to Villers-aux-Vents. After crossing a stream, turn to the left at
the entrance to the village, following a winding road which leads to
the church._ =Villers-aux-Vents= (16 km.) was completely destroyed by
the fire which the Germans kindled before leaving. It was attacked
on September 6 by masses of infantry coming up from the north and
north-west, and gallantly defended by the Tenth Division, which
occupied the village and its neighbourhood. Violent fighting took place
to the north of Villers, near the Grand-Morinval Pond, in the course
of which General Roques, who was commanding the Division, was mortally
wounded. Giving way under force of numbers, the Tenth Division was
obliged to evacuate Villers and fall back on Laimont. As we have seen
above, this village also was lost during the night, and the line of
defence was taken up in the woods to the east.
The Germans took three hostages at Villers, under circumstances of
which one of them, M. Vigroux, gave details before the Commission of
Enquiry. He was coming out of his house when he perceived another
resident, M. Minette, surrounded by soldiers. "_At the same time_,"
he declared, _"a Prussian came up to me, seized me, and led me away,
his revolver pointed at my head, without my having threatened or
gesticulated. I next saw the Prussians strike Minette with their fists
and with the butt-end of their rifles; they also tore off his clothes,
finally leaving him naked._
[Illustration: CROWN PRINCE'S DUG-OUT]
_"They then secured his hands with an iron chain."_
The hostages were led one kilometre from the village. Minette was
separated from the group and made to kneel. He was then shot. As far as
his companions were able to understand, the Germans appeared to have
found in his house an old and useless revolver. After the death of
Minette, the other hostages were set free.
[Illustration: RUINS OF VILLERS]
_At the other end of the village from the church, in a field on the
left_, is a subterranean shelter, known in the village under the name
of the "Crown Prince's Dug-out," the photo at the top of this page
shows the entrance to it. This shelter was dug during the German
occupation, and the armchairs from the church were placed in it to
make it more comfortable. According to local authority, the Crown
Prince stayed for a time at Villers, and the shelter was made for his
convenience.
_Descend from the plateau on which the village is built, and at the
foot of the hill, after having crossed the river, take on the right the
"Chemin vicinal" which leads back to G. C. D. 15._ It is the little
road which is seen in the above photograph. G. C. D. 15, planted with
trees, appears on the horizon.
[Illustration: RUINS OF BRABANT-LE-ROI]
[Illustration: DÉBRIS OF THE ZEPPELIN BROUGHT DOWN AT REVIGNY]
_At the meeting of the roads, turn to the right towards
=Brabant-le-Roi= (20 km.). In this village, turn to the left near the
church and continue straight forward to =Revigny= (22 km.) by G. C. 20,
which crosses the picture at the foot of p. 247._
[Illustration: THE GUN WHICH BROUGHT DOWN THE ZEPPELIN]
It was between Brabant and Revigny, near the railway which follows
the road on the right, that the Zeppelin L.Z. 77 was brought down on
February 21, 1915, at 9·15 p.m. The carcase of the great air-ship is
visible in the above photo; opposite is the photo of the motor-cannon
which brought it down. It was under the orders of Adjutant Gramling (on
the right in the photo) and was pointed by the Chief-Pointer Pennetier
(at his post of observation behind the shield).
Revigny, like Brabant-le-Roi, fell on September 6, in spite of
a brilliant defence by the Fifth Corps. On September 12 it was
re-occupied by the Fifteenth Corps. _In Revigny, after passing a
level-crossing and continuing straight on, turn to the left, in order
to reach the church shown in the photograph below._
[Illustration: CHURCH, REVIGNY]
[Illustration: VIEW OF RUINS OF TOWN-HALL]
The Church of Revigny is classed as an historical monument. It is a
fifteenth and sixteenth century edifice, the most interesting part of
which is the apse. The gargoyles on the buttresses are curious. The
steeple was destroyed by the fire lighted by the Germans; the roof fell
in and the interior was ravaged by the flames.
[Illustration: RUINS AROUND THE CHURCH]
_On returning to the street by which we entered, continue towards the
centre of the town, then turn to the left into the principal street_,
from which, over the ruined houses, the photo (below) of the church
was taken. At No. 21, at the corner of the Rue du Four, is the bakery
of which we give photographs, both of the interior and the exterior,
at the foot of the page. Hundreds of houses are in this state or have
completely disappeared.
_We reach next the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville_; the town-hall has been
completely destroyed.
The fire was preceded by pillage. Numerous waggons were laden with
articles deemed of interest, and sent down the line. The walls of the
houses were then sprayed with paraffin from hand syringes. Packets of
tablets made of compressed gunpowder, and sticks of inflammable matter
thrown into the burning houses, stimulated the flames. During three
days the fires which died out were thus relighted. Only the houses
where the officers were staying were spared. As they declared to the
rector, the Germans did this from no other motive but to spread terror,
and they did it systematically.
[Illustration: INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF A BAKERY]
[Illustration:
Brabant-le-Roi
Revigny
PANORAMA OF THE PASS OF REVIGNY.
1,200 yards beyond Brabant may be seen, on the left, the panoramic
view of the valley of the Ornain shown in the photographs above. The
river, the railway from Bar-le-Duc to Vitry-le-François, and the canal
from the Marne to the Rhine pass through it, and take up the south
of the depression behind Revigny. On the left beyond Brabant-le-Roi
the valley narrows towards Bar-le-Duc; on the right it widens in the
direction of Sermaize and meets the Valley of the Saulx. The whole
constitutes what is known as the Pass of Revigny, and was the object
of furious attacks by the Germans who sought to separate the Third and
Fourth French Armies in this region. As early as September 6 under a
violent offensive, the Fifth Corps lost Brabant and Revigny, and was
thrown back on the plateau in the centre of which is Vassincourt, where
the tourist has already passed. The German advance was stayed in the
neighbourhood of this village, thanks to the admirable resistance of
the Fifth Corps, aided by the Fifteenth.]
_On arriving at the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, we shall retrace our
steps as far as the Church of =Brabant-le-Roi=, then turn to the left
towards Nettancourt by C. G. D. 15._
_Continue along the road and go over a level-crossing, then follow the
valley of the Chée to reach =Nettancourt= (30 km.), and turn to the
left to reach the chapel._ The church is not in the village, but on a
hill to the west. It dates from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries,
and is classed as an historical monument. It has suffered from fire and
from shells.
[Illustration: RUINS OF SOMMEILLES]
Nettancourt fell into the hands of the Germans on September 6. _On
leaving the village, strike off G. C. D. 15 and take on the right
the Sommeilles Road or G. C. 27. Go over a level-crossing and turn
immediately to the left. At =Sommeilles= (34 km.), turn to the left to
reach the church, then to the right in order to visit the town-hall._
The church is capable of restoration, but of the latter only the front
remains. As for the houses, they were completely destroyed by fires
lighted by the Germans under the same conditions as at Revigny--by
spraying them with paraffin from hand-pumps.
It was on the 6th, when the 51st German Infantry Regiment arrived,
that fires broke out in the whole of the village. The inhabitants
fled before the flames, but the soldiers seized them and asked for
information regarding the movements of the French troops, threatening
at the same time to shoot them. Eight hostages were led as far as
Brabant-le-Roi, where they were released after having been made to
kneel, whilst their captors made a dumb show of firing at them.
[Illustration: TROOPS VISITING THE RUINS OF SOMMEILLES]
The Germans committed still more inexcusable crimes at Sommeilles. On
September 12, when the Light Infantry entered the village, the officers
and the doctor found in the cellar of the Adnot family's house, seven
corpses. Death had taken place under particularly atrocious conditions.
The Official Report gives the following details:
[Illustration: RUINS OF SOMMEILLES]
"We discovered the body of a man of about sixty (_M. Adnot_) who had
been shot, he had two wounds in his chest, and his eyes were still
bandaged; that of a woman of about the same age (_Mme. Adnot_) with no
visible wounds; another of a woman of about thirty-five years, whose
right fore-arm, entirely severed from the rest of her body, had been
thrown at some distance. Her clothing had been torn off (this woman
appeared to have been violated). Then that of a little girl of about
twelve years, who seemed to have met the same fate; those of three
children of from five to ten years, two of whose heads had been cut off
and thrown near the bodies."
[Illustration: TOWN-HALL, SOMMEILLES]
After visiting Sommeilles, _we retrace our steps as far as the
cross-roads, which we met on arriving at the village, and continue
straight on towards Laheycourt by G. C. 35. In =Laheycourt= (39 km.),
through which we pass_, the monumental town-hall on the right, shown
in the photo below, is worthy of note. It was burned by the Germans.
The church opposite was turned into a hospital, and was spared for this
reason. A certain number of houses were burned, or destroyed by shells.
_On leaving Laheycourt, pass a level-crossing, then follow the railway
for about 2 km. The railway then leaves the road and goes towards
Villotte and Lisle-en-Barrois, while the road continues along the
Valley of the Chée towards Louppy-le-Château._
The right wing of the Fifth Corps experienced violent fighting in this
region on September 6. After having lost Sommeilles and Laheycourt, it
turned to bay at Louppy-le-Château, as also at Villotte on the 8th.
[Illustration: TOWN-HALL, LAHEYCOURT]
_Traversing_ =Louppy-le-Château= (44 km.), three-quarters destroyed by
fire, the church will be noticed on the right, in a piteous condition
from shelling, as shown in the photographs on p. 253. It dates from the
thirteenth century and was restored in the nineteenth. The steeple was
destroyed and the roof has fallen in. The bell, which was recovered
from amidst the ruins, has been set up on the ground, and still summons
the inhabitants to the services held in the roughly repaired choir.
[Illustration: RUINS OF LOUPPY-LE-CHÂTEAU]
The Germans committed revolting acts of brutality and immorality at
Louppy-le-Château during the night of September 8-9, in a cellar where
women and children had taken refuge from shell-fire. Two married women
of 74 and 70 years, a spinster of 71 years, and a mother of 44 years
and her children were odiously misused. The mother made the following
declaration before the Commission of Enquiry:
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF THE CHURCH]
"_I was in M. Raussin's cellar with my five children and other persons
from the village, when three Germans, with revolvers in their hands,
entered. One of them commanded me to lie down on the ground. I was
obliged to obey.... Meanwhile, I received numerous blows. The Germans
left the cellar, but two came back again. I made a dash for the stair
and was not again mishandled, but I heard sounds of the scenes of
violence to which the women who remained in the cellar were subjected.
Among them were my two daughters aged thirteen years and eight years
respectively. Both were violated, the latter, who was killed by a shell
splinter on the following day, being unable to walk._"
[Illustration: EXTERIOR OF THE CHURCH]
The brother of the little victims, a boy aged eleven, made the
following declaration: "_I was sleeping in M. Raussin's cellar, when
two Germans woke me, and tore my trousers. I cried out_: '_I am a
little boy.' They gave me a sound thrashing and struck my head with
their fists._"
_On leaving Louppy-le-Château, turn to the left into I. C. 55 in
the direction_. _of Louppy-le-Petit. Cross the Chée, then turn
immediately to the right. 2½ km. further on cross a tributary of this
river, and thus reach_ =Louppy-le-Petit= (49 km.). The defenders of
Louppy-le-Château, subjected to a violent shell-fire, were obliged to
abandon the village on September 8, and fall back on Louppy-le-Petit,
which they were compelled to abandon likewise on the 9th. The line of
defence was removed further east to Génicourt, which the tourist will
pass after Louppy.
[Illustration: BELL OF CHURCH LOUPPY-LE-CHÂTEAU]
_In Louppy, turn to the right towards the church_, where the
bombardment has caused much havoc. _Descend towards the Chée and, cross
it. Immediately afterwards, I. C. 55 turns to the left in the direction
of =Génicourt-sous-Condé= (51½ km.)._
[Illustration: CHURCH, LOUPPY-LE-PETIT]
_Pass straight through Génicourt, go over a level-crossing, then over
the river, and 200 yards beyond, at the entrance to Condé, turn to the
right into G. C. 28 leading to =Hargeville= (54½ km.)._
We are leaving the zone of the fighting of September. _Turn to the
right in Hargeville to cross the river, then to the left towards the
church and continue straight on._
_On leaving Hargeville, cross the railway twice by level-crossings. At
=Vavincourt= (58 km.), turn to the right in order to pass the church,
and go through the village to the far end. On leaving it, take the
road on the right (I. C. 16), which branches off from G. C. 28. I.
C. 16 goes through =Behonne= then descends into the valley of the
Ornain and =Bar-le-Duc=. At the foot of the slope, cross the railway
and the canal, then again the railway. Turn to the left immediately
afterwards into the Rue des Romains; then take the Rue Couchot (3rd
on right). Leave it to follow the Rue de l'Hospice on the left, which
passes Notre-Dame. On arriving at the church, turn to the right
towards Notre-Dame Bridge by Rue de Bar-la-Ville. After crossing the
bridge take the Rue Notre-Dame which is a continuation, then Rue
d'Entre-deux-Ponts on the left. On the left is the Boulevard de la
Rochelle, where the hotel will be found (65 km.)._
[Illustration: RUINS OF LOUPPY-LE-PETIT]
FIELD OF OPERATIONS
OF THE
THIRD FRENCH ARMY
=IV.--FROM BAR-LE-DUC TO VERDUN= (63 km.)
(See map inserted between pp. 212-213)
Via +Naives+, +Vavincourt+, +Marats+, +Rembercourt-aux-Pots+,
+Vaux-Marie+, +Beauzée+, +Amblaincourt+, +Seraucourt+,
+Issoncourt+, +Heippes+, +Souilly+.
_Leave Bar-le-Duc by the Boulevard de la Rochelle, at the east end
of which, before St. John's Church, turn to the left and cross the
Pont-Neuf. Then turn to the right into the Rue Ernest Bradfer; 300
yards further on, turn to the left into the Rue du Passage-Inférieur.
After crossing the railway, turn to the left into the Rue de Popey. 250
yards farther on the Rue de Saint Mihiel will be found on the right,
and this is continued by the G. C. S. 1 bis._
_At =Naives= (5 km.), turn to the left and take G. C. 28, which climbs
the plateau, at whose foot we have been travelling since leaving
Bar-le-Duc. Pass straight through =Vavincourt= (8 km.) and take I. C.
16, a hilly road, leading to =Marats-la-Grande= (14½ km.). Descend into
the village, turn to the left; and on leaving it by its western end,
take, on the right, I. C. 48 leading to =Rembercourt-aux-Pots= (18½
km.)._
We are entering the zone of action of the Sixth Corps. Rembercourt was
attacked on September 7, but held out, thanks to the defences which
had been strongly organised round it. It was abandoned on the 10th and
retaken on the 12th.
_The road passes in front of the church, which is classed as an
historical monument (photo below)._ It is one of the most remarkable in
the Department of the Meuse. It dates from the fifteenth century, but
its beautiful front is Renaissance. The roof of the nave and that of
the left aisle have been destroyed by German shells, but fortunately
the front only suffered slightly. _Take the street on the right on
leaving the church; it leads out of Rembercourt by G. C. 35._
[Illustration: CHURCH, REMBERCOURT-AUX-POTS]
[Illustration: WEST FRONT OF CHURCH, REMBERCOURT]
_3 km. farther, turn to the left in order to pay a visit to
=Vaux-Marie= Farm (22 km.)_, which was one of the most important
centres of resistance in this part of the battlefield.
[Illustration: GRAVES NEAR VAUX-MARIE]
A few yards from the cross-roads, on the right, is a large common
grave, of which the photograph is given below. Soldiers belonging to
the 132nd Line Regiment and the 26th Battalion Light Infantry are
buried there. _The farm stands at a distance of 1,500 yards from the
cross-roads._ As shown in the photos on pp 256-257, its buildings
have suffered badly from the violent shell-fire to which they were
subjected, particularly on September 8. The attacks were fierce, but
the defences which the Light Infantry had established round the farm
enabled them to hold out until the 10th. The farm was abandoned at
the same time as Rembercourt, and retaken on the 12th with the latter
village. The whole of the plateau extending from Rembercourt to
Vaux-Marie was the scene of combats which were among the most violent
of the Battle of the Marne.
[Illustration: FARM, VAUX-MARIE]
_Continuing along the road, after leaving the farm, go over first one
level-crossing, then another._ The line runs between embankments, and
was utilised as a line of defence. French and German graves (seen in
centre of this page) were dug along the slope. On the right of the road
is Hill 302, on the left Hill 293, which were comprised in the line of
resistance of the Twelfth Division of the Sixth Corps on September 6,
and of the 107th Brigade on September 7.
Before descending from the plateau into Beauzée, there is a very
fine view. The photograph at the foot of this page shows the valley
of Seraucourt, which the tourist will visit after Beauzée. It was
there that the 40th Division of the Sixth Corps manœuvred. The photo
at the top of p. 258 was taken looking towards Beauzée, whose steeple
is visible. The numerous graves on either side of the road recall the
violence of the struggle on September 6, when German pressure obliged
the Twelfth Division to evacuate Beauzée and fall back on Hills 302 and
293, which the tourist has just passed.
[Illustration: COURTYARD OF FARM VAUX-MARIE]
[Illustration: GRAVES NEAR VAUX-MARIE]
_Before entering =Beauzée=, go over two level-crossings. Follow the
principal street, and turn to the right in order to arrive at the
church (27 km.)._
[Illustration: VIEW OF THE VALLEY OF SERAUCOURT]
[Illustration: VIEW LOOKING TOWARDS BEAUZÉE]
The photographs on pp. 258-259 give some idea of the state in which
the German bombardment left this fine building. The church dates from
the sixteenth century, as is shown by the rich ornamentation of the
west front (see at the top of p. 259). This part of it received several
shells, and in the photograph the shattered fragments resulting from
this may be seen strewn on the ground. The nave, the apse, and the
transept suffered most of all. The tower, restored in modern times and
crowned by a spire, escaped destruction. It will, perhaps, be possible
to save the panellings of the stalls and confessionals, which date from
the eighteenth century.
A large number of houses in the village, and particularly around the
church, were destroyed by shells.
[Illustration: CHURCH BEAUZÉE]
_Turn to the right in front of the church, into the street shown in the
photograph at the foot of p. 259. Then turn to the left towards the
river and cross it. There is a very picturesque view of the village
from this spot (photograph p. 260)._ Immediately after passing the
Aire, turn to the right into I. C. 26, which goes up the valley towards
=Amblaincourt= (29 km.).
This little village was destroyed. The view in the centre of p. 260
shows what remains of the town-hall, which was formerly a church. _In
Amblaincourt, turn first to the right and then to the left, without
crossing the railway. I. C. 26 going to Seraucourt follows the valley
which appears on the panorama on p. 257._ A tributary of the Aire and
the little railway from Bar-le-Duc to Verdun follow the windings of
this valley.
[Illustration: FRONT OF CHURCH]
The 40th Division of the Sixth Corps fought on the two heights which
command the valley to the north and to the south. The southern one
(and especially Chanet Wood, which we can see on the right) served as
a place of retreat when the attacks of September 6-10, which aimed at
taking the northern crest, failed. On the 10th, in spite of an heroic
resistance, the 40th Division was obliged to abandon Chanet Wood and to
retire for several kilometres. On the night of the 12-13th the Germans,
having been completely beaten on all other points of their front,
evacuated their positions, which the French re-occupied the next day.
[Illustration: INTERIOR OF CHURCH]
_Pass straight through =Seraucourt= (31½ km.)._ Part of its houses were
destroyed by shell-fire.
From Seraucourt to Lemmes we are going over the battlefield of the
reserve divisions placed at the disposal of the Third Army, in order to
strengthen and prolong its right wing, and to attempt to outflank the
enemy's left.
Tn the neighbourhood of Seraucourt the 65th (reserve) Division linked
up with the 40th Division of the Sixth Corps.
[Illustration: RUINS AROUND CHURCH]
_Still following the valley, we reach_ =Rignaucourt= (33½ km.). To
the north of the village, on the plateau, is Blandin Wood, which was
occupied until September 10 by the 65th (reserve) Division. From there
it hurled its daily attacks to the west against the flank of the enemy.
On the 10th it was thrown back violently to the south-east, beyond
Landlut Wood, which crowns the plateau to the south, and lies to the
right of the road. The German retreat took place on the night of the
12th.
[Illustration: VIEW OF BEAUZÉE]
_In Rignaucourt, turn to the right in order to pass in front of the
church; descend towards the railway, and beyond the level-crossing
go over the river, and turn at once to the left towards Issoncourt
(35½ km.). At the entrance to the village, turn to the left into G.
C. D. 6, which is the main road from Bar-le-Duc to Verdun. After two
railway-crossings we arrive at_ =Heippes= (39½ km.). The 65th and
75th (reserve) Divisions fought desperately to the west of this road
in Ahaye Wood, until September 10, endeavouring to give relief to the
Sixth Corps by an attack on the German flank.
[Illustration: TOWN-HALL, AMBLAINCOURT]
_Leaving Heippes church behind_, I. C. 24 leading to Saint-André comes
into view on the left. This road formed the pivot of the attacks of
the 75th Division, one part of which was operating to the south, with
the 65th Division in Ahaye Woods; the other to the north in the Woods
of Châtel and Moinville. After a fierce struggle the reserve divisions
were forced to retire. Whilst the 65th Division clung for a time to
Hill 342 or the Signal d'Heippes, which commands the village to the
south-west beyond the railway, the 75th held out in Heippes, but on the
10th both were driven back to the east of G. C. D. 6.
_After Heippes the road goes towards_ =Souilly= (43½ km.). On the
heights to the left of the road the 75th (reserve) Division fought,
Souilly was abandoned by it on September 10.
[Illustration: JOFFRE AND PÉTAIN AT SOUILLY]
During the great battle of Verdun in 1916 General Pétain had his
headquarters at Souilly Castle. The photograph opposite shows the
victor of Verdun in company with General Joffre.
_Go straight through Souilly to reach =Lemmes= (48 km.), after twice
crossing the railway._ To the west of the road is the battlefield of
the 67th (reserve) Division and the mobile defences of the entrenched
camp of Verdun which, during the Battle of the Marne, worried the
German communications by frequent raids against their flank.
[Illustration: TROOPS DISMOUNTING FROM MOTOR-BUSES]
_G. C. D. 6 rejoins N. 3 beyond the hamlet of =Moulin-Brûlé= (54 km.).
The railway is again traversed by two level-crossings._