CONTENTS

PAGES
Plan of Verdun (2 colours)[between 30–31]
Map of Verdun (black)[between 56–57]
The Great War (1914–1918)—General Considerations[4 to 7]
The Battle of Verdun[8 to 30]
The German Offensive, Feb.–Aug., 1916[10 to 18]
The French Counter-Offensive, Oct.–Dec., 1916,
to Aug., 1917[19 to 23]
The American Offensive, Sept. 26th, 1918[24]
The Franco-American Offensive, Oct., 1918[25 to 27]
Conclusion[28 to 30]
A Visit to the City of Verdun[31 to 56]
The Cathedral[42 to 48]
The Citadelle[52 to 54]
A Visit to the Battlefield[57 to 111]
1st Itinerary: The Right Bank of the Meuse[57 to 87]
2nd Itinerary: The Left Bank of the Meuse[88 to 111]

REFUGEES FROM VERDUN DISTRICT PASSING THROUGH
SOUILLY ALONG THE “SACRED WAY.”

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED.
LONDON
XIV.-2120-7-19-25

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BEAUTIFUL FRANCE.

Brittany.

Land of granite cliffs, rough seas and folk-lore, Brittany is one of the most picturesque provinces of France.

The granitic soil, carpeted with yellow-gorse and shaded with the deep green of countless oaks, has bred a hardy race of sailors and fishermen, who combine strange pagan superstitions with the Roman faith. In historic and pre-historic memories, it is one of the richest lands in the world.

The hinterland of Brittany consists of uplands broken by ravines, of low undulating hills, moors, rich pastures, living waters and crags.

The coastline, broken with innumerable capes, creeks, gulfs and estuaries, is of unparalleled picturesqueness.

Among the principal places of interest to tourists are the following: Cancale Bay and Grouin Point, the roadstead of St. Malo and estuary of the Rance, Cape Fréhel, St. Brieuc Bay, Bréhat Island, Ploumanach and Trégastel Cliffs, Primel Point, the estuary of the de Morlaix river, Roscoff and Batz Island, the Brignognan and Aber-Wrach Crags, St. Matthew’s Point and Brest Harbour.

Further south are the Morgat Caves, Bay of Douarnenez, Raz Point, Penmarch Cliffs, Gulf of Vannes, etc.

Numerous ancient fortified cities, whereof: Vitré, Fougères, St. Malo, Dinan, Morlaix, Carhaix, Quimper, Concarneau, Pontivy and Vannes are of especial interest, and old-time châteaux, churches and cathedrals lie scattered over the land.

The three principal “Calvaries,” of which there are many, are in the “Département” of Finistère, at Trégonnec, Guimiliau and Plougastel.

Numerous “menhirs” and “dolmens,” of which the most celebrated are at Carnac and Lochmariaquer, offer particular interest to the archaeologist and historian.

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MICHELIN TOURING OFFICES

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Drop a line, ring us up, or call at one of our Touring Offices and you will receive a carefully worked out description of the route to follow.

[APPENDIX]

List of Photographs

[fig005]Verdun burning in 1916
[fig006]Generals Joffre and Pétain at the G.H.Q of the 2nd French Army at Souilly, in February, 1916.
[fig007]Starting point of the German Attack of February 21st, North of Haumont Wood.
[fig008]The Relief by Motor-Lorries.
[fig009]Mort-Homme and Hill 287 in May, 1916.
[fig010]General Pétain’s Order of the Day.
[fig011]General Nivelle, taking over the Command of Verdun Army in May, 1916.
[fig012]Entrance to Douaumont Fort.
[fig013]Aspect of the Battlefield in July, 1916.
[fig014]General Mangin in front of his Post of Commandment.
[fig015]The Approaches of Tavannes Fort.
[fig016]Hill 304 recaptured.
[fig017]Fontaines Ravine, West of Bezonvaux.
[fig018]General Guillaumat
[fig019]Renault Tanks and American Troops on the old French Lines at Regnéville.
[fig020]Douaumont Fort and its Approaches.
[fig021][Decorations awarded to Verdun.]
[fig022]The Place d’Armes
[fig023]Rue St. Pierre in 1916.
[fig024]Façade of College Church, Rue St. Paul, May, 1919.
[fig025]Interior of College Church. Photographed in May, 1919.
[fig026]The Palais de Justice.
[fig027]The Banks of the Meuse and the Cathedral before the War.
[fig028]The Chaussée Gate (before the War)
[fig029]The Banks of the Meuse, the Cathedral and St. Croix Bridge.
[fig030]St. Saviour’s Church
[fig031]The Interior of St. Saviour’s Church
[fig032]Chevert Square and Statue of General Chevert.
[fig033]The Meuse (seen from Chevert Square, 1916).
[fig034]Façade of the Hôtel-de-Ville overlooking the gardens. (May, 1919)
[fig035]Main Entrance (rebuilt) to the Abbey of St. Vanne, in the Court of No. 19, Rue de L’Hôtel-de-Ville.
[fig036]Ruins in the Rue Mazel and Rue St. Esprit.
[fig037]The Princerie in 1916, Rue de La Belle-Vierge, Nos. 16 and 18
[fig038]The Princerie Cloister (Hist. Mon.) before the War
[fig039]The Princerie Cloister in 1916
[fig040]An observation-post in Magdeleine Square (1916)
[fig041]Ruins in the Rue Châtel, seen from the Cathedral (1916)
[fig042]Verdun seen from one of the Cathedral Towers
[fig043]The Cathedral
[fig044]Apsis of the Great Choir, seen from the banks of the Meuse
[fig045]The Great Nave
[fig046]The Great Nave before the War
[fig047]The Great Nave seen from the Choir
[fig048]The Ciborium
[fig049]The Stalls and Woodwork of the Great Choir
[fig050]The Shrine of St. Saintin
[fig051][The South Aisle and Holy Sacrament Chapel]
[fig052]Monument to Archdeacon Wassebourg, Chapel of The Virgin
[fig053]Upper Portion of the door in Old Roman Apse, removed to the Vestry
[fig054]Roman Capital of the Great Crypt filled in in 1755, except two bays decorated with paintings
[fig055]The Last Judgement, painting on the vault of the Crypt
[fig056]Courtyard of the Bishop’s Palace and the Cathedral in 1916
[fig057]The Bishop’s Palace, façade looking on the courtyard and entrance to the Museum
[fig058]The Cloister
[fig059]The West Gallery in which the staircase leading to the Cloister Opens Out (1914)
[fig060]The Cloister seen from one of the Cathedral towers
[fig061]The South Gallery of the Cloister before the War
[fig062]Châtel Gate, behind the Cathedral
[fig063]The Citadel buildings after the bombardments of 1916
[fig064]The Citadel and St. Vanne Tower, with wireless antenna.
[fig065]The Citadel Ramparts and Neuve Gate.
[fig066]Dormitory in the casemates
[fig067]Co-operative canteen in the Citadel
[fig068]The Rue des Gros-Degrés
[fig069]The Canal des Augustins
[fig070]St. Victor’s Gate
[fig071]The doorway of the Congrégation Notre-Dame (63 Rue de L’hôtel-De-Ville)
[fig072]Leaving Verdun by the Chaussée Gate
[fig073]Military Cemetery at the exit of the Faubourg Pavé
[fig074]The interior of Tavannes Fort
[fig075]The Southern moat of Tavannes Fort
[fig076]The car coming from Tavannes Fort takes the road on the right to Vaux Fort. That on the left leads to Souville Fort
[fig077]The road to Fort Vaux
[fig078]Laufée Wood in 1917
[fig079]Chenois Wood in 1917
[fig080]Vaux Fort in 1916
[fig081]Vaux Fort. The moats in June, 1916
[fig082]The approaches to Vaux Fort in March, 1916
[fig083]The South-West side of Vaux Fort
[fig084]The old entrance to Souville Fort (Sept. 1916)
[fig085]Souville Fort (March 1917)
[fig086]Panorama seen from the Cross-Roads at the Chapel of St. Fine
[fig087]Attacking waves of infantry crossing Fumin Wood (Oct. 1916)
[fig088]Defence works in Vaux Village (January, 1916)
[fig089]Where Vaux Village (entirely destroyed) stood before the War
[fig090]Vaux Pond (March 1917)
[fig091]Vaux Pond is the extreme point which can be reached by motor-cars
[fig092]The Southern outskirts of Fleury after the French counter-attack of June 25th, 1916
[fig093]Fleury, the Grand Rue in July, 1916
[fig094]Fleury in ruins, October. 1916
[fig095]Thiaumont Redoubt occupied by the French in May, 1916
[fig096]Thiaumont Redoubt in ruins occupied by the Germans a month later
[fig097]Douaumont Fort in January, 1916
[fig098]The entrance to Douaumont Fort in January, 1916
[fig099]The interior of the fort on May 22nd, 1916, three hours after the attack
[fig100]Soldiers of the Morrocan Colonial Regt. Occupying the moats of the reconquered fort
[fig101]Ruins of Douaumont Village and Church
[fig102]Dame Ravine
[fig103]Position of German battery destroyed in Chauffour Wood
[fig104]Haudromont Quarries in September, 1917
[fig105]Haudromont Wood in March, 1917
[fig106]Helly Ravine
[fig107]Road from Louvemont to Ornes
[fig108]Louvement Village in April, 1917
[fig109]Froide-Terre Redoubt in 1915
[fig110]The last train to pass at the foot of Poivre Hill in 1916. It was wrecked by enemy artillery.
[fig111]Bras Village and Poivre Hill in Sept., 1917
[fig112]Ruins of Bras Church, whose tower collapsed
[fig113]Vacherauville. The approaches to the village on Dec. 20th, 1916
[fig114]The centre of Samogneux Village On The n. 46 in May, 1919
[fig115]Samogneux Church in Aug., 1915
[fig116]Panoramic view of the Meuse Valley seen from the top of Talou Hill
[fig121]The church and main street of Charny in January, 1916
[fig122]The church and main street of Charny seen from the other side in May, 1919
[fig123]Marre Village in ruins
[fig124]Cumières in May, 1916
[fig125]Cumières in August, 1917
[fig126]Panoramic view of the Meuse seen from Oie Hill
[fig129]Chattancourt on May 16th, 1916
[fig130]Chattancourt In 1919
[fig131]The South-Western slopes of Mort-Homme in January, 1917
[fig132]Mort-Homme after the attack of August, 1917
[fig133]Mort-Homme: trenches captured in August, 1917
[fig134]The road from Chattancourt to Esnes, at the foot of Hill 275
[fig135]Esnes Village in 1919
[fig136]Esnes in January, 1916
[fig137]Esnes on September 24th, 1916
[fig138]From Mort-Homme to Bourrus Woods: panoramic view taken from the Wayside Cross at Esnes
[fig141]The top of Hill 304, seen from Pommerieux Plateau
[fig142]Trench On Hill 304
[fig143]Malancourt, May, 1919
[fig144]German observation-post in the ruins of Montfaucon Church
[fig145]The opening in the observation-post, through which the panoramic view on pp. 106 and 107 was taken
[fig146]Panorama of the battlefield of Verdun, seen from Montfaucon
[fig147]German observation-post, through the embrasure of which the above panoramic view was taken
[fig150]Avocourt Village in March, 1916
[fig151]The Cross in the middle of Avancourt Village in April, 1916
[fig152]Trench in the ruins of Avancourt Village in April, 1917
[fig153]Site of Avancourt Village in November, 1918
[fig154]Malancourt Wood in 1916
[fig155]In the ruins of Verdun
[fig156]Refugees from Verdun district passing through Souilly along the “Sacred Way.”

List of Maps

[map001]Verdun—Pivot of the Battle of the Marne
[map002]The Verdun Front, from the Battle of the Marne until the great German offensive in 1916
[map003]Plan of the German Offensive of February, 1916
[map004]The “Sacred Way,” and the Narrow-Gauge Meuse Railway
[map005]The Central Attack
[map006][The German advance through Haumont Wood, 21st and 22nd of February, 1916]
[map007]The German general attack on both banks of the Meuse
[map008][The French offensives of 24th of October, 1916]
[map009][The French offensive of 12th of December, 1916]
[map010][The French offensive of 20th of August, 1917]
[map011][The American Offensive of 26th September, 1918]
[map012][The Franco-American Offensive of 9th October, 1918]
[map013][German and Allied Offensives near Verdun, 1915–1918]
[map014]The City of Verdun
[map015][The centre of the City of Verdun]
[map016]1st Itinerary: The Right Bank of the Meuse and the forts
[map017][The Verdun battlefield]
[map018]German advance on March 8 and 9, 1916
[map019][Outline map of the cross-roads near the Chapel of St Fine]
[map020]The approaches to Douaumont Fort and Village
[map021]The front on the morning of February 26th (26/2) and on the morning of the 27th (27/2)
[map022]The German advance on Feb. 24th, 1916
[map023][Outline map showing the vantage point of the panoramic view seen from Talou Hill]
[map024][2nd Intinerary: the Left Bank of the Meuse]
[map025][Outline map showing the vantage point of the panoramic view seen from Oie Hill]
[map026]The German attacks of March 5th-14th, 1916, on the left bank of the Meuse
[map027]Outline-map of the ground covered by the above panoramic view [seen from Esnes]
[map028]Sketch-map of the battlefield, as seen by the Germans from the eminence of Montfaucon