MAP OF THE OPERATIONS FROM CHAUDUN TO SOISSONS.
The roads indicated by two continuous lines are to be followed by the tourist.
Throughout the region which the tourist has just visited (Chaudun to Soissons), the battle raged without respite from May 29 to July 18, 1918. While, on May 29 and 30, the French were hanging on to the western outskirts of Soissons, outflanked by the armies of Von François and Von Larisch, the German 6th Active and 6th Reserves captured Vierzy and Chaudun on the 30th. On June 1, French counter-attacks forced the enemy to retire. After changing hands several times and much furious fighting, Chaudun and Vierzy remained in the hands of the French. On the 3rd, the enemy engaged all available reserves (three fresh divisions) in a powerful attack between the Aisne and the Ourcq. Progressing beyond Missy-aux-Bois and La Croix-de-Fer they reached the line extending northwards from Dommiers to west of Pernant. On June 12 and 13, they again attacked in the direction of the Villers-Cotterets Wood reaching the Laversine—Cœuvres—St. Pierre-Aigle line. Stiff fighting continued along this line until the end of June, the French retaking Cœuvres on the 15th, Laversine on the 28th, and St. Pierre-Aigle on July 2.
On July 18, the Franco-American forces (1st and 2nd American Divisions), under General Mangin, began their counter-offensive, which liberated the entire region as far as east of Pernant, including Missy-aux-Bois, Chaudun, and Vierzy. The latter village, which had been lost in the evening, was promptly re-taken by the Americans (2nd Division) after furious combats.
From the 19th to the 21st the enemy offered desperate resistance to the south-west of Soissons. Engaging three fresh divisions, and after numerous counter-attacks, they succeeded in advancing to the east of Chaudun. Their success was short-lived, however, as on the 21st, General Mangin’s army broke down their resistance and reached the road from Soissons to Oulchy (N. 37).