and six officers. Returning from -revictualling duty, he was taken prisoner by some Germans occupying a -shelter near the fort Coolly informing them that Douaumont and Damloup -Battery had fallen, he called on them to surrender. The attitude of the -sergeant was so convincing that after some hesitation they laid down -their arms and were brought into the French lines. - -Douaumont was entirely cleared on December 15th by the 37th D.I., which -fought a hard battle in the woods before the village. Having learned -the time of the attack, the Germans were on their guard, but after -a furious combat the 2nd Tirailleurs drove back the VIth Prussian -Grenadiers and crossed Helly Ravine (_photo, p. 80_). - -=Hardaumont= and =Caillette Woods= and =Douaumont Village= _may be -visited, on foot from the fort of Douaumont_. - -The plateau E. and S.E. of Douaumont Fort ends in wooded slopes, -which overhang Vaux (Basil) Ravine. That furthest to the E. contains -Hardaumont Wood, while on the most western slope is Caillette Wood. -The Germans who, on March 8th and 9th, had taken Hardaumont Redoubt, -only entered Caillette Wood on April 2nd, after four days’ attacks -with asphyxiating gas and liquid fire. Despite a night march of -eleven miles, the 74th line regiment (5th D.I.) attacked the enemy -vigorously on the morning of April 3rd. On April 3rd, 4th and 5th the -French retook the wood, bit by bit. On the 15th three battalions of -the 36th line regiment and units of the 120th threw back the enemy -between Caillette and Fausse-Côte ravines, while on the 19th the 81st -Brigade enlarged these gains. From the 24th to the 26th the Germans -tried in vain to advance. On June 1st they engaged two and a half -divisions before they were able to occupy the greater part of Caillette -Wood. Moreover, their success was only temporary, for on October 24th -the French Division of General Passaga (“La Gauloise”) drove them -definitely out of Caillette Wood and partly from that of Hardaumont. -Nearly two enemy divisions were put out of action and seventeen -field guns, twenty-five heavy guns, including two of long range, and -numerous trench mortars were captured. The reconquest of Hardaumont -Wood was completed on December 15th by the same division which captured -“Lorient” and Hardaumont Redoubts. - - * * * * * - -=Douaumont Village=, situated below and 500 yards to the W. of the -fort, was almost encircled on the evening of February 25th, but -Zouaves and Tirailleurs extricated it. From the 25th to the 28th -the Vth German D.I. made five furious attacks, but were unable to -break down the resistance of the 95th line regiment and units of the -153rd D.I. which were defending the village. On March 2nd, after a -preliminary bombardment which destroyed the village and isolated the -battalion holding it, the CXIIIth German D.I., wearing French helmets, -attacked at 1.15 p.m. on the N. and E. The French machine-gunners soon -discovered the trick, however, and mowed them down. After a second -bombardment the enemy again attacked, overwhelming the defenders, one -company of whom resisted to the last man. - -[Illustration: RUINS OF DOUAUMONT VILLAGE AND CHURCH.] - -The remains of the French battalion took their stand fifty yards S.W. -of the village and prevented the enemy from debouching. On the 3rd two -battalions of the 172nd and 174th line regiments retook the village at -the point of the bayonet. During the night the Germans counter-attacked -twice unsuccessfully with heavy loss, 800 dead being counted in front -of one of the French trenches. On the 4th a third and more powerful -counter-attack succeeded in driving the French from the village, but -broke down against new positions 200 yards to the south. The French -were compelled to fall back in May and June, but returned victorious to -the ruined village on October 24th. - -[Illustration: DAME RAVINE. - -The road from Thiaumont to Bras follows it, ending at Haudromont -Quarries (_see Itinerary, p. 57_). The tree-stumps in the foreground -formed part of Chauffour Wood.] - -[Illustration: POSITION OF GERMAN BATTERY DESTROYED IN CHAUFFOUR WOOD.] - -[Illustration: HAUDROMONT QUARRIES IN SEPTEMBER, 1917.] - - - VI.—From Douaumont Fort to Bras and Samogneux - -_A down-hill road leads direct from Douaumont Village to Thiaumont -Farm, where the tourist will take his car again._ - -_Follow the road, which turns to the left and passes through Dame -Ravine._ On all sides the chaotic waste testifies to the terrible -hammering which this region received from the guns (_see photo, p. 78, -and map, p. 73_). - -_The tourist leaves_ =Chauffour Wood= _on his right_ (_photos, p. 78_). - -This wood extends to the north of the road and approaches to within a -few hundred yards of Douaumont on the west. The CVth German Infantry -was cut to pieces here on the morning of February 26th, 1916, and on -March 2nd the XXIst German Division suffered a similar fate there. -During a powerful attack around Douaumont on April 16th the Germans -occupied a small salient S. of the wood, but were soon after partially -driven out, while on December 17th the wood was entirely cleared of -them by the Zouaves and Tirailleurs of the 38th D.I. The enemy’s -efforts to retake it and Albain Wood to the S.W. were unsuccessful. - -_Continue to descend_; =Haudromont Quarries= _will be reached shortly -afterwards_. - -Around these positions, which dominate the ravine debouching at -the stream near Bras, furious indecisive fighting took place, more -especially on March 18th, April 22nd and May 8th, 9th, 10th, 22nd, 26th -and 27th, 1916. They were finally taken on October 24th by the French -11th line regiment. - -Fighting was very bitter around the quarries, which form a rough -oblong 200 to 300 yards long, fifty to sixty yards wide, visible from -afar on account of their white colour. The enemy had cut galleries, -casemates and shelters in the chalky soil, the whole forming a -redoubtable position. After encircling the quarries, the French -captured them with grenades. - -[Illustration: HAUDROMONT WOOD IN MARCH, 1917] - -_At the bottom of the hill, opposite and below_ =Haudromont Quarries=, -_tourists desirous of visiting_ =Helly Ravine= (_see photo below, and -map, p. 73_), which was the scene of terrible fighting during the -offensive of December, 1916 (_pp. 20–21_), _should turn to the right -for about 300 yards_. - -_Return to the starting-point and continue straight along the_ =Bras -Road=. - -_On the right the tourist comes to the uphill road to_ =Louvemont=, -_which crosses the southern slopes of Poivre Hill. This road is -impracticable for carriages beyond Louvemont._ - -[Illustration: HELLY RAVINE (_photographed in May, 1919_).] - -[Illustration: ROAD FROM LOUVEMONT TO ORNES - -(Farthest point accessible to motor-cars in May, 1919)] - - - Louvemont and Poivre Hill - -At 2.20 p.m. on February 24th, strong enemy forces debouched between -=Louvemont= and =Hill 347=. During the night the first French -reinforcements, belonging to the 20th C.A., repulsed them. On the -25th, the enemy, in dense formation, outflanked the village on the W. -and E. They were checked several times by units of the 37th D.I. and -artillery fire, but succeeded in entering the village at 3 p.m., after -having practically levelled it by shell fire. - -[Illustration: LOUVEMONT VILLAGE IN APRIL, 1917.] - -Zouaves, who were still clinging to the outskirts, ran short of -ammunition, but on being reinforced by a battalion of Tirailleurs -with 50,000 cartridges, continued with the latter to defend the S.E. -approaches of the village until the morrow. - -[Illustration: FROIDE-TERRE REDOUBT IN 1915] - -Owing to their heavy losses, the French 37th D.I. was compelled to -fall back, but the fire from a hundred 75 mm. guns concentrated at -Froide-Terre held the Germans in check and prevented their debouching -from the village. The French 39th D.I. promptly took up positions in -front of the 37th, between Poivre Hill and the Meuse, and barred the -road to Bras. Louvemont and its approaches were brilliantly retaken -during the French offensive of December 15th, 1916. While a brigade of -the 126th D.I. captured Hill 342 in several rushes, the 4th Moroccan -Brigade of the 38th D.I., in a running attack, carried the first and -second enemy lines, Louvemont and Hill 347, as well as a fortified -cavern known as the camp du Henrias, before which one of the victors of -Douaumont, Major Nicolaï, was killed. - -On August 20th, 1917, four successive lines of trenches were taken by -the French 165th D.I., in an attack to the north of Louvemont. - -_On leaving Louvemont, return by the same way to the Bras Road and take -it on the right. Bras village is reached shortly afterwards, where the -Itinerary follows the Meuse Valley and_ N. 64. - -=Bras.=—The Prussians camped here in 1792, during the occupation of -Verdun. - -[Illustration: THE LAST TRAIN TO PASS AT THE FOOT OF POIVRE HILL IN -1916. IT WAS WRECKED BY ENEMY ARTILLERY] - -In 1916 the Germans could not capture it, although they took Poivre -Hill which dominates the village to the N. - -After several checks (_e.g._ February 25th and March 9th) they occupied -Poivre Hill and Vacherauville, but were unable to dislodge the French -from the woods to the S.E. - -[Illustration: BRAS VILLAGE AND POIVRE HILL IN SEPT, 1917] - -From March, they organised a network of barbed-wire entanglements, -concrete galleries, redoubts, shelters, etc., on the hill, converting -it into a kind of fortress, but on December 15th the village and hill -were rushed by the 112th line regiment in three-column formation, -covered on the left by a fourth column and supported by auto-cannon. -Veritable bastion, overlooking the Beaumont road and flanking the -entire German line, the village could only be captured by surprise, and -the latter was complete. German officers were taken in their shelters -while dressing. The attack had not been expected before noon or later -than 2 p.m. The village was conquered in ten minutes, and Poivre Hill -in seven minutes, in a single rush. - -[Illustration: RUINS OF BRAS CHURCH, WHOSE TOWER COLLAPSED - -(_Photographed in April, 1917_)] - -_From Bras continue northwards to_ Vacherauville and Samogneux, where -the first German attacks at the beginning of the battle of Verdun took -place, (_see Itinerary p. 57._) - -[Illustration: THE GERMAN ADVANCE ON FEB. 24TH, 1916] - -=Vacherauville=, entirely destroyed, _is reached soon afterwards. -Leave on the right the road to Beaumont and take, a little further on, -that leading to Champneuville, which brings the tourist to the top -of_ =Talou Hill=, _from where the panoramic view on pp. 86 and 87 was -taken_. - -Situated in a long bend of the Meuse, =Talou Hill= gradually slopes -down to the water’s edge. On February 25th the enemy reached this -hill which, caught between the fire from both banks, became equally -untenable for the French and Germans, and from February 27th was -considered as a neutral zone. It was retaken by the French in their -offensive of August 20th, 1917, at the same time as the villages of -Neuville, Champneuville and Champ. - -=Samogneux= _may be reached from Talou Hill, either by continuing, via -Champneuville (see outline map, p. 87), or by returning to the_ R. N. -64. - -[Illustration: VACHERAUVILLE. THE APPROACHES TO THE VILLAGE ON DEC. -20TH, 1916] - -Subjected to an infernal shell-fire on February 22nd and 23rd -=Samogneux= had to be abandoned by the French on the evening of the -latter date. It was retaken by the 126th D. I. on August 21st, during -the French offensive of August, 1917, _i.e._ two days in advance of the -scheduled date (_see p. 23_). - -[Illustration: THE CENTRE OF SAMOGNEUX VILLAGE ON THE N. 46, IN MAY, -1919. - -The village was entirely levelled.] - -E. of Samogneux and dominating the road from Vacherauville to Beaumont -rises =Hill 344=, which, together with Samogneux and Beaumont, fell -into the hands of the enemy in 1916. It was retaken during the French -offensive of August 20th, 1917, by regiments belonging to the 123rd and -126th D.I. These were almost immediately relieved by the 14th D.I., -which for three weeks withstood violent enemy counter-attacks without -flinching. On September 9th, in particular, it repulsed an attack by -several German divisions which had orders to retake Hill 344 at all -costs. - -[Illustration: SAMOGNEUX CHURCH IN AUG., 1915.] - -_Return to Bras by the same road._ - - - VII.—From Bras to Verdun - -_From Bras take N 64 towards_ =Verdun=. _The road winds across the -western slopes of_ =Belleville Fort=. _At the top of the hill, take the -road on the left (leaving the down-hill road to Verdun)._ - -_The road (IC 2) passes by_ =Belleville Fort= _and along the top of the -hill, which formed the last permanent line of resistance, from, N.E. of -Verdun to_ =St. Michel Fort=. - -_From_ =St. Michel Fort= _there is a fine run down_ =St. Michel Hill= -_to Verdun which enter by the_ =Rue d’Elain= _and_ =Chaussée Gate=. - -[Illustration: Hill 275 - -Chattancourt-Esnes Road - -Hill 304 - -Chattancourt Village - -Mort-Homme - -Champ Village - -Oie Hill - -Cumières Hill - -Montfaucon] - -[Illustration: Forges Wood - -End of Oie Hill - -River Meuse - -Heights of Sivry-on-the-Meuse - -Consonvoye - -Brabant - -Verdun—Consonvoye Road - -Samogneux - -PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE MEUSE VALLEY SEEN FROM THE TOP OF TALOU HILL.] - -(_Consider the four parts from left to right, across both pages; the -top half fits on to the left of the bottom half._) - -[Illustration: From this spot on the road from Vacherauville to -Champneuville (see outline map, p. 87), there is a general view of the -lines from which the German Offensive started, and of the battlefield -on the left bank of the river.] - -[Illustration] - - - - 2nd ITINERARY: THE LEFT BANK OF THE MEUSE - - including Cumières, Oie Hill, Mort-Homme, Montfaucon, Hill 304, and - Avocourt (_see description, pp. 90–111_) - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration: THE CHURCH AND MAIN STREET OF CHARNY IN JANUARY, 1916] - - - I.—From Verdun to Charny - -_Leave Verdun by the Porte de France; after the railway bridge -go straight along_ G. C. 38 _(see plan between pp. 30–31.) Cross -the Faubourg de Jardin-Fontaine, then Thierville village. Facing -it is_ MARRE FORT. _At the foot of the hill on which the fort -stands, turn to the right. Leaving on the left the ruined_ farm of -Willers-les-Moines, _the road climbs up the small_ Hill 243, _below -which is the_ strongly fortified =Charny Redoubt=. - -On the other side of the level-crossing is =Charny=. It was at Charny -that the Germans crossed the Meuse in 1870. Incidentally, they shot -the former notary, M. Violard, under the pretext that he had aided -an attack by the francs-tireurs of Verdun. In 1916, the village was -frequently bombarded by the enemy, particularly on March 31st. - -[Illustration: THE CHURCH AND MAIN STREET OF CHARNY SEEN FROM THE OTHER -SIDE IN MAY, 1919 - -On the horizon: Poivre Hill] - -[Illustration: MARRE VILLAGE IN RUINS. - -Beyond the Church take the road on the right to Cumières. That on the -left, leading to Bourrus Woods, is impracticable for cars.] - - - II.—From Charny to Cumières - -_Return to the level crossing, then turn to the right on leaving -Charny. The road skirts the northern slopes of the hills on which -stands the_ modern forts of =Vacherauville=, =Marre= and =Bourrus -Woods=. - -_Cross through Marre village, in ruins. Beyond the ruined church follow -the right-hand road (photo above) to_ =Cumières=. _Half-way between -Marre and Cumières are (on the right) the station of_ =Chattancourt=, -_(on the left) the road leading to that village_. - -[Illustration: CUMIÈRES IN MAY, 1916] - -Attacked on March 14th and destroyed by shell-fire on April 25th, -=Cumières= was only captured by the Germans on the night of -May 23rd. Three days later the French retook the eastern portion after -a desperate combat. On May 29th and 30th, after two days of continual -bombardment, they were momentarily driven back towards Chattancourt, -but a vigorous counter-attack brought them back to the southern -outskirts of the village. Caurettes Wood, to the S.W. of Cumières, -remained, however, in the enemy’s hands. - -[Illustration: Haumont Wood - -Oie Hill - -Samogneux - -River Meuse - -National Road No. 64 - -Poivre Hill - -Talou Hill - -Champneuville - -Road from Champneuville to Vacherauville - -Froide-Terre Hill - -Champ Village - -Vacherauville Fort - -PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE RIGHT BANK OF THE MEUSE SEEN FROM OIE HILL (_see_ -Outline Map below).] - -On August 20th, 1917, Cumières village and wood were retaken by a -regiment of the Légion Étrangère, who attacked singing the famous -popular song “La Madelon.” - -[Illustration: CUMIÈRES IN AUGUST, 1917.] - -[Illustration] - -_From_ =Cumières= _continue straight ahead to Oie Hill, from where the -above panoramic view was taken_. - -[Illustration: CHATTANCOURT ON MAY 16TH, 1916. - -On the horizon: The slopes of Mort-Homme.] - - - III.—From Cumières to Chattancourt and Mort-Homme - -_On leaving Cumières return to the Station of Chattancourt, and take on -the right the road to_ =Chattancourt=, which is about 800 yards further -on. This village was completely levelled (_photo below_). - -[Illustration: CHATTANCOURT IN 1919. - -Nothing remains of the houses and trees. The road seen in the above -photo leads to Mort-Homme.] - -[Illustration: THE GERMAN ATTACKS OF MARCH 5TH–14TH, 1916, ON THE LEFT -BANK OF THE MEUSE] - -_From Chattancourt the positions of_ =Mort-Homme= _may be visited -by the road to Béthincourt (the lower photograph on p. 94 shows the -beginning of this road)_. - -_Motor-cars can go as far as the top of_ =Hill 295= _or_ =Mort-Homme=, -_where it is necessary to turn the car round and return to -Chattancourt, as the road is cut near Béthincourt by the Forges stream, -which has entirely flooded the lower part of the village_. - -=Mort-Homme.=—Like Hill 304, Mort-Homme was one of the most fiercely -disputed positions on the left bank. It consists of twin hills: No. 265 -(of which the Béthincourt-Cumières road skirts the summit) and No. 295 -(the Mort-Homme proper, round which the road winds on the N.E.), and -formed an excellent observation-post and artillery position in front of -the real line of resistance. - -On March 5th, 1916, the German offensive, which, until then, had been -confined to the right bank of the river, developed with great violence -on the left flank, progressing in six days to the slopes of Mort-Homme. - -On the 14th, after a five-hours bombardment with shells of every kind -and size, sometimes at the rate of 120 a minute, the enemy’s Infantry -attack on Mort-Homme began. The Germans took and kept Hill 265, but -the French Infantry and Zouaves, after a magnificent defence, held -their ground on Hill 295—the key to the entire position—and in night -counter-attacks drove back the assailants to the N.W. counter-slopes. - -From March 15th to the end of December, 1916, the Germans launched -at least fifteen particularly violent attacks against Hill 295, -sacrificing countless men and huge quantities of munitions. On March -16th, 17th and 31st, and April 9th and 10th, French Chasseurs and -Infantry repulsed the enemy in terrible hand-to-hand fighting. On -April 22nd, 23rd and 24th the French 40th D.I., by its resistance and -brilliant counter-attacks, broke up as many as three enemy attacks in -one day, and re-established the French front as it was on April 5th. -Further German attacks on Hill 295 followed on May 7th, 20th and 22nd, -June 29th, July 12th and December 28th. Their furious offensive of May -20th alone brought them momentarily on the S.W. crest of Hill 295 and -as far as the French second-line trenches, which were retaken on June -15th. - -At that time the sector of Mort-Homme and Hill 304 was commanded by -General de Maud’huy, whose courage and coolness are legendary in the -army. The exploits of the French troops at Mort-Homme during the -difficult period of 1916 were countless. One of the most brilliant was -accomplished on April 9th by the 11th Company of the 151st Regiment -of Infantry, which had received orders to reconquer the crest of the -Mort-Homme. - -Laughing and singing under a continual bombardment, this company -went into line, a section at a time, with measured step and rifle in -hand. On approaching the enemy trenches, the men rushed forward under -heavy machine-gun fire and captured a large and important network of -trenches. Promptly organising the conquered trenches, and despite -an extremely intense enemy bombardment of thirty-six hours, the men -succeeded in re-establishing the _liaison_ with the 8th Battalion of -Chasseurs on their right, making it possible to reform the line which -had been broken, and which the enemy afterwards tried in vain to -pierce, until May 20th. - -[Illustration: THE SOUTH-WESTERN SLOPES OF MORT-HOMME IN JANUARY, 1917.] - -In 1917 the sector was often the scene of violent combats, especially -on January 25th, and March 18th, 20th and 29th. After many efforts and -at heavy cost the Germans succeeded in occupying Hill 265 and the crest -of Hill 295, where they organised formidable defences, including deep -shell-proof tunnels. - -On August 20th, 1917, during the French attack along the entire Verdun -front, the 31st D.I. carried all the German defences and recaptured -the Mort-Homme and its tunnels, including the one known as the -“=Crown-Prince=,” which was “cleaned out” by the Foreign Legion. In one -of the tunnels several cavalry-men, units of the XXXVIth and a whole -battalion of the XXth Regiment of the German Reserve, were captured, -while among the officers taken was Count Bernstorff, nephew of the -ex-German Ambassador to the United States. An entire staff was captured -in another of the tunnels. - -[Illustration: MORT-HOMME AFTER THE ATTACK OF AUGUST, 1917 (see p. 23)] - -=Corbeaux Wood.=—The plateaux dominated by the two Mort-Homme Hills are -cut into on the north of the high road by a ravine bordered by Corbeaux -Wood. This wood offers favourable cover for the massing of attacking -troops. It was by this fiercely disputed route that the enemy tried to -reach Hill 295. On March 6th the French line was brought back in front -of the wood. On the 7th the enemy, after bombarding it, succeeded in -getting a footing there, but on the following day the 92nd Infantry -Regiment, in a magnificent counter-attack, retook the wood in twenty -minutes. On the morning of the 10th, reinforced by another infantry -battalion, the same regiment further captured the N.E. outskirts -of Cumières Wood (to the E. of Corbeaux Wood), but in the evening, -deprived of its commanding officer (Colonel Macker, who had fallen -that morning), and lacking the support of the French artillery, which -the trees prevented from seeing the rocket-signals, the regiment was -compelled to fall back before an impetuous attack by a whole enemy -division. However, it was only at frightful cost that the Germans were -able to score these two successes, as the French gave ground only inch -by inch. - -The wood was retaken by the Foreign Legion Regiment on August 20th, -1917 (_see p. 23_). - -[Illustration: MORT-HOMME - -Trenches captured in August, 1917] - -[Illustration: Road to Montzéville - -Hill 304 - -Road to Esnes - -THE ROAD FROM CHATTANCOURT TO ESNES, AT THE FOOT OF HILL 275. - -In the background the road forks, that on the left going to -Montzéville, the one on the light to Esnes. The tourist should take the -latter.] - - - IV.—From Mort-Homme to Esnes. - -_From Mort-Homme return to the starting-point at Chattancourt, and take -on the right the road to Esnes (see photo at the bottom of p. 94)._ - -[Illustration: ESNES VILLAGE IN 1919. - -_On the left_, THE CASTLE; _on the right_, THE CHURCH.] - -This fairly steep road scales the northern slopes of Hill 275. Driving -is rather difficult by reason of the numerous shell holes in the road. -A pass is soon reached, from which Hill 304 can be seen opposite -(_photo, p. 98_). - -[Illustration: ESNES IN JANUARY, 1916] - -This road crosses all the organisations of the first line shelters, -posts of commandment, dressing-stations, etc. _Continue as far as a -crossing_ (visible in _photo, p. 98_), _where turn to the right into_ -=Esnes=. - -By reason of its position, S. of Hills 304 and 295, Esnes was an -important base of operations during the Battle of Verdun. It was -subjected to frequent enemy bombardments, of which the most violent -occurred on March 20th and 21st, April 5th, 6th, 12th, 25th and 26th, -and June 22nd, 1916. - -The three photographs on pp. 98 and 99 show the aspects of the village -at three different stages of the battle. - -[Illustration: ESNES ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, 1916.] - -[Illustration: Mort-Homme - -Heights on the left bank of the river - -Hill 275 - -Road to Chattancourt - -Marre Fort - -Hill 272 - -Bourrus Woods - -Hill 310 - -FROM MORT-HOMME TO BOURRUS WOODS; PANORAMIC VIEW TAKEN FROM THE WAYSIDE -CROSS AT ESNES (_see_ Outline-Map below).] - -[Illustration: OUTLINE-MAP OF THE GROUND COVERED BY THE ABOVE PANORAMIC -VIEW.] - - - V.—From Esnes to Montfaucon, via Hill 304 - -_After passing in front of the ruins of Esnes Church, continue straight -ahead, taking the second road on the right (not the first, which leads -to Béthincourt—see photograph above)._ - -_The road on the left ends in a very steep rough track and is -impracticable for cars._ - -_The road to be followed zig-zags up to the_ =Wayside Cross of Esnes=, -_from which there is a magnificent view of the battlefields on the left -bank from Mort-Homme to Bourrus Woods (Panorama above)_. - -_At the Wayside Cross take the road to the right._ - -_The left-hand one (seen in the foreground on photo, p. 101) leads to -Avocourt. The tourist will take it on his return from_ =Montfaucon=. - -_The one on the right (in the foreground on photo, p. 100) passes -between_ =Hills 287 and 304= _(the latter of celebrated memory) -crosses the ruins of_ =Haucourt and Malancourt villages=, and ends at -=Montfaucon=. - -[Illustration: THE TOP OF HILL 304, SEEN FROM POMMERIEUX PLATEAU.] - - - HILL 304 - -=Hill 304=, with Hills 287, 310 and 275, forms from Malancourt to Marre -Fort a line of natural fortresses, which kept under their cross-fire -not only the roads of approach, but also the bare glacis and the abrupt -escarpments immediately bordering them. - -The covered ground nearest Hill 304 is the S.E. corner of Avocourt -Wood. It was from this wood that the IInd Bavarian D.I. left to attack -the Hill on March 20th, 1916. - -They were checked, however, on the long barren slope leading to the -ridge, by the French cross-fire. Their three regiments, on March -20th to 22nd, lost from fifty to sixty per cent. of their effective -strength, without gain. On April 9th, before Hill 287, the first German -attacking wave succeeded in crossing the French first-line trench, -practically destroyed by bombardment. They were running towards the -French supporting trench when the survivors of the front-line trench, -coming out of their shelters in the upheaved ground among the dead, -exterminated them to the last man. - -On May 3rd, eighty German batteries concentrated their fire on Hill -304 and its approaches. Clouds of black, green and yellow smoke rose -from the hill-top as from a volcano, obscuring the sky to a height of -2,500 feet, according to the reports of aviators. As a British war -correspondent put it: “The sky was like a dome of invisible rails -on which fast trains ran madly.” On May 4th and 5th a fresh German -division attempted to occupy the position, believing it and its -defenders to have been annihilated. They gained a footing on the N. -slopes of the hill, but were driven back during the night by the French -68th R.I., which then withdrew. On the 5th the same German division -attacked on the left the Camard Wood and Hill 287. In this wood, -entirely levelled by an eleven-hour bombardment, the 66th Line R.I. -first held up, then charged the assailants at the point of the bayonet. -At Hill 287 a battalion of the 32nd Line R.I. likewise brilliantly -repulsed two attacks. On May 7th, after a tremendous shelling, the -enemy attacked Hill 304 simultaneously from three sides with troops -from five different divisions. It was their greatest effort against -this position. However, two French regiments of picked troops (125th -and 114th), one company of which charged, to the strains of _La -Marseillaise_, the Germans were thrown into disorder and driven back to -the N. slopes. During the rest of the month the enemy counter-attacked -continually, at times in force, as on May 18th, 20th and 22nd, but -without success. - -[Illustration: TRENCH ON HILL 304. - -Reconquered August 24th, 1917.] - -On June 29th and 30th they sought to turn the Hill from the E. and W. -with the help of liquid fire. On the E. desperate fighting took place -around a work which was lost by the French on the 29th, then retaken, -lost again, and reconquered on the 30th. - -The Germans made a powerful attack on December 6th, in which they took -several trenches on the E. slopes. - -On the 28th of the same month another German attack, preceded by an -intense bombardment, failed. - -In 1917 the enemy continued their efforts against Hill 304. They -succeeded on January 25th in occupying several of the French -advance-positions, which were partly recaptured the next day. - -Further enemy attacks on March 18th, 20th and 29th were repulsed after -hand-to-hand fighting. - -On June 28th and 29th another powerful enemy attack succeeded, with -heavy loss, in capturing Hill 304 and advancing between the Hill and -the S.E. corner of Avocourt Wood, to a slight hollow known as the -=Col-de-Pommerieux=. This hollow was, however, reconquered on July -17th by the French 51st and 87th R.I., supported by two battalions -of the 97th D.I. (335th and 346th Regiments), and one battalion of -the 73rd D.I. After a remarkable artillery preparation, the French -infantrymen, in half-an-hour, reached the fortified crest, and regained -a kilometer of ground, including the famous “Demi-Lune” Redoubt. The -87th R.I., composed of men from the north, Valenciennes, St. Quentin -and Lens, went 300 yards beyond the assigned objective and captured -an observation-post in front of the crest, which they christened “_Le -crèneau des Gretchen_.” The attack occurred at the time the enemy -troops were being relieved, 520 prisoners, belonging to at least -three different divisions, being taken. From a single sap the French -Grenadiers brought out four German officers, one of whom, on descending -the hill, turned back to admire the manœuvre of the French soldiers. - -On August 24th Hill 304, the approaches to which had been reconquered -on the 20th, was carried by the 139th and 121st R.I. (26th D.I.). This -division, which attacked before Hill 304, on the Pommerieux Plateau and -at Camard Wood, captured prisoners belonging to five different German -divisions. After capturing Hill 304, Equerre Wood and Souvin Redoubt, -the division attacked again on the evening of the same day, this time -carrying the positions of Palavas, Alsace, Gateau-de-Miel and Lorraine, -and advancing the first French line to the Forges stream, _i.e._ more -than two kilometers from its starting-point between Haucourt and -Malancourt, the latter still being occupied by the enemy. - -_On leaving Hill 304, descend to_ =Haucourt= _and_ =Malancourt=. - -=Haucourt= hamlet, on the Fontaine-des-Aulnes stream, was attacked by -the Germans on April 4th, 1916, and taken after several sanguinary -setbacks on the night of the 5th after a fine defence by three -companies of the 79th R.I., which held their ground against a brigade. -It was recaptured on September 26th, 1918, by the First American Army. - -[Illustration: MALANCOURT. - -General view seen from the ruins of the Church in May, 1919.] - -=Malancourt= village was reoccupied by the French on October 13th, -1914. Enemy attacks on the following 16th and 20th failed. From -February, 1915, the French lines were advanced to the slopes on the -N. of the village. In 1916 the Germans did not attack until the end -of March. They were unable to enter it on the 28th, but the next -day captured two houses. On the night of the 30th they occupied it -entirely. - -Malancourt and its wood were recaptured by the First American Army on -September 26th, 1918. The wood was hard to take, as the Germans had -installed numerous blockhouses and barbed-wire entanglements. - -[Illustration: GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST IN THE RUINS OF MONTFAUCON -CHURCH.] - - - Montfaucon - -_From Malancourt tourists may go to Montfaucon, three miles away, by a -rather difficult road which has been summarily repaired._ - -From Montfaucon, where the Germans had established an observation-post -in the ruins of the church, there is a complete view of the whole of -the battlefield north-west of Verdun, from the hills on the right bank -of the Meuse, to Vauquois. - -_See Panorama and Map on pp. 106 and 107._ - -The tower of the church, which made a fine observation-post for -the Germans, was destroyed by the French artillery. When, after -their brilliant offensive of September 26th, 1918 (_see p. 24_), -the Americans drove the enemy from Montfaucon, they found this -observation-post (_photo below_) built with materials taken from the -ruins of the church. - -[Illustration: THE OPENING IN THE OBSERVATION-POST, THROUGH WHICH THE -PANORAMIC VIEW ON PP. 106 AND 107 WAS TAKEN.] - -[Illustration: Hills on the right bank of the river - -Road to Cuisy - -Mort-Homme - -Hill 275 - -Road to Malancourt - -Hill 310 - -Montfaucon Wood - -Vauquois Spur - -PANORAMA OF THE BATTLEFIELD OF VERDUN, SEEN FROM MONTFAUCON.] - -_The above view was taken from the inside of the Observation-Post -seen in the photo below, the camera looking through the slit-like -embrasure._ - -In the foreground are vestiges of shell-torn trees and the ruins of -Montfaucon Village. Verdun is on the horizon between Mort-Homme and -Hill 275. - -[Illustration: GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST, _through the embrasure of -which the above Panoramic View was taken_.] - -[Illustration: SKETCH-MAP OF THE BATTLEFIELD, AS SEEN BY THE GERMANS -FROM THE EMINENCE OF MONTFAUCON.] - -[Illustration: AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN MARCH, 1916.] - - - VI.—From Montfaucon to Avocourt - -_From Montfaucon return by the same road to Malancourt._ - -_The bad state of the Malancourt–Avocourt road (May, 1919) does not -allow it to be taken from the former to the latter locality._ (The road -passes through the woods of the same names, disputed with incredible -fierceness.) _The tourist should, therefore, return to the Wayside -Cross at Esnes, along the same road that he came by._ - -_From Esnes Cross (see p. 100), take on the right the road to Avocourt, -which marks approximately the extreme limit of the battlefield W. of -Verdun_. - -=Avocourt and Avocourt and Malancourt Woods.=—One of the finest feats -of arms in the Battle of Verdun was performed at Avocourt. - -[Illustration: THE CROSS IN THE MIDDLE OF AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN APRIL, -1916.] - -[Illustration: TRENCH IN THE RUINS OF AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN APRIL, 1917.] - -On March 20th, 1916, the Germans, who had never been able to take -the village, attacked with a fresh division of picked troops (IInd -Bavarians), which had taken part in the summer campaign in Galicia and -Poland with Mackensen’s forces. The attack succeeded, with the help of -liquid fire. A French counter-attack on the 29th by the 210th R.I., and -a battalion of the 157th, recaptured the wood and the redoubt known -as the “Réduit d’Avocourt,” situated on its S. edge. The attacking -troops, which had not been revictualled for four days, had finished -their reserve rations twelve hours previously. So fatigued were they -that they slept standing despite the bombardment. To rouse them, their -chiefs, at 3 a.m. next morning, ordered the buglers and drummers to -play. As the day was breaking the music suddenly stopped, a shell -having buried all save one drummer. Furious at this, the men, with the -drummer at their head, rushed forward, and by 8 a.m. the wood had been -entirely reconquered. - -[Illustration: SITE OF AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN NOVEMBER, 1918.] - -In 1917, hard fighting continued in this region with varying fortune. -Powerful German attacks gave the enemy a little ground between Avocourt -and Hill 304, and in Avocourt Wood. On August 20th, the French 25th -D.I. drove the enemy from the S. part of the wood, advancing 1,200 -yards and capturing 750 prisoners, thirty machine guns and ten trench -mortars. - -[Illustration: MALANCOURT WOOD IN 1916, _seen from the French lines. -The sandbags mark the German lines._] - -On September 26th, 1918, the wood was entirely cleared of the enemy by -the First American Army. - -=Malancourt Wood.=—It was against a French trench, in this wood that on -February 26th, 1915, the Germans made use of =liquid fire for the first -time=, special pumps, operated by pioneers of the Guard, being employed. - - - VII.—Avocourt to Aubréville - -_From Avocourt take the road which follows the small valley running -southwards (see Itinerary, pp. 88 and 89). It was on this road, hidden -from the view of the enemy, that the French concentrations were carried -out in the rear lines._ - -_Two kilometers from Avocourt, take on the left the road leading to -Hesse Wood, scene of all sorts of concentrations, posts of commandment, -dressing stations, batteries of artillery, depots, etc._ - -_This road is in good condition almost as far as Aubréville, with -the exception of two or three places on leaving Hesse Wood, beyond -Bertrame’s Farm._ - - - VIII.—From Aubréville to Verdun - -_On entering Aubréville, take on the left N. 46 which skirts the St. -Menehould-Verdun railway._ - -_The tourist passes through Parois and Récicourt, where numerous -cantonments and rest camps were installed for the relief of the troops._ - -_Dombasle, where a large munitions depot blew up, is next reached._ - -_From Dombasle one of two Itineraries may be chosen to return to -Verdun._ - -_The first, by continuing to follow the National Road, via Blercourt._ - -_The second, which follows the crests dominating N. 3 from Paris to -Metz._ - -_For the second Itinerary, on leaving Dombasle, take the small road on -the left, which leads to Sivry-la-Perche, 4 kilometers distant._ - -N. of the latter village, at the N.E. extremity of Hill 357, there -still exists an observation-post, from which there is a general view of -the entire rear-ground of the battlefield W. of Verdun. - -If it is desired to visit this observation-post before the descent -leading to Sivry-la-Perche, take the Béthelainville road on the left -for about 700 yards going thence on foot to the right in a N.E. -direction. The observation post is about half-a mile further on. - -From Sivry-la-Perche continue along the road, which passes first on -the left of =Sartelles Fort= and then to the left of =Chaume Fort=. -These two forts only played a minor role in the battle of Verdun, and -suffered but slightly from the bombardments. In front of Chaume Fort -there was an observation post for heavy artillery, whence there is a -splendid view of the Meuse Valley. - -_From Chaume Fort the road is rather steep and in bad condition. Going -down on the left and flanking a hill is_ Glorieux Cemetery, near the -evacuation hospital. - -_Verdun is entered by the Porte-de-France._ - -[Illustration: IN THE RUINS OF VERDUN.] - - - - - CONTENTS - - PAGES - =Plan of Verdun= (2 colours) between 30–31 - - =Map of Verdun= (black) ” 56–57 - - =Origin and Political History= 2 - - =Chief Military Events= 3 - - =The Great War (1914–1918)—General Considerations= 4 to 7 - - =The Battle of Verdun= 8 to 30 - =The German Offensive, Feb.–Aug., 1916= 10 to 18 - = ” French Counter-Offensive, Oct.–Dec., 1916, - to Aug., 1917= 19 to 23 - = ” American Offensive, Sept. 26th, 1918= 24 - = ” Franco-American Offensive, Oct., 1918= 25 to 27 - =Conclusion= 28 to 30 - - =A Visit to the City of Verdun= 31 to 56 - =The Cathedral= 42 to 48 - = ” Citadelle= 52 to 54 - - =A Visit to the Battlefield= 57 to 111 - =1st Itinerary: The Right Bank of the Meuse= 57 to 87 - =2nd ” ” Left ” ” ” = 88 to 111 - -[Illustration: REFUGEES FROM VERDUN DISTRICT PASSING THROUGH SOUILLY -ALONG THE “SACRED WAY.”] - - - PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED. - LONDON - - XIV.-2120-7-19-25 - - - - - THE “TOURING CLUB DE FRANCE.” - - - If you are _not_ a Member - of the Touring Club de France: - -Join to-day. You will thereby help France and, at the same time, -yourself. (Intending Members should be introduced by two actual -Members, or furnish references.) - - If you are already a Member - of the Touring Club de France: - -Introduce new Members. It will only cost you a little good will, and -you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped to -augment the Association’s beneficent influence. - - SUBSCRIPTIONS: - -The yearly subscription is: - -6 francs for new Members of French nationality. - -10 francs for new Members of other nationality, wherever their -residence may be. - -New subscriptions paid from October 1st. are valid for the following -calendar year. - -Life subscriptions may be effected in one payment of 120 francs for -persons of French nationality, or 200 francs if of other nationality. - -The title of “Membre-Fondateur” may be acquired by the payment of 300 -francs. - -A minimum payment of 500 francs confers the title of -“Membre-Bienfaiteur.” - - * * * * * - - THE TOURING CLUB DE FRANCE, - 65, AVENUE DE LA GRANDE ARMÉE, PARIS (16). - - - - - BEAUTIFUL FRANCE. - - _Brittany._ - -Land of granite cliffs, rough seas and folk-lore, Brittany is one of -the most picturesque provinces of France. - -The granitic soil, carpeted with yellow-gorse and shaded with the -deep green of countless oaks, has bred a hardy race of sailors and -fishermen, who combine strange pagan superstitions with the Roman -faith. In historic and pre-historic memories, it is one of the richest -lands in the world. - -The hinterland of Brittany consists of uplands broken by ravines, of -low undulating hills, moors, rich pastures, living waters and crags. - -The coastline, broken with innumerable capes, creeks, gulfs and -estuaries, is of unparalleled picturesqueness. - -Among the principal places of interest to tourists are the following: -Cancale Bay and Grouin Point, the roadstead of St. Malo and estuary of -the Rance, Cape Fréhel, St. Brieuc Bay, Bréhat Island, Ploumanach and -Trégastel Cliffs, Primel Point, the estuary of the de Morlaix river, -Roscoff and Batz Island, the Brignognan and Aber-Wrach Crags, -St. Matthew’s Point and Brest Harbour. - -Further south are the Morgat Caves, Bay of Douarnenez, Raz Point, -Penmarch Cliffs, Gulf of Vannes, etc. - -Numerous ancient fortified cities, whereof: Vitré, Fougères, St. Malo, -Dinan, Morlaix, Carhaix, Quimper, Concarneau, Pontivy and Vannes are of -especial interest, and old-time châteaux, churches and cathedrals lie -scattered over the land. - -The three principal “Calvaries,” of which there are many, are in the -“Département” of Finistère, at Trégonnec, Guimiliau and Plougastel. - -Numerous “menhirs” and “dolmens,” of which the most celebrated -are at Carnac and Lochmariaquer, offer particular interest to the -archaeologist and historian. - - ALL INQUIRIES WITH REGARD TO TRAVELLING SHOULD BE ADDRESSED - TO THE “TOURING CLUB DE FRANCE,” - 65, Avenue de la Grande Armée, 65 - PARIS. - - - - - MICHELIN TOURING OFFICES - - - MICHELIN TYRE CO., LTD., LONDON - Touring Office :: 81, Fulham Road, S.W. - - MICHELIN & CIE, CLERMONT-FERRAND - Touring Office :: 99, Bd. 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. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Verdun and the Battle for its -Possession, by Michelin & Cie - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK VERDUN AND THE BATTLE FOR *** - -***** This file should be named 53408-0.txt or 53408-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/3/4/0/53408/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, David Tipple 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. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -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 - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |