It was against the Four-de-Paris sector that the first efforts of the
Germans, after their retreat of September, 1914, were directed. No
sacrifice, however costly, was considered too great to recapture this
essential position on the road to Les Islettes.
In two days (November 27-28) seven enemy attacks were launched to the
north of Four. Three times on December 5 their troops, to the sound of
fife and drum, returned to the charge, but without success. On the 18th,
after blowing up a trench, they again attacked. On January 5, 1915, by
way of a diversion, the French 2nd battalion of the 4th Foreign (or
Garibaldian) Regiment carried out an operation in this sector, while,
further to the east, the rest of the regiment delivered the main attack
at Courte-Chausse. At 10 a.m., the Garibaldians, supported by some
bomb-throwers belonging to the 9th Battalion of Chasseurs and French
91st Regiment of the Line, and by two sections of the engineers,
attacked the enemy trenches on a front of 400 yards, but, decimated by
machine-gun fire, they were unable to reach them. On February 16-17 and
on March 9 there were renewed and violent struggles. From June 29 to
July 15 the battle broke out again in this sector, interrupted from time
to time by terrible bombardments with gas shells.
[Illustration: GENERAL VIEW OF THE “FOUR-DE-PARIS” (_see page 103_)
_The road in the foreground leads from Four-de-Paris to Varennes._]
In 1916 and 1917 this sector, like the rest of the Argonne, quieted
down. Mining operations continued from time to time, but there were no
battles properly so called. In the occasional surprise attacks which
took place, the French generally got the better of the enemy.
_From Four-de-Paris, instead of going to La Chalade by the direct road
through the valley of the Biesme (2 km. 500), the Itinerary follows a
number of roads (17 km. 500 in all) through the forest, in order to
visit_ certain picturesque spots and at the same time to see places like
=Bolante=, =Les Meurissons=, =La Haute-Chevauchée=, =Fille-Morte=,
=Pierre-Croisée= and =Courte-Chausse=, made famous by the war. All these
places were the scene of fierce conflicts in 1914 and 1915.
In December, 1914, many engagements, in which the French made slight
progress, took place in this sector. It was to the east of Bolante Wood,
in the wild ravine of La Fontaine-des-Meurissons, that the Garibaldian
Regiment--raised by the Republicans of Italy to fight in France, and
placed at the disposal of General Gérard (commanding the 2nd Active
Corps)--received its baptism of fire. On December 26, 1914, the 2nd
Garibaldian Battalion was detailed to carry a German trench. The
attacking front was limited, about 150 yards, but the position was
strongly held and protected by a deep entanglement of barbed wire. After
an artillery preparation lasting from midnight until dawn, the
Garibaldian companies rushed forward, one behind the other, to make a
breach at all costs, but were held up by the uncut wire. At
[Illustration: “FOUR-DE-PARIS.” FRONT-LINE DEFENCES (1916)]
one point an opening was made and a few men got through to the edge of
the German trench, only to be killed there. It was during this
engagement, which cost the 2nd Battalion 30 dead, 17 missing, and 111
wounded, that Second-Lieutenant Bruno Garibaldi--a grandson of Giuseppe
Garibaldi, “the old red bird” whom, in 1870, the Prussian General Werder
confidently expected to “catch in his nest” in the Vosges, but failed in
the attempt--was killed. Bruno Garibaldi, though in reserve, advanced to
the assault with the 2nd Battalion, his sword drawn, his green tunic
unfastened, showing the traditional and symbolic red shirt. Wounded in
the hand, he went back to the trench to have it dressed, then returned
immediately to the fight. Struck by a bullet he continued to urge his
men forward, until another laid him low. Before dying, he embraced a
wounded comrade near by, saying, “Kiss my brothers for me.” On January
5, 1915, further to the right, on the Courte-Chausse plateau, the 1st
and 3rd Garibaldian Battalions had their revenge. Eight mines, the
galleries of which, forty to fifty yards in length, ran under the German
trench, were charged with about 6,000 lbs. of explosives during the
night. At 7 a.m. the next morning the mines were fired, one after the
other, after which, to the sound of bugles and drums, eight Garibaldian
companies took the shattered enemy front line in a single charge, threw
a German counter-attack into disorder, took and retook the second line,
and penetrated into the third German line. This they were unable to
hold, but they had nevertheless made an important advance, taken four
machine-guns, two _minenwerfer_, and 200 prisoners of the 135th, 26th,
and 24th German Regiments--most of them Pomeranians. By a strange
coincidence it was the flag of a Pomeranian regiment--the LXIst--that
had been taken in 1870 at the Battle of Dijon by Ricciotti Garibaldi,
Bruno’s father. The Garibaldians’ losses that day were heavy. Among the
dead was Adjutant-Chief Costante Garibaldi, Bruno’s brother. Some days
later a violent battle took place in the Meurissons ravine. On January
7, after a half-hearted German attack, which was easily beaten off,
rough trenches were dug on the plateau--in view of a possible
retreat--by men belonging to the 46th French Regiment of the Line, who
worked under heavy fire. General Gouraud, commanding the 10th Infantry
Division, who came to examine the position, was wounded in the shoulder
by a machine-gun bullet. On the following day a violent German artillery
preparation began at dawn. At 7.30 a.m. three regiments of fresh enemy
troops (Bavarian infantry) advanced to the attack. A trench held by men
of the 89th Regiment of the Line was blown up, the French line was
broken, and the Bavarians took on the flank the first and second lines
held by troops of the 89th and 46th Regiments of the Line, who put up a
fierce resistance. On the plateau the 11th Company of the 46th, which
held the unfinished supporting trench, stopped the rush of the enemy.
The Germans, unwilling to risk a frontal attack, turned the position on
the right flank, and finally took the trench, but only after the gallant
defenders had fired their last cartridges. The Germans penetrated into
the ravine, capturing the regimental headquarters, and wounding the
colonel and his staff. The 11th Company, however, still held on. On the
crest, the cooks and the sick seized rifles and joined in the fight. At
about 9.30 a.m. a blast of trumpets on the right announced the arrival
of reinforcements. Units of the French 89th Regiment of the Line and 2nd
Garibaldian Battalion charged through the undergrowth. A furious
hand-to-hand struggle ensued in the copse-wood, no quarter being given.
The French succeeded in saving their comrades of the 46th, and checked
the enemy, who eventually evacuated the ravine. At dawn on the 9th,
units of the 120th Regiment of the Line relieved the Garibaldians, who
numbered among their dead the Regiment’s adopted child, Gaston Huet, a
French boy of twelve, who had fought like a man. It was in vain that the
Germans renewed their attacks; until nine o’clock in the evening they
were repulsed and held. The remnant of the French 46th Regiment of the
Line--some three hundred men--under the command of a captain clung for
three days without supplies, to their positions. Their splendid
resistance and sacrifice were not in vain, as reinforcements arrived in
time to re-establish the position.
[Illustration: FOUR-DE-PARIS FARM IN 1915 (SUBSEQUENTLY RAZED TO THE
GROUND), ON THE ROAD TO CHALADE]
From March 9 to 19, several French attacks between Four-de-Paris and
Bolante gave slight gains, in spite of enemy counter-attacks.
[Illustration: FOUR-DE-PARIS FARM IN 1918 (_see p. 103_)]
[Illustration: SHELL CRATERS ON HILL 285, IN THE “FILLE MORTE” SECTOR
(_as seen from the road_)]
On August 7, part of a trench was taken by the Germans in a night attack
at Fille-Morte. During the whole of that month, at Courte-Chausse, Les
Meurissons, La Haute-Chevauchée and Bolante, continual fighting took
place with artillery, mines, trench-mortars, grenades and bombs. On
September 27, during the French offensive in Champagne, the Germans
attempted a diversion against Bolante and Fille-Morte. After a heavy
bombardment with explosive and gas shells, a force of nearly two
regiments attacked in four successive waves. At first they made some
slight progress, but were soon almost everywhere repulsed with very
heavy losses. From October, 1915, it was in this part of the Argonne
that the activity was greatest, though here, as elsewhere, the fighting
considerably diminished. In 1916, frequent mining operations gave rise
to grenade fighting around the craters at Fille-Morte, Bolante, La
Haute-Chevauchée and Courte-Chausse. In 1917, mine warfare was
practically abandoned, but both sides frequently made raids into the
opposing trenches, for the purpose of taking prisoners and destroying
the works and shelters there.
[Illustration: GERMAN CEMETERY ON THE ROAD FROM FOUR-DE-PARIS TO
VARENNES (_4 km. from the former_)]
_On reaching Four-de-Paris from La Harazée, take G.C. 38, on the left,
towards Varennes._
_The road follows the valley of Les Meurissons_ (_on the right is_
=Bolante Wood=), _crosses_ Hill 265, _and passes by the_ original front
lines.
_From here onwards_, veritable villages built by the Germans _may be
seen on the sides of the hill, on the left bank of the Meurissons
stream_.
The forest on the crest of the hill was cut to pieces by the shells.
_Almost at the top of the hill the road runs past_ a German cemetery
containing a curious monument (_4 km. from Four-de-Paris; photo above_).
[Illustration: DESTRUCTION OF THE ARGONNE FOREST]
_One kilometre further on, at the Meurissons cross-roads_, =La
Haute-Chevauchée=, an old Roman road, _is reached_.
_Follow La Haute-Chevauchée_--_a very interesting road, but in bad
repair--driving slowly and carefully for the first 2 km._
_The road passes through_ =Jardinet Wood=, which is full of dug-outs,
shelters and gun-emplacements.
_On leaving the wood_ the view is impressive. Hill 285, opposite, is
literally ploughed up by the shell fire, while not a single tree is left
(_photo below_).
This is the sector of the Fille-Morte, Pierre-Croisée and
Courte-Chausse.
_The road goes round the hill, passing_ a succession of shell-craters on
the crest.
_Shortly afterwards, after entering Chalade Wood, the road improves._ On
both sides are French structures of stonework.
[Illustration: HILL 285, IN THE “FILLE MORTE” SECTOR
(_The car is going towards the Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads._)]
_One kilometre beyond Hill 285 is the Sept-Fontaines cross-roads, where
stood_ a French dressing-station, _facing the road going towards the
Mont-de-Villers_.
_Keep straight on: 1 km. 800 further on, at the cross-roads, near the
site of the Forest Keeper’s Lodge, there is_ a large military cemetery.
The Lodge was completely destroyed.
_2 km. 300 further on, Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads is reached. Fifty
yards this side of the cross-roads, on the left, is_ the shelter where
Lieutenant de Courson met a glorious death in 1915 (_photo, p._ 110).
_At Croix-de-Pierre cross-roads, where the Neuvilly road (on the left)
and the Clermont road (in front) start, turn to the right into the road
leading to Chalade (called Chemin des Romains)._
_Pass an old camp (Camp Monhoven), then 1 km. beyond Croix-de-Pierre
leave the Claon road on the left._
_Two kilometres further on there is a sharp descent leading to G.C. 22,
which take on the right for 1 km. to_ =Chalade.=
The village of Chalade grew up around a monastery founded in 1120 by
Robert and Riouin, monks of the Abbey of St. Vanne at Verdun.
The Abbey, occupied first by the Benedictines, and afterwards (from
1127) by the Cistercians, was placed under the care of the Bishops of
Verdun, protected by the Lords of Vienne-le-Château.
The monks drained the marshes of the valley of the Biesme and cultivated
the slopes.
The Abbey church, begun in 1275, was never finished.
There is a legend that the prior, who had given up all hope of finishing
the church, received a visit from the Devil, who offered to finish the
building for him, on condition that he should have the soul of the first
Christian who crossed the threshold of the completed church.
[Illustration: SHELTER, NAMED AFTER FRENCH OFFICER WHO FELL THERE IN
1915]
The prior having refused this offer, the Devil scattered in all
directions the houses which had until then been grouped around the
monastery, and reduced to dust the blocks of “gaize” in the quarries.
Since that time the houses have remained scattered, and there are no
more blocks of “gaize” to be found in the neighbourhood.
This legend is doubtless a naïve explanation of natural phenomena,
“gaize” being a silicious clay peculiar to the district.
The Abbot’s house in the enclosure is in ruins. South of the church,
monastic buildings, probably erected in the 17th century, are still
standing, though in a dilapidated condition.
The Abbey church became the church of the parish. The windows and
rose-window were restored in the 19th century. The nave has lost two of
its bays, and the steeple has been pulled down.
The Gothic nave is large and high, the springing of the vaults resting
on sculptured capitals. Fragments of old stained-glass, still to be
found in some of the windows before the war, were destroyed by the
bombardments.
At the end of the nave there is a fine rose-window, the mullions of
which are said to have been taken from the old Abbey of St. Vanne at
Verdun.
[Illustration: CHALADE. MILITARY GRAVES AND CHURCH]
_Return by G.C. 22, continuing along this road to_ =Claon= (_3 km_).
This little village served as a cantonment during the war, and was also
a revictualling centre.
_Take the road to the right in the village, returning to
Sainte-Menehould, via Florent (9 km)._
_Before entering Sainte-Menehould, the road passes by_ a large French
military cemetery containing 9,000 graves.
[Illustration: SAINTE-MENEHOULD. GREAT FRENCH MILITARY CEMETERY,
_with monument to the defenders of the Argonne_ (_10th and 18th C._)]