Until March 1917, the opposing lines underwent no further important modifications. Here and there, however, their defences had been considerably strengthened by redoubts, concrete machine-gun emplacements and very formidable barbed-wire entanglements.
The second itinerary (pp. [52–64]) will enable those interested to inspect parts of these lines, which form a rough semi-circle around Soissons and are quite close to the city.
The German retirement in March 1917 along both banks of the Oise, covered only a very small extent of ground in the neighbourhood of Soissons, which formed the pivot of the manœuvre.
The new front was less than five miles behind the old one and, though the town remained within easy range of the German heavy artillery, bombardment was less frequent than before.
From March 17, the Germans abandoned their trenches at Crouy and on Hill 132, but tried to stem the French forward push. They launched violent counter-attacks between Vregny and Margival, and the French advanced only step by step to the first trenches of the redoubtable Hindenburg line. By the end of the month, they had scarcely advanced beyond Neuville-sur-Margival and Leuilly. On April 1, they attacked along the line of the Ailette-Laon road, and reached the outskirts of Laffaux and Vauxaillon. The French occupied this last village and Vauxeny during the following days, but their advance went no further.
On April 16, the 6th Army under General Mangin attacked in conjunction with the 5th Army on the east. This offensive was only partly successful. To the north-east of Soissons, where the first Colonial Corps was in action, the French made but little progress, and failed to take the Moisy Farm Plateau. Laffaux was alternately taken and lost, and was only definitely occupied on the 19th. At dawn on May 5, a new offensive was started along the whole front south-east of Vauxaillon. Moisy Farm and Laffaux Mill were taken by the French Colonials and Cuirassiers on foot, and held despite numerous fierce counter-attacks. The next day, they advanced yet further north of the mill. The Germans, who could not resign themselves to the loss of these key positions, made repeated endeavours to retake them, and the Soissons sector became “a new Verdun.” On October 23, 1917, General Maistre ordered a vigorous offensive, and while the 38th division (General de Salins) captured the Malmaison fort, the 21st Corps (General Degoutte) captured with a single rush the villages of Allemant and Vaudesson. On the 25th, the French occupied the village and forest of Pinon and reached the line of the canal between the Oise and the Aisne. Soissons was now quite cleared.
FRONT 1915–1917.
THE GERMAN OCCUPATION IN 1918
In 1918, Soissons had again to face the horrors of invasion. On May 27 1918, after the failure of the two German offensives against Paris and Amiens, the Crown Prince threw his divisions forward in a formidable attack along the Aisne Front. The Germans, taking full advantage of the surprise which gave them an absolute numerical superiority, crossed the Chemin-des-Dames in the early hours of the morning. Then, while east of Soissons they were crossing the Aisne in the direction of Vailly and advancing along the left bank of the river as far as the Vesle, they made progress to the north-east in the direction of the undulating plains which sheltered the town.