_Near the church, take the road on the left across the canal and the
Meuse, then beyond the level-crossing at Vilosnes Station turn into I.C.
49 on the right. Follow the railway, which is on the left bank of the
Meuse._
_Three kilometres from Vilosnes Station, on the right, between the road
and Châillon Wood, there is_ an American monument commemorating the
crossing of the Meuse on November 1, 1918 (_photo, p. 39_). _Further on,
at the entry to_ =Brieulles=, _opposite the station, stands_ another
similar monument.
The outskirts of Brieulles were stubbornly defended by the Germans
during the American offensive of September, 1918. On September 29,
during the first stage of the offensive, the American 3rd Corps reached
the southern outskirts of the village, but were unable to enter it. It
was not until October 9 that the American troops, after a fierce
struggle, captured it.
_At the station, turn to the left along the road through Brieulles (4
km. 500 from Vilosnes). Pass near the church, leaving the Nantillois
road on the left. Cross the village, in which_ a number of the houses
are in ruins. _The rising road leads to the_ cemetery (numerous German
graves), _then descends to the I.C. 64, which runs beside the railway
and the Meuse to_ =Cléry-le-Petit= (_3 km. 500 from Brieulles_). _Before
entering the village_, a third American monument _is seen on the left_.
[Illustration: CHURCH OF DUN-SUR-MEUSE. SOUTH FRONT]
[Illustration: PANORAMIC VIEW OF DUN-SUR-MEUSE UPPER AND LOWER TOWNS]
[Illustration: DUN-SUR-MEUSE. BRIDGE ACROSS THE MEUSE DESTROYED BY THE
GERMANS]
Cléry-le-Petit was slightly damaged. On November 4, 1918, the Americans
reached the Meuse between Brieulles and Villefranche. On September 5,
they crossed the river at Brieulles and Cléry, on foot-bridges built by
the American engineers, in spite of the stubborn resistance of the
Germans established on the right bank. It was the American 5th Division
which first effected the crossing of the river and established solid
bridgeheads at Cléry and Brieulles, which resisted every attack. _Keep
straight on, leaving the church on the right, and the Cléry-le-Grand
road on the left._ _After crossing the little River Andon, Dun-sur-Meuse
on the top of the opposite hill comes into view._ _The G.C._ 2 _bis near
Doulcon is reached, which take to the right as far as_ =Dun-sur-Meuse= (_3
km. from Cléry-le-Petit_).
[Illustration: DUN-SUR-MEUSE. DAMAGED NAVE AND SOUTH AISLE OF CHURCH
(SEEN FROM THE CHOIR)]
[Illustration: BANTHÉVILLE. RUINS OF CHURCH AND VILLAGE
(_G.C._ 2 _bis._)]
_The town is reached after crossing first the railway (l.c.) near the
station, then the canal and the Meuse (photos, pp. 42-43). Motor-cars
can climb as far as the church. Turn to the left beyond the last bridge
in the lower town, then take the first street on the right, which by a
wide bend and a steep ascent leads to the upper town and to the terrace,
where stands the church._ There is a fine view over the lower town and
the valley of the Meuse (_photo, pp._ 40-41) from here.
_Return to and recross the bridges; keep straight on to_ =Doulcon=,
_leaving the Cléry road on the left_.
_At the fork in the road beyond Doulcon_ (in ruins), _take G.C. 2 bis on
the left, as far as_ =Romagne= (_9 km. from Doulcon_), _passing through_
=Aincreville= (severely damaged) and =Banthéville= (completely ruined).
[Illustration: ROMAGNE. RIGHT SIDE OF ROAD COMING FROM BANTHÉVILLE
(_On the left: I.C. 4, leading to Sommerance._)]
[Illustration: ROMAGNE. GERMAN GRAVEYARD (700 GRAVES) NEAR VILLAGE
CEMETERY]
_Before entering_ Romagne, _on the right, there is_ a large German
cemetery and some American graves.
Most of the houses in Romagne were destroyed. _Near the church_ (in
ruins), _take on the left the Cunel road and cross the bridge. 300 yards
from the village_ there suddenly comes into view on the side of the hill
=a very large American cemetery containing some 28,000 graves= (_photo,
pp. 14 and 15_). _Return by the same road to Romagne Church, and take
the Sommerance road_ (_photo, p. 44_) _on the left_.
[Illustration: SOMMERANCE. RUINED CORNER OF VILLAGE AT JUNCTION OF THE
ROMAGNE AND FLÉVILLE ROADS]
_Pass the other side of the German cemetery_ (_photo above_), _then go
through_ =Romagne Wood=, in which are numerous German dug-outs and
gun-emplacements. _Next cross a large plateau_ (Hill 247); _7 km. 400
beyond Romagne_, =Sommerance= (damaged houses) _is reached_ (_photo
below_). _In the village,_
[Illustration: AMERICAN MONUMENT (1ST DIV., OCT. 11, 1918) _On I.C. 4, 1
km. from Sommerance village._]
_beyond the public washing place near the church, take the street_ (_I.C.
4_) _which ascends on the right. 1 km. beyond Sommerance, on the right
of I.C. 4_, there is another American monument (1st Division, October
11, 1918) (_photo above_).
_3 km. 200 beyond Sommerance_, =Landres= village (severely damaged) is
reached. During the American offensive of October 14, 1918, the approach
to Landres was fiercely contested. The American 5th Corps reached the
outskirts of the village on October 14, but it was only on the 18th,
after three days’ heavy fighting, that Landres was taken. The church was
partially destroyed. _Turn to the right beyond the church and then to
the left. After crossing the stream, turn to the right again, and 100
yards further on, to the left._
_One kilometer beyond the village, at the fork in the road, take I.C. 15
on the left across a plateau, and through the_ pretty little village of
=Landreville= _in the Valley of the Agron. At the entrance to this
village, on the left, there is_ an interesting château with turrets, one
of which was destroyed (_photo, p. 47_), =Bayonville=, _5 km. beyond
Landres, is next reached_.
[Illustration: LANDRES. I.C. 4. RUINS OF CHURCH ON THE RIGHT]
Several houses in Bayonville were destroyed, the village having been
frequently bombed by the Allied airmen during the Franco-American
offensive of September-October, 1918. The badly damaged church dates
from the 16th century, but has been frequently restored.
[Illustration: LANDREVILLE. THE OLD CHÂTEAU, WITH DESTROYED TURRET]
_After passing in front of the church, the road turns first to the left,
then to the right. At the end of the village take I.C. 12, which climbs_
=Hill 290=, _called Bellevue. Looking back there is a fine view over_
Bayonville, and the district of Romagne-Banthéville. _3 km. 300 from
Bayonville, at the fork, take the left-hand road_; picturesque run down
to =Buzancy= (_4 km. 400 from Bayonville_).
_At the cross-ways on I.C. 12, near the first houses, keep straight on
along Rue du Général Chanzy to the Place Chanzy._. The statue of Chanzy
(born at Nouart, in this district), which stood in this square, was
carried away by the Germans.
[Illustration: BAYONVILLE. RUE HAUTE DE L’EGLISE, WITH TROOPS OF THE
89TH INF. DIV., ON NOV. 2, 1918]
[Illustration: BUZANCY. THE 306th AMERICAN MACHINE-GUN BATTALION
MARCHING THROUGH THE BURNING VILLAGE ON NOV. 3.]