Vandelainville, which is the continuation of Onville, contains several houses damaged by the bombardments.
Passing through the villages of Bayonville and Arnaville, N. 52 bis, which runs along the left bank of the Moselle, and which take to the right in the direction of Pagny-sur-Moselle.
This village, also called Pagny-sous-Prény, from the name of the hamlet and château which dominates the surrounding country, was for forty-eight years the Custom House, being the last French railway station before the frontier.
Prény Château, the ruins of which are visible from here, was one of the most famous castles of the Middle Ages. Built by the Dukes of Lorraine, it was dismantled by Richelieu. It formed a square flanked by high, strong towers connected with one another by walls and subterranean passages hollowed out of the rock. At one end there was a second building, also surrounded by moats and flanked by towers, in one of which was the famous “Mande-Guerre” bell. The keep with the chapel and living-rooms stood there.
Pagny suffered severely, most of the houses being in ruins.
The road turns to the left into the valley, then to the right beyond the church, which is left on the right.
Just outside Pagny-sur-Moselle the Germans built a concrete barrier across the road to stop the tanks.
About 500 yards from Pagny, near the bridge over Mouton stream, is a machine-gun blockhouse in concrete on the right.
N. 52 bis next passes through Vandières, which was burnt down by the Germans during their retreat of September 16. All the houses along the road, especially those on the left, are in ruins.
Five kilometres further on, after crossing the railway, Pont-à-Mousson is entered by the Rue du Port, Place Colombe and Rue St. Laurent; the latter brings the tourist to the Grand Place or Place Duroc.