2nd ITINERARY: THE LEFT BANK OF THE MEUSE
including Cumières, Oie Hill, Mort-Homme, Montfaucon, Hill 304, and Avocourt (see description, [pp. 90–111])
THE CHURCH AND MAIN STREET OF CHARNY IN JANUARY, 1916
I.—From Verdun to Charny
Leave Verdun by the Porte de France; after the railway bridge go straight along G. C. 38 (see [plan between pp. 30–31]). Cross the Faubourg de Jardin-Fontaine, then Thierville village. Facing it is MARRE FORT. At the foot of the hill on which the fort stands, turn to the right. Leaving on the left the ruined farm of Willers-les-Moines, the road climbs up the small Hill 243, below which is the strongly fortified Charny Redoubt.
On the other side of the level-crossing is Charny. It was at Charny that the Germans crossed the Meuse in 1870. Incidentally, they shot the former notary, M. Violard, under the pretext that he had aided an attack by the francs-tireurs of Verdun. In 1916, the village was frequently bombarded by the enemy, particularly on March 31st.
THE CHURCH AND MAIN STREET OF CHARNY SEEN FROM THE OTHER SIDE IN MAY, 1919
On the horizon: Poivre Hill
MARRE VILLAGE IN RUINS.
Beyond the Church take the road on the right to Cumières. That on the left, leading to Bourrus Woods, is impracticable for cars.
II.—From Charny to Cumières
Return to the level crossing, then turn to the right on leaving Charny. The road skirts the northern slopes of the hills on which stands the modern forts of Vacherauville, Marre and Bourrus Woods.
Cross through Marre village, in ruins. Beyond the ruined church follow the right-hand road (photo above) to Cumières. Half-way between Marre and Cumières are (on the right) the station of Chattancourt, (on the left) the road leading to that village.
CUMIÈRES IN MAY, 1916
Attacked on March 14th and destroyed by shell-fire on April 25th, Cumières was only captured by the Germans on the night of May 23rd. Three days later the French retook the eastern portion after a desperate combat. On May 29th and 30th, after two days of continual bombardment, they were momentarily driven back towards Chattancourt, but a vigorous counter-attack brought them back to the southern outskirts of the village. Caurettes Wood, to the S.W. of Cumières, remained, however, in the enemy’s hands.
On August 20th, 1917, Cumières village and wood were retaken by a regiment of the Légion Étrangère, who attacked singing the famous popular song “La Madelon.”
CUMIÈRES IN AUGUST, 1917.
PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE RIGHT BANK OF THE MEUSE SEEN FROM OIE HILL
(see Outline Map below)
From Cumières continue straight ahead to Oie Hill, from where the above panoramic view was taken.
[The left-hand side of the panoramic view shown above]
[Labels, from left to right: Haumont Wood, Oie Hill, Samogneux, River Meuse, National Road No. 64, Poivre Hill, Talou Hill.]
[The right-hand side of the panoramic view shown above]
[Labels, from left to right: Champneuville, Road from Champneuville to Vacherauville, Froide-Terre Hill, Champ. Village, Vacherauville Fort.]
CHATTANCOURT ON MAY 16TH, 1916.
On the horizon: The slopes of Mort-Homme.
III.—From Cumières to Chattancourt and Mort-Homme
On leaving Cumières return to the Station of Chattancourt, and take on the right the road to Chattancourt, which is about 800 yards further on. This village was completely levelled (photo below).
CHATTANCOURT IN 1919.
Nothing remains of the houses and trees. The road seen in
the above photo leads to Mort-Homme.
THE GERMAN ATTACKS OF MARCH 5TH–14TH,
1916, ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE MEUSE
From Chattancourt the positions of Mort-Homme may be visited by the road to Béthincourt (the lower [photograph on p. 94] shows the beginning of this road).
Motor-cars can go as far as the top of Hill 295 or Mort-Homme, where it is necessary to turn the car round and return to Chattancourt, as the road is cut near Béthincourt by the Forges stream, which has entirely flooded the lower part of the village.
Mort-Homme.—Like Hill 304, Mort-Homme was one of the most fiercely disputed positions on the left bank. It consists of twin hills: No. 265 (of which the Béthincourt-Cumières road skirts the summit) and No. 295 (the Mort-Homme proper, round which the road winds on the N.E.), and formed an excellent observation-post and artillery position in front of the real line of resistance.
On March 5th, 1916, the German offensive, which, until then, had been confined to the right bank of the river, developed with great violence on the left flank, progressing in six days to the slopes of Mort-Homme.
On the 14th, after a five-hours bombardment with shells of every kind and size, sometimes at the rate of 120 a minute, the enemy’s Infantry attack on Mort-Homme began. The Germans took and kept Hill 265, but the French Infantry and Zouaves, after a magnificent defence, held their ground on Hill 295—the key to the entire position—and in night counter-attacks drove back the assailants to the N.W. counter-slopes.
From March 15th to the end of December, 1916, the Germans launched at least fifteen particularly violent attacks against Hill 295, sacrificing countless men and huge quantities of munitions. On March 16th, 17th and 31st, and April 9th and 10th, French Chasseurs and Infantry repulsed the enemy in terrible hand-to-hand fighting. On April 22nd, 23rd and 24th the French 40th D.I., by its resistance and brilliant counter-attacks, broke up as many as three enemy attacks in one day, and re-established the French front as it was on April 5th. Further German attacks on Hill 295 followed on May 7th, 20th and 22nd, June 29th, July 12th and December 28th. Their furious offensive of May 20th alone brought them momentarily on the S.W. crest of Hill 295 and as far as the French second-line trenches, which were retaken on June 15th.
At that time the sector of Mort-Homme and Hill 304 was commanded by General de Maud’huy, whose courage and coolness are legendary in the army. The exploits of the French troops at Mort-Homme during the difficult period of 1916 were countless. One of the most brilliant was accomplished on April 9th by the 11th Company of the 151st Regiment of Infantry, which had received orders to reconquer the crest of the Mort-Homme.
Laughing and singing under a continual bombardment, this company went into line, a section at a time, with measured step and rifle in hand. On approaching the enemy trenches, the men rushed forward under heavy machine-gun fire and captured a large and important network of trenches. Promptly organising the conquered trenches, and despite an extremely intense enemy bombardment of thirty-six hours, the men succeeded in re-establishing the liaison with the 8th Battalion of Chasseurs on their right, making it possible to reform the line which had been broken, and which the enemy afterwards tried in vain to pierce, until May 20th.
THE SOUTH-WESTERN SLOPES OF MORT-HOMME IN JANUARY, 1917.
In 1917 the sector was often the scene of violent combats, especially on January 25th, and March 18th, 20th and 29th. After many efforts and at heavy cost the Germans succeeded in occupying Hill 265 and the crest of Hill 295, where they organised formidable defences, including deep shell-proof tunnels.
On August 20th, 1917, during the French attack along the entire Verdun front, the 31st D.I. carried all the German defences and recaptured the Mort-Homme and its tunnels, including the one known as the “Crown-Prince,” which was “cleaned out” by the Foreign Legion. In one of the tunnels several cavalry-men, units of the XXXVIth and a whole battalion of the XXth Regiment of the German Reserve, were captured, while among the officers taken was Count Bernstorff, nephew of the ex-German Ambassador to the United States. An entire staff was captured in another of the tunnels.
MORT-HOMME AFTER THE ATTACK OF AUGUST, 1917 (see [p. 23])
Corbeaux Wood.—The plateaux dominated by the two Mort-Homme Hills are cut into on the north of the high road by a ravine bordered by Corbeaux Wood. This wood offers favourable cover for the massing of attacking troops. It was by this fiercely disputed route that the enemy tried to reach Hill 295. On March 6th the French line was brought back in front of the wood. On the 7th the enemy, after bombarding it, succeeded in getting a footing there, but on the following day the 92nd Infantry Regiment, in a magnificent counter-attack, retook the wood in twenty minutes. On the morning of the 10th, reinforced by another infantry battalion, the same regiment further captured the N.E. outskirts of Cumières Wood (to the E. of Corbeaux Wood), but in the evening, deprived of its commanding officer (Colonel Macker, who had fallen that morning), and lacking the support of the French artillery, which the trees prevented from seeing the rocket-signals, the regiment was compelled to fall back before an impetuous attack by a whole enemy division. However, it was only at frightful cost that the Germans were able to score these two successes, as the French gave ground only inch by inch.
The wood was retaken by the Foreign Legion Regiment on August 20th, 1917 (see [p. 23]).
MORT-HOMME
Trenches captured in August, 1917
THE ROAD FROM CHATTANCOURT TO ESNES, AT THE FOOT OF HILL 275.
In the background the road forks, that on the left going to Montzéville, the one on the light to Esnes. The tourist should take the latter.
[Labels, from left to right: Road to Montzéville, Hill 304, Road to Esnes.]
IV.—From Mort-Homme to Esnes.
From Mort-Homme return to the starting-point at Chattancourt, and take on the right the road to Esnes (see photo at the [bottom of p. 94]).
ESNES VILLAGE IN 1919.
On the left, THE CASTLE; on the right, THE CHURCH.
This fairly steep road scales the northern slopes of Hill 275. Driving is rather difficult by reason of the numerous shell holes in the road. A pass is soon reached, from which Hill 304 can be seen opposite ([photo, p. 98]).
ESNES IN JANUARY, 1916
This road crosses all the organisations of the first line shelters, posts of commandment, dressing-stations, etc. Continue as far as a crossing (visible in [photo, p. 98]), where turn to the right into Esnes.
By reason of its position, S. of Hills 304 and 295, Esnes was an important base of operations during the Battle of Verdun. It was subjected to frequent enemy bombardments, of which the most violent occurred on March 20th and 21st, April 5th, 6th, 12th, 25th and 26th, and June 22nd, 1916.
The three photographs on [pp. 98] and [99] show the aspects of the village at three different stages of the battle.
ESNES ON SEPTEMBER 25TH, 1916.
FROM MORT-HOMME TO BOURRUS WOODS; PANORAMIC VIEW
TAKEN FROM THE WAYSIDE CROSS AT ESNES (see Outline-Map below).
OUTLINE-MAP OF THE GROUND COVERED BY THE ABOVE PANORAMIC VIEW.
[The left-hand side of the panoramic view above]
[Labels, from left to right: Mort-Homme, Heights on the left bank of the river, Hill 275.]
[The right-hand side of the panoramic view above]
[Labels, from left to right: Road to Chattancourt, Marre Fort, Hill 272, Bourrus Woods, Hill 310.]
V.—From Esnes to Montfaucon, via Hill 304
After passing in front of the ruins of Esnes Church, continue straight ahead, taking the second road on the right (not the first, which leads to Béthincourt—see [photograph] above).
The road on the left ends in a very steep rough track and is impracticable for cars.
The road to be followed zig-zags up to the Wayside Cross of Esnes, from which there is a magnificent view of the battlefields on the left bank from Mort-Homme to Bourrus Woods (Panorama above).
At the Wayside Cross take the road to the right.
The left-hand one (seen in the foreground on [photo, p. 101]) leads to Avocourt. The tourist will take it on his return from Montfaucon.
The one on the right (in the foreground on [photo, p. 100]) passes between Hills 287 and 304 (the latter of celebrated memory) crosses the ruins of Haucourt and Malancourt villages, and ends at Montfaucon.
THE TOP OF HILL 304, SEEN FROM POMMERIEUX PLATEAU.
HILL 304
Hill 304, with Hills 287, 310 and 275, forms from Malancourt to Marre Fort a line of natural fortresses, which kept under their cross-fire not only the roads of approach, but also the bare glacis and the abrupt escarpments immediately bordering them.
The covered ground nearest Hill 304 is the S.E. corner of Avocourt Wood. It was from this wood that the IInd Bavarian D.I. left to attack the Hill on March 20th, 1916.
They were checked, however, on the long barren slope leading to the ridge, by the French cross-fire. Their three regiments, on March 20th to 22nd, lost from fifty to sixty per cent. of their effective strength, without gain. On April 9th, before Hill 287, the first German attacking wave succeeded in crossing the French first-line trench, practically destroyed by bombardment. They were running towards the French supporting trench when the survivors of the front-line trench, coming out of their shelters in the upheaved ground among the dead, exterminated them to the last man.
On May 3rd, eighty German batteries concentrated their fire on Hill 304 and its approaches. Clouds of black, green and yellow smoke rose from the hill-top as from a volcano, obscuring the sky to a height of 2,500 feet, according to the reports of aviators. As a British war correspondent put it: “The sky was like a dome of invisible rails on which fast trains ran madly.” On May 4th and 5th a fresh German division attempted to occupy the position, believing it and its defenders to have been annihilated. They gained a footing on the N. slopes of the hill, but were driven back during the night by the French 68th R.I., which then withdrew. On the 5th the same German division attacked on the left the Camard Wood and Hill 287. In this wood, entirely levelled by an eleven-hour bombardment, the 66th Line R.I. first held up, then charged the assailants at the point of the bayonet. At Hill 287 a battalion of the 32nd Line R.I. likewise brilliantly repulsed two attacks. On May 7th, after a tremendous shelling, the enemy attacked Hill 304 simultaneously from three sides with troops from five different divisions. It was their greatest effort against this position. However, two French regiments of picked troops (125th and 114th), one company of which charged, to the strains of La Marseillaise, the Germans were thrown into disorder and driven back to the N. slopes. During the rest of the month the enemy counter-attacked continually, at times in force, as on May 18th, 20th and 22nd, but without success.
TRENCH ON HILL 304.
Reconquered August 24th, 1917.
On June 29th and 30th they sought to turn the Hill from the E. and W. with the help of liquid fire. On the E. desperate fighting took place around a work which was lost by the French on the 29th, then retaken, lost again, and reconquered on the 30th.
The Germans made a powerful attack on December 6th, in which they took several trenches on the E. slopes.
On the 28th of the same month another German attack, preceded by an intense bombardment, failed.
In 1917 the enemy continued their efforts against Hill 304. They succeeded on January 25th in occupying several of the French advance-positions, which were partly recaptured the next day.
Further enemy attacks on March 18th, 20th and 29th were repulsed after hand-to-hand fighting.
On June 28th and 29th another powerful enemy attack succeeded, with heavy loss, in capturing Hill 304 and advancing between the Hill and the S.E. corner of Avocourt Wood, to a slight hollow known as the Col-de-Pommerieux. This hollow was, however, reconquered on July 17th by the French 51st and 87th R.I., supported by two battalions of the 97th D.I. (335th and 346th Regiments), and one battalion of the 73rd D.I. After a remarkable artillery preparation, the French infantrymen, in half-an-hour, reached the fortified crest, and regained a kilometer of ground, including the famous “Demi-Lune” Redoubt. The 87th R.I., composed of men from the north, Valenciennes, St. Quentin and Lens, went 300 yards beyond the assigned objective and captured an observation-post in front of the crest, which they christened “Le crèneau des Gretchen.” The attack occurred at the time the enemy troops were being relieved, 520 prisoners, belonging to at least three different divisions, being taken. From a single sap the French Grenadiers brought out four German officers, one of whom, on descending the hill, turned back to admire the manœuvre of the French soldiers.
On August 24th Hill 304, the approaches to which had been reconquered on the 20th, was carried by the 139th and 121st R.I. (26th D.I.). This division, which attacked before Hill 304, on the Pommerieux Plateau and at Camard Wood, captured prisoners belonging to five different German divisions. After capturing Hill 304, Equerre Wood and Souvin Redoubt, the division attacked again on the evening of the same day, this time carrying the positions of Palavas, Alsace, Gateau-de-Miel and Lorraine, and advancing the first French line to the Forges stream, i.e. more than two kilometers from its starting-point between Haucourt and Malancourt, the latter still being occupied by the enemy.
On leaving Hill 304, descend to Haucourt and Malancourt.
Haucourt hamlet, on the Fontaine-des-Aulnes stream, was attacked by the Germans on April 4th, 1916, and taken after several sanguinary setbacks on the night of the 5th after a fine defence by three companies of the 79th R.I., which held their ground against a brigade. It was recaptured on September 26th, 1918, by the First American Army.
MALANCOURT.
General view seen from the ruins of the Church in May, 1919.
Malancourt village was reoccupied by the French on October 13th, 1914. Enemy attacks on the following 16th and 20th failed. From February, 1915, the French lines were advanced to the slopes on the N. of the village. In 1916 the Germans did not attack until the end of March. They were unable to enter it on the 28th, but the next day captured two houses. On the night of the 30th they occupied it entirely.
Malancourt and its wood were recaptured by the First American Army on September 26th, 1918. The wood was hard to take, as the Germans had installed numerous blockhouses and barbed-wire entanglements.
GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST IN THE RUINS OF MONTFAUCON CHURCH.
Montfaucon
From Malancourt tourists may go to Montfaucon, three miles away, by a rather difficult road which has been summarily repaired.
From Montfaucon, where the Germans had established an observation-post in the ruins of the church, there is a complete view of the whole of the battlefield north-west of Verdun, from the hills on the right bank of the Meuse, to Vauquois.
See Panorama and Map on [pp. 106] and [107].
The tower of the church, which made a fine observation-post for the Germans, was destroyed by the French artillery. When, after their brilliant offensive of September 26th, 1918 (see [p. 24]), the Americans drove the enemy from Montfaucon, they found this observation-post (photo below) built with materials taken from the ruins of the church.
THE OPENING IN THE OBSERVATION-POST, THROUGH WHICH
THE PANORAMIC VIEW ON pp. 106 AND 107 WAS TAKEN.
PANORAMA OF THE BATTLEFIELD OF VERDUN, SEEN FROM MONTFAUCON.
The above view was taken from the inside of the Observation-Post seen in the photo below, the camera looking through the slit-like embrasure.
In the foreground are vestiges of shell-torn trees and the ruins of Montfaucon Village. Verdun is on the horizon between Mort-Homme and Hill 275.
GERMAN OBSERVATION-POST, through the embrasure of which the above
Panoramic View was taken.
[The left-hand side of the above panoramic view]
[Labels, from left to right: Hills on the right bank of the river, Road to Cuisy, Mort-Homme, Hill 275, Road to Malancourt, Hill 310.]
[The right-hand side of the above panoramic view]
[Labels, from left to right: Montfaucon Wood, Vauquois Spur.]
SKETCH-MAP OF THE BATTLEFIELD, AS SEEN BY THE GERMANS
FROM THE EMINENCE OF MONTFAUCON.
AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN MARCH, 1916.
VI.—From Montfaucon to Avocourt
From Montfaucon return by the same road to Malancourt.
The bad state of the Malancourt–Avocourt road (May, 1919) does not allow it to be taken from the former to the latter locality. (The road passes through the woods of the same names, disputed with incredible fierceness.) The tourist should, therefore, return to the Wayside Cross at Esnes, along the same road that he came by.
From Esnes Cross (see [p. 100]), take on the right the road to Avocourt, which marks approximately the extreme limit of the battlefield W. of Verdun.
Avocourt and Avocourt and Malancourt Woods.—One of the finest feats of arms in the Battle of Verdun was performed at Avocourt.
THE CROSS IN THE MIDDLE OF AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN APRIL, 1916.
TRENCH IN THE RUINS OF AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN APRIL, 1917.
On March 20th, 1916, the Germans, who had never been able to take the village, attacked with a fresh division of picked troops (IInd Bavarians), which had taken part in the summer campaign in Galicia and Poland with Mackensen’s forces. The attack succeeded, with the help of liquid fire. A French counter-attack on the 29th by the 210th R.I., and a battalion of the 157th, recaptured the wood and the redoubt known as the “Réduit d’Avocourt,” situated on its S. edge. The attacking troops, which had not been revictualled for four days, had finished their reserve rations twelve hours previously. So fatigued were they that they slept standing despite the bombardment. To rouse them, their chiefs, at 3 a.m. next morning, ordered the buglers and drummers to play. As the day was breaking the music suddenly stopped, a shell having buried all save one drummer. Furious at this, the men, with the drummer at their head, rushed forward, and by 8 a.m. the wood had been entirely reconquered.
SITE OF AVOCOURT VILLAGE IN NOVEMBER, 1918.
In 1917, hard fighting continued in this region with varying fortune. Powerful German attacks gave the enemy a little ground between Avocourt and Hill 304, and in Avocourt Wood. On August 20th, the French 25th D.I. drove the enemy from the S. part of the wood, advancing 1,200 yards and capturing 750 prisoners, thirty machine guns and ten trench mortars.
MALANCOURT WOOD IN 1916, seen from the French lines.
The sandbags mark the German lines.
On September 26th, 1918, the wood was entirely cleared of the enemy by the First American Army.
Malancourt Wood.—It was against a French trench, in this wood that on February 26th, 1915, the Germans made use of liquid fire for the first time, special pumps, operated by pioneers of the Guard, being employed.
VII.—Avocourt to Aubréville
From Avocourt take the road which follows the small valley running southwards (see [Itinerary], pp. 88 and 89). It was on this road, hidden from the view of the enemy, that the French concentrations were carried out in the rear lines.
Two kilometers from Avocourt, take on the left the road leading to Hesse Wood, scene of all sorts of concentrations, posts of commandment, dressing stations, batteries of artillery, depots, etc.
This road is in good condition almost as far as Aubréville, with the exception of two or three places on leaving Hesse Wood, beyond Bertrame’s Farm.
VIII.—From Aubréville to Verdun
On entering Aubréville, take on the left N. 46 which skirts the St. Menehould-Verdun railway.
The tourist passes through Parois and Récicourt, where numerous cantonments and rest camps were installed for the relief of the troops.
Dombasle, where a large munitions depot blew up, is next reached.
From Dombasle one of two Itineraries may be chosen to return to Verdun.
The first, by continuing to follow the National Road, via Blercourt.
The second, which follows the crests dominating N. 3 from Paris to Metz.
For the second Itinerary, on leaving Dombasle, take the small road on the left, which leads to Sivry-la-Perche, 4 kilometers distant.
N. of the latter village, at the N.E. extremity of Hill 357, there still exists an observation-post, from which there is a general view of the entire rear-ground of the battlefield W. of Verdun.
If it is desired to visit this observation-post before the descent leading to Sivry-la-Perche, take the Béthelainville road on the left for about 700 yards going thence on foot to the right in a N.E. direction. The observation post is about half-a mile further on.
From Sivry-la-Perche continue along the road, which passes first on the left of Sartelles Fort and then to the left of Chaume Fort. These two forts only played a minor role in the battle of Verdun, and suffered but slightly from the bombardments. In front of Chaume Fort there was an observation post for heavy artillery, whence there is a splendid view of the Meuse Valley.
From Chaume Fort the road is rather steep and in bad condition. Going down on the left and flanking a hill is Glorieux Cemetery, near the evacuation hospital.
Verdun is entered by the Porte-de-France.
IN THE RUINS OF VERDUN.