=ST. THIERRY HEIGHTS--LE GODAT--THE GLASS-WORKS OF LOIVRE--BRIMONT--THE
"CAVALIERS DE COURCY"=
(_See complete Itineraries, p. 121, and summary of the military
operations, pp. 147 and 154._)
[Illustration (Map)]
_Starting from the Place du Parvis-Notre-Dame, follow the morning's
Itinerary (p. 122) as far as the railway bridge, then continue straight
along the Avenue de Paris (N. 31). Before leaving Rheims the tourist
can, if desired, visit_ =Haubette Park=. _In this case, turn to the
left, opposite No. 10, Avenue de Paris, into the Rue Flin des Oliviers.
The entrance to_ Haubette Park (an annex of the Calmette Dispensary)
_stands at the beginning of this street, on the right_.
Napoleon I. bivouacked in this park while his troops attacked Rheims in
1814. A monument and a small museum commemorate the event. At the end of
1914 Haubette Park was a favourite recreation ground and refuge for the
inhabitants of the city during the bombardments.
_Return to the junction of N. 31 (which leads to Fismes) with G. C. 6
(the road to Ville-en-Tardenois). Take N. 31 on the right. About 1 km.
from the fork take the first road on the right._
_On reaching_ =Tinqueux= _turn to the left at the entrance to the
village, and follow the main road_.
=Tinqueux--Mont St. Pierre=
The church of Tinqueux (St. Peter's) was entirely destroyed. It
contained, on the left side of the nave, a remarkable 16th century
painting on wood, representing the _Adoration of the Shepherds_, with a
frame of the same period.
_Near the church, between the Vesle and the main street of the village_,
stood an old baronial mansion, in front of which was a building with
turreted facade known as the =Maison de la Salle=. Inside the buildings
which, in later years, served as a farm, there was a curious old wooden
staircase with railed balustrade. The whole was destroyed by the shells.
In September, 1914, at the beginning of the bombardment of Rheims, many
of the people took refuge at Tinqueux.
[Illustration: THE MAIN STREET OF TINQUEUX VILLAGE]
_At the end of the main street of the village, opposite a kind of
observation-post with ladder in a tree, turn to the right. The road
passes at the foot of_ =Mont St. Pierre=, whose village and church
entirely disappeared in the 17th century. It was to replace the church
of Mont St. Pierre that the church of St. Pierre de Tinqueux was built
at the end of the 17th century.
_The road turns abruptly and nears the Vesle. Turn to the right and
cross the river to reach_ =St. Brice=.
=St. Brice--Champigny--Merfy=
(_Itinerary, p. 134._)
_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village and take the first
street on the right, which leads to the church._
[Illustration: THE RUINED CHURCH OF CHAMPIGNY]
The Church of St. Brice was almost entirely destroyed. In style, it is
Romanesque, with Renaissance doorway and aisles. The door of the west
front contains interesting carvings--unhappily much mutilated.
_Return by the same way to the cross-roads in front of the bridge over
the Vesle, turn to the right, then, about 150 yards further on, to the
left. Continue straight ahead, cross the railway (l.c.) and follow the
railway on the left._
_About half a mile further on an avenue on the right leads to the_
=Chateau de la Malle=. Both the castle and grounds were badly damaged by
the bombardment.
Standing in the park with magnificent avenues of beech-trees, the castle
is one of the most ancient manors in the vicinity of Rheims. It was
rebuilt in one storey at the beginning of the 14th century on the old
foundations. The decoration of the interior (Louis XVI.) is interesting.
The drawing-room has retained its old wainscoting and paintings. A
carved shield bearing the arms of the Cauchon family, a member of
which, the Bishop of Beauvais, sided with the English and the Duke of
Burgundy against the Dauphin of France and Joan of Arc during the
Hundred Years' War, is still to be seen over a door of one of the
out-buildings.
_Return by the same road to the Vesle. Cross the river and follow it (as
per Itinerary, p. 134), to the village of Champigny._
_Cross straight through the village by the main street, at the end of
which stands the church in a narrow by-street near the entrance to a
park (photo, p. 136)._
The little church of St. Theodule is 12th century, except the wooden
belfry, which was modern. The belfry and roof were destroyed.
[Illustration: MERFY CASTLE, CONVERTED BY THE GERMANS INTO A BLOCKHOUSE
_General Foch had his Headquarters there in 1914._]
_On leaving the village, go straight ahead. The road (G.C. 75) follows
the railway on the left. Cross the railway (l.c.). The road passes along
the marshy valley of the Vesle, then rises towards the_ St. Thierry
Heights.
_At the cross-roads of_ the hamlet of Maco, _keep straight on along G.C.
26_. The road runs between two fairly high embankments containing
numerous shelters. Slightly before entering the village of =Merfy= is a
cemetery containing graves of French, British and German soldiers.
_At the entrance to the same village, on the right, stands_ a castle,
severely damaged, which, early in September, 1914, served as
headquarters to General Foch (_photo above_).
_A little farther_ is the church, almost entirely destroyed.
_At the church, turn to the right and follow the main street_, which is
lined with houses in ruins.
_On leaving Merfy, cross the railway (l.c.). The village of_ =St.
Thierry= _is reached shortly afterwards._
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO ST. THIERRY VILLAGE
_The sign and camouflaging are German._]
[Illustration: ST. THIERRY CHATEAU IN 1914]
[Illustration: ST. THIERRY CHATEAU IN 1919]
[Illustration: ST. THIERRY CHURCH
_See other photos, p. 140._]
=St. Thierry=
(_See Itinerary, p. 134, summary of the Military Operations, p. 147._)
This village was frequently bombarded by the Germans from 1914 to 1918.
_It is crossed by a narrow, winding street containing several sharp
turnings. Shortly before the end of the village, the street widens
abruptly. About a hundred yards further on is the church, while on the
right a monumental door gives access_ to the =Chateau of St. Thierry=
(_photos, p. 138_).
This castle was built in 1777 by Mgr. de Talleyrand-Perigord, Archbishop
of Rheims. It replaced the ancient abbey founded in the 6th century by
St. Thierry, a disciple of St. Remi. Remains of the 12th century
chapter-house ogives, colonnettes and capitals, as well as an old
chimney-piece, have been rebuilt into the kitchens. The spacious Louis
XVI. drawing-room and the dining-room were likewise remarkable.
The church (_see photos above and on p. 140_) possessed certain
remarkable features, _e.g._ the porch, nave and organ-loft. The 12th
century porch had a 17th century pent-house roof.
Inside the church were Gothic stalls, and a 16th century bas-relief
depicting _The Martyrdom of St. Quentin_.
The church is now in ruins.
_Opposite the castle gate turn to the left into G.C. 26._
In the embankments along the road are numerous shelters, posts of
commandment, ammunition depots, etc.
[Illustration: ST. THIERRY CHURCH
(_see p. 139_)]
[Illustration: RUINED PORTAL OF ST. THIERRY CHURCH]
[Illustration: RUINS OF CHOIR, ST. THIERRY CHURCH]
[Illustration: RUINS OF THIL CHURCH]
=Thil--Villers-Franqueux=
(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)
_On reaching Thil, turn to the left at the entrance to the village. Go
straight through._
The church, entirely in ruins, _stands at the end of the village, on a
small eminence to the right_.
_Half-way through the village, on the left, is a road which leads to the
St. Thierry Fort, via the village of Pouillon._
The road from Thil to Cormicy was the starting-point of the
communicating trenches which led to the first lines along the National
Road No. =44= and along the canal from the Aisne to the Marne, during
the long stabilisation period of the Berry-au-Bac--Rheims front. All
along the road can still be seen, practically intact, the military works
which were in the immediate rear of the front lines, viz., posts of
commandment, depots, shelters, etc. At the present time, close to the
destroyed villages, these shelters are being used by the people as
habitations.
_Beyond Thil, the road passes between two embankments._
=Villers-Franqueux= _is soon reached_. The ruined village and church
_are somewhat to the right_.
[Illustration: RUINS OF VILLERS-FRANQUEUX]
[Illustration: RUINED CHURCH OF HERMONVILLE]
=Hermonville=
_Follow the rails, straight ahead, to_ Hermonville.
_Turn to the left, at the entrance to the village, into the large
square, on the opposite side of which stands the_ =Town Hall=, partially
destroyed. The =Church= _is on the right_.
This remarkable church is 12th century. The pointed vaulting of the nave
was raised in 1870, but this had been provided for in the original
plans. At the intersection of the transept the pointed vaulting is
lower. The capitals with their finely carved palm-leaves appear to be
rather more recent than those of the nave, and extend frieze-like round
the pillars. The bays of the transept-arms and of the two square eastern
chapels are round-arched and surmounted with a quatrefoil--an
arrangement frequently met with in the vicinity of Rheims.
The outer porch, like that of Cauroy-les-Hermonville and St. Thierry, is
a 12th century addition. The depressed arch of the entrance is 17th
century.
The square tower at the corner of the nave and south transept has cubic
capitals in the twin bays of the second storey.
The ancient =cemetery=, which used to surround the church, is bordered
by old houses. Entrance was gained by a little gate facing the porch, in
which are incrusted fragments of a 15th century altar-screen
representing a horseman and a group of persons.
The village was frequently bombarded by the Germans after the Battle of
the Marne. In 1916 several inhabitants were killed by shells.
_Leave the church on the right, and follow the Rue Sebastopol, at the
end of which is an abrupt turning to the left. The road skirts a large
house and garden surrounded by a wall. At the end of the latter, turn to
the right into the Rue de Sommerville. On leaving the village, turn to
the left, then go straight on to_ =Cauroy-les-Hermonville=.
[Illustration: CAUROY CHURCH IN 1914]
=Cauroy-les-Hermonville=
_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village, then into the first
street on the left, where stands the_ half-destroyed =Church of
Notre-Dame=.
This Church (_historical monument_) has an original 12th century porch,
which was mutilated by the bombardments.
Romanesque in style, it stands out from the remainder of the building
and extends over the whole breadth of the west front. Its tile-covered
roof rests on a timber-work frame, whose beams appear to be 16th
century. Two round-arched openings in the ends of the porch serve as
entrances. The front is pierced with a number of round arcades. The
central door giving access to the church is of a later date (16th or
17th century). The capitals of the arcadings are 12th century. Their
curious decoration represents figures of men, animals, birds, scrolls,
etc.
The ruined tower and nave were likewise 12th century. The side-chapels,
transept-crossing and choir were rebuilt in the 16th century.
[Illustration: CAUROY CHURCH IN 1918]
[Illustration: STREET IN CAUROY VILLAGE
(_Seen from the Porch of the Church. To go from Cauroy to Cormicy, take
this street opposite the Church._)]
In the interior of the church, the wooden altar-screen over the
high-altar dated from 1616. The painting which decorated its central
panel, and the side woodwork of the choir were removed in 1888. The
altar-screen (1547) of the southern side-chapel was composed of an
assemblage of stone statues representing _The Virgin carrying Jesus, St.
Roch, a pilgrim_, and _St. Stephen, a deacon, with the donor kneeling at
his feet_.
Under several of the houses in the village are subterranean passages,
the most noteworthy being that under the old presbytery on the left of
the church, to which access is gained by a stair of fifty-one steps.
_Leave the village of Cauroy by the street (photo, p. 145) which opens
up opposite the church._
_The road passes through clumps of_ devastated trees. _On the left side
of the road is_ a cemetery, containing numerous well-organised shelters.
_The village of_ =Cormicy= _is next reached._
=Cormicy=
(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)
_Turn to the right at the entrance to the village. On either side are_
tree-lined boulevards, which were made on the ancient ramparts. The
trees have been cut to pieces by the shells.
Cormicy was formerly a small fortified town with turret, gates, ramparts
and moats, all of which have disappeared except one gate. The site was
planted with trees, which surround practically the whole town. The town
was destroyed in the time of Charles VI., during the Hundred Years' War.
The present village suffered severely during the German bombardments,
most of the houses being damaged. In June, 1916, only eighty-three
inhabitants remained in their homes.
[Illustration: CORMICY CHURCH IN 1914]
The ancient =Church= was likewise badly damaged (_photos above and
below_). While the tower, west front, and the two first bays of the nave
are late 15th or early 16th century, the greater part of the nave is
11th or 12th century. The chevet and the transept-crossing are early
13th century, while the transept ends probably date from the middle of
12th century.
[Illustration: CORMICY CHURCH IN 1918]
The portal comprises twin doors surmounted with a broad flamboyant
recess. The doors have been partially mutilated. Above the window runs
a balcony, the Gothic balustrade of which, known as the _Gloria
Gallery_, was modern. This balustrade was destroyed by the bombardments,
which also brought down the steeple.
[Illustration: G.C. 32 ROAD ON LEAVING CORMICY
(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)]
The west front has two Gothic doors with 16th century iron-work, at the
extremity of the aisles. The tympana of these doors, formerly lighted,
have been bricked up. The lintels have three consoles ornamented with
fantastic animals and banderoles. The three statues which carried the
consoles have long since disappeared.
In the south transept, on the left, behind the altar, is an interesting
small door surmounted with a square lintel of the 11th or 12th century.
Two figures of winged monsters with heads of a man and a woman and fish
tails, stand out in high relief, framed and separated by a belt, on
which are carved _florets_ mingled with fantastic figures.
The three remarkable 18th century marble altars of the choir and
transept chapels come from the Church of the Nuns of Longueau, the abbey
of which, in the Rue du Jard at Rheims, was sold in 1790. The high-altar
occupies nearly the whole of the chancel. Over the tomb, six columns of
grey Dinant marble, crowned with Corinthian capitals, support an oval
marble cornice with richly carved and gilt consoles of wood. The very
large, white and gilt tabernacle is a fine example of 17th or 18th
century woodwork. Its door, decorated with symbolic attributes, is
surrounded by statuettes depicting, _in the lower part_, St. John the
Evangelist and a holy woman wearing crowns; _above each of these
figures_, an angel; _at the top_, The Resurrection of Christ.
The sixteen carved oak stalls of the choir, as well as the wrought-iron
reading-desk on a marble pedestal, also came from the former Abbey of
Longueau.
Near the choir, on a pillar of the nave, is an inscription to the effect
that the chronicler _Flodoard_, who died in 966, was _Cure_ of Cormicy.
The modern =Town Hall=, built by the Rheims architect, Gosset the elder,
which faced the church, was entirely destroyed.
[Illustration (Map)]
All the places visited since leaving Merfy, _i.e._ St. Thierry, Thil,
Villers-Franqueux, Hermonville and Cormicy, border the St. Thierry
Heights. The latter are commanded by the fort of the same name and the
Chenay Redoubt, with altitudes of about 670 and 620 feet respectively.
They were recaptured from the Germans after the Battle of the Marne on
September 11, 1914, by the French 3rd Corps.
After the loss of the Chemin-des-Dames and the Aisne Canal on May 27,
1918, this position, which with its guns commands the road and railway
from Rheims to Soissons and the road from Rheims to Laon, remained the
sole protection of Rheims to the north-west.
It was defended by the French 45th Infantry Division (General Naulin),
composed of Algerian Sharp-shooters, Zouaves and African Light Infantry,
who held their ground on May 27-28, after which they were reinforced by
battalions of Singalese and Marines drawn from the sector east of
Rheims.
The struggle was a fierce one, and hand-to-hand fighting frequent.
Finally the constant inflow of German reserves forced back the French
who, on May 29, had to abandon the position, to which the enemy
afterwards clung for four months. On October 1 the Germans, beaten on
the previous evening by the French 5th Army on the high ground between
the Aisne and Rheims, was forced to retreat. The French regained
possession of Merfy and St. Thierry, and advanced as far as the
outskirts of the Fort of St. Thierry, which, with Thil and
Villers-Franqueux, Hermonville, Courcy and Cormicy, fell into their
hands in the course of the next few days (_see map above_).
[Illustration: DESTROYED BRIDGE OVER THE CANAL, NEAR LE GODAT]
=From Cormicy to Godat Farm=
(_See Itinerary, p. 134._)
_Pass straight through Cormicy, leaving the church on the left. Take
G.C. 32 to the Rheims-Laon road (N. 44), where turn to the right. Rather
less than a mile further on, near the_ Maison Blanche, _is a road
leading to_ =Godat Farm=. _Cars can only go as far as the canal_, the
destroyed bridge (_photo above_) not having yet been rebuilt. The
lock-keeper's house _seen in the photograph below_ was completely
destroyed.
[Illustration: THE LOCK-KEEPER'S HOUSE AT LE GODAT
(_Now destroyed._)]
_Cross the canal on foot to reach Godat Farm, situated about 300 yards
further on._
=Le Godat=, formerly a small fief with a castle and chapel (destroyed
during the Revolution in 1793), was merely a farm and a plain country
house when the war broke out. By reason of its position, north of the
Aisne Canal, this bridgehead was, throughout the war, one of the most
fiercely disputed points in the sector north-west of Rheims, even during
the period of trench-warfare. At the time of the French offensive of
April, 1917, the 44th Infantry Regiment advanced beyond Le Godat, where
the French held their ground until the powerful German push of May 27,
1918.
[Illustration: RUINS OF LE GODAT FARM]
The farm is now a mere heap of ruins. Shelters still exist in the
basements.
_Return to the National Road, and turn to the left._
_The road crosses_ numerous boyaux which provided access to the
front-line trenches down the hill on the right.
_Follow the National Road to_ =Chauffour Farm= (in ruins), _where take
the road on the left to_ =Loivre=.
[Illustration: EMPLACEMENT OF GERMAN HEAVY GUN AT LOIVRE]
_On nearing the canal_, the ruins of the village of Loivre (entirely
destroyed) _become visible_.
[Illustration: RUINS OF THE CHURCH AT LOIVRE]
=From Loivre to Brimont=
=Loivre.=--_Visit the village on foot. The canal can only be crossed
near the lock south-east of the village._ The destroyed bridge has been
replaced by a temporary footway across the bed of the canal, which
necessitates climbing down and up the banks by steep paths.
_After crossing the canal the tourist passes by the_ ruins of the Loivre
Glass-Works, founded in 1864 by the descendants of the noble house of
Bigault de Grandrupt, glass manufacturers of Argonne.
[Illustration: GENERAL VIEW OF THE RUINS AT LOIVRE IN 1919]
Loivre and its glass-works were occupied in September, 1914, by the
Germans, who deported the inhabitants to the Ardennes. The village and
works were re-captured during the offensive of April 16, 1917, by the
French 23rd and 133rd Infantry Regiments, surnamed _Les Braves_ and _Les
Lions_ respectively. Whilst other battalions outflanked the village and
crossed the canal, the third battalion of _Lions_ attacked it in front.
The position, powerfully organised, was stoutly defended. The attacking
troops were obliged to come to a halt in front of the cemetery (a
veritable bastion with concrete casemates), and before the ruins of the
mill, both of which bristled with machine-guns. Withdrawing slightly to
allow of a barrage of 75's, they rushed forward again under the
protection of the latter. The site of the mill and the cemetery were
captured, together with numerous prisoners (122 were taken in one
machine-gun shelter). The ruined village was next carried in a bayonet
charge, to the sound of the bugles. The captures were considerable, one
battalion of 500 men alone taking 825 prisoners.
[Illustration: SEPULCHRE IN THE CEMETERY AT LOIVRE, USED BY THE GERMANS
AS A PHOTOGRAPHIC DARK-ROOM]
In March and May, 1918, two violent attacks were made on Loivre by the
Germans, but without success. They took it on May 27, only to be driven
out on October 4.
_Before the war, a road_, which has since completely disappeared, _led
direct from Loivre to Brimont. To reach the latter it is now necessary
to go farther north, via Bermericourt and Orainville, returning
southwards by the Neufchatel to Rheims road (see Itinerary, p. 134)._
=Bermericourt.=--This hamlet, of Gallo-Frankish origin, was formerly
more populous. The bombardments have literally wiped it out.
_From Bermericourt the tourist reaches_ =Orainville= _by G.C. 30, which
becomes I.C. 2 after crossing the boundary line between the
"departments" of the Marne and the Ardennes. At the entrance to the
ruined village, near the church, turn to the right into I.C. 12, which,
1 kilometre further on, joins the road from Neufchatel to Rheims (G.C.
9), where turn to the right._
_Follow this road for four and a half kilometres to the ruins of_
=Landau Farm=, _turn to the right, then, about 200 yards further on,
take the road on the left to the_ village of Brimont, entirely
destroyed.
[Illustration: ALL THAT REMAINS OF BERMERICOURT VILLAGE]
=Brimont Fort and Chateau=
(_See Itinerary, p. 134, and summary of the Military Operations, p.
154._)
Situated to the west of the road from Rheims to Neufchatel (formerly a
Roman causeway which crossed the hill at _Cran de Brimont_) Brimont was
already important in Roman times. It was fortified in the Middle Ages,
and traces of its ancient fortifications are still to be found on the
hill. The discovery of a Roman tomb in 1790 caused considerable
excitement in archaeological circles, as it was believed to be the
burial-place of the Frankish Chief _Pharamond_ who, according to one
chronicler, had been buried on a hillock near Rheims.
In 1339, during the siege of Rheims by the English, the Duke of
Lancaster had his camp at Brimont.
[Illustration: RUINS OF BRIMONT VILLAGE
_In the foreground, on the left: Road to Brimont Fort. On the right:
Beginning of the road to the Chateau (entirely destroyed)._]
[Illustration: RUINS OF THE CHURCH OF BRIMONT]
On several occasions, since September, 1914, the Germans deported the
inhabitants of Brimont and Coucy to the Ardennes. The village is now
destroyed and its church a heap of ruins.
The church was built at the beginning of the 15th century.
The four last bays of the nave, which was partly Romanesque, were
altered in the middle of the 16th century.
The sacristy occupied the lower storey of the square, pointed-arch
tower.
Several ancient statues were placed at the entrance to the Choir: _St
Remi_, with a woman in late 15th century dress kneeling at his feet; a
_Virgin_ offering grapes to the Infant Jesus in her arms (late 15th
century) and a large _Christ Crucified_, dated from the middle of the
16th century. A beautiful 18th century _lectern_ of carved wood,
representing an eagle standing on a massive three-sided pedestal of red
and white marble, stood in front of the Choir.
[Illustration: BRIMONT FORT]
_To visit the_ =Fort of Brimont=, _skirt the church on the side of the
portal staircase, then take the road seen on the photograph on p. 152.
The Fort is about 400 yards further on._
=The Defences North of Rheims and the Fighting in that Sector=
The =Fort of Brimont=, completed by the =Battery of the Cran de Brimont=
about a mile to the east, and on the west by the =Loivre Battery=,
mentioned on page 151, sweeps the whole country north of Rheims as far
as the banks of the Aisne, Suippe, Retourne and the Aisne-Marne canal,
the Rheims-Neufchatel, Rheims-Vouziers, Rheims-Rethel and Rheims-Laon
roads, and the Rheims-Laon and Rheims-Charleville railways. About five
miles east of Brimont and four miles east of Rheims is the position of
=Berru= (_see p. 165_), extending along a front of about six miles,
_via_ the hills of Berru and Nogent l'Abbesse. Intended by those who
planned it to guard the valley of the Suippe, the Rheims-Rethe and
Rheims-Vouziers roads, as well as the Rheims-Charleville and
Rheims-Chalons-sur-Marne railways, it comprises the =Fort of Witry=
(about 150 feet in altitude), the batteries of =La Vigie de Berru= (870
feet), and the =fort and batteries of Nogent-l'Abbesse= (670 feet).
[Illustration: _The roads shown on the above map are those followed by
the Third Itinerary (see p. 160)._]
Brimont and Berru are further covered and linked up by the =Fort of
Fresne= (360 feet), situated four miles north-east of Rheims.
These defensive works, conceived and executed after the war of 1870,
had, in consequence of the evolution of strategical and tactical
doctrines, been abandoned or disarmed before the war of 1914. After
evacuating Rheims on September 12, 1914, the Germans grasped the
importance of these works, to which they clung tenaciously, after
hurriedly organising them. It was against these naturally strong
positions, further strengthened by trenches, that the French 5th Army,
in pursuit of the enemy, found themselves brought to a standstill on the
evening of September 12. From September 13 to 18, the French tried in
vain to capture them. The 5th Division, under General Mangin, did
succeed in capturing the =Chateau de Brimont=, in the plain, but were
unable to hold it.
Later, the Germans converted these hills into one of the most formidable
positions organised by them in France. Brimont, Berru, Fresne and Nogent
l'Abbesse, whose guns slowly destroyed Rheims, were, so to speak, her
jailers for four years.
In April, 1917, during the French offensive of the Aisne, one division,
known as the "Division of aces" (because its four regiments have the
fourragere decoration), penetrated into Bermericourt and advanced to the
outskirts of Brimont, but was unable to hold its ground against the
furious counter-attacks of the Germans. It was only in October, 1918,
that the French 5th Army, in conjunction with the victorious attacks of
the 4th Army in Champagne, after forcing the Germans back to the Aisne
and the canal, and after crossing the Aisne canal on October 4 in front
of Loivre and near Bermericourt, forced the enemy, whose communications
were now threatened, to abandon one of the most valuable portions of his
1914 positions. On October 5, the French re-entered Brimont and Nogent
l'Abbesse, progressed beyond Bourgogne, Cernay-les-Rheims, Beine, Caurel
and Pomacle, and, in spite of desperate enemy resistance, drove back the
Germans to the Suippe.
_After visiting the fort return to the village of Brimont._
From here the =Chateau de Brimont= may be visited, but this will have to
be done on foot as the road has been destroyed, traces only of it being
left in places (_the lower photograph on p. 152 shows the beginning of
the road in the village_).
The =Chateau de l'Ermitage=, also known as the Chateau de Brimont, _is
situated about 500 yards south of the village, at the entrance to a_
large park, completely devastated. It was the scene of desperate
fighting (_see p. 152_).
_Return to Brimont, cross the village (skirting the church) and continue
straight on to the_ =Cran de Brimont Redoubt= _on the road to Rheims._
Numerous German trenches, etc., are to be seen here.
_Turn to the right into G.C. 9, which dips down to the_ Plain of Rheims.
The region hereabouts bristle with barbed-wire entanglements and is
crossed with numerous trenches. It was ranged to an incredible degree by
the bombardments.
_At the bottom of the hill which starts at the Cran de Brimont, cross
Soulains Wood, of which only_ a few torn tree-stumps remain.
_Several hundred yards after leaving the wood, take on foot the broken
road to the_ "=Cavaliers de Courcy=," situated _on the right, about 500
yards further on._
[Illustration: THE AISNE CANAL AT THE "CAVALIERS DE COURCY"]
=The "Cavaliers de Courcy"=
To the north of La Neuvillette, the Aisne-Marne Canal is flanked on both
sides by enormous artificial embankments planted with fir-trees and
known as the "=Cavaliers de Courcy=." After their retreat in September,
1914, the Germans entrenched themselves there and clung to the east bank
until April, 1917.
On April 16, 1917, the French 410th Regiment of the Line attacked the
enemy's formidable positions there. This Brittany regiment set out from
positions to which they had given names taken from the history of their
country (_Quimper Bastion_, _Auray_, _Redon Bastion_, etc.). On the
first day they carried three successive lines of defences, and advanced
about a mile. On the 17th and 18th they left their zone of action, to
ensure the _liaison_ on their right, and to help a brigade in
difficulties on their left. For eight days they held their positions
against powerful enemy counter-attacks, after having progressed to a
depth of two miles and captured more than 400 prisoners, 11
bomb-throwers, and an immense amount of stores.
These positions, like the neighbouring villages, were re-taken by the
Germans in May and June, 1918, and finally by the Allies in October,
1918.
_Return to the road and follow it towards Rheims. Leave on the left_ the
devastated =Aviation-ground of Champagne=--now in a state of complete
upheaval, due to the terrific shelling it received--_then cross the_
=Plain of Betheny= (_photo, p. 157_).
The Plain of Betheny was the scene of two important historical events:
in 1901 the Tsar Nicolas II. reviewed a part of the French Army there;
in August, 1909, the Great Aviation Week was inaugurated there, in the
presence of an immense crowd of spectators.
[Illustration: GERMAN FIRST-LINE POSITIONS BETHENY PLAIN (_see
sketch-map below_)
_Photographed at 7,000 ft. from aeroplane, August 6, 1916, at 10 a.m._]
[Illustration: THE GERMAN FIRST-LINE DEFENCES IN THE PLAIN OF BETHENY
_The tourist passes through this region on returning to Rheims, shortly
before coming to the bridge under the railway. The sketch map explains
the photograph above._]
_Pass under the Rheims-Laon railway by a very sharp double turning._
=Pierquin Farm=, entirely destroyed, _stood on the right a short
distance further on_. The only remaining trace is the torn shapeless
carcass of a large iron shed.
The railway embankment south of Pierquin Farm was fiercely disputed from
September 18, 1914, onwards. Several enemy attacks against it broke down
before the French 75's. During the offensive of May, 1918, the whole of
this region was the scene of desperate fighting. La Neuvillette was
taken on May 30, and Pierquin Farm on the 31st. On August 4, the French,
after crossing the Aisne Canal, advanced to La Neuvillette, where the
enemy made a desperate stand. At the beginning of October they advanced
to the north of La Neuvillette, which the enemy was eventually compelled
to abandon. The last inhabitants had left the locality on July 12, 1916.
_The tourist enters Rheims by the Rue de Neufchatel and the Avenue de
Laon._
=La Neuvillette=
_On reaching the Avenue de Laon, the tourist, instead of entering
Rheims, may turn to the right and go northwards as far as the_ village
and cemetery of La Neuvillette.
The cemetery of La Neuvillette _is on the right of the road, between the
last houses of Rheims and the village_. It was completely cut up by a
network of first-line trenches (_photos, p. 159_).
The village of La Neuvillette, now in ruins, was the scene of desperate
fighting during the German offensive of May, 1918.
Nothing remains of the 12th century church of John-the-Baptist.
The glass-works north-west of the village, by the side of the canal, are
now a heap of ruins (_photo, p. 159_).
_Return to Rheims by the same road._
[Illustration: THE ROAD TO RHEIMS AT NEUVILLETTE]
[Illustration: THE GLASS-WORKS AT NEUVILLETTE]
[Illustration: DRESSING-STATION AT NEUVILLETTE]
[Illustration: THE CEMETERY AT NEUVILLETTE]