St. Pierre-Vaast Wood, of which nothing remains but shattered, burnt
tree-stumps, was the most important vestige of the immense Arrouaise
Forest that covered the whole of this region in the Middle-Ages.
From November, 1916, till March, 1917, this wood was often mentioned
in the French and, later, in the British communiqués. The Germans had
powerfully entrenched themselves there, and it was here that they had
their reserves and artillery. In the thickets was a maze of trenches
and fortified redoubts, surrounded by minor defence-works of all kinds.
The French partly occupied the wood at the beginning of November,
but violent counter-attacks by three enemy army corps forced them to
evacuate the conquered ground. Driven back to the western edge of the
wood, they were subsequently unable, in spite of renewed efforts,
to get beyond it. Throughout the whole winter of 1916-17, the front
line remained fixed in front of this wood, which, transformed into an
immense stronghold, protected Péronne from the north. This sector,
occupied by the British, was never quiet. Grenade fighting from trench
to trench was incessant, whilst the artillery gradually annihilated
all the defences and levelled the wood almost entirely. Finally, on
March 16, 1917, at the beginning of the German retreat on the Somme,
the British captured the whole wood, without encountering serious
resistance.
[Illustration]
_After visiting the wood, return to N. 37, and go on to =Rancourt=._
This village (entirely destroyed, _photo, p. 91_) was carried by the
French on September 25, 1916, in the course of their turning movement
which preceded the capture of Combles.
_On leaving Rancourt, N. 37 crosses Hill 145, where, on the right, the
Combles--Guillemont--Montauban--Albert road begins_ (passable). This
area is thickly strewn with graves.
_N. 37 next descends to the beginning of the road to =Bouchavesnes=,
the site of which is seen 300 yards to the left._
The conquest of Bouchavesnes was a stirring episode in the battle of
the Somme.
On September 12, 1916, a French detachment, composed of Alpine
Chasseurs and infantry, carried the position within two hours, after an
intense artillery preparation. In spite of a most stubborn resistance,
all the entrenchments and strong points among the ruins of the houses
were carried one after the other, in a single rush. 400 men, the only
survivors of the two German battalions which held the village, were
taken prisoners; 10 guns and 40 machine-guns were likewise captured.
[Illustration: RANCOURT.]
The success was so complete and crushing that for a short time
there was a gap in the German front line. Scattered units hastily
got together were thrown into the breach where, crouching in the
shell-holes, they resisted desperately with rifle and machine-gun, and
held their ground for a whole day, without any reserve support.
On March 24, 1918, the German columns forced the line of the Tortille
stream and entered Bouchavesnes, thereby bringing about the fall of
Péronne--outflanked from the north--and the retreat of the British
towards the Ancre. The village was reconquered on September 1
following, after sharp fighting.
[Illustration: BOUCHAVESNES.]
_After passing by Bouchavesnes, N. 37 ascends another crest_ (see
fortified quarry on the left), from the top of which there is a
magnificent panorama: _on the left_, the Valley of the Tortille (a
small tributary of the Somme); _in the valley_, the Northern Canal and
Village of Allaines; _opposite_, the Mont-St.-Quentin; _on the right_,
the Valley of the Somme.
The portion of the National road which is now followed was the scene of
furious, bloody fighting in 1916. In their attempt to outflank Péronne,
the French encountered strong German forces which stubbornly held their
ground. Traces of the desperate fighting are seen all along the way:
stumps of shattered trees, mine-craters and shell-holes in the fields,
soldiers' graves, etc.
[Illustration: NEAR PÉRONNE. RUINS OF BRIDGE OVER THE CANAL DU NORD, ON
THE N. 37.]
_Cross the Northern Canal by temporary bridge._
[Illustration: THE CANAL DU NORD FORMED A BITTERLY DISPUTED LINE OF
RESISTANCE.]
This canal, which connects the Somme with the rivers of northern
France, was not quite finished when the war broke out. Its bed was
excavated, but not yet filled with water, so that it formed a
ready-made line of resistance. The Germans were unable to hold it in
1916, and the British were likewise driven from it by the German thrust
in 1918.
[Illustration: WHAT THE GERMANS SAW FROM THEIR OBSERVATION-POST ON THE
MONT-ST.-QUENTIN.]
_Immediately beyond the canal, the small, ruined village of
=Feuillancourt= is crossed_. On September 12, 1916, the French gained a
footing on Hill 76, west of the village. This was the nearest position
to Péronne reached in 1916, to the north of the town.
_Follow N. 37 to =Mont-St.-Quentin=._