=The battle in the forest= (_October 1914-October 1915_).
The stationary warfare assumed a special character in the Argonne.
Lanes and footpaths formed the only breaks in the impenetrable
thickets. There were no gentle slopes, no convenient firing positions
for the infantry, no observation posts for the artillery--everything
was concealed by the thick foliage.
Springs rose everywhere and rivulets ran over the clayey soil. Mud
made the paths impassable, and filled up the trenches as soon as
they were made. French and German trenches intersected. Firing was
continuous, snipers perched here and there in trees taking careful
aim, while at night rifle and machine gun fire at random continued
uninterruptedly, sweeping the forest in order to prevent surprise and
to make movement dangerous. But the rifle was merely an auxiliary
weapon, as each army rained showers of grenades and bombs upon the
other all day long.
Apart from actual battles, there were hundreds of casualties, killed
and wounded, every day. In the attack or defence of a trench, the
fighting immediately became a hand-to-hand struggle, with knives
and revolvers. Underground there was a continuous digging of saps
and mines; it was a contest of speed and skill between the opposing
sappers. It was a case of blowing up the enemy first or being blown
up by him. Over the wrecked trenches, destroyed by mines, through
smoke and under a rain of earth thrown up by the explosions, the
soldiers dashed forward to occupy the crater or to fight for it if
the enemy had reached it first.
[Illustration: A FIGHT WITH BOMBS.
_French foot-soldiers throwing back at the enemy bombs which they
have captured from them._]
During the first three months of 1915, between Four-de-Paris and the
valley of the Aire, the French sappers excavated over 3,000 metres of
mine galleries and fired 52 mine chambers, using nearly 16,000 lbs of
explosives.
Later on, the mine warfare developed considerably in other
directions, and mine-chambers charged with more than 130,000 lbs of
explosives were fired.
=The German pushes towards Four-de-Paris=
(_October 1914-May 1915_).
The enemy wanted to reach the valley of the Biesme across the wood of
Grurie and Bolante.
In October, advancing to the sap, the Germans of von Mudra's army
corps took Bagatelle and Saint-Hubert. At the end of November the
Four-de-Paris--Varennes road was abandoned by the French.
[Illustration: THE GERMAN PUSHES TOWARDS FOUR-DE-PARIS (OCTOBER
1914-MAY 1915).]
At the end of December, the Second French Corps cleared Four-de-Paris.
In January, the Garibaldians (Italian volunteers) attacked in the
direction of Bolante.
On January 8th, the Germans hurled themselves upon the outskirts of
Bolante. For three whole days the foot soldiers of the 31st, 46th,
76th and 89th regiments as well as the Garibaldians were at close
grips with the Silesian and Hessian chasseurs, fierce struggles
taking place.
In spite of all their furious attacks, the enemy could not get to the
Biesme, but they succeeded in driving a deep and narrow wedge in the
French lines in the direction of Four-de-Paris.
=French attacks in the valley of the Aire.=
While these obstinate encounters were going on in the forest of
Argonne, the 9th and 10th French Divisions (5th Corps) attacked in
the valley of the Aire and set out to storm Vauquois, a village
perched on a mound commanding all the valley, which the enemy had
constituted a defensive centre and a first class observation post.
From December to February, on ground that was transformed into a sea
of mud, attacks on Boureuilles carried the French lines to 250 metres
from the village.
From October 28th 1914 to March 1st 1915, four attacks were launched
against Vauquois, the summit of which was reached by the French
troops of the 10th Division. The struggle extended around the mine
craters until 1916. (_See page 144._)
=The big German attacks= (_June-July 1915_).
In June and July 1915, the German commander gave up local attacks and
had recourse to massed attacks of men and material on fronts of 3 to
4 kilometres.
The first attack (on June 20th) was on the North side and then (July
2nd) on the East side of the salient of Fontaine-Madame.
=On June 20th= in the morning, after a violent bombardment of gas
shells, two Prussian and Wurtemburg divisions attacked in the wood of
Grurie. The foot-soldiers of the 32nd Corps, though gassed and almost
buried in their trenches, put up a fierce resistance. Their positions
were subjected to a veritable siege. The enemy, however, captured
Fontaine-aux-Charmes.
[Illustration: THE BIG GERMAN ATTACKS (MAY-JULY 1915).]
Up to June 28th, French counter-attacks succeeded in recapturing part
of the lost ground.
=On June 30th=, the Germans extended their attack up to the north of
Four-de-Paris. The enemy advanced to within 8 kilometres of their
objective, the railway station of Les Islettes. The fire of the 75's,
however, barred the road and the French reserves counter-attacked.
=On July 2nd=, there was an artillery bombardment of even greater
violence.
The famous 42nd Division of Fère-Champenoise and the Yser withstood
the attack with a heroism that won admiration even from the enemy.
The Germans could not capture the valley of the Biesme, in spite of
their terrific efforts and heavy sacrifices.
In July 1915, the French front in the sectors of Bolante and
Fille-Morte, followed the ridge which dominates the ravine of the
Meurrissons, and passed over perpendicularly the Haute-Chevauchée
road, comprising the dominating hills 285 and further to the East 263.
From this line which was provided with good observation posts,
a French attack could take in rear the German lines that were
established in front of Four-de-Paris.
[Illustration: THE FRENCH ATTACKS IN THE VALLEY OF THE AIRE (OCTOBER
1914-APRIL 1915).]
This attack after being fixed for July 11th was postponed to July
14th. The enemy, however, forestalled it by himself attacking on
=July 13th=.
[Illustration: SAPPERS EXCAVATING A MINE GALLERY.]
After a bombardment of exceptional ferocity (nearly 50,000 shells)
and the blowing up of several mines, 5 regiments of the Metz army
attacked. They came out from saps which had been run up to within a
short distance of shell-shattered French trenches.
The enemy crept in by small columns and surrounded the front lines.
Under an avalanche of heavy shells, which annihilated a large number
of men in their dug-outs, the French gave ground, to avoid being
overwhelmed or outflanked. The enemy patrols then crossed the second
French line.
The reserves of the 5th Corps, 131st, 82nd, 89th Infantry Regiments
and the 66th battalion of chasseurs were brought up along ravines
infested with gas, to the counter-attack. Without artillery
preparation, they deployed under heavy rifle fire and then proceeded
to clear the forest at the point of the bayonet and retook part of
the first position.
=From October 1915 To September 1918.=
In October the Argonne front suddenly became as calm as it had
previously been active. The Germans were content with a defensive
policy. The struggle for the saps was renewed, trenches were blown
up by mines and the mine craters were disputed by short bombing
engagements.
In 1916, during the battle of Verdun, the Argonne was especially
the scene of artillery duels and of mine warfare on the plateau of
Bolante, at Hill 285 and at Vauquois.
[Illustration: THE MOUND OF VAUQUOIS HOLLOWED OUT BY MINE CRATERS.
(_View from the air, May 1917_).
_E._ Site of the church.--_L. F._ French lines.--_L. A._ German lines.
The German mine opposite the church had been charged with 60 tons
of explosives. Notice on the German side, the entrances to the
galleries excavated under the mound.]
--1916--