_cross the railway (level-crossing), then turn to the left towards the
Church._ The ancient turreted Castle, which now serves as Town-Hall and
School, is above the church, on the right.)
_Retracing his steps for a short distance, the tourist should take I. C.
44 on the left, which leads up to the plateau._ Fierce fighting took
place here, as attest the wire entanglements, trenches, etc. _On
reaching N. 2, turn into it on the left._ The run down from here to
=Soissons= is very fine. _Enter Soissons by the Rue du Faubourg St.
Christophe._
[Illustration: MERCIN CHURCH IN RUINS.]
[Illustration: MAP OF THE OPERATIONS FROM CHAUDUN TO SOISSONS.
_The roads indicated by two continuous lines are to be followed by the
tourist._]
Throughout the region which the tourist has just visited (Chaudun to
Soissons), the battle raged without respite from May 29 to July 18,
1918. While, on May 29 and 30, the French were hanging on to the western
outskirts of Soissons, outflanked by the armies of Von François and Von
Larisch, the German 6th Active and 6th Reserves captured Vierzy and
Chaudun on the 30th. On June 1, French counter-attacks forced the enemy
to retire. After changing hands several times and much furious fighting,
Chaudun and Vierzy remained in the hands of the French. On the 3rd, the
enemy engaged all available reserves (three fresh divisions) in a
powerful attack between the Aisne and the Ourcq. Progressing beyond
Missy-aux-Bois and La Croix-de-Fer they reached the line extending
northwards from Dommiers to west of Pernant. On June 12 and 13, they
again attacked in the direction of the Villers-Cotterets Wood reaching
the Laversine--Cœuvres--St. Pierre-Aigle line. Stiff fighting
continued along this line until the end of June, the French retaking
Cœuvres on the 15th, Laversine on the 28th, and St. Pierre-Aigle on
July 2.
On July 18, the Franco-American forces (1st and 2nd American Divisions),
under General Mangin, began their counter-offensive, which liberated the
entire region as far as east of Pernant, including Missy-aux-Bois,
Chaudun, and Vierzy. The latter village, which had been lost in the
evening, was promptly re-taken by the Americans (2nd Division) after
furious combats.
From the 19th to the 21st the enemy offered desperate resistance to the
south-west of Soissons. Engaging three fresh divisions, and after
numerous counter-attacks, they succeeded in advancing to the east of
Chaudun. Their success was short-lived, however, as on the 21st, General
Mangin’s army broke down their resistance and reached the road from
Soissons to Oulchy (N. 37).
[Illustration]
3rd day.--SOISSONS--PARIS.
_Via Laffaux, Fismes and Château-Thierry._
(_To visit Soissons, see the Michelin Illustrated Guide_: “=Soissons
before and during the War.=”)
The itineraries of the first two days will have taken the tourist to the
extreme points reached by the German advance, and where the victorious
Franco-American counter-offensive of July 18 developed along the western
side of the Château-Thierry salient.
The itinerary for the third day will first lead the tourist to the
=Chemin-des-Dames=, where the German attack of May 27, 1918, which made
the salient, began. The return journey passes through those parts of the
battlefield to the north-east of Château-Thierry which marked the
pursuit of the Germans by the Americans.
[Illustration: COMMUNICATING TRENCH IN ONE OF THE STREETS OF CROUY IN
1916.
At the back stands the Church.
(_Compare with photo on next page taken in 1919._)]
_On leaving Soissons, cross the bridge over the Aisne, then take the
Avenue de Laon and N. 2. After_ =St. Paul=, _pass under the railway, then
over the level-crossing before coming to_ =Crouy=, which suffered severely
from the bombardment. The church is on the left, near the small river.
On leaving the village, the road rises towards Crouy Plateau, passing
between numerous military organizations and shelters in the hill-sides.
[Illustration: REMAINS OF CROUY CHURCH. (_See photo (1916) on previous
page._)]
From the top of the hill the devastated Perrière Farm is visible on the
left. There is a French cemetery opposite, on the right of the road.
A trench, since filled in, ran the whole length of the road.
_Cross the ruins_ of Pont Rouge Works. Numerous barbed wire
entanglements stretch across the road. _About 100 yards before
“milestone” 79, and rather more than half-a-mile before Laffaux Mill_,
near a number of French graves, _take the road on the left_, which leads
to the ruins of the village of =Laffaux=. The bombardment here was
terrible, as the countless shell craters attest. Of the houses, only
heaps of stones and débris remain. The ruins of the church are seen in
profile above the ravine.
[Illustration: RUINS OF PERRIÈRE FARM.
(_On the left of N. 2, beyond Jouy, going towards Laon._)]
The numerous quarries below the village were utilized as defences. A
road which passes below the church leads there. _The tourist should
return to the main road, either by retracing his steps, or by
continuing straight ahead, turning to the right and coming out, rather
less than a mile further on, at the crossing where stood_ Laffaux Mill.
The latter road is very rough. In May, 1919, corpses were still to be
seen in some of the shell holes. =Laffaux Mill= stood on the right of the
crossing in the National Highway, at the junction of the rough roads
leading to Laffaux and Pinon.
[Illustration: LAFFAUX CHURCH!
Below in the hillside are the organized caverns seen in the photo
below.]
_Continue along the National Road slightly beyond_ “=Guardian Angel
Farm=.”
On the right will be seen the beginning of the Chemin-des-Dames (see p.
101). _Return to the farm, then turn to the left into G. C. 14 towards_
Jouy.
[Illustration: CAVERNS WHICH SHELTERED THE TROOPS DEFENDING LAFFAUX
PLATEAU.]
[Illustration: THIS WAS FORMERLY LAFFAUX MILL.]
[Illustration: “POILUS” IN THE RUINS OF “GUARDIAN ANGEL” FARM.]
[Illustration: THE SOISSONS-LAON ROAD (N. 2) NEAR GUARDIAN ANGEL FARM.]
[Illustration: THE CHEMIN-DES-DAMES (100 YARDS TO THE RIGHT OF N. 2).
_In the foreground:_ Remains of a corpse (1919).]
[Illustration: SHELTER ON THE JOUY ROAD.